The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-18
JOB And HIS TRIALS
RI Mr.. Sh0pard'S Thoughtful and Flo.
Qa9nt Discourse.
TEMPTATION AND VICTORY
The Old Tesla ment Poem a Theme
Full Of Truth, Beauty and Power
The Temptations to Which
Christ Was Subjected.

ing preached on tho subject of Job and
Christ, or Temptation and Victory" He
said:
No man is satisfied with his lot in life.
lie would prefer a body of different shape.
lie would like better health. He won Il
have had n more thorough education. He
would select another profession il he had
the opportunity. The state in which he
lived Is not his choice. His social and re-
Iigious surroundings are not satisfactory.
II sometimes seems that our most severe
temptations lie not in gross indulgence
or IN obvious sin. but IN life's unsatis-
factory experiences. Ii may be that no
controlling passions and no great dangers
TO lie or limb entice us into sin. but II is
surely true that every day conditions
of our being which displease us.
severely try our faith, and lead
US into wrong. 1t may seem some times
that we must choose Immediately at the
beginning of our life, between something
like perfect Christian spirit and ITS OPP
posIte; that we mus; say, as in James. Il
count 1t all joy when fall into manifold
temptation or ike Job, LET the day
perish in which l was born" ; that we must
be full OF courage or full of discourage
ment when We begin TO follow Jesus. that
we must be ready at once to bear all
things. believe all things and hope all
things. or that we must give up in despair;
in short, that We must be at once Christ
ians in the fullest sense or lay down our
newly taken cross as heavier than We can
carry. If this were true, We could ask
reasonably, who then can be saved ?''
Such requirement would be too much for
human powers. 1t would crush us all.
The book OF Job has taught us very
different truth. Ii has taught us that we
are to become perfect through the endur-
ance OF temptation i'll suffering. The
sons of men were gathered together be-
fore the Lord, and Satan came with them.
God asked HIM If he had considered his
servant job, and seen that he was an up
right man, whom nothing could swerve
from truth and duty. And satan an
swered that Job was good because God
gave him all that he wished; that he
was righteous for the benefits he
received, and that if God would take his
goods away he would no longer honor
him, SO God let satan send affi lotions on
the man. The Sabeans killed his oxen
aud mis- asses, and slew his servants fire
came and destroyed his sheep and those
who tended them; the Chaldeans carried
oil his camels and killed their drivers: a
mighty wind blew upon the house which
contained his sons and daughters Mt
feast and overthrow the dwelling, killing
all within, yet Job bore all these afflic-
tions manfullv and did no sin. Then
satan said TO GoI ''skin for skin, yea all
that a man hath he will give for II 5 life.
Put fourth thy hand now and touch his
bone and his flesh and he will reuounce
thee to thy face" So the poor man was
covered with bolls, and in his grlevous
pain and trouble three friends came to
help him and by their sadness and re-
proach they only made him worse and he
cursed the day in which he was born.
EiIphaz and Bildad and Zophar tried to
teach him what the trouble was. They al
gued with the sick man TO prove that all
disease and suffering came from sin, and
then went OH TO show how those ~ no left
their evil ways would be restored to heal h
and happiness. But dob declared that he
was not a sinner and was without guilt
before his Lord.
Then hrs three friends grew more severe
in their teaching, dwelling on the punish
ment of sin, saying no more of restora-
ton, and declaring that the wicked would
perish in their sin. This increased Jobs
suffering and made him feel more friend
less than before. Yet still he stoutly
held that he was innocent of evil
deeds. Jobs three advisers now threw off
all restraint and openly charged him with
heinous wickedness, and told him that
this was why he suffered.
1t was here i'll the shadow of death, and
under the last of the unjust charges of his
friends that Job found light and peace.
He was an upright man and he knew il. He
agreed with his friends that punishment
is the just reward of sin. He had not
been sinner when God allowed HIM to
be smitten and so he charged the Lord
with unjust treatment. He passed through
and his house, and then came dawning
hope. He saw a CLEAN of something bet
Ter by and by. Though his body should
be destroyed, yet he hoped to live again.
Immortality began to dawn upon his soul.
lie saw that suffering had a farther pur-
pose beyond the chastIzement OF sin. Aud
after standing at the door of final hope
lessness and open sin. with rebellion in
his heart and on his tongue he was re-
stored TO faith i'll the justice of his God,
and his goods came back till he was richer
than before.
Job learned the lesson that Gods chill
dren must not be too sure that they know
what He should do and how lie should
deal with His children. He learned that
there are mysteries where man can only
trust and say Thy will be DONE He
had learned the worth and Joy of trial
through temptation.
The Old Testament experience of Job
is but prototype Of Christ's temptation
in the New,
Jesus went on journey of 40 days and
40 nights in the wilderness and tasted
during all these weeks. When he was
worn and hungry satan came TO him with
the temptation which comes to you and
me in our Affections. The tempter sought
% turn the nigh and holy purpose of the
son son OF n, '2l 10 10 , comm9n bodily
prostitute his power TO turn the
stones To bread. Thus evil comes TO us
with its enticements to live lives of merest
sense, and thus TO lose our better selves
in joys and comforts of the flesh. Jesus
gave us an example how to meet the
,cmpter. He said TO Satan: 1T Is writ
ten man shall not live 10y bread alone. bur
10y every word that proceedeth from the
mouth of God.
The TEMPER saw that he was baitled.
lie had appealed 20 too low a moJIvc.
Jesus was ;oo noble 10 be caught wiki
grove!linG joys.
Some other man must be discovered to
tempt Christ. Satan next took INN ~
the top OF high mountain and SAID: ''If
Thou he the son of God. cast myself
q pwn hcad.on-. for II Is written He shall
give HIS angels charge over thee 10 keep
thcc IN all 'hy ways. On their hands they
shall bear thee 40. lest thou dash Thy foot
against stone Jesus had quoted SCRIP
ture and so the devil did not propose 10 be
oIiyyittel IN that way. lie could quote the
Is bic as well a. Jesus. lie was too bright