Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away… I. SHOW WHAT WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND BY BLESSING GOD'S NAME AT SUCH TIMES. 1. It does not exclude a becoming grief at the loss of near and dear relatives. 2. It supposes that we are far from thinking, and much further from speaking, hardly of God. 3. We are not to bless God for such strokes, in themselves considered. They may be called evils, as sin is the occasion or procuring cause of them. 4. We should bless God at such times, because we may be assured, if we are true believers, that He designs to do us good thereby, though we at present, perhaps, cannot see how. II. DEMONSTRATE THE TRUTH OF THE PROPOSITION. Or make it appear that it is our duty to bless God, not only when He gives, but also when He takes away. Most, I fear, are not so thankful as they ought to be for the favours which they daily receive from God. All are too apt to "forget His benefits." It is God who both gives and takes away. And He is infinite in all perfections. Therefore He must know what is fittest to be done. God only takes what He freely gave, or rather lent us. He never told us we should always enjoy our relations, or that He would not call for them. If our deceased relations were truly religious, or made partakers of saving grace, God hath taken them out of a sinful, troublesome world, and at the time which He thought best. And though God hath taken them from us, He hath taken them to Himself. III. THE APPLICATION. 1. Nothing is by chance. 2. How unbecoming to murmur against God. 3. How miserable must they be who do not eye the providence of God in their affections. 4. What an excellent thing is grace. 5. Let us be weaned from earthly friends. 6. This may reconcile us to the death of godly relations. (Joseph Pitts.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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