did Peter say, "Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out?" or why did our blessed Lord say, " If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water?"] 2. They actually obtain from God many present benefits [By "coming to Christ, they find rest unto their souls," and are "filled with peace and joy in believing:" and in this way they are encouraged to "fight the good fight of faith," and to run with patience the race that is set before them." And is there any thing evil in this? Does it not accord with the experience of the saints in all ages? Yea, does it not constitute a very strong argument in favour of godliness, that "it hath the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to comed?"] 3. They look forward to infinitely richer benefits in the world that is to come [To those who seek after glory and honour and immortality, God has promised eternal life: and the saints, under their most afflictive trials, are pronounced blessed, because of the recompence that awaits them in the eternal world. Can it be wrong, then, to have respect to that reward, and to run with a view to obtain the prize? Look at Moses: was not he actuated by this hope, when he "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt?" Yes, we are expressly told that "he had respect unto the recompence of the reward!" By the same hope were the ancient martyrs also actuated, when "they refused to accept deliverance from their tortures, in the assured expectation of obtaining a better resurrections." And even of our blessed Lord himself is it said, that "for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross and despised the shame, till at last he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God h." Then I confess the truth contained in my text, that we are selfish and my only complaint is, that we are not sufficiently impressed with these hopes and expectations: for, if we were, we should, like the holy Apostle, "forget all that is behind, and reach forward to that which is before, and press on with continually increasing ardour for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."] d 1 Tim. iv. 8. e Matt. v. 3-12, f Heb. xi. 24-26. To all the calumniated servants of God, then, Would I SAY, 1. Regard not the uncharitable censures of ungodly men [Do what you will, they will be sure to find fault with you. Satan accused Job to God as a hypocrite, because of his prosperity and, when he had prevailed to involve him in utter ruin, he stirred up Job's friends to condemn him as an hypocrite, because of his adversity. So, when "John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking," Satan's agents said "he had a devil:" and, when "Jesus came eating and drinking," they accused him as "a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." Thus, "whether you pipe or mourn," they will find occasion against you, even as they did against David, who, "when he put on sackcloth, and fasted," to bring down blessings on his enemies, had even "that turned to his reproach." Only be careful to give no just occasion of offence. Let your enemies be able to "find no fault in you, except concerning the Law of your God." Let it be the one labour of your life to "be blameless and harmless, as sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, shining amongst them as lights in a dark world, and holding forth, in the whole of your life and conversation, the word of life."] 2. Endeavour in all things to approve yourselves to God 66 [A contempt of man's censures should ever be attended with a determination of heart to " 'keep a conscience void of offence towards both God and man." You have seen what a testimony the heart-searching God bare to Job: seek that he may testify respecting you also, that you are perfect and upright, fearing God, and eschewing evil." Be men of principle: and then you will be independent of outward things, and serve God as well in one state of life as another. Neither prosperity nor adversity will influence you in this respect; but," whether God give or take away, you will bless his holy name." Then, if condemned by men, you may look forward with confidence to the future judgment, when "your righteousness shall shine forth as the noon-day," and "every tongue that has spoken against you shall be condemned."] CCCCLI. TRIALS AND RESIGNATION OF JOB. Job i. 20, 21. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. BEHOLD, the invisible world is here opened to our view. We here see an assembly of the sons of God, (whether of angels, or of glorified saints, is not certain,) and Satan himself intruding in among them, in the very presence of their God. We are informed also of a conversation passing between Jehovah and Satan in reference to Job; God commending him as the most eminent of the saints on earth; and Satan traducing his character, as a mercenary hypocrite, who would even curse his Maker to his face, if only he should be tempted to do so by a withdrawment of his temporal prosperity. We are told also that God permitted Satan to put the piety of Job to the test which he had proposed. There would be no inconsistency in this, if we were to interpret it literally: but we apprehend that it is a kind of parabolic representation, like that of Micaiah, who saw in a vision a spirit coming into the presence of Jehovah, and proposing to go forth as a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets, in order to persuade Ahab to go up to Ramoth-Gileada. In this view it is intended to shew us the malignity of Satan, and the restraints imposed upon him by Almighty God, who will suffer him to proceed no further than shall ultimately lead to his own confusion. In whichever way we take this account, whether literally or mystically, it appears that Satan was permitted to assault Job with the most grievous temptations, and that the piety of Job was victorious in the conflict. In considering this account of Job, we shall notice, a 1 Kings xxii. 19-22. I. His trials These were beyond measure great [Their number and variety; their rapid succession, without one moment allowed him for reflection and prayer; the extent of them, comprehending the loss not only of all his worldly property, but of all his children, and that too in a season of mirth, when he was peculiarly apprehensive that they might be least fit to die; and particularly the certainty of all these calamities, every one of them being reported by an eye-witness; all of these coming so suddenly, were sufficient to overwhelm any one, more especially when the hand of God himself appeared, not in the language of the reporters only, but in the events themselves, to have been thus awfully directed against him.] In them we see, 1. How great the power of Satan is [How speedily he found instruments to execute his will! The minds of Sabeans and Chaldeans received in a moment the impulse which he chose to give them; and they performed exactly the service to which he destined them: the time, the manner, the measure of their actions were perfectly subject to his control. The elements also were alike obedient to his command, and performed precisely what he directed them to effect the lightnings flashed, the winds blew, and, by their ready compliance with his will, proclaimed him to be indeed "the god of this world," "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in all the children of disobedience." True it is, he could not have done these things if God had not permitted him but from what he did we may easily see what he both could and would do, if all restraint were withdrawn from him; and what he will do in the eternal world to those who shall be delivered into his hands.] 2. How uncertain is all worldly good [When Job arose in the morning, he was "the richest man in all the east;" and before night he was bereft of all that he possessed. And such changes are by no means unfrequent in the world. Not to mention the restless desires of a gamester, the unfortunate speculations of a merchant, or the misplaced confidence of a surety, (all of which are fruitful sources of misery and ruin,) let us contemplate those other sources of calamity which are more out of the reach of human prudence, such as earthquakes, inundations, shipwrecks, invasions, conflagrations; alas! alas! how many thousands are from time to time reduced by these from a state of ease and opulence to the most abject and destitute condition! Verily there can be no one so ignorant as not to know, as well from observation as report, that "riches make themselves wings, and fly away."] 3. That the most eminent saints are not exempt from even the heaviest calamities [If ever any man could venture to say, "I shall die in my nest," it was Job; because, whilst he possessed more wealth than others, he had a mind more under the influence of piety, and consequently more free from those snares and temptations to which others are exposed. Yet, though there was no one like him upon earth in respect of piety, there never was a man so oppressed as he by overwhelming calamities. Let no man then ever venture to say, "My mountain standeth fast; I shall not be moved:" for "all things come alike to all." ،، Of the righteous in particular the afflictions are many:" as in the case of Job, God often sends troubles to try and prove the sincerity of their faith, to strengthen their graces, to purify their hearts, to display before the world the efficacy of his grace, and to fit his people for a better world. If God have given faith to any, they may expect that it shall "be tried, in order that it may be to the praise and honour and glory of their God at the appearing of Jesus Christ"."] But in the midst of all his trials we behold, and admire, II. His resignation He felt, and deeply too, the heavy load of his afflictions; and hence he rent his mantle, and shaved his head, as customary expressions of deep anguish of mind. But still he was composed and tranquil, "not charging God foolishly," or uttering any thing hasty or unadvised. Let us notice, 1. The considerations with which he quieted his mind [These were two; namely, that what he had lost, was not properly his own; and, that HE had taken it, whose property it was. He felt himself now only reduced to the state in which he was when he came into the world, and in which he must at all events soon be, when he should be called to go out of the world again. Why then should he repine and murmur at being stripped of all, when he was so lately, and must d Gen. xxxvii. 29, 34. with Job ii. 12. and Isai. xxii. 12. with Mic. i. 16. |