and wearisome
nights followed in sad succession; his rest at night was scared by
dreams and terrified through visions; so that, without ease or
respite, strangling would have been a relief to him, and death chosen
rather than life. But of death there was no danger, for Satan had
been charged not to touch his life.

His kinsfolk failed him, and his familiar friends seem to have
forgotten him. Those who dwelt in his house counted him as a
stranger, and his servant gave no answer to his call when he
entreated help from him. Nay, worse than all, his own wife turned
from him, and in his grief he exclaimed: "My breath is strange to my
wife, though I entreated for the children's sake of mine own body."
No wonder that those who looked on thought that GOD Himself had
become his enemy.

Yet it was not so. With a tender Father's love GOD was watching all
the time; and when the testing had lasted long enough to vindicate
the power of GOD'S grace, and to prepare Job himself for fuller
blessing, then the afflictions were taken away; and in place of the
temporary trial, songs of deliverance were vouchsafed to him.

THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF THE LORD.

Nor was the blessing GOD gave to His servant a small one. During this
time of affliction, which, perhaps, was not very prolonged, Job
learned lessons, which all his life of prosperity had been unable to
teach him. The mistakes he made in the hastiness of his spirit were
corrected; his knowledge of GOD was deepened and increased; he had
learned to know Him better than he could have done in any other way.
He exclaimed that he had heard of Him previously, by the hearing of
the ear, and knew GOD by hearsay only; but that now his eye saw Him,
and that his acquaintance with GOD had become that which was the
result of personal knowledge, and not of mere report. All his
self-righteousness was gone: he abhorred himself in dust and ashes.

Then, when he prayed for his friends, the LORD removed the sorrow,
restored to him the love and friendship of those who previously were
for the time alienated, and blessed the latter end of Job more than
the beginning. His sheep, his camels, his oxen, and his asses, were
doubled. Again seven sons and three daughters were granted to him,
and thus the number of his children also was doubled; for those who
were dead were not lost, they had only gone before. And after all
this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his children, and grandchildren,
to the fourth generati