Job 16:22

"Handfuls of Purpose"

For All Gleaners

"When a few years are come." Job 16:22

Here is the idea of measured sorrow. A man complains of the road, but he is cheered by the fact that the end is not far away. The Christian has not only to think of years, but "a few years" quite a handful of days, a breath or two, a struggle or two, a disappointment or two, and then the end of all is reached. We should always look out for the mitigations of our condition. The sufferer here finds it in the brevity of the time which he has to endure; we may always find it in the same direction. Others can find mitigations in different ways, as in the kindness of friends, the brightness of mind under bodily affliction, domestic comfort, and the evident accomplishment of divine purposes in the purification of the character. We are not called upon in all cases to find consolation at the same point, but every man is called upon as a child of God to find consolation somewhere. Let him say, "This is my Father's hand: not my will, but thine, be done," and all his afflictions will be turned into sources of joy. We are to kiss the rod and him who hath appointed it; we are to look upon chastening not as pleasant but as grievous, yet afterwards working the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The text may be regarded as a refrain to a life-song. However the music may run now smoothly, now roughly; now harshly, like a strong wind, now softly, like a breeze among the flowers yet the refrain is, "When a few years are come." "Brief life is here our portion." The brevity of life which has its mournful aspects has also its aspects of comfort and encouragement. The misanthropist would say, Life is so short, it is not worth while attempting to do anything great: the tower will not be half-finished, the work will but mock me by an abrupt termination; I will turn away from all activity, and wait for the end: the philanthropist would say, Life is brief, therefore I must be up and doing; I must redeem the time or buy up the opportunity; not a moment is to be lost; I must hoard the hours as a miser hoards gold: the sufferer may say, Presently all will be over; in a day or two I shall see heaven's gate opened, and join the happy throng on high, at the best, "when a few years are come," this night of time will be forgotten in the brightness of heaven's eternal day; I will encourage myself by this reflection: I will pray that I may be man enough to stand out the whole trial for the little time that yet remains: "he that endureth to the end shall be saved:" may God help me to be faithful unto death; then he will not withhold from me the crown of life. "Until death," and that is just within sight; the dark shadow is already upon me; the grave is already opening at my feet. Oh, poor, throbbing, suffering heart, hope on: even tomorrow may see thee bearing the banner of victory, and hear thee singing the song of the free.