All things.

More than safety, more than pardon, more than the blotting out of our sins. He will give us all things in Christ. Already we have "received the atonement," already we have become reconciled to God; and now we are able to rejoice in Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not merely to look forward to rejoicing hereafter, but to rejoice now. To "joy in God," to feel happy in thinking of Him and praying to Him, to take pleasure in realizing His presence, and in holding communion with Him in secret. This is what every true believer may do. This is what God would have him do. Rejoice in the Lord alway," says the Apostle, "and again I say,

rejoice."

32

CHAPTER IV.

MAN BORN TO TROUBLE.

JOB V. 6-11.

6. Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

7. Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

8. I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

9. Which doeth great things and unmarvellous things without

searchable;

number:

10. Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:

11. To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

AFFLICTION does not come of itself; it does not spring up from the dust of the earth, nor grow naturally from the ground, as plants do; nor has chance any thing whatever to do with it. Common as it is, it does not come without a cause, or without being sent.

Yet it does fall to the lot of all. No one, however prosperous, is without sorrow and trial, sooner or later: "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." As surely as sparks go up from any thing burning, or from iron beaten on the anvil, so surely does trouble in some shape befall every man that is born into the world.

Whence does it come? God sends it, or at

least lets it come.

But it is not saying too

much, to say that He sends it.

When Adam fell, and sin and death entered into the world, then trouble came too. This was God's appointment. He said to Adam, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou

shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken : for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." This was what God said to Adam. And though Christ has come, and brought us life and salvation, and given us a blessed hope, yet still we are but dust; and still, as long as we are here, sorrow is our appointed portion; sorrow, mixed with many blessings, yet sorrow nevertheless.

And not only is trouble in general appointed to man by God, but each man's particular trouble is of God's appointment too. Your troubles and mine do not come forth of the dust, or spring out of the ground. They do not arise by accident. God sends them. Sickness and sorrow are ordained for us by Him, each sickness and each sorrow as it comes. We do not see the hand that sends them, but a hand there is,—the hand of God.

Eliphaz, therefore, says here to Job, "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause." Job's troubles were many and great, yet let him not despair. Every thing was in

God's hand. All that happened was ordered by Him; all was subject to His control. Let Job in his affliction seek God, and commit his cause unto Him. This was good advice for Job, and for all.

God's wonderful power is one reason why we should seek Him in trouble. He "doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number." He is doing such things continually. Surely then He is able to help us in our trouble. There is nothing that He cannot do. He is Almighty.

We see further that He takes notice of man's wants, and uses His Almighty power continually for his good. He "giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields." Thus He graciously provides for us, and that regularly and constantly. And will He not care for us, and help us, in any special trouble? He who has all nature at His command, He who is providing for man's support every day, can He not, and will He not, hear them that cry to Him, and send them comfort and relief?

We find in this passage that He certainly will : "To set up on high those that be low; that