Bible Commentaries

DISCOURSE: 463

A WANT OF SYMPATHY CONDEMNED

Job 12:5. He that is ready to slip with his feet it as a lamp despised in the thought of him that it at ease.

THE friends of Job meant well: but, mistaking utterly his case, all that they spoke, though good in itself, was irrelevant, and tended only to aggravate his sorrows, which it was their professed intention to alleviate. The injustice of their remarks generated in him somewhat of tartness and asperity; though, considering how cruel and unjust their reflections were, we wonder not that his vindications of himself should assume somewhat of that character. But, passing by his ironical reprehension of them [Note: ver. 2.], I would call your attention to the complaint which he utters in the words which I have just read. It was a just complaint, as it respected them: and it contains a truth, which is confirmed by universal experience.

To mark the precise import of Job’s expressions, I will set before you,

I. The evil complained of—

Job did not intend to deny that his friends were possessed of humanity, or to say that kind dispositions might not be found even in ungodly men: for, where distress is great and visible, and within the reach of common remedies, there are many who will find a pleasure in relieving it. It was not this which Job designed to controvert. To enter into the full meaning of his words, we must distinctly notice,

1. The terms in which the evil is expressed—

[The afflicted person is described as “one who is ready to slip with his feet.” Now, this is not the case with persons in common afflictions. It refers to those only whose afflictions are of a peculiarly dark, complicated nature, contrary to the common course of things, or, at all events, contrary to what, according to the usual dispensations of Providence, might have been expected. These trials lead a person to complain of God himself, and to question the justice and goodness of his dealings with them. Such was the state of Asaph, when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, and compared it with the afflicted lot of God’s own faithful servants. He said, “As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped: for I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Then he adds, “Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency [Note: Psalms 73:2-3; Psalms 73:13.].” Here, by reason of his trouble, this good man was ready to think that it was altogether in vain to serve the Lord.

Now, such a person meets with little compassion from those who have never experienced any similar affliction: “he is as a lamp despised, in the thought of him that is at ease.” The man that is at case in his circumstances and in his mind, cannot enter into the feelings of one who is thus dejected. He therefore looks upon the sufferer just as a man, after the sun is risen, looks upon a lamp in the street, from which he can reap no benefit, and about which he feels no concern. He will not get a ladder, in order to trim it; nor will he put himself to the expense of oil to supply it; nor does he care how soon it is extinguished, provided only that he himself be not annoyed by its smell. Like the priest and Levite in the parable, he passes by such a sufferer with unconcern, instead of getting oil and wine to pour into, and to mollify, his wounds.

This leads us to a just view of,]

2. The evil itself—

[Job was in such circumstances as his friends could not at all account for: yea, and he himself too was ready to complain of God, as acting unjustly and unmereifully towards him. Hence his friends, who came with a good design to comfort him, expressed in reality no compassion towards him, nor seemed to feel any concern, even though, by their unkind insinuations, they should drive him to despair. They did, indeed, give him good advice, on a supposition he was a hypocrite chastised of God for some secret and enormous wickedness: but, for a saint, placed in the furnace, by a wise and merciful Refiner, for his own good, and the good of all to whom his history should in future ages be made known, there was not, in all their advice, one word of comfort, or encouragement, or support. They themselves, never having been involved in such trouble, could not understand his case. When he shined as the sun in his prosperity, they could avail themselves of his light, and bask with pleasure in his beams: but, now that he was under so thick a cloud, they regarded him only “as a despised lamp,” which, having been shorn of its lustre, was left to be extinguished in utter darkness.

And such is the treatment generally given to persons circumstanced as Job was. Their sorrows being so little appreciated, they find but little sympathy. Even good people know not how to meet their case, or what to say for their relief. The blow, which has struck down the sufferer, has stunned and stupified those who, under less complicated afflictions, might have been able to administer to him: and hence he is, for the most part, left without those compassionate attentions which his sorrows require, and perhaps is regarded as one whose troubles admit not of any consolation, and of whose restoration to happiness there is no hope.]

This evil prevailing so generally, I will endeavour to shew,

II. The state of mind which it betrays—

Certainly it denotes,

1. A want of Christian knowledge—

[By Christian knowledge I mean, emphatically, the knowledge of Christ Jesus, and of all the wonders of redeeming love. Doubtless, a speculative knowledge of the Gospel a man may have, and yet be a stranger to the tender feelings of sympathy in such a case as this: (for even the devils possess a speculative knowledge of the Gospel, to a great extent:) but a practical and influential knowledge he possesses not. How can he ever have duly contemplated the compassions of Almighty God towards our fallen race? Can he have ever been impressed with the Father’s love towards us rebellious creatures, and yet feel no pity towards a suffering brother? What sense can he have of the tender mercies of our Lord, when he undertook to assume our fallen nature on purpose that he might “bear in his own sacred person our sins, and, by bearing, take away from us, for ever, our iniquities [Note: Isaiah 53:4.]?” What, I say, can he know of the length and breadth and depth and height of this immeasurable love, and remain insensible to the wants and miseries of others? I may further add, What can he know of “the love of the Holy Spirit” towards us, in undertaking for us the office of “a Comforter,” and dwelling in our polluted bosoms, as in a temple, for the express purpose of administering consolation to us, and of perfecting in us the work which the Father planned, and the Son executed, and which He, the third Person in the ever-blessed Trinity, applies? When all this love has been shewn to us on purpose to generate in us a similar love towards each other [Note: John 15:12-13. Ephesians 5:2.], what can he know of this stupendous mystery, who displays it not in its effects? If it be true respecting those who sympathize not with others in their bodily necessities, that “they have not the love of God in them [Note: 1 John 3:17.],” much more is it true, that they who “shut up their bowels of compassion from a brother” under the pressure of spiritual troubles, can possess but little knowledge of that mystery which unites all in one body, and causes every member to participate in the feelings and necessities of the whole body [Note: 1 Corinthians 12:25-26.].]

2. A want of Christian experience—

[Some find comparatively few conflicts in the divine life: others have to maintain a severe warfare, by which they are often reduced to great straits. Now, it is to these latter that I refer, when I speak of Christian experience. It is by no means uncommon for persons, at their first awakening, to be bowed down with fear and terrible apprehensions of the divine displeasure. It was thus with the first converts on the day of Pentecost: “they were pricked to the heart; and cried out in great agony of soul, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” In subsequent stages of the divine life, too, many are brought into deep waters, where, like David, they are apprehensive of being swallowed up, and utterly destroyed [Note: Psalms 69:2.]. They “pass through fire and through water [Note: Isaiah 43:2.];” and if they were not succoured from on high by more than ordinary communications of grace, they would sink and perish. Now, these persons can enter into the feelings of others who are cast down by reason of their afflictions; and can suggest to them many suitable reflections, such as perhaps the angels suggested to our Lord, when tempted in the wilderness [Note: Matthew 4:11.], and when agonizing in the garden of Gethsemane [Note: Luke 22:43.]. But the man who has no sympathy with persons under such circumstances, shews, that he knows but little either of temptations or deliverances; since these deep experiences are vouchsafed to some for the express purpose, that they may thereby be both qualified and disposed to administer to others the consolations with which they themselves “are comforted of God [Note: 2 Corinthians 1:4-6.].”]

3. A want of Christian feeling—

[The very essence of Christianity is love: and it is “by bearing one another’s burthens that we very principally fulfil the law of Christ [Note: Galatians 6:2.].” But how can we fulfil that law, if we do not “rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep [Note: Romans 12:15.]?” Or how can we possess “true and undefiled religion, if we do not visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction [Note: James 1:27.],” and endeavour, according to our ability, to “lift up the hands that hangs down, and the feeble knees, and to make straight and smooth paths [Note: Hebrews 12:12-13.]” for “the feet of those who are ready to slip?” It was peculiarly characteristic of our blessed Lord, that “he would not break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax, till he should bring forth judgment unto victory [Note: Isaiah 42:3.]” and, if we do not resemble him in his compassionate regard for his afflicted saints, whatever we may profess, “we have not the mind that was in Christ Jesus [Note: Philippians 2:5.].”]

Behold, then,

1. The benefit of affliction—

[“Affliction, doubtless, is not joyous, but grievous:” but it qualifies us for services for which we should be otherwise unfit. Our blessed Lord was tempted in all things like unto us, sin only excepted, on purpose that he might be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and be qualified (so to speak) “to succour them that are tempted [Note: Hebrews 2:17-18.]:” and from that very consideration we are encouraged to come to him for relief under our troubles [Note: Hebrews 4:15-16.]. Shall we not, then, be content to learn, in the school of adversity, the lessons which he designs us to convey to others? We doubt not but that Job, if he were on earth again, and knew how many millions of souls his example has instructed, would readily submit again to the same discipline, in order to communicate the same blessings to mankind. And we also may well descend with David into the horrible pit and miry clay of despondency itself, if only, with him, we may have “a new song put into our mouth, which many, beholding, may fear, and put their trust in the Lord [Note: Psalms 40:2-3.].”]

2. The excellency of the Gospel—

[Under the gospel dispensation we have a perfect antidote to all the afflictions even of Job himself. We have a far greater insight into the nature of God’s dispensations than they had under the darker ministration of the Law. The compassions of Christ do, in fact, dispel every cloud; and bring such light into the soul, that it may be said of all who view them aright, “Unto the godly there ariseth up light in the darkness [Note: Psalms 112:4.]:” and every believing soul may say, “When I walk in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me [Note: Micah 7:8.].” Yes, Brethren, “there is balm in Gilead;” there is balm for every wound. Only study the Gospel, and get your souls filled with a sense of redeeming love, and every storm you encounter shall only forward you to your desired haven, and every furnace you endure shall only purge you from your dross, and “fit you, as vessels of honour, for the use of your Divine Master [Note: 2 Timothy 2:21.].” Of those who come to heaven, as all, more or less, must be content to do, through much tribulation, not one ever did, or ever shall, complain, that his trials have been too great. Our passage to heaven may be laborious: but our rest shall amply compensate for all our labours.]