The Tried Christian: A Discourse upon Recovery from Sickness

*IOB. XXIII. 10.* When He has Tryed me, I shall come forth as GOLD.

There was a Man in the Land of Arabia, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright. The Church of God is enriched with an excellent history, in an elegant poesie, relating the great prosperity, the sad adversity, and strange recovery of that perfect and upright man. Tis probable, that he was an Edomite, and the very Iobab whom Esau was Great-Grandfather to; but this I am sure of, He was an Israelite indeed! From a rich and fair estate, He suddenly became, As poor as Iob; and while he was in this poor condition, his noble friends gave him their friendly visits and respects. Many admirable dialogues now passed between them; wherein they endeavoured to accuse and convince him of some remarkable iniquity, as the cause of his calamity; and he laboured to vindicate himself; to assert his own integrity and sincerity.

In our context here, the good man is expressing his willingness and readiness to appear before the judgement-seat of God; and in our text, he declares what he expects would be the result of his tryals by the Lord. He comforts himself by those two considerations. First, that God's knowledge did reach him. He says, God knowes the way that is in me; q. d. Tho I cannot see God, yet God can see me; and the most inward purposes or appetites of my mind, are not concealed from Him. And next, that God's tryal would clear him. This is the article that lyes before us to be explained and improved; and the doctrine, which may guide our discourse upon it, is,

That good men come forth as GOLD, under and after the trials of the Almighty God.

It is by the ensuing propositions that we may arrive to right thoughts about the truth before us.