Job 23:16

For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

Ver. 16. For God maketh my heart soft] Methinks I feel it fall asunder in my bosom like drops of water, and dissolved with manifold afflictions, so that I am hardly able to bear up any longer; I am almost done, as we use to speak, and my heart faileth me. How should it do otherwise when God withdraweth from his own the supplies of his Spirit, Philippians 1:19, that Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind, 2Ti 1:7 Acts 20:22, saith that great apostle, "And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit up to Jerusalem," &c. Whereupon Dr Preston gives this good note, The Spirit hemmeth us about, comprehendeth and keepeth us. When a man's own strength would fall loose, this supernatural strength stayeth and strengtheneth it. Hence that of David, Psalms 138:3, "In the day when I cried unto thee thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." So Psalms 27:14, "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart," which else will melt (as did the hearts of the men of Jericho, Jos 2:11), like metal melted with fire, or like ice thawed into water and spilt upon the ground, which cannot be taken up again. And this is the soft heart Job here complaineth of. God had dispirited him, and

The Almighty troubleth me] sc. With the thoughts of his Almightiness; see Psalms 39:11; and with so many miseries growing upon him, Tot malis ingruentibus (Jun.). Now it is not amiss for God's people thus to be melted and troubled otherwise; for by this means shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin, Isaiah 37:9,14 .