haue learned to mocke God and rid themselues quite of all Religion so as they hearken not any more to him to say Behold it is God that speaketh and he is to be obeyed VVe see many now a dayes who thinke it to be an ouergreat simplenesse to submit a mans selfe so willingly vnto god And what meane they by it but to shake off all feare of God To such confuzion are we come and therefore it behoueth vs to be very ware and to set muche store by the simplicitie which God requireth of vs Verely his minde is not too haue vs dulheaded for fayth is not as the Papistes imagine namely that men shoulde go on lyke Gosâ—ings VVhen the Papistes say men must lyue simply what simplicitie meane they It is that men shoulde not discerne betweene white and blacke nor know what they ought to holde and to follow But God as I sayd wil not haue vs so ignorant we must bee children in lewdnesse and not in vnderstanding as Sainct Peter sayth and wee must learne of God and fetch light at the brightnesse of his holy spirite and of his worde that we liue not lewdly but desire to be fed with the foode of simplicitie and vprightnesse as with milke For like as God handled his children after that manner in olde time so will he haue the same foode set before vs at this day also But by the way we haue to note that Gods seruants must bee ready armed agaynst suche stumbling blockes when men cast them in the teeth that they despize God and that theyr whole drift is too bring all too confuzion as now adayes the Papistes are so shamelesse as to vpbrayde vs that wee seeke nothing but to bring men to a fleshly libertie that there might be no more honestie among men nor anye man passe to serue God or to exercise himselfe in brotherly charitie VVell this is layd to our charge but not to our charge alone VVe see that Iob was assayled wyth the lyke temptations and therefore let vs beare them with such pacience as we may shew before God and the worlde that men do vs wrong in charging vs wyth that euill and well may wee answer so if we haue had an eye to frame our selues to that which God sheweth and too giue attentiue eare to that which he sayth to vs and furthermore that wee chalenge not the knowledge of any thing but that which we haue learned in his schoole that we may continue in the same For that onely worde is ynough too beate backe all the slaunders which the enimies of the truth do lay vpon vs Herewithal let vs turne men away from trust in themselues For whereas we be commaunded to serue God purely it is not too the end we should put our whole trust in him and that we should vnderstande howe wee ought not to do whatsoeuer seemeth good too our selues too turne aside eyther too the right hande or too the left but simply in all respects folow whatsoeuer God commaundeth vs Ye see then that we ought to be pure afore God and also to haue a good report among men that we walke aright But if wicked folke slaunder vs we must beare it paciently and yet for all that knowe them too bee impudent and shamelesse Eliphas hauing spoken so addeth that Iob ought not too trust so much to his own wit. Art thou the first man sayth he wart thou borne before the mountaynes Heere are auncient and gray healed men yea euen such as are elder than thy father Art thou of counsell with God VVhen Eliphas vpbraydeth Iob after this fashion that he is not old ynough and that he ought not to take vpon him such a libertie of iudging verely he hath some colour in his saying as we haue sene afore For when God is so gracious vnto a man as to let him liue long time heere he may well haue learned many a thing And againe we knowe that mens wits are the better settled by age and that yong men cast foorthe manye bubbles which age represseth So then it is to bee presumed that an old man forasmuch as he hath profited by liuing long in this world ought to be perfecter and to haue more certayne skill than other men But yet for all thys we see that in stead of profiting by long life the most part go backward For men might oftentimes with theyr age atteine to good knowledge and vnderstanding yea and vnto some wisedome Howbeit forasmuch as naturally we go from euill to worse if God vphold vs not Therefore it is to be seene that the most part of men become more fooles in their age than they were in their youth Marke that for one poynt Againe also there is no trusting in our owne agednesse in respect of Gods wisedome For hee dealeth it foorth as it pleaseth him both to yong and old according as he sayeth by the Prophet Ioell Beholde the dayes shall come that I will poure out my spirit vpon all flesh Your olde men sayeth hee shall dreame dreames that is to say they shall bee my Prophets for I will teach them and your sonnes and daughters shall see visions In that place we see how God calleth as well yong as olde and as well women as men to the receyuing of that wisedome which he sendeth into the worlde And so must all the glory of age be throwne downe and when old folke haue liued neuer so long and haue neuer so much experience â–ª it behoueth them to know that yet for all that it foloweth not that they must needes know the secretes of the kingdome of heauen For that is in the hand of God men must not presume to know it by reason of long time True it is that if God call vs in our childhood we ought to be confirmed more and more But age is not the thing that bringeth that It is the working of Gods grace and euery whit of it proceedeth from him Therefore we haue no cause to stande in our owne conceyte nor to brag as if he had any thing at our hands Heerein we see what the dotage of the Papists is who ground al the foundation of their faith vpon antiquitie saying See sirs our doctrine is not new it is not start vp yesterday nor a yeare or twain ago but the world hath liued so long time and wee bee in possessioÌ„ of it But what is that to the purpose afore God For the cace standeth vpon the hauing of the euerlasting truth whiche hath bene from before the making of the world And so we must go to God and to our Lord Iesus Christ if we will haue a sure resting stocke for our faith to leane vnto For the matter concerneth not a score of yeeres nor foure hundred no nor a thousand wee muste haue the euerlasting truth which hath bin disclozed to vs from the making of the world For if wee haue that oure fayth shall be well settled But if that want all is but
sheweth vs of his workes past and not to wey them as things that belong not too vs but as things that are brought to our remembrance to teach vs So then let vs applie all the stories of former times too our instruction that they may leade vs to put our whole trust in God to call vpon him in our necessities and to feare him and honour him as requireth Lo what we haue to beare away in this streyne Now it followeth that as Rushes growe not but in moyst places and also that as the grasse in moorishe grounds cannot cherish it selfe without water insomuch that when such herbs florish they wither away of themselues without cutting vp Euen so the hope of the hypocrite shall perish and likewise the hope of all such as forget God. This is cleane contrarie to that which we sawe afore This sentence was alledged alreadie at the beginning of the Chapter But Baldad had added that God will be mercifull to such as returne too him notwithstanding that they had runne royot for a tyme And nowe he returneth to that which he sayd afore namely that God will roote out the hypocrites and wicked doers He vseth a verie fitte similitude saying Can the weedes of marrisgrounds as Rushes and suche other like hearbes growe but in a moyst grounde There are many hearbes that will growe well inough without water vpon mountaines yea euen where there shall not bee a whitte of earth but bare rockes and yet neuerthelesse wee shall see some hearbes too growe there but they haue that propertie by nature The rushe and such other hearbes cannot grow but in a marris For their nourishment is of water the grounde must bee alwayes moyst or else will this geere wither by and by Then like as a Rushe or other moorishe hearbe cannot growe but in a moyst place euen so the man that hathe not his sap of God must needes perishe with his fayre shewes and quite wither away This similitude is not set downe in this Text onely but it is also verie rife in the rest of the holye Scripture as wee know It is sayde in the first Psalme That the man which setteth himselfe wholy too the mynding of Gods lawe is like a tree planted by a Riuers syde and that bycause his roote is continually soked the tree dooth neuer wither nor drie away but continueth still in his freshnesse And why It is too shewe that God neuer suffereth good menne too perishe For his grace floweth alwayes vpon them to mainteyne them too the ende yea and too mainteyne them without ende For wee bee watered not onely to bee mainteyned heere for a certayne time but for too come too euerlasting life Yee see then that suche as yeelde themselues wholly vntoo God are as a tree planted by a Ryuers side so as they florish for euer But this is yet better expressed in the seuententh of Ieremie bycause the Prophet compryzeth both the partes there Cursed sayeth hee is the man that trusteth in man and setteth flesh to bee his hope or strength He shall bee as grasse or as the heath that shooteth vp a little among the sande in the wildernesse VVell it is true that there shall bee some freshnesse in it howbeit the same shall be scorched incontinent by meanes of heate insomuch that suche a shrubbe shall bee burnt vp by and by of the Sunne Euen so standeth the cace with all suche as are freshe and greene and put not their trust in God but eyther trust in themselues or else haue their eies vppon creatures But happie is the man that trusteth in God for whatsoeuer heat of the Sunne hee haue though hee seeme to bee burnt vppe yet shall hee bee so watred and God will giue him suche nourishment as hee shall not decay And although that the Prophete Ieremie by setting downe these two comparisons too giue light the one too the other doo sufficiently expresse that whiche is sayde heere yet notwithstanding there is yet more in this Text. For here Baldad hath chozen a kinde of hearbe that cannot bee nourished without water In the Psalme it is sayde that the wicked shall bee like the Grasse that groweth vppon the house toppes we see that some weedes growe well vpon house toppes But the good hearbes shall bee trampled vnder foote Men will walke vpon a medow ground neuerthelesse when the time of the yeare commeth yee see that the hearbes of the meddowes doo growe and florish And although the medowe bee mowen yet doth the grasse spring and become freshe againe But what commeth of the weedes vppon a house toppe Can they stande a man in any steade No but it is sayde in the sayde Text that a man maye well fill his armes full of them but hee shall finde no foyzon hee shall finde no fruite in them And verely when a man sees the house toppe ouergrowne with weedes hee sayeth not God blisseth these hearbes but contrarywise it were a good turne that they were plucked vppe and the Sunne also burneth them vp before they bee rype so as they come not too any perfection Yee see then that although the wicked bee exalted and bee had in more estimation than those that are blissed of God yet neuerthelesse they dry away after such a sort as they bring forth no frute howe fayre shewe soeuer they make there is no substancialnesse in them And thus ye see what is ment here by speaking of rushes and moorish weedes To bee short let vs note that if we will profite well wee must drawe our sap from God and wee must bee neere vnto him and he must not ceasse to water vs but must bee as continuall water too quicken vs and to giue vs lustinesse without whiche it is impossible that wee shoulde indure one minute of an houre Yee see in effect what is conteyned here Nowe were wee throughly settled in beleefe of this doctrine it is certaine that wee shoulde seeke God with another maner of affection than wee doo But what Euery man holdes himselfe too that whiche hee hath and yet wee consyder not from whence the good is gyuen vs By meanes whereof euery man feedeth himselfe with winde as it is spoken in the prophet O see that is to say men beguile themselues wittinglye and willinglye It seemeth to them that they be riche and want nothing and yet all is but winde that is to say nothing but foolish cuerweening As to outwarde appearance we may well bee freshe and flourishe and men may commende that which is in vs but when all cōmes to all it is starke nothing Neuerthelesse we be so dazled in our owne conceyt that euerie of vs weeneth himselfe too bee better than God when there is any goodly shewe in vs so as wee neede none other folkes to deceyue vs so reuery of vs beguyleth himselfe through his owne fonde follies But by the way let vs marke well howe God plucketh vs backe too himselfe shewing vs howe we bee too too much blinded in trusting
fall into this horrible vengeance of God let vs preuent it And how Let euery of vs bee heedefull and stande vpon his garde And sith that God hath taken vppon him the charge to keepe vs so carefully that hee telleth vs that nother Satan nor all his force and practizes shall be able to do any thing against vs let vs stick to this promis not doubt but that he wil fulfill it make vs feele the frute of it in due time and place But now let vs come to that whiche I spake of that is to say that the wicked shall no more stand for the woorde importeth as muche as to beleeue like as also the word truth may also signifie stedinesse for it is very true that the wicked shall not stand when he is sotted in vanitie And why For vanitie is his chaunge The reason serueth very fitly to confirme this principle that the wicked shall haue no settling nor finally prosper For God maketh them to turne alwayes to vanitie The worde vanitie is taken here in two senses For when it it is sayde that the wicked man shall not stand bicause he is sotted in vanitie it is as much to say as he cannot stande when hee is full of vntruthes and blinded with deceyuablenesse And why For vanitie see how the worde altereth the signification is his chaunge that is to saye there is nothing for him but deceyuablenesse and when hee thinketh to haue things at his hartes lust all vanisheth away in the turning of a hande so as he findeth nother help nor releefe in his aduersitie nor anye remedie of his miseries Thus yee see what this woorde vanitie importeth in the seconde place And the woorde chaunge fitteth well this sense For when God shall haue led the wicked sorte throughe manye turmoyles and when they shall haue buskled themselues throughly too and fro on whiche side so euer they turne them they shall alwayes fall into vanitie that is too say they shall be vtterly disappointed of theyr expectation True it is that they may sette manye fayre hopes before their eyes and beare themselues in hande that they haue wonne the goale but beholde in the turning of a hand they bee deceyued and see it is but follie for them too gape for one thing or other Nowe lette vs come too the gathering togither of the things that are spoken heere into one summe namely that the wicked shall not stande out that is too say shall not haue anye setling or continuance Althoughe the despyzers of God bee exalted and triumphe for a tyme yet haue they not any settlednesse And why For God leadeth them continually thorough backewayes in suche sorte as they fynde themselues beguyled and disappoynted of theyr hope And this is a very profitable lesson for vs For what is the cause that wee grudge at the wicked and woulde fayne bee parttakers of their state Bycause wee haue not pacience too tarrye the ende of them as it is sayde in the Psalme For if oure mindes were quiet it is certayne that wee shoulde shudder at the ende that is prepared for the despizers of God bycause that at the laste theyr ioy muste be turned into weeping and wayling and gnashing of teethe God curseth all theyr mirth and the ende of it must needes be vnhappy But what wee raught onely at the present things runne after them our lustes are so whot as wee haue no forecare what may happen tomorrow morning And so much the more ought we to marke well this lesson whē it is sayde that the wicked man shall haue no settling By this saying thē we be taught to bridle our selues when we see the despizers of God haue theyr full skope and liue at theyr ease yea euen whyle wee weepe and lament so as wee ouershoote not oure selues for all that but giue God leysure to finish out his worke Againe let vs take heede that wee like not to well of our prosperitie but let vs grounde our selues vpon god If a man prosper let him not dole vpon his good fortune as they terme it nother let vs bee so miscarried as too forget God but lette vs seeke too settle our selues in him for without that there shall bee no stedfastnesse But the reason that Eliphas addeth heere immediatly muste bee throughly weyed that is to witte that the chaunge of the wicked shall be vanitie And wherfore For we see many turnings in this worlde and it seemeth to vs that alwaies the worlde will prooue better and better for vs bycause men do feede themselues with wind If God afflict them then they hope vpon maruelous things but there is no substance nor stedinesse in all their enterprises Thus thē yee see in effect what wee haue to marke and that is the right sense Now it is sayde afterward That the wicked man shall bee consumed before his tyme that his braunches shall neuer florish more He shall bee lyke a vine that hath his vnripe grapes stript of and like an Olife tree that casteth his floures yea and that the same floures shead away when there cōmeth any froste so as they perishe vtterly No doubte but that by these two similitudes Eliphas ment to confirme the former sentence that is to say that the wicked man perisheth before hee bee full ripe and it serueth still too bring vs backe to the matter whiche wee haue discoursed already So then we see that by setting before our eyes that there is no stablenesse in the wicked our Lorde calleth vs to a through continuing stablenesse which shal not be deceyuable nor serue alonly to tickle vs with a vayne fonde desire of it Gods intent is not that we shoulde be deceyued with a vayne imaginacion in weening our selues too happie but he would haue vs to bee happie in good earnest But howe may that bee By settling oure selues in him and in his loue Lo wherevnto hee calleth vs And contrarywise hee sheweth vs that wee muste not bee gyuen too any of these worldly things to reste vpon them where is no reste too bee had and that wee bee but starke fooles if wee beate oure braynes aboute it But yet cannot all this turne vs from them notwithstanding that God tell vs that all the prosperitie and happinesse that men weene themselues to haue in this world when they bee separated from him is but deceytfulnesse So muche the more then standeth it vs in hande to marke well this lesson where it is sayde that the wicked shall perishe before his tyme And whereas hee addeth these comparisons that hee shall bee as a vyne that hath his sowre grapes plucked off and as an Oliue that casteth his flowers before his tyme so as they can bring foorthe no frute Heereby our Lorde intended too expresse the outwarde shewe that the wicked shall haue whereat we shall wonder yea and also stumble For when wee see the wicked prosper immediatly wee bee amazed and suche a fyre is kindled in vs that wee coulde finde
woork vpon mount Sion then will he not spare the wicked And the Prophet sayeth purposely that God must performe al his corrections in his church forsomuch as his owne are those whom hee setteth moste store by Therefore he must visit them first and clenze thē from their sinnes reforme them that he may bring thē home to himselfe and he must not do it for one day and away but till he haue made an end of his whole woorke thē there is a horrible vengeāce prepared for those that abused his patience and hardened their hartes whyles he bare with thē as S. Peter also warneth vs Alas my freends sayeth he let vs not bee greeued at the children of this world when God letteth them alone in peace and wee in the meane while are chastized by his hand so as our state is hard and troublesome to beare Let vs beare it paciently sayeth he for seyng that wee muste bee faine to passe through the furnace and too bee tried after that maner what shall become of those whom God hath vtterly forsaken So then let vs acknowledge the goodnesse of our God according also as the Prophet sayeth that those whō God hath long borne with are likened to frutes that are reserued to the ende of the yeere and are as good as rotten that such as are gathered sooner shal neuerthelesse be eaten and men shall do them that honour notwithstāding that they be gathered And so let vs learne that God procureth and furthereth our welfare in that it pleaseth him to chastize vs first of al others while the wicked giue themselues to making of good cheere Howbeit wee cannot say that Eliphas and his companions were vtterly reiected of God for contrariwise hee accepted them but yet are they alienated from him for a tyme and Iob must be faine to be a meane for them or else they shall find no meanes of fauour and forgiuenesse Then if we compare Iob with them wee will say he is one of the household of the Church and the others are as yee would say banished out of it for a time till God haue reconciled them to him again But yet ye see that Iob is rebuked in the meane while God speaketh not a woord to the others Therfore let vs consider that as I haue erst sayd the more God loueth vs the more hastie is he in visiting vs and when hee seeth that we haue stepped awrie and are gone out of the right way of saluation he watcheth ouer vs too bring vs home againe to him with speede Now let vs come to the comparison that is set downe heere betweene Iob and his freends It is sayd that Iob spake rightly before God. Howe was that For God notwithstanding condemned him as an ignorant ouerweening and vnpacient persone And where is then the sayd rightnesse I haue told you heretofore how Iob had vndertakē a good cace howbe it he proceeded amisse in it Iob therefore ouershot himselfe in the following of his matter but yet for all that his cace was good stil Cōrrariwise Iobs freends vsed goodly reasons such as wee haue gathered holie doctrine out of but yet was the ground worke of them euil They tooke a general ground quite besides the cace which was that Iob was punished for his misdeeds and that he was to be taken for a wicked cursed creature seing that God vsed such rigour towards him Furthermore also they did set downe a false vntoward doctrine saying that God doth euen in this world hādle mē according to their deserts But that were as much as to take away the hope of the euerlasting life to shet all fauorablenesse of God out of this frayle and transitorie life and that were a turning of al things vpside downe And therefore it behoueth vs too call these twoo points to remembrance that wee may knowe the ryghtnesse that is spokē of here And to be short wee must note the text that I haue alledged out of the Psalm heretofore namely that the man is blissed which iudgeth discretly of the poore that is in aduersitie where the Prophete sheweth vs that when wee see any man in aduersitie Gods will is that wee should haue the discreetnesse not to condemne him at the first dash but to looke vp hygher that is to wit to consider that aduersities do sometimes befall men for the chastizement of their sinnes sometyme for the tryall of their pacience sometime to preuent some faults which they might fall into and also that God setteth thē foorth to be as mirrours to the end that we seing their obedience might be edified therby and sometymes for some other secret causes vnknowne to vs Therfore let vs eschew rashnesse when wee see God afflict any man roughly and let vs not be to swift of iudgemēt to say that he is woorthie to be so handled and to commend such as liue at their ease as though they were better beloued of God for that were too vnaduised a iudging so it were Then if we haue the discretion in vs to consider the causes that are noted to vs in the scripture we shall find diuerse times that such as are the excellent seruants of God are handled moste rigorously and it will seeme too vs that God is against them but wee muste not iudge after our owne fancie If wee vse that modestie God will alwayes succour vs when wee be afflicted but if we be cruell and foolishe in giuing too hastie sentence the like measure must bee moten vnto vs also Furthermore for the better vnderstanding of that whiche is sayde heere namely that Iob hath spoken ryghtly and his friendes amisse it behoueth vs to take this generall rule that when a man is in forewardnesse to followe God and to feare him the same shal be accepted notwithstāding that he commit grosse faults whereas if another man haue not the true feare of God rooted in him although he haue apparant vertues that are very commendable before men yet is all of it nothing worth it is but starke filth Looke I say vpon a man that feareth God and is rightly and purely mynded too giue himselfe to welldoing and yet notwithstanding he shall haue many infirmities hee halteth he staggereth he reeleth yea and sometimes falleth flat downe Yea but his faultes which hee doth are forgiuen him and God doth still reach him his hande to lifte him vp insomuch that all falleth out to his benefite bycause the marke that he aimeth at is to goe vnto God and his minde leadeth him still thytherward On the contrarie parte it maye come to passe as I sayde that a man shall bee greatly commended that hee shall haue goodly vertues and that he shall doe things worthy of honor and yet in the meane while he hath no good roote in him but is eyther a despyzer of God or vnmercifull towards his neyghbors Now if a mā bee such a one none of the things that men honor in him cā please god Hereby we