Job's endurance rewarded and the congregation urged to endure the fire

To do well at every moment belongs to God alone. But if you are pained by what is present, comfort yourself from what has gone before. Now you weep, but you laughed before; now you are poor, but you were rich before. You drank the clear stream of life, and now that you drink this muddy one, endure it. Even the currents of rivers do not appear pure throughout. And a river, as you know, is our life, flowing without pause and filled with wave upon wave. Part of it has already flowed past, part is still moving; part has just now sprung from its springs, and part is still to come; and we all hasten toward the common sea of death. “If we received good things from the Lord’s hand, shall we not endure the bad things?” (Job 2:10). Do we force the judge to supply us with the same kind of things forever? Do we teach the Master how our life ought to be conducted? He himself holds authority over his own verdicts. He orders our affairs as he wills. He is wise, and he measures out what is beneficial to his servants. Do not meddle with the Master’s judgment. Only love what is arranged by his wisdom. Whatever he gives you, receive it with pleasure. Show in your pains that you were also worthy of the gladness you had before. By saying these things, Job repelled this attack of the devil as well, and brought upon him the complete shame of defeat. What followed from this? The disease fled from him again, since it had approached in vain and accomplished nothing more. His flesh bloomed again into a second youth; his life flowered once more with all good things, and wealth flowed together from every side upon his house in double measure, so that he might have one portion as though he had lost nothing, and the other might be the reward of endurance for the righteous man. But why did he receive horses, mules, camels, sheep, farmland, and all the luxury of his possessions from the double portion, while the number of his children sprouted equal to those who had died? Because the irrational animals and all the wealth, being perishable, came to complete destruction; but the children, even though dead, were alive in the finest part of their nature. So when he was adorned again with other sons and daughters by the Creator, he had this possession as double as well. For the ones were present, giving their parents gladness in this life, while those who had gone before were waiting for the one who planted them; then all will stand around Job, when the judge of human life gathers the universal church; when the trumpet that signals the King’s arrival shouts more fiercely into the tombs and demands back the deposit of bodies. Then those who now seem to be dead will stand before the Maker of all things more quickly than the living. For this reason, I think, God measured out to him the rest of his wealth in double portion, but judged it right for him to be satisfied with children equal in number. Do you see how many good things the righteous Job gathered for himself from endurance? You too, then, if anything harsh has come near you from the fire kindled yesterday by the plot of the demons, endure it, and calm the grief of your suffering with better thoughts; and as it is written, “Cast your care upon the Lord, and he will nourish you” (Psalm 55:22 [LXX 54:23]). To him belongs glory forever and ever. Amen.