‘Job thinks that his strength does not fail him, except in this present misery which he is suffering. But on the contrary, let men examine themselves thoroughly and search carefully what is in them, and they will find that the least inconvenience that troubles them and pricks them, is not without great grief. I mean concerning the body. But this is nothing compared to what Job experiences by his spiritual temptations of which I have spoken. He does not desire to be relieved of his misery in order that he might know his infirmity and humble himself before God so that he might confess it to be for a good reason that he is handled in this way. What then? He intends to show how God handles him in an extraordinary way, and that men are not ready to be so hard pressed. His intent then is to join the field of battle with God, and that God should likewise take his sword, or I know not what. See how Job runs ahead. But we must consider what our strength is, not in ourselves, but in him that strengthens us.
‘So then, seeing that Job has failed in this way, let us avail ourselves instead of the remedy, which is that if we are weighed down with great adversity, we should resort to God, praying him to grant help to us. In doing this we will find that he relieves us as much as necessary, and also that he will not let us flinch. Although it seems that our calamities are like gulfs which swallow us up, yet God will uphold us with his hand and preserve us in such a way that we do not come to the point that we are utterly overthrown. It is true that in respect of ourselves, God’s intention is that our weakness should be known to us, and that it should reveal itself so that we have nothing to boast of in ourselves, but rather that the foolish haughtiness that is in us might be beaten down. And yet for all that, we shall be helped by him in due time’ (Calvin – English updated).