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ALEXANDER'S ADDRESS TO HIS DISCIPLES. 323<br />

"God, I am sore afflicted for the sin which I<br />

"have committed, but what I know of myself dost<br />

"not Thou know better than do I? And Thy<br />

"punishment also is righteous, and Thou Thyself<br />

"art more righteous than I. For I am Thy servant,<br />

"and the child of Thine hand-maid; for what<br />

"Thou hast given' I have offered up thanksgiving,<br />

"and Thy afflictions I have borne in patience.<br />

"And now, I will not add anything to that which<br />

"[I have spoken] to you. And, moreover, besides<br />

"all these things, behold I know that God Al-<br />

"mighty hath servants whom He hath set in the<br />

"Garden, without their riches— for if they re-<br />

"membered them their hearts would become dark,<br />

"and their souls would be destroyed—like those<br />

"who are needy, their works being perfect and<br />

"themselves pure and acceptable.'<br />

"And it came to pass that while he was speaking<br />

"these words behold a cloud came and stood over<br />

devil appeared unto her and reminding her of her past pros-<br />

perity, promised that if she would worship him, he would<br />

restore all they had lost; she straightway asked Job's consent,<br />

but he was so angry with her that he swore, if he recovered,<br />

to give her a hundred stripes. Job then cried out to<br />

God, "Verily, evil hath afflicted me; but Thou art the most<br />

"merciful of those who shew mercy,'' and He sent Gabriel<br />

to heal him. A fountain sprang up before him, and having<br />

drunk of it the worms fell off his body, and he became again<br />

young and beautiful; his wife also became young again, and<br />

bore him twenty-six sons, but in performance of his oath Job<br />

smote her one blow with a palm branch having one hundred<br />

leaves. See SaXt's Koran, p. 247. ' Read fflfflW'flh^ ?

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