Job's severe afflictions caused him for a time to loathe life and to feel that his days were vanity. Many of us, under some of our most distressing adversities, have, for brief periods at least, had similar feelings. Generally speaking God's people do not have to dwell long in this "present evil world" before they realize that it is not a place they would want to live forever. They soon find themselves to be "strangers and pilgrims on earth" (Heb. 11:13), and that there are many things worse than death. 

    When Job said, "I would not live always," he was, of course talking about life on earth. He, like all God's people, had a sweet hope of living forever in the glory world after this life. Who among us do not desire to "live always" with the Lord after the sorrows of this present life have ended? That is the great object of our hope, and we look forward to it with sweet anticipation. 

    I believe it was more of a mercy than a judgment to Adam that he was prevented from returning to the Garden of Eden and partaking of the tree of life. How distressing is the thought of living forever in a fallen state and facing a never-ending stream of resultant calamities, heartaches and miseries. "It is appointed unto man once to die" (Heb. 9:27), and those of us who have a hope in Christ should be thankful that it is so. We have been crucified to the world, and the world unto us (Gal. 6:14), and while the ungodly find their chief delight in worldly things, we "desire a better country, that is, an heavenly" (Heb. 11:16). 

    Shortly after I began writing this piece I received a letter from an old brother in Texas in which he related hearing a preacher say, "Everyone is afraid to die." The old brother stated that he disagreed with that assertion, and so do I. I have some dread of the sufferings I might have to endure before I die, but dieing itself I do not dread. And by dieing I mean the moment when life leaves the body. I have a "good hope through grace" that when life leaves this body all my troubles will be over and I will be happy forevermore. So far as this world is concerned I most certainly "would not live alway."