Job 3:26

REFLECTIONS

PONDER, my soul, over this view of Job; and behold in him, whose patience is so highly testified of by the Holy Ghost, what man is in his highest attainments. Oh! precious Jesus! lamb of God, where shall I look for excellence, but in thee! Remark, further, my soul, in this complaint of Job, still the grace of God restraining the devil's power. Though Job was provoked by the adversary to curse the day of his birth, we do not hear a word of his cursing God. Whereas the accusation of Satan was, that if the Lord touched all he had, Job would curse God to his face. Do not, my soul, neither let the Reader, overlook this. The reason for which the Lord permitted Satan to exercise his servant so greatly, was not for the discovery, whether Job was a man subject to the same sins and infirmities as others of the fallen race of Adam; but Satan had accused Job of hypocrisy, and that he had no real love of God in his heart: here therefore was the issue of trial. Will Job, under these dreadful trials, abjure God? Will he give up his God? No! Though he laments himself, and laments his state, yet not a word against the Lord. Here let my soul look to Jesus, who in his unequalled sufferings, though for the while deserted of his Father, that his people might not be deserted, forever, never lost sight of his dependence upon him, when he uttered that dolorous cry; My God, my God, why host thou forsaken me! Lastly, from the representation made in this chapter, let both Reader and Writer learn, if Job's sufferings were so great as to induce him to lament the day of his birth, even while grace within restrained the power of the enemy; what must be the horrors of that place where no grace is felt, and where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Oh! precious Jesus! what everlasting praise must be due to thee, what love ought thy redeemed to feel in the contemplation, that thou hast delivered us from the wrath to come, when thou didst give thy soul an offering for sin, and didst die, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Blessed be the day of every sinner's new birth in thee! And blessed be God for Jesus Christ!