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The moral  of  the  story. Job,  practising  virtue  while  happy  and wealthy, was  admired  by  the  angels,  but  he  was  not  yet  feared  by  the devils; but  when  he  remained  free  from  sin  even  in  the  depths  of misery  and  affliction,  then  the  devils  began  to  tremble  before  him. By this  we  learn  that  wrong,  patiently  endured  for  God’s  sake,  is  the highest virtue. The friends  of  Job  knew  not  that  God  sends  afflictions even to  His  Saints,  to  make  them  more  holy,  and  give  them  greater glory in  heaven. Job also  said  that  he  would  not  live  to  see  the Saviour promised  to  Adam,  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac  and  to  Jacob,  but that he  would  see  Him  on  the  day  of  the  general  resurrection. From Job we  may  also  learn  how  pleasing  to  God,  and  how  powerful  is the  intercession  of  the  Saints.

The sufferings  of  the  just.  The  chief  lesson  taught  by  the  history of holy  Job  is  that  God  does  not  send  sufferings  only  for  the punishment and  conversion  of  sinners,  but  also  as  visitations  to  the just, for  the  purpose,  firstly,  of  cleansing  them  from  their  small  faults and imperfections;  secondly,  of  confirming  them  in  the  virtues  of confidence,  patience,  humility  &amp;c.; thirdly,  of  enabling  them  to  merit more, and  therefore  to  receive  a higher  reward  in  heaven;  fourthly, of making  them  shining  examples  for  the  imitation  of  their  fellow-men. Lastly, for  the  purpose  of  confounding  the  devil,  men’s  chief  accuser before God.

All things  come  from  God.  Job  first  lost  all  his  flocks  and  servants, then all  his  children,  and  lastly,  his  health. He did  not  complain;  all he said  was:  “The  Lord  gave;  the  Lord  taketh  away;  blessed  be  the name of  the  Lord!”  But  was  it  God,  who  took  all  these  things  from him ? Had not  our  enemy,  the  devil,  despoiled  Job,  and  brought  about all the  disasters  that  we  hear  of? But Job  believed  and  knew  that nothing happens  by  chance,  and  that  everything  must  take  place  by the  guidance  or  permission  of  God,  so  that,  in  that  sense,  it  was  God, who had  taken  away  all  that  he  had. Believing firmly  that  God  had sent him  his  sufferings,  he  resigned  himself  entirely  to  His  holy  will, and praised  Him  in  the  midst  of  his  tribulations.

Patience in  suffering  is  the  work  of  faith.  The  trial  of  holy  Job was, indeed,  a severe  one. Almost at  one  blow  he  was  made  poor, childless, and  a leper! Forsaken by  all,  tortured  with  pain,  taunted  and tempted by  his  wife,  who  ought  to  have  consoled  him,  he  sat  on  a dung-heap,  a very  man  of  sorrows,  with  nothing  to  look  forward  to  but a painful death. Even the  arrival  of  his  faithful  friends  did  not  lighten his burden,  for  they  heaped  on  him  reproaches  for  having  brought these sufferings  on  himself  by  some  secret  sin. He fully  realized  what he suffered,  and  made  it  known  to  his  friends  by  his  sad  complaints. He was  not  callous  to  his  torments,  but  bore  them  with  exemplary