William Huntington

VI. - The Believer's Safest Path in the Darkest Night

"But he knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold," Job, xxiii. 10.

JOB had been much indulged with the presence of God, and he had obtained a good report through faith, God testifying of him that he was a perfect and an upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil. He acknowledges the felicity that he had enjoyed, the condescension of God to him, and the holy familiarity the Almighty had favoured him with. He had seen the blessing of God upon the work of his hands, insomuch that his substance was so increased as that he became the greatest man for wealth in all the east; and his liberal heart kept pace in some measure with the bountiful hand of his Maker: he was truly blessed in his flock, in the fold, in the store, in the basket, in the city, and in the field.

He was blessed with the fruit of the womb also: he had a flourishing family of ten children, which assembled together often with God's people, and feasted in each other's houses, and who were permitted to assemble, and did assemble, among the sons of God; and were so called on the account of their religious parent, and their adherence to his religion and counsel, who taught them the good old way, and who rose up early and sent and sanctified hem daily; yea, and offered a sacrifice every morning according to the number of them all: "lest, saith he, they have been seduced, and sinned, and have been overcome by Satan to curse God in their heart." Thus did Job continually, and thus will every believing parent do, who knows the grace of God in truth; his family will follow his soul into his closet both morning and evening; yea, and at all other times by day or by night.

Furthermore, his retinue was very great, he had a very great household, which he endeavoured to keep in good order; he never despised the cause of his man-servant, or of his maidservant; for some of them were brought up with him, and the same God that formed Job in the womb formed them also.

Add to this, as a ruler or magistrate Job shone with peculiar lustre; "his judgment was as a robe and a diadem." When he went out through the city, when he prepared his seat in the street, the young men saw him and hid themselves, the aged arose and stood up, all waited for his counsel; and after his judgment and sentence of the case they spake not again, but abode by his decision. The cause that he knew not he searched out, he plucked the spoil out of the teeth of the oppressor, and made the widow's heart to sing for joy. In these things he kept a good conscience, declaring, "My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." But the glory of all this ought to have been given to God, who works in us both to will and to do.

Moreover, the grace of God was abundant upon him; hence his confession and complaint. "O! that it was with me as in months past, as in the days of my youth; when the Almighty was with me, when my children were about me, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle, when the glory of God was fresh in me, when his visitations preserved my spirit, when the candle of God shined upon my head, and the dew lay all night upon my branch."

But now he saw not his signs; his substance was all cut off; God gave, and God took it away. His flourishing family all assembled in their elder brother's house; all on a sudden the house is smitten at all the four corners, and they are all buried in its ruins, and sent to the house appointed for all living. The servants in the field all fall by the sword, or go into captivity; none is left but one of each band to bring the heavy tidings of the others' destruction. His health leaves him, and a loathsome disease seizes him, till his flesh corrupts; he is poured out as milk, and curdled like cheese; and the corruption of his flesh sticks to the colour of his coat; his breath is strange to his wife, and she turns atheist; the youths push away his feet; his religious friends deal as deceitfully as a brook that fails in summer; the devil fills him with oaths and curses against God; and they that had reaped the benefits of his administrations asked contemptuously, "Where is the house of the Prince?" But the worst of all, the greatest of all losses, the heaviest of all calamities, is, his God and Saviour is gone; and this loss can never be repaired by the finding of another. "O that I knew where I might find him! I go backward, but he is not there, and forward, but I cannot behold him; on the right hand, where he doth work, and on the left hand, but I cannot perceive him." The Messiah is his all in all; and to lose him is to lose all that is worth keeping, and all that is good or worth getting, and all that can be lost both to soul and all. But this pearl of great price cannot be finally lost when once he is found, and all is parted with for the sake of him.

Thus this good man had seen the leadings of God's providence, and observed these things, and had understood the loving kindness of the Lord, as all that watch his hand and handy-works shall do; he had enjoyed the presence of God, and the leadings of his Spirit, and of his grace and counsel; and by faith in him, and watchfullness on him, by feeling for his presence and walking in the light of his countenance, he had cleaved to him, enjoyed union and communion with him; and, like Enoch and Noah, he had walked humbly and tenderly with his God. But now he is gone; he is gone in a path that Job knew not, and he was leading Job in paths that he had not known: God's paths now were in the mighty waters, and his footsteps were out of sight. This was to Job not the old beaten track, but an unfrequented path. Job looks to every footstep of the old way, but he was not there: barrenness was in the field, death in his offspring, sickness in his body, sin and wrath in his soul, destruction triumphing in his servants, deism in his wife, ingratitude in his friends, triumph in his enemies, and all the artillery of hell invading his mind. Which way his God is gone he knows not, but he submits to infinite wisdom, and confesses his own ignorance; "where he is, or which way he is gone, I know not."

"But he knoweth the way that I take" (or the way that is with me). Now in such desperate cases as these, or when at a loss in such perilous paths, in which no ray of light shines, no voice of wisdom or mercy is heard, no footstep of God to be traced, nor any known line to be drawn; when there is none to cast up the way, gather out the stones, lift up the standard, or take up the stumbling blocks out of the way, or to read the handwriting against us; not one interpreter among a thousand to shew unto man the uprightness of God, and what that uprightness is that God requires in a man; when the sun goes down over the prophets, and the shadows of the evening are stretched out; when there is no more among us any prophet that knoweth how long; when we see not our signs nor tokens for good; when the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; when those who utter error against the Lord make empty the soul of the hungry, and cause the drink of the thirsty to fail; when providence seems to run counter to the promise and to all the expectations of hope; when the smiles of heaven seem to favour the wicked, and the saint is chastened every morning and plagued every day; when Ziklag is burnt with fire, and the Amalekites rejoice in the spoil; when the man after God's own heart is going to be stoned, and those that were doomed to destruction are enriched with his all; when Samson grinds in the prison, and the Philistines are entertained with sport made by the Nazarite of God; I say, in such cases as these the saint of God should be at a point. God, according to our view of things, is gone, and we know not which course he has steered. But this we know, that, however a just God may seem to favour the council of the wicked, yet judgment must come, sooner or later, to vindicate the righteousness of the just, and to be passed in their behalf; "for judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it." For no weapon formed against the just shall prosper; every mouth that shall rise against them in judgment they shall condemn; this is the heritage of the Lord's servants, and they shall never be deprived of it. In the worst of straits the saint of God is never left without a voice, nor without a watchword.

The blessed Spirit of all truth, the miserable soul's comforter, and the distressed soul's faithful and true witness, informed Job now to act in this critical juncture; and that was, to continue in a path in which he was sure to meet his God again. There is one way, to speak in the strictest sense of the word, in which God has promised to meet us, and but one; and that is, not in a way of our own devising, or in a way that seems right in our own eyes, for these are the ways of death; but it is this�

"Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways," Isaiah, lxiv. 5. Now, though this way is expressed in the plural number, yet that is only on the account of the many ways and means of God's grace, in which the Spirit directs us to the true and only way to the Father, "for God gives his people one heart and one way?" And what way is this in which God promises to meet those that remember him and work righteousness? I answer, Christ himself informs us that "the Father ran and met, and kissed, the prodigal at the sacrifice of the fatted calf," and in the first and best robe he embraced him. This is the way that we are to take in the darkest seasons. "Who is there among you that feareth he Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God." Christ is God's servant whom he upholds, his servant that is to be extolled, and to be very high; and we are to obey his voice, to trust in the name of that King that the Father hath set upon his holy hill, for he is the Lord our God.

And this is the way that Job took. Did Job relinquish the hold that he had of his Redeemer? No. "I know (saith he) that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter days upon the earth; and, though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Job knew that his Redeemer lived, and he knew that he was God, and that he should see him as he is, and be like him.

Did Job cast away his confidence, which hath a great recompence of reward? O no! He fought the good fight of that he might lay hold on eternal life. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."

But Job was at the throne of judgment, and therefore complains, "Dost thou bring me into judgment with thee?" Yea, and the handwriting of the law was against him; "thou writest bitter things against me," &c. Yea, and the law discovereth his sins also; "thou makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth, thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent." But does all this drive the Messiah out of his heart? No, no; "put me in a surety with thee." When Job felt the curse and wrath of God, he looks to his Redeemer; when God shewed him the debt-book, he calls for the surety; and when he found himself at the throne of judgment, he looks for the throne of grace; "O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat, I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments; there the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge. Will he plead against me with his great power? No, but he would put strength into me;" for it is in Christ that we have both righteousness and strength; nor will our only advocate plead against us, but for us. And what is this looking to the mercy seat? but the same employ as ours; and what the New Testament calls "looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

Did Job give up the truth, or the way of truth? did he give up the doctrines of Christ, the word of life and love that he received from him? No, by no means: truth was his shield and buckler, and he held it fast. "My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food," Job, xxiii. 11, 12. This is walking in the way of truth, and walking in the faith of the Messiah, who was then to come, and whom Job held fast as his redeemer, surety, and mercy-seat, or throne of grace.

But charity is the more excellent way. Did Job walk in love? Yes, he did; he was rooted and grounded in love; and he would resist on it that his circumstances, joys, prosperity, and happiness, were not withered away for lack of moisture, "for the dew laid all night upon his branch;" nor yet for the want of a root in himself, for he declared "that the root of the matter was found in him."

He held fast his confidence in his Surety, and knew that all his calamities came not in vindictive wrath so as to terminate in his eternal damnation, but that he was judged and chastened, that he might not be condemned with the world. "He also shall be my salvation, for an hypocrite shall not come before him; behold now I have ordered my cause, I know that I shall be justified; who is he that will plead with me?" Job, xiii. 16, 17, 18. Thus Job confesses his faith in the Messiah, and calls him his salvation, his Surety, his Redeemer, and his throne of grace, or mercy-seat: he held fast the words of his mouth as his great prophet, and suffered not his steps to decline from his ways: he held fast his integrity; he abode by the testimony that God gave him; he kept a good conscience, "and suffered not his heart to reproach him:" he walked in faith and in love, and desired the presence of his God above every thing else. "My desire is to reason with God; O that I knew where I might find him!" This is walking in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision; this was the way that Job took, and he commits his way to the Lord, that his thoughts might be established. "He knoweth the way that I take, and when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold."

And now let us see how he succeeds; whether his predictions are fulfilled; whether God honours his Faith, and confirms his words; whether his decrees are established and his sayings come to pass; that we may do him honour. And upon trial we find him a true prophet: God honours his faith, and the Spirit's testimony in him; and the whole of his assertions came to pass. "He is tried, and comes forth as gold." First Elihu is sent to him in the office and character of the great mediator and divine interpreter, who is to be, according to Job's wish, "in God's stead." He reasons with him, shews him wherein he erred, and wherein he has been deficient; shews God's end in chastisements and afflictions, but yet vindicates Job's character as a saint of God. "I am according to thy wish in God's stead; my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor shall my hand be heavy upon thee. I desire to justify thee. I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker; truly my words shall not be false; he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee; my words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly." Thus did this pious and faithful youth personate the great Interpreter, whom we call "The wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the Father of the eternal age, and the Prince of peace."

And now the King himself succeeds his ambassador, seconds all his motions, confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messenger; he speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, reproves what is amiss, and reprehends him for it; but still vindicates him and his conduct above and before all his friends, who had widened the breach instead of standing in the gap, and helped forward the calamity instead of assuaging the grief of the distressed. These are all bid to take their sacrifices to Job, who is to pray for them, lest God deal with them after their folly, who had not spoken the things that were right of God, as his servant Job had; and no wonder, for not one of all the three ever pointed him to the Messiah; and hence it is that they are all now ordered to bring their sacrifices to Job, to let them know that there can be no access to God, nor acceptance with him, without a sacrifice, which is Christ; nor without an intercessor, which at this time was Job. Take your sacrifices to my servant Job, and he shall pray for you, for him will I accept, lest I deal with you according to your folly. Job prays, and God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. God also accepted Job; and now, according to his own faith, "he hath been tried, and he comes forth as gold."

God had tried his temperance and liberality with an uncommon store of plenty; and, upon trial, gold was not his confidence, nor the love of money his root. He had tried his parental affections by the loss of his children, but they were not inordinate; he confesses that the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: and in all this Job sinned not, nor attributed folly to God. He had tried his conjugal affections, and found them not inordinate neither; for, when his wife advised him to relinquish his integrity and to curse God and die, he did not act like Adam in hearkening to the voice of his wife, but calls her speech that of a foolish woman, and asks, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" The Lord had tried his faith with the withdrawment of his own countenance, with grievous bodily afflictions, and with the fiery darts and sore buffetings of Satan; yet Job holds fast by the hand of faith, he abounds in hope, he expects a glorious deliverance, and predicts it in the strongest terms: "When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold."

God tried Job's love to him very sharply by letting an army of terrors into his soul, which filled him with tossings to and fro all night long. He was scared with dreams and terrified through visions; yea, the arrows of the Almighty were within him, and the poison thereof drank up his spirits; yet he discovers the face of God's elect, and sticks to the love of God's heart, even when he was pierced through with the arrows of his quiver. "Also now behold my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high; my friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the works of thine hands."

The fiery trial answers many good purposes; it purges the chaff from the wheat. The way-side hearers, stony ground hearers, the thorny ground too, sat off for heaven, as well as the real hearers of the word of the kingdom, yea, and outran them; only the first in setting out were the last that arrived there; for, when the sun of persecution and temptation waxed hot, all blind zeal, the joys that sprung from natural affections, with all their natural faith withered away, and they fell back, and fell away; only faith that worketh by love went through, neither of which can fail. "Charity never faileth;" and "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Here the real saint sees the difference, and the good hand of God that makes him to differ. At the river Jordan Gideon's army was tried, and a discovery was made to him who were hearty in the Lord's cause and who were not. Abraham's order to kill his son Isaac tried his love to God; not that God might know it, but that Abraham might, and that God might have an opportunity of applauding it; and in this affair Abraham had an opportunity of trying God, and that in this respect, in offering up his all, to prove what be should get in exchange. And here it was that he saw his Saviour's day, and found him not only a tried stone, but a sure foundation; he gets his Isaac back, sees his Saviour in the type, obtains another promise, another blessing, and both confirmed by oath.

And so Job had in this trial an opportunity of trying the faithfullness, affection, and sympathy, of all his friends; and upon proof he found them forgers of lies, miserable comforters, and physicians of no value. It served to try also the affections of his spouse; and it appeared upon proof that she did not care if the devil had him, so as he was but dead: "Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die." He made trial also of those who had formerly honoured him and caressed him as a magistrate; and it appeared now that Job was their by word, who beforetime was as a tabret. God tried Job's faith, hope, love, and patience; and Job tried God's faithfullness, to see if he would honour his former testimony of him, and the Spirit's work in him; whether one whose name was recorded in heaven could be cast away; whether the root of the matter could be lost; whether faith could fail; whether all things were possible to be done for those that believe, and whether according to his faith it would be done unto him. And he found his God and Saviour faithful and true: his faith was honoured, and all his predictions of future enlargement were fulfilled, and he comes forth as gold: rich in faith, rich in promises, rich toward God, and in the full assurance of a treasure in the heavens, where no moth corrupts nor thief approaches. He sees his Lord in open vision, and comes forth into the glorious liberty of God's children. Job must be the high priest to offer the sacrifices of his friends, and to pray for them; and they present to Job their free-will offerings, and God's blessing falls upon them. He receives once more ten children, double the number of cattle he ever had before, and lives to a good old age; his hoary head is a crown of glory, because it is found in the way of righteousness. "When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

I have often thought that Moses, who left Egypt in faith, and was by divine Providence directed to Midian, where he continued twenty years, was the instrument under God of spreading the savour of his knowledge in those countries. Elihu, Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Jethro, were in mine opinion the spiritual children of Moses; and I am inclined to think that Moses was the writer of this book, and perhaps an eye and an ear-witness of the wonders of God in it; but this is only conjecture.