verse: "Put forth Thine hand now, and touch his bone and his
flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face." Satan knew that none but
GOD could touch Job; and when Satan was permitted to afflict him, Job
was quite right in recognising the LORD Himself as the doer of these
things which He permitted to be done.

Oftentimes shall we be helped and blessed if we bear this in
mind--that Satan is servant, and not master, and that he, and wicked
men incited by him are only permitted to do that which GOD by His
determinate counsel and foreknowledge has before determined shall be
done. Come joy, or come sorrow, we may always take it from the hand
of GOD.

Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. Our LORD did not stop short at
Judas, not did He even stop at the great enemy who filled the heart
of Judas to do this thing; but He said: "the cup which My FATHER hath
given me, shall I not drink it?" How the tendency to resentment and a
wrong feeling would be removed, could we take an injury from the hand
of a loving FATHER, instead of looking chiefly at the agent through
whom it comes to us! It matters not who is the postman--it is with
the writer of the letter that we are concerned: it matters not who is
the messenger--it is with GOD that His children have to do.

We conclude, therefore, that Job was not mistaken, and that we shall
not be mistaken if we follow his example, in accepting all GOD'S
providential dealings, as from Himself. We may be sure that they will
issue in ultimate blessing; because GOD is GOD, and, therefore, "all
things work together for good" to them that love Him.

DEEPER TRIALS.

Job's trial, however, was not completed, as we have seen, when his
property was removed. When the LORD challenged Satan a second time:
"Hast thou considered my servant Job ... ?" Satan has no word of
commendation, but a further insinuation: "Skin for skin, yea, all
that a man hath will he give for his life ... touch his bone and his
flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face." Receiving further
permission to afflict him bodily, but with the charge withal to save
his life, Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote
Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to his crown.

The pain of his disease, the loathsomeness of his appearance, must
have been very great; when his friends came to see him they knew him
not. His skin was broken and had become loathsome; his flesh was
clothed with worms and clods of dust. Days of vanity