pleasure Lo here wherin pacience sheweth it selfe But there is nothing better nor more behouefull than too looke vpon the glasse that is sette before vs here VVee haue seene that Iob might haue bin ouerwhelmed with the report of so manye euill tydings But it is sayd that he rose vp and rent his clothes and polled his heade and caste himselfe vpon the grounde to humble himselfe afore god Here wee see first of all that such as are pacient are sure of some griefe so as they feele great sorrowe and anguish of hart for were we as a block of wood or as a stone it were no vertue at all in vs Is that man worthy too be praysed which hath no feeling at all of his aduersitie VVee see sometimes a poore mad-man laugh and scorne the whole worlde yea euen when he is at deathes doore but that is bicause he hath no feeling of his miserie This therefore deserueth not to be taken and esteemed for a vertue for it is rather a blockishnesse The brute beasts haue sometime no feeling yet are they not pacient for all that So then let vs marke that this worde Pacient or Pacientnesse betokeneth not that mē shoulde become blockishe so as they should haue no heauinesse at all nor be combered with any griefe when they feele aduersities but the vertue is when they can moderate themselues and holde suche a measure as they cease not to glorifie God in the middest of all theyr miseryes nor bee so ouercombred and swallowed vp with sorrowe and anguishe as to quaile altogither but fight against their owne passions vntill they maye bee able too frame themselues too the good will of God and too conclude as Iob doth here and finally to say that he is righteous in all respects And now let vs see what wee haue to marke here where it is saide that Iob rent his garmente and shore hys head for such fashions were customable in the East countries according as we knowe that there were mo ceremonies in those countryes than are in these colde countries where we dwell For when there happened any thing that might moue men to great trouble they rent theyr garments in token of sorrowe Marke this for a speciall poynt And lykewise in that countrey where men were wont to weare long heads they polled themselues when they mourned like as on the contrary part where men vse to poll their heades they let their heare growe when they make any sorrowe Therefore Iobs rending of hys garment and his polling of his heade are tokens of the heauinesse that he conceyueth here For it is certaine that he did it not vpon any hypocrisie as oftentimes they that meane to counterfeit do disguise themselues too the ende that men should thinke them too bee in great heauinesse when they ceasse not to laugh in their hearts Iob vsed no such hypocrisie Let vs assure our selues then that when he tare his garment and shore his heade he was full of extreme anguish and sorrowe and that when hee cast himselfe to the grounde the same was another lyke recorde thereof But it seemeth that Iob gaue brydle too his heauinesse which were a fault to be condemned For we know that men are wont to be but too excessiue and inordinate in their passions For though they restreine and represse thēselues as much as they can yet ceasse they not to passe measure and there is nothing more hard than to moderate a mans selfe in such wise as wee may keepe rule and compasse we see that men cannot make mery excepte they be ouer mery Sorrowe and heauinesse is a passion yet farre more headdie carying men awaye wyth farre greater force than gladnesse doth And therefore we haue cause to stande vpon our guard as oftentimes and as long as God shall sende vs any aduersitie For it is the thing wherein we are wont to ouershoote our selues most And here it is sayde that Iob rent his garment It seemeth hee ment to pricke himselfe forwarde to bee more sorrowfull than he was for the man that beholdeth himselfe so defaced is astonished at himselfe And afterward whē he came to his eare a man might saye hee had as it were soughte helpes to sharpen and increace his griefe and that it was as much as to strike the spurres into his owne sides And this as I haue sayde may seeme woorthie to be condemned But first we must vnderstand that the scripture purposeth here to expresse that the sorrowe of this holy man was so great and so vehement as he was not able to staye himselfe from vsing the ordinarie fashions yea euen to the tearing of hys garments to shew that he felt such anguishe as had wounded him euen too the bottome of hys hart This is it that the scripture ment to expresse But by the way although men ought to stande vpon their guarde that they be not swallowed vp of sorrowe when they bee afflicted yet notwithstanding when God sendeth vs aduersitie it is meete that we shoulde thinke vpon it For the common fashion of putting awaye all griefe is starke naught and yet for all that wee see howe men haue falne into it insomuch that when they haue ment to haue pacience they haue quenched the consideration of theyr missehaps thrust them farre off and chased them quite away and to be short haue labored to be so brutish as they might not know nor discerne any thing at all But cleane contrarywise when God scourgeth vs it is not to giue vs blowes on the head with a beetle to the ende wee shoulde be astonished and cast in a swound but his mind is to induce vs to thinke vpon our miseries as how For besides that we ought to call our sinnes to remembrance and too craue pardon for them and to bee so much the warer afterwarde to walke as it becommeth vs we are instructed also what our life is to the ende we should not haue an ouerliking of it nor be puffed vp with vanitie or presumption as we be but rather acknowledge the bond which we stand bound in to our God for vsing vs so gently as to cary vs as it were in his lappe and finally that forasmuch as we see he hath a care of our life wee shoulde looke a great way afore vs that is to say keepe on our way still too the euerlasting kingdom wher as is our true ioy and rest VVe see then that God ceasseth not too bee mercifull vnto vs when he sendeth any affliction vnto vs For he doth it to the ende that by trying what is in vs we also might knowe what our estate is Moreouer it is good and profitable that the faythfull when God afflicteth them shoulde enforce themselues to thinke who am I what am I and wherefore am I thus afflicted I say it is meete for them to think vpon all these things For we see how Iob could rend hys garments and sheare his head without offending of god Not that he intended thereby to cast
heauinesse in him Saue onely that as I haue sayde alreadie his sorrowing was moderated as was conuenient and was not wicked nor sinfull of it selfe But all our passions are wicked bycause they bee wrapped in some sturdinesse agaynst God or in some dystrust or in some other outrage of the flesh If God send vs any good it is not euill don of vs to be glad of it and specially wee cannot yeeld him thankes but we must haue our harts at libertie too feele the good lucke that hee hathe sente vs But what Menne are alwayes so full of vanitie as they can neuer make themselues merry without offending of god As for example if God sende them ryches there goeth I wote not what a vaynglorye medled with them I cannot tell howe Or at leastwyse they call not vppon God with suche feruentnesse as they were woont to doo but become verye lazie and giue them selues ouer too that whiche they haue in hande Too bee short as fast as men purpose too make themselues merrie or too bee sad there will euermore bee some excesse and hardlye can they holde themselues from offending God bicause they haue not suche staye of themselues as were requisite but let themselues runne at randon And specially if the aduersitie bee great menne shall verie hardly scape too forgette themselues and too bee caried awaye according as it befalleth heere vntoo Iob when hee sayeth hee woulde fayne that his byrthdaye were quite wyped out of the yeare But did hee himselfe dispose the dayes of the yeare that hee shoulde desyre too chaunge Gods ordinaunce when our Lorde sheweth vs the modestie which wee ought too keepe in making of othes he sayth yee are not able too make one of the heares of youre heade whyte when it is blacke or blacke when it is white and howe sweare you then by your heade But here Iob passeth somewhat further For hee woulde plucke the starres out of the skie hee would set the whole worlde on fyre to burne vp the earth and he woulde haue the clowdes and the windes and all things else to mingle themselues togither at his desire Hereby wee see that when men are much pinched wyth aduersitie they ouershoote themselues in suche wyse as there remayneth no more modestie or any thing else in them but outrage Sith wee see this in Iob it behoueth vs to stande the more vppon our garde and to bee well aduised that our sorrowing in our afflictions bee after such a sort as in the meane whyle God be blissed in all that hee doth that wee prouoke him not to displeasnre no not euen by vnaduisednesse for it is certaine that Iob ment not too displease God willingly neyther was it his intent too dooe agaynst Gods minde but this befell him through vnaduisednesse For our passions are blinde wee haue no witte too discerne we wander without keeping eyther waye or pathe In so muche then as wee knowe our affections too bee so outrageous we haue so much the more neede too pray God too rule them for vs But by the way if wee compare Iob wyth those that blaspheme God with open mouth I pray you howe woorthie are suche men too bee condemned For Iob hauing serued God all the tyme of his lyfe is neuerthelesse set here as it were vppon a scaffolde by the spirite of God too the ende men might by him perceyue theyr owne wretchednesse and humble themselues and vnderstande that when the grace of God fayleth them they are in a forewardenesse too cast themselues into hell if they bee not hilde backe Seeing that Gods will was to exercyse Iob in suche sorte as too set him oute for a gazing stocke and too make him serue for an example and learning vntoo others what shall become of those that blaspheme God yea euen without cause For there are some that if any heart griefe happen to them so as they be troubled or if a man doo but styrre their choler yee shall see them teare Gods name a peeces and they thinke that it ought too serue them for excuse if they can say why then did he chafe mee If a man happen too doo them a little displeasure or if a flie chaunce to crosse before their eyes Iesus Christe and his death and his bloud and his fleshe and all that euer hee hath shall bee torne all too peeces As who woulde say that our Lorde Iesus Christ had taken mans flesh vppon him to bee made a Rayling stocke at those monsters handes which are not woorthie to liue vpon the earth And yet notwithstanding they will take it for theyr excuse too saye suche a man did anger mee Thou supposest that thou bendest thy selfe agaynst man and yet notwithstanding when thou bendest thee agaynst hym that hathe grieued thee the cace is so that God is offended by it But when they come too aduaunce themselues in that wise agaynst God seeme they not Monsters contrarie too nature Therefore lette vs take heede that wee so brydle our affections as Gods name bee not blasphemed by vs whereas it ought too bee praysed and blissed Marke this for one speciall poynt Furthermore wee see that in blaspheming of God men haue a certaine naturall Rhetorike and are so cunning in the art as there is no lacke in them God hathe giuen vs speache to the intent wee shoulde confesse him too bee good righteous and full of equitie in all respectes and caces and too the ende that in all oure talke our indeuer shoulde bee too speake of hym with all reuerence But when it commeth too the poynt that God shoulde bee honoured aboue all thinges wee speake so fayntlye of him that scarcely can a man wring a little woorde out of vs that shall bee well set But if men will go too blaspheming then yee shall see them as eloquent as may bee deuysed and there is not the man that maye not seeme too haue beene at schoole too learne fine Rhetorike Euen so is it here Iob did it not of set purpose as I haue sayde afore for he withhilde himselfe as muche as he was able and hee fought agaynst the temptation And yet notwithstanding we see howe his owne nature caried him awaye in suche wyse as hee coulde not holde hymselfe from this kinde of Rhetorike whiche is too too flowing For wheretoo else serueth his setting downe of so manye fashions of speache whiche hee heapeth vppe as it were intoo a little pyle For so muche then as wee see suche a vyce rooted in menne what haue wee too doo VVee muste pray God too open oure mouth and too giue vs the grace that all our woordes may tende too his honour And moreouer that he will restraine vs after suche a sorte as wee maye take good heede that wee speake not vntowardly and at aduenture when occasion is giuen to talke of his iudgementes and of the good that hee hath done vs and of the corrections that hee hathe sent vs and of suche other lyke things and that wee maye
vtterly but that he wil deale with vs after such a sort as wee may haue leysure to bethinke vs of our sinnes And this present request differeth from the other VVhy so If God shoulde come with so great and headie violēce at the first brunt as we might be vtterly dismaid at it what wold become of vs VVe shuld not haue the stomacke to acknowledge Alas God is my iudge and yet he neuer ceasseth to be my father still But as a miserable offender that is condemned is as it were dulled when he is drawen to the gallowes and is like as a blocke of wood vnable to receiue comfort though it be offered him euen so ye see that we are in the same taking when God doth by the sayd horrible extremitie begin to shew himselfe against vs For out of hand we conceiue eternall death whiche is so combersome to vs as it ouerwhelmeth vs with suche darknesse that wee haue not so much as one little sparke of good comfort to come vnto him VVe before possessed with such a fearfulnesse as we haue not the witte to saye alas my God yet giue thou space of repentance to thy silly poore creature which presenteth himselfe before thee Therefore wee haue greate neede to returne vnto god after the example of Iob praying him to indite vs before he condemne vs that is to say to deale so mildly with vs as we may haue respite too bethinke our selues And heere ye see why Ieremy likewise sayth Lord chastize thou me howbeit with measure For he sayth welynough that if God listed to deale rigorously with vs we should be vtterly ouerwhelmed we were past recouerie Therefore he beseecheth God to chastize hym with measure that is to say that the chastizement may be tempered and moderated in such wise as hee may reade and quietly examin his faults to be sorie for them and that therevpon he may also take hart to returne vntoo God in hope of forgiuenesse at his hand Ye see then how it behoueth vs to do and it is more than necessarie for vs to doo it For we see how Gods scourges are continually sent abrode through the whole world and the cause of the mischeefe is the same whiche I haue shewed already that is to witte bycause men cōsider not why God scourgeth them and beateth them after that fashion Agayne we see men are besotted with such a presumptuousnesse yea and with such a foolish rage as they thinke themselues alwayes able to iustifie themselues before god Then seeing that this pride is so deepely rooted in our nature we ought to be so much the more prouoked to make the said petition which I haue spoken of that is to witte that God should shew vs wherefore he sueth against vs that is too say that hee should make vs to feele our sinnes in suche manner as we might be driuen willingly to confesse our selues guiltie and afterward bee taught to returne vntoo him But yet for all this whensoeuer it shall please God to shew men wherefore hee pleadeth against them there is not that man which hath not his enditement throughly framed already no not euen the rightuousest man vppon the earth I say euen according to the rule of the lawe so as God needeth not to bring vs to his high iustice which is incomprehensible to vs but only that we looke vppon our owne life on the one side and on the otherside considering what Gods law requireth comparing our works with the rule that God hath lent vs and then shall we bee driuen to vtter confusion VVherefore is it then that mē presume so much both vpon their works and vpon theyr vertues and vpon their merites ▪ It is bycause they neuer knew what Gods iustice is For whereof commeth thys hypocrisie in the popedome that men shall preache free will merits and satisfactions and set vp their bristles in suche wise and beare themselues in hande that they may come perking before God yea and preace thither lyke shamelesse strumpets They be full of filth and vncleannesse and yet notwithstanding they preache theyr owne merites and they beare themselues in hand that when they haue done amisse they can well quit themselues againe by satisfactions And whereof commeth such pride but bycause they were neuer rightly cited before the sayd iudgement seate to feele how guiltie they be Therefore lette vs marke well that when wee desire God to shewe vs wherefore hee pleadeth against vs ▪ the iustifying and quitting of our selues must not bee the marke that wee must shoote at but rather we must yeeld ourselues giltie that we may be receyued to mercie For behold the onely remedie which is left vs is to desire God to pitie vs bycause that wee for our part can bring nothing to him but our owne confusion Thus ye see what we haue to marke in this streine But by the way Iob addeth Is it good for thee to do me wrong and to cast away the worke of thy handes and to make the determination of the wicked to shine Or is it a pleasure to thee to be priuie or of coūsell with the wicked Heere Iob speaketh of the nature of God euen to the intēt to obtayn his request As I haue touched heretofore God suffereth vs to vse suche manner of speeche as this when we come vnto him that is to witte hee giueth vs leaue to speake familiarly neuerthelesse this muste bee done with all lowlinesse For when God is so freendlie as to abace him selfe too the intent wee should not alledge that we be set too farre off from him it is not too giue vs boldnesse to ouershoote ourselues so as we should come scornefully to him and disdayne him No but it is too the end that our sorrow should not ouerwhelme vs in suche sort as we should not be able to take breath and bee out of all hope that God wil regard vs Thus ye see the meane that wee haue to find some easement when it shall seeme that wee are vtterly vndone as in respect of our selues which is that we ceasse not for all that to lay open oure harts so familiarly vntoo God and to make our moane vnto him as a little child gets him to his father seeing he giueth vs leane so to do Ye see then how the faith of gods childrē may be well stablished not in pride and ouerweening but in true lowlinesse And now let vs come to that which Iob sayeth Shalt thou gayne any thing by doing mee wrong or by casting away the worke of thy hands Goddes righteousnesse is tried by this that he is not like men who are led by affection VVhereof commeth it that men do wrong or harme or some other anoyance by guile or malice to their neighboure It is bycause it profiteth them selues VVherefore is it that a iudge is bribed VVherfore will hee oppresse good men and support wicked men VVill he be led by credite or fauoure It is bycause it seemeth to be for his profit or to win
although the law were not written in Bildads time yet had hee the same doctrine printed in his hart by God ▪ that is to witte that our Lorde will roote out the wicked so as hee will not leaue one of their race but al shall be brought to naught If any man alledge that our Lord doth often suffer euen his owne children to be barraine the answere herevnto is that such maner of cursings are oftentimes turned into blissings vnto Gods children Neyther must we make a generall and indifferent rule to say that God doth in all caces woorke his sayings visibly to the eye For wee muste leaue the choyce of that too himselfe too dispoze thereof in time and place as he shall thinke good VVee may see then that sometimes a faithfull man and one that feareth God shall haue no issue in the worlde and yet is it not too bee sayde therefore that hee is cuised of god For beholde the first rightuous man what issue left he behinde him Yea and when the promise was made to Abraham that his ofspring shoulde bee as the sande of the Sea and as the starres of the Skie Had hee a great number of children How many children left he after his death True it is that hee had diuerse other children besides Isaac but God did cutte them off according also as they were not woorthie too bee Abrahams children True it is also that after him his sonne Isaac had but two children and one of them was a murtherer in his hart by meanes whereof he was faine to put away the other and to banish him his house VVee see then that although the godly leaue no children after their deceasse yet are they not therefore the lesse blissed of god For they haue an euerlasting fatherhood in heauen in that it pleaseth God to ioyne them not only with all the Saincts and faithfull ones but with the Angelles also But as for the wicked it is too bee knowne that the want of issue is a curse of God vnto them For to their seeming all were forlorne with them if they might not haue an heyre to succeede them And God disappointeth them of it by his rightfull vengeance and as by a punishment meete for them bicause it is altogither against their liking This is it that wee haue to marke in this streyne Now furthermore Bildad concludeth in the end that such as come after them shall be amazed at it and suche as go afore them shall be afrayde and that such is the dwelling of the wicked of those that feare not God. This serueth to cōfirme his matter that is to witte that God will punish the wicked in such wise as the worlde shall be astonished at the sight of their state it shall be so vnhappie This saying is verie true and we ought to aduaūtage our selues greatly by it and beare it well in minde prouided that we follow not Bildad in inclosing Iob and all suche as are afflicted within the sayde cursednesse And why For as I haue sayd aduersities light vpon Gods children as well as vpō the wicked VVee must alwayes beware that we let God alone with the guyding of all things as vnto whome it belongeth So then if we be poore and afflicted so as the world esteemeth vs as wretches let vs not therfore ceasse to rest vpon the goodnesse of our God and too wayte his leysure till he deliuer vs for a full adoo from all oure necessities and afflictions which thing he will do if we referre all vnto him Now let vs fall downe before the face of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him too make vs feele them in suche wise as wee may humble our selues and be sorie for them and learne to take more profite of the miseries and aduersities that are sent vs in this worlde than wee haue done hithertoo that vpon the knowledge of our faultes and sinnes wee may enter into examination of our lyfe to mislike of our vices to the ende that being receyued to mercie by the meane of our Lord Iesus Christ we may haue the more matter and occasion to trust to his goodnesse for the time to come so that whereas wee haue to walke through many miseries and aduersities in this worlde we may not therfore ceasse to obey him alwayes to the end That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also c. The .lxix. Sermon which is the first vpon the .xix. Chapter IOb ansvvered and sayde 2 Hovv long vvill ye greeue my hart and vndermine me vvith your vvordes ▪ 3 Yee haue alreadie ten times put me to confusion and are not ashamed and yee are hardened agaynst mee 4 If I haue done amisse my sinne shall abide vvith mee 5 But you magnifie your selues and vaunt your selues at my miserie 6 Knovv ye that god hath beseeged me vvith his povver beset me roūd about vvith his nets 7 If I crie out by reason of violence heansvvereth me not If I shreeke out yet haue I no right 8 He hath shet vp my vvay so as there is no passage out and hee hath put darknesse in my path ▪ 9 He hath bereft me of my glorie he hath taken the crovvne avvay from my head 10 He hath destroyed mee on all sides and I am vanished avvay he hath taken avvay my hope as the hope of a tree 11 His anger is kindled against me and he counteth me as his enimie 12 His armies are come they haue inclosed me they haue pitched their camp about my tent WE haue seene what Bildads intent was in rebuking Iob. He tooke this for a general groūd that God leaueth not the wicked vnpunished And thervpō he concluded that Iob muste needes be of that number sith that God afflicted him so greuously But Iob disproueth him bicause it is not for men to deeme of his life by the aduersities that he endured forsomuch as god punisheth him not for his offences but executeth some other determination that is secrete and vnknowne to men Howbeit before he come to that poynt he cōplayneth of his freendes for being so hardharted towardes him Yee are not ashamed sayth he to put me too confusion so often times alreadie you haue hardened your selues agaynst mee or you haue made your selues straungers to mee for the Hebrew worde may import the one as wel as the other But the fittest is that they had hardned themselues in not hauing pitie nor compassion vpon his miseries Now then wee see whereto this plaint tendeth Howbeeit whereas he sayth that if bee haue done amisse his sinne shall abyde in him therein he sheweth himself to haue bene ouer-passionate For if he had done amisse it was for him to receyue correction peaceably But to say let me alone I shall beare mine owne punishment no man shall take harme by my sin but my selfe is a maner of speaking that agreeth to an vnreclaymable and desperate person rather than to a childe of god Neuerthelesse