forth as he doth For the Hebrew worde betokeneth also to cast or throw Neuerthelesse the processe of the text sheweth that forasmuch as Gods wisedome is treated of here it is better to take the woorde for â—o teach or to taske men too a lawe or doctrine according as the worde betokeneth most commonly Nowe then it behoueth vs too take this sentence after the first maner which is that God bath not his like in teaching This is not referred simply to the woorde of God but also too the inwarde power which God vttereth when it pleaseth him to touch vs to the quicke and to pierce our harts in such wise as we come to him Truly whensoeuer Gods woorde is preached or when men reade the holy Scriptures then is God our teacher and it is he with whom we go to schoole and it may wel be sayd that there is no teaching like vnto his For when we shall haue bene taught by men all our life long yet shall there be nothing but vanitie in vs vntill we be grounded in the wisedome of God bicause there is no substantialnesse but there all other things vanishe quite away And in good fayth were the wise men of this worlde neuer so highly learned and sharpe witted yet was their vnderstanding darkened continually with some cloudes in so much that there was no certaintie in them but they were euer newe to seeke As much is to be sayd of all such as are taught of men Therefore it is a verie true saying that there is no teacher like vnto God for we shall neuer be taught perfectly till we haue knowne the worde of god But Eliu procedeth here yet further that is to wit that we be then taught of God when it pleaseth him to touch our hartes inwardly by his holy spirite and that hee woorketh after such a sort as wee knowe his Maiestie and obey the same But there is not that creature to be founde which can do that that is the peculiar office of God and of his holye spirite yea and he reserueth it wholly to himselfe and experience sheweth that hee onely is worthie of that prayse For though wee should reade the holy Scripture continually without ceassing and that it were expounded to vs by men of excellent skill and great cunning yet shoulde all their labour be vnauaylable and we shall profite nothing at all vntill God inlighten vs by his holy spirite touch our harts and soften them perce our eares as hath bene seene heretofore and open our eyes so as our hartes which are as hard as flint may be turned into flesh and we bow vnto his obedience Vntill such time as God do this it shal be to no purpose for men too speake too vs for all their teaching will slip and vanishe away from vs and yet shall neuer bee able to take roote in our mindes Therefore not without cause is it tolde vs heere that there is no teacher like vnto god Furthermore this is not sayd onely to the ende wee shoulde repayre vnto him to bee rightly taught but also to the ende we should learne not to be selfwise in the discourses and imaginations which we conceiue And why For that were the next way to shet our selues oute of the doore that wee might not come to Gods schoole VVhat is to be done then let vs learne to be vtterly ignorant till our Lord haue taught vs his will. And morouer let vs coÌ„tent our selues with the knowledge of that which we haue learned at his hande and whatsoeuer else commeth in our head let vs thrust it vnder foote assuring our selues that it is euery whit of it but leasing and falsehood Thus ye see what Eliu ment in this streyne And that also is the cause why he sayeth Beholde God exalteth or aduaunceth by his power Heereby he sheweth that if God worke with vs we must not go about to knowe the vttermost of all things that he doth as we may trie the workes of men for inasmuch as wee haue them before our eyes wee beholde them and looke euery corner of them and also we be able to handle them with our hands and to tosse them and turne them at oure pleasure It is not so wyth the workes of god And why For he exalteth in his power that is to say hee is woonderfull in his doings Therefore men must not attempt nor preace so farre as to search the vttermost of his doings or to iudge at aduenture of them and to giue bridle to their rashnesse when they comprehend not all that is in them And why Seeing that Gods woorkes are so high as which do proceede of his infinite power it behoueth vs also to stay at them For wee bee couched heere by lowe there is a great distance betweene them and vs and we cannot flie so high VVherefore let vs holde vs contented with that which God sendeth and suffer our selues to bee gouerned by his holy spirite and neither couet nor desire too knowe any thing saue that which he shall haue shewed vs To be short let vs be his scholers assuring our selues that all our wisedome consisteth in brideling our owne fancies so as they raunge not abroade Nowe wee see what the meening of Eliu is And therefore for the better confirming of the matter which I haue dealt with heretofore let vs follow the sayd admonition It hath bene sayde that it is a good thing to apply our minde to the considering of Gods woorkes so bee it that wee deale soberly acknowledging the slendernesse of our owne vnderstanding Therefore whereas it is sayd that God exalteth in his power let vs vnderstand that hee intendeth not to let vs wander after our owne liking And therfore let vs not be so proudas to say that his workes are to be esteemed as mens workes but let vs assure our selues that he will haue men to magnifie them and to honour them Furthermore forasmuch as wisedome fayleth vs and yet notwithstanding our fleshe tempteth and tickleth vs to be desirous to seeke more than is lawfull for vs to know let vs beare in minde that there is none like god in teaching and therfore that it behoueth vs to come to him to the ende that he may inlighten vs and that our mindes may bee gouerned by his hande and direction VVhen we be taught in that schoole wee shall profite ynough in Gods workes and therewithall wee shall haue wherewith to barre all our owne curiosities And vndoubtedly it behoueth vs to be alwayes watchfull that we may restrayne our selues For although the faythfull bee modest and framed a long while aforehande to receyue instruction at Gods hande yet notwithstanding there are still some curiosities flittering in their heads so as they be haled away and many imaginations come in their minds causing them to say why is this and why is that But let vs alwayes come backe to this conclusion that forsomuch as we be not able to comprehend Gods woorkes no nor any creature else is of power
speaking wee wote not vvhat 694. a 52. 695. b 5. Hastinesse to speake is to be discommended 616. a 38. Men must not be too hasty to speake or determine of Gods doings 709 b 46. 712. b 13. How and when vve may safely speak 796. a 12. 808. b 49. 809. a. After what manner our Speakinge must be moderated 696. b 48. 791. a 55. b 809. a 30. Tvvo fashions of speaking vnto God 809. a 20. Of the brydling of our speech in aduersity 47. b 33. VVhat vve ought too do when men speake euil condemn vs vvronfully 329 b 49. 330. a 14. Men must giue others seaue to speak as well as themselues 696. b 48. VVhat maner of men haue most lyberty too speake novv adayes 697 a. b. Speedefulnesse VVhat Speedefulnesse of errour importeth 24. b 9. Speedfulnes of errour is the revvard of them that wilfully refuze Gods truth 24. a 52. b 51. Spirite If men be not gouerned by God hys Spirite ther raigneth nothing but fainednesse in their fleshe 575. a 17. Stand. VVhat the word Stand betokeneth 802. b 56. It is vnpossible for a mortal creature to stand before God. 802. a 52. Starres From whence commeth the naming of Starres 172. a 49. Some Starres bigger then the Moone 172. b 46. After what maner the Starres ar said to sing 760. b 12. State. The State of our lyfe 81. b 56. 83. a. 30. The State of men after this lyfe vntill the last day 181. b 25. The State of the Faithfull 60. b 29. 101. a 40. The State of the Reprobates 60. b 34. The State of our bodies 81. b 48. 82. b 30. The State and condition of seruants in the time of Iob 582. a 11. The faithfull in considering theyr State ought to waighe vvell both what they are also what GOD is able to doe 278. b 22. Thinges cannot bee in their perfecte State till the last day 516. a 57. If we think not of our State we shall alwayes bee puffed vp with pride 566. a 37. Stoutnesse If the magistrate vvant stoutnesse to redresse matters he shal neuer performe his duty 549. a 51. Storke Of Storkes 780. a 53. 783. a 17. The kindnesse that is naturally in Storkes is a mirrour of the thankfulnesse that ought to be in Children towardes theyr parentes 983 a 16. Strength All our Strength and rightuousnesse commeth only of God. 802. b 53. It is for our profit behoofe not to haue the strength and svviftnes of birdes and beastes 784. a 8. Strumpet Looke Whore. Caluin reprooueth sharpely that a Strumpet being put in prison was presented vvith tartes 374. b 38. Stubburne God wil deale roughly with the stub burn 817. a 23. Such as are Stubburn against GOD come to confusion 152. b 29. Striue It is in vain for man to Striue against God or his truth 700. b 52. Subiect Subiection Mannes Subiection and dutie of obedience vnto God. 1. a 19. 30. VVhat manner of Subiection man should haue bene in if he had not sinned 780. b 40. Doe the best we can we can not bee so Subiect to God as were requysite 565. a 14. It is for our welfare to bee so in Subiection 781. a 16. The Subiection and seruice of beasts vnto vs is through Gods taming subduing of them to our hand 781. b 21. 782. a b. The diuilles are Subiect to God and can not do any thing without his leaue 16. b 55. 17. b 27. 18 a 53. Looke more in Obedience Submitte VVe must alwayes Submit ourselues to God that wee bee not touched with vaine presumption 559. b 40. It is a hard thing for a man to Submitte himselfe to the single wil of God without askinge a reason of his workes 356. a 16. Substance The Substance of our bodies and soules are no euil thinges but the good creatures of GOD notwithstanding all that is in them is peruerted and euill 300. a 12. To say that the Substance of GODS Spirite is in vs is an heresie Seruetus held that mens soules were partakers of the Substance of the Godhead 500. b 43. Sufferance and Suffering Gods Sufferance is not a single permission or giuing leaue but an effectuall appointing of things to be done 37. a 52. Simple sufferance destroyeth the Almightynes of God. 241. a 53. Hovve the thinges that are done by Sathan and by vvicked folke are done by GODS owne woorking and appointment and not simply by his permission or Sufferance 37. a 52. VVhat frute profit and comfort redound to the Godly by knowing that Satan or wicked men can do nothing but by Gods Sufferance 17. b 41. 18. a 36. b 30. VVhy God suffereth many thinges vnpunished 181. b 42. 182. b 35. 716 b 20. Such as suffer the wicked at length feele the smart themselues 478. a 49. Superstition Superstition 94. a 42. From whence the Superstitiō springs 436. a 11. Sustained VVe are not sustained by the abundance that we haue but only by the grace of God. 347. a 54. Swearing and Othes Swearing is monstruous and against nature 169. b 42. The trueth and right of Swearing 499. b 45. Light othes ar so many reproches to God. 499. b 37. Sweating Causes of Svveating 750. a 41. Swoord The cōmon dravving of the Svvord novv adayes 546. b 56. Looke more in Gouernoures T. Talke Al our Talke must tend to the glory of God. 714. b 8. Tame Til we know that God putteth vs to reproch and giueth men leaue to persecute vs we shal neuer be Tamed as vve ought to be 560. a 5. Teach Teacher Teachable Teachablenesse There is no Teacher like vnto GOD and howe to learne at his handes 730. a 4. b All the Teaching reading and hearing of Gods woord that can bee vvil not auaile vs except he worke inwardly by his holy spirite 730. a 34. The way to bee well taught at Gods hand 788. b 16. 809. b 31. To be Teachable is a great vertue 129. a 7. b 33. The first foundation of wisedome is Teachablenesse that is to say a willingnesse or desirousnesse to be taught 674. a. 20. VVhen God teacheth vve must giue eare to his Teaching 635 b. 48. The Lord wil haue vs only to receiue that which he thinketh good too Teach vs. 529. a. 30. He that will teach others well must first learne of god and haue a perfect feeling of the true Doctrine in his hart 628. a. 26. 629. a. 47. The properties of a good Teacher 486. a. 10. 542. b. 34. The office of the Preachers and Teachers of the Gospell too forgiue sinnes 648. a. 16. The lets are many which turne men aside from suffring themselues to be taught by God. 526. b. 60. Very fevv now a dayes can abide too be taught but euery man taketh vpon him to be a Teacher 542. a. 1 They shall neuer be good Teachers which wil not suffer themselues to be reproued when they do amisse 697. a. 53. If wee make no reckoning of the good life of such as ought
vanitie wee shall alwayes bee in a mammering there needeth but one little ▪ blast of wind and behold our faith is quite blowne downe Then let vs beare in mind that antiquitie muste not beare suche sway with vs but that yong folke may vtterly refuse to be ruled by such as are their elders specially if they go about to turne them from that whyche they haue learned concerning the only one God and his truth Lo what wee haue to marke And heere withall as for those that haue liued long time in this world let them not glory in their age nor say that they ought to take other folkes in a trip but rather knowe that they are so muche ▪ the more bound vnto God for giuing them the meanes and occasiōs to be settled and stayed ▪ and furthermore let them father all their wisedome vpon God so as all pride be cast downe that they imagine not themselues to haue gotten any knowledge eyther by length of tyme or by finenesse of witte or by their owne forecast or by their great experience or by any thing els How then ▪ Bycause it hath pleased God to poure out his spirit vpon vs that we might know how greatly wee be beholden vntoo him And let the yong men also on their side knowe that if God haue giuen them any gift of grace it is bycause he will not leaue them destitute of his spirite no more than the old folke and such as haue liued a long time but intēdeth to shew that in making vs all partakers of the selfe-same grace of his spirite he will also make vs all heyres of his heauenly kingdome to come to his euerlasting glory which he hath now reuealed vnto vs already in part Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying hym to make vs so to feele them as we may flee to him alone as to the partie that is able to remedie all our harmes and seeke him in such wise as wee may bee hilde prisoners vnder his obedience and not desire any thing but to sticke purely and simply to his word renouncing what soeuer is of our owne nature bycause there is nothing but corruption and frowardnesse in it and also praying him too renew vs in such wise by his holy spirite that by being likeshapen to his image we may haue so much the better certentie and proofe that he taketh vs for his children and we also may yeelde him thanks agayne as too our father That it may please him to graunt this grace not only too vs but also to all people c. The .lviij. Sermon which is the second vpon the .xv. Chapter This Sermon is yet still vpon the .viij. ix and x. verses and then vpon that which followeth 11 Seeme Gods comfortes a small thing vnto thee and is this straunge vntoo thee 12 VVhy is thy hart rauished and vvhy do thyne eyes make signe 13 That thou bucklest thy selfe against God and vtterest the vvordes of thy mouth before hym 14 VVhat is man that hee should bee cleane or he that is borne of vvoman that he shoulde be rightuouse 15 Behold he findeth no stedfastnesse in his Saincts nother are the heauens cleane in his sight 16 And hovv much more is man abhominable and filthie vvho drinketh iniquitie as vvater WE sawe yesterday the reproche that was offered vnto Iob in respect of his age and therevpon I saide it was good reason that yong folke should be ruled by the counsell of their elders and giue eare to suche as haue had more experience by reason of lōg vse and also that forasmuch as God hath giuen old men the grace to liue long they ought to consider that they are bound to teach others and to shew them the way and yet for all that that both yong and old ought too knowe that there is no true wisdome but of God who giueth it from aboue and that God dealeth foorth the same in such wise as he thinketh good and men must not imagine that he is bounde vnto them for he hath promised to poure out his spirit vpon greate and small as he listeth to the end it may be knowen too bee a free gift and that the praise of it ought to be giuen to him alone Now heere agayne Eliphas vpbraydeth Iob that he hath not heard Gods secretes This poynteth at all men in generall For it behoueth vs too vnderstande the rudenesse and weakenesse of our owne witte and the true meane to do it is to reuerence Gods secrets knowing that they are incomprehensible and too high for vs to attaine vnto For as long as men presume vpon their owne wit and thinke to atteyne too the heighth of Gods secrets it is certayne that they cannot be humbled nor brought to anye modestie Ye see then that the poynt whereto we must come is that we must reuerence and honour Gods secrets seeing we haue not the capacitie to cōprehend them in so much that we haue no more to do but to acknowledge our own infirmitie and to crie out euery one with Dauid Lorde how high are thy determinations how ought we to reuerence them Yee see then in effect what Eliphas ment in saying vnto Iob that he had not heard the secrets of God. And this doctrine is as often repeted and as common in the holy scripture as any can be bycause it is hard to abate the pride which is naturally rooted in all men For not onely euery one of vs will take vpon him to bee wiser than hys fellowe but also we cannot finde in our harts to acknowledge oure owne slendernesse to humble our selues euen when we come before god Therefore we haue neede to be brought low and to be warned as the Scripture doth it that we must not go about to comprehend the purpose of god For that is too high and to profound a thing for vs VVhat remayneth then To honour it acknowledging our owne rawnesse and weakenesse as I sayd afore But by the way wee muste come to that whiche Sainct Paule sayeth in the first to the Corinthians that is to wit that our Sauiour hath giuen vs of his owne spirit whereby we know and comprehend that which is aboue all our capacitie Then although we be not of counsell with God yet hath he shewed vs the fauour and honour to disclose vnto vs that which is vnknowne and hidden from vs How is that There is none that knoweth what is in man but the spirit whiche dwelleth in him sayeth S. Paule and the spirit that dwelleth in God is giuen vnto vs Thus ye see how we be made partakers of the things that are vtterly separated from vs and wherevnto wee cannot by anye meanes approch Marke heere a singular grace whych we ought to make great account of namely that our Lorde hath inlightened vs euen vs that were wretched blynde soules And although we comprehend not the things that are heere bylow yet are wee lifted vp aboue the
speake with my tongue and I vtter my wordes from my palat But yet notwithstanding my saying are the rightnesse of my heart and thou shalt not heare any thing but truth and vprightnesse at my mouth See heere what a protestation Eliu maketh to the inteÌ„t to be heard that is to wit that hee will not speake feynedly and as a double minded man but will set downe things purely according as he knew them to be and as they had bin reueled vnto him Marke that for the first poynt Secondly he addeth Behold I am in respect of God as thou art or according to thy mouth The worde that he vseth signifieth properly a mouth howbeit sometimes it is taken for Measure Nowe wee haue seene heeretofore how Iob desired God to come to him without bringing any such terrour as hee felt If God were my match sayth Iob I could answere him and although hee haue all authoritie ouer mee yet could I mainteyn my cace Lo after what maner Iob speaketh And so this sentence might be expounded thus Beholde I am according to thine owne mouth that is to say according as thou hast desired or else thus Beholde I am according to thy measure that is to say I am like vnto thee in respect of god Neuerthelesse the meening will abide alwayes one And therefore we neede not to stande much vpon the worde Let vs consider still wherevntoo Eliu intendeth too come that is to witte that hee is not God that he might make Iob afrayde but that he is created of clay as Iob is that is to say that he is a mortall and transitorie creature which hath no strength in himselfe For sayth he it is the spirit of God that hath fashioned me and the breath of the Almightie hath giuen mee life To bee short we see how Eliu telleth Iob here that he wil speake against him with suâ—â— reasoÌ„ as he shall be ouercome Thou shalt no more alledge sayeth he that God maketh thee afraid that his glory is terrible to thee and that thou canst haue no right at his hande thou shalt not bee able to say so For who am I Beholde I am a wretched lumpe of earth and myre True it is that I haue breath and life howbeit I haue them of God but yet am I as full of frailtie as thou So then there shall nothing ouersway betwene vs two but reason and thou must be faine to be confounded VVe see in effect the two poynts that are conteyned here The first is that Eliu declareth that his wordes are the rightnesse of his heart and that he wil not speake any thing which hee hath not thought and conceyued in himselfe This is well worthie to be noted For therevpon we may gather after what sort hee ought too bee disposed which beareth about the worde of God namely that hee must not haue store of bibblebabble at his tongues ende nor cast forth wordes at all aduenture no nor yet play an enter lude but according as God hath taught him so must he deale forth that thing which is printed in his heart vntoo those ouer whom God hath giueÌ„ him charge So then will we serue God purely in our office It behoueth vs first and for most too brydle our tongues that they speake not any thing but that which is printed in our harts And surely we heare how it is said by Dauid and likewise alledged by S. Paule who applyeth it to all the ministers of Gods worde I haue beleeued and therefore will I speake True it is that this thing is common to all Christians and to all the children of God but it ought to be cheefly obserued of those whom God hath ordeyned to be as instruments of his holy spirite VVhensoeuer wee speake then is it Gods will to be heard in our persons Seeing then that he hath done vs so great honour at leastwise his doctrine ought to be printed in vs and to take roote there and afterward our mouth should beare witnesse that we knowe it To bee short it behoueth vs too haue beene taught by God before we can be good maisters or teachers And specially when we preach let it not onely be to teach others but let vs comprehend our selues in the same number and companie Beholde I say what we haue to marke And vndoubtedly when a man speaketh Gods worde without feeling the operation of it in himselfe what doth he else but play a part in an enterlude And what a trecherie is that VVhat a defiling is it of Gods worde So then let vs be think vs throughly and as oft as we go vp into the pulpit let vs remember well the lesson that is giuen vs here namely that the rightnesse of our hart must shew it selfe in our tongue And therewithall also when wee see that a doctrine is good and that the man which speaketh laboureth to edifie vs let vs know that we be vnthankfull and vtterly rebellious agaynst God if we heare not his matter with all humilitie Nowe when Eliu maketh this preface he speaketh not after the maner of men as in the way of curtesie but he sheweth after what sort God intendeth to holde vs to himselfe By what meanes is that Behold me sayth he heare mee for there is nothing but right in my talke It is all one as if hee did set it downe for a rule in Gods name that if a doctrine that is preached bee good and holy and we conuinced that it is so then if we yeeld not with all reuerence to frame our selues thereafter we shall not be guiltie of resisting a man but it is all one as if we spited the liuing god So then let euerie of vs bee attentiue when Gods worde is preached and seeing hâ— is so gracious vnto vs as to rayse vp men to declare his will familiarly vnto vs let vs not be as wilde folke but let vs yeeld ourselues teacheable in the things that we know to proceede from him And forasmuch as the lawe the Prophets and the Gospell haue been conueyed vnto vs by such maner of men whose vprightnesse is well ynough knowne and witnessed let vs marke that whosoeuer submitteth not himselfe too that doctrine needeth no other proces to his damnation To bee short let vs marke that our Lord hath authorised his Prophets and Apostles too the end that the doctrine which they haue giueÌ„ vs should not be doubted of but be taken as an vnrepealable decree Marke that then for one poynt But herewithall we bee warned that the faythfull must not become so sheepish as to receyue whatsoeuer is tolde them but must examine the doctrine whether it be of God or no. And that is the cause why it is sayd that we must trie the spirites And this must be well noted For we see that the wretched Papists suffer themselues to be led without any discretion the fayth which they haue is nothing but meere sheepishnesse that men must stoppe their eies and haue no reason at all in
gluttonie according as there be some countries that are specially giuen thervnto some their ambitiouse pompe some their vaine vvorldlinesse some their snatching and extortion as vvel pryuate as publike othersome their crueltie and insatiable desire too shed mannes blud in spight of all lavves and to the confusion of all ciuill order among men They shall say I haue this little vvord of Sainct Peters to vvey vvhich ought to astonish thē more than all the thunderclappes that euer rattled in the aire that is to vvit that if chastizemēt begin at the house of God at those vvhich are the true Christians vvhat shall the end of these be vvhich rebell against Gods Gospell if the rightuouse do hardly scape vvhere shal the vvicked and sinfull appeare Behold the thing that all the good seruants of God and all faithfull preachers of the Gospel do brotherly pray for at this day as men haue done hertofore Behold the thing that al the little flocks of the reformed churches dispersed heere there do pray for behold the thing that euen Iesus Christ as yee vvould saye in his ovvn person prayeth for is that they may by him be reconcyled to God receiue his grace in such vvise as it may not be in vaine And it is to be hoped that God of his great mercie vvil yet notvvithstanding bring many of that sort too such chaunge as he vvill make them true and earnest follovvers of the Gospell as he hath done oft heretofore Notvvithstanding if any or many of thē being so intreated for Iesus Christs sake do harden themselues let suche vnderst and that they shall not scape Gods hand at the last day and it may be that they shall feele it yet sooner too their greate confusion For it is he vvhose preheminence none others is in controuersie at this day and vvhich shall of a truthe get the vpper hand of all his enimies early or late vvhatsoeuer betyde He is vvilling to haue pitie vpon his creatures and by vvord he giueth comfort and patience to all such as are pinched but specially he comforteth those that are already vnder his banner graunting them to haue peace in him although they haue none in the vvorld Amen At Geneua the first day of Iune 1563. ¶ A TABLE AND GATHERING TOGE ther of such places of the Scripture as are expounded and aptly applyed by the Author in these his Sermons The first number signifieth the Chapter of the booke of the Byble the second the verse of the sayd Chapter or being but one number it signifieth the verse of the Chapter nexte before the thirde by A or B the first or second Columne of the leafe the fourth the lyne of the Columne Genesis 1. 2. THE earth was without forme and voyde and darkenesse was vpon the deep 740. b. 19. 3. 4. GOD sayde let there bee light and there was light and God seperated the light from the darknes 212. 6. 37. 710. b. 28. 14. God sayd let there be lightes in the firmament of heauē◠to seperate the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes years 775. b. 2. 16. GOD then made two great lightes the greater light to rule the day and the lesse light to rule the night 172. a. 6. Subdue the earth and haue dominion ouer the fishes of the sea ouer the soules of he auen and ouer euery beast that moueth 110. b. 18. 28. Haue rule ouer the fishe of the sea and ouer the foule of the heauen and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth 781. a. 15. 31. Al things that God had made were good 300. b. 14. 2. 1. The heauens and the earth were finished and all the hoste of them 172. a. 56. 17. As touching the tree of know leadge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it 571. a. 25. 20. God foūd not amōg the beasts of the fielde an helper meete for Adam 55 b. 6. 24. The man and the vvoman shal be one fleesh 363. b. 35. 3. 5. Ye shal be as Gods knowing good and euill 526. a. 16. 6. Eue seeing that the tree was pleasaunt and good for meat she did eat 571. a. 22. 577. a 46. 7. Adam and Eue after they had transgressed couered themselues with leaues 572. b 23. 601 a 36. 12. The woman vvhich thou gauest to bee vvith mee hath deceiued me 422. a 60. 601. b 26. 4. 4. The lord had respect to Abell and to his offering 12. a 33. 7. If thou dost not well sinne lyeth at the dore 650. b 15. 8 Cayne slew Abell 351. b 20. 13. My punnishment is greatter then I can beare 113. b 58. 601. a 61. 689. b 10. 5. 22. Henoch walked vvith God 410. a 16. 6. 3. My spiritte shall not alway striue with man. 398. a 54. 5. God saw that the wickednesse of man vvas great in the earth 336. a 43. 6. God repented that hee hadde made man in the earth and was sorie in his hart 198. a 23. 7. God sayde I will destroy from the earth the man that I haue made for it repenteth me that I haue made them 336. a 43. 9. Noath vvas a iust and vpright man in his time 205. a 38. 7. 11. In the time of the flood all the fountains of the great deep were broken vp and the windovvs of heauen vvere open 761. b 42. 23. All the substance that was vppon the earth was destroyed 442. b 35. 8. 20. Noath built an alter c. and offered burnt offering 12. b 40. 13. The earth could not containe Abraham and Lot that they might dvvell together for their substaunce was great 7. b 28. 820. a 60. 16. God sayd to Abraham that he vvould make his seede as the dust of the earth 351 b 22. 14. 18. Melchizedech vvas a priest of the most high God. 3. a 23. 15. 1. God is the revvard of Abraham 413. a 45. 5. The seed of Abraham shall be multiplied like the Starres of heauen 351. b 23. 12. VVhen the sunne went down there fell an heauy sleep vpon Abraham and loe a very fearefull darkenesse fell vpon him 77. b 59. 15. Thou shalt be buried in a good old age 407. b 28. 17. 1 VValke before me and be thou vpright 224. b 18. 18. 19. Abraham will commaūde his sonnes and housholde after him that they keep the way of the Lord 302. a 45. 20. The cry of Sodom and Gomorha is great and is come vp vnto me 686. b 18. 23. 25. VVilt thou destroy the righteous vvith the wicked 180. b 31. 450. a 60. 671. a 16. 35. 19. 24. God caused to rayne vppon Sodom and Gomorha brimston and fire 442. b 32. 23. 1. Sara liued an hundred and seauen and twenty years 820. a 61. 24. 35. The Lorde hath blessed Abraham wonderfully vvith sheep and Bieues and siluer and gold and men seruauntes and maydseruants and Camels and Asses 7. b 28. and
yea that great VVhale which God hath made to play therein 800. b. 56. 28. VVhen God hideth his face all things are troubled and when he taketh away their breath they die returne to their dust 141. a 61. 29. VVhen God taketh the breth from his creatures they dye and returne to their dust 81. a 25. 83. b 32. 107. a. 10. 30. God sendeth forth his spirite and they are created and he renueth the face of the earth 141. a 57. 32. God loketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the mountaines and thy smoke 752. b 1. 107. 34. The frutefull lande becommeth barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein 520 â–ª a 2. 42. The rightuous shal see it and reioyce but al iniquitie shall stop hir mouth 102. b 16. 24. VVho is wise that he may obserue these things and consider the goodnesse of the Lord. 96. a 47. 110. 4. The Lord hath sworne will not repent that thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech 816. b 33. 112. 1. Blessed is the maÌ„ that feareth God. 380. a. 20. 113. 6 God abaseth himself to beholde the heauen and the earth 438 a 43. 6. The righteous shall be in euerlasting remembrance 350. a. 18. 115. 11. You that feare the Lorde put your trust in him 532. a. 3. 16. God hath giuen the earth to the sonnes of men 432. b. 55. 116. 10. I beleued therfore did I speak for I was sore troubled 130. a. 13. 373. b. 35. 628. a. 28. 695. b. 8. 696. b. 28. 12. 13. I will call vpon the name of God for all his benefites towardes me 425. b. 5. 449. b. 54. 118. 3. 4. The house of Aaron saith that the mercy of God dureth for euer and they that feare him say that that his goodnesse dureth for euer 532 a. 1. 17. I shall liue and declare the workes of the Lord. 210. a. 61 18. The Lord hath chastened me fore but he hath not deliuered me to death â–ª 656. b. 8 119. Beth. VVherin shall a young man redresse his way in taking hede according to thy word 269. a 8 37. Hâ— Lord turne away mine eies from regarding vanity 570. a. 6â— 67. Teth. Before I was afflicted I went astray 656 b. 8. 71. It is good for me that I haue ben afflicted that I may learne thy statutes 107. b. 13 Nun. The woord of the Lord is a lampe vnto my feete and a light vnto my path 257. b. 48. 818. b. 56 98. 99. 100. Mem. Thou hast made me wiser by thy commaundements and I haue passed in wisedome al my teachers I haue passed the auncient in knowledge 695. b. 46 120. 7. I seeke peace and when I speake therof they are bent to war. 75. a. 32. 123. 1. God dwelleth in the heauens 436. a. 5 125. 1. They that trust in the lord shal be as the mount Sion which can not be moued from his place but remaineth for euer 88. b. 5 3. The rodde of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of rightuous 89. a 7. 126. 1. God is knowne in Iâ—dea â–ª and his name is great in Israell 156. b. 15. 127. 2. It is in vayne for you too rise earely and to lye down late and eate the bread of sorow for God wil surely giue rest to his beloued 472. b 21. 3. Children are the inheritance of the Lorde the fruite of the wombe the reward that he giueth 91. a 2. 112. a. 12. 128. 2. Blissed is the man that eateth the labor of his hands 388. a 48. 3. The wiâ—e of the rightuous shal be like a fruitfull vine vpon the sides of the house of the rightuous and his children like the Oliue plantes round about hâ— table 351. a 57. 129. 4. The rightuous Lord hath cut the cordes of the wicked 89. a 7. 6. All those that hate Sion shall be as the grasse on the house toppes which withereth before it come forth 158. b 42. 130. 3. Lord who is he that shall stand 458. a 25. 4. There is mercie with the Lord to the end that he may be feared 361 a 31. 448. a 5. 131. 1. I haue not walked in things more greate and maruellous than apperteined vnto me 594. b 26. 133. Through out the Psalme 8. a 43. 138. 8. The Lorde will performe his worke toward me 197. b 31. 285. b 139. 7. 8. VVhether shall I goe from thy spirite or whether shall I flie from thy presence If I ascende into heauen thou art there If I make my bed in the sepulchre thou art there 185. b 45. 456. a 12. 12 â–ª The darkenesse hydeth not from thee and the night shineth as the day 679 â–ª a 47. 14. Lorde marueilous are thy workes 766. a 10. 140 4. The wicked haue sharpened their tongue like a serpent the poyson of vipers is vnder their lips 191. b 33. 143 â–ª 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunte for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified 458. a 25 â–ª 669. b 20. 5 â–ª I doe remember the time past I meditate in all thy workes 157. a 7. 145. 9. 17. The mercie of God is ouer all his workes 433. b 44. 18. God is nere vnto all that call vpon him 357. a 14. 507. d 23. 146. 7. 8. 9. God executeth iustice for the oppressed hee looseth those that are bounde hee keepeth the straunger he comforreth the fatherlesse and the wydowe 433 b 27. 147. 9. God geeueth to beasts their foode and to the young rauens that crie 776. b. 3. 148. Throughout the Psalme You creaturâ— of heauen praise ye the Lord. 56. b 55. Prouerbes 15. THe wise man shall heare and increase in learning 529. b 18 532. a 34. 541. b 38. 661. a 37. 696. b 32. 5. 15. Drinke the waters of the Cesterne and of the riuers out of the middes of thine owne well 544. b 50. 8. 1. Doth not wisedome cry vnderstanding vtter her voyce 526. b 33. 751. b 32. 22. The lorde hath possessed me in the beginning of his waye and was before his woorkes of olde 751. b 33. 31. I toke my solace in the compasse of his earth and my delight is with the children of men 427. a 14. 527. a 39. 751. b 33. 9. 10. The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lorde 529. b 18 532. a 34. 541. b 38. 10 7. The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed 350. a 59. 14. That which he feareth shall come vpon him 305. a 43. 12. 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast but the affection of the wicked is cruell 610. a 37. 14 27. The feare of the Lorde is a welspring of lyfe to auoide the snares of death 529. b 5â— 16. 1. The preparations of the harte are in man but the answere of the tongue is of the Lorde 66. a 9. 9. The Lorde directeth the steps of man. 303. b 30. 14. The wrath of a king is as messengers of death 309. a 48. 17. 5. Hee
and dishonour by euill report and good report 554. b 5. 10. VVee must be as it were sorrowfull in the middest of this ioye 376. b 18. 17. Come out from among them and separate your selues sayeth the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you 41. a 3. 7. 10. You sorowed to repentance for godly sorrow causeth repentance vnto saluation Ye haue bene godly sorie 11. a 49. 32. b 36. 64. b 16. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shal also reape sparingly he that soweth liberally shall also reape liberally 74. b 46. 7. As euerie one wisheth in his hart so let him do and not by compulsion 432. a 52. 10. 4. 5. The weapons of our warfare casteth downe imaginations euerie highe thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God. 330. b 38. 675. a 54. 15. VVee must not boast in that which is without our measure 4â—7 a 61. 11. 14. Sathan transformeth him selfe into an Angell of light 22. b 16. 16. Suffer mee that I maye also boast my selfe a little 249. b 50. 22. They are Hebrues euenso am I. 249. b 38. 12. 7. And lest I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundaunce of reuelations there was geuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffer me because I should not be exalted out of measure 25. a 37. 814. b 54. 9. The power of S Paule is made perfect in weakenesse 258. a 5. 17. 18. The manifestation of the spirite is geeuen to euery one to profite with all 21. My God abase mee amonge you 14. b 6. 811. b 29. Galatians 1. 15 GOD seperated me from my moothers wombe and called me by his grace 814. b 33. 3. 10. Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to doe them 186. b 45. 261. a 38. 298. b â—7 455. b 35. 575. b 22. 11. No man is iustified by the law in the sight of God. 186. b 45. 13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when he was made a curse for vs. 5â—7 a 10. 22. The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne 607. b 35. 4. 6. Because yee were sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirite of his sonne into your hartes 17. a 25. 651. a 55. 22. Abraham had two sonnes one by a seruaunt and one by a free woman 801. b 6. 5. 14. Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 319. b 42 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirite and the spirite against the flesh so that ye can not doe the same things ye would 476. b 23. 663. b 18. 25. If we liue in the spirite let vs also walke in the spirite 4. a 32. 446. a 56. 6. 1. Bretherne if any man bee fallen by occasion in any fault yee which are spirituall restore such one with the spirite of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also bee tempted 71. b 12. 4. Let euery man proue his owne woorke and then shall hee haue reioycing in him selfe onely and not in an other 167. a 4. 5. Euery man shall bear his owne burthen 167. a 2. 9. Let vs not bee weary of well doing for in due season wee shall reape 587. d 25. 15. In Christ Iesus auayleth not any thing but a newe creature 284. b 6. Ephesians 1. 4 VVE are chosen of GOD before the foundation of the world 638. b 4. 649 a 35. 13. Yee are sealed with the holy spirite of promise 651. a 52. 14. The holy Ghost is the earnest of our inheritance 284 b 74. 17. God geeueth the spirit of wisdome and correction to haue knowledge of â—im 629 a 23. 18. God openeth the eyes of your vnderstanding that yee may know what the hope is of the calling which God hath layde vp for you in heauen 530. b 52. 2. 2. The prince that ruleth in the aire which is the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience 25. a 12. 3. VVe were by nature the chyldren of wrath 274. b 33. 4. God is rich in mercy 596. b 56. 10. VVee are created vnto good workes 2â—7 a. 14. Christ is our peace whiche hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wal 815. a 54. 19. VVee are Citizens with the Sainctes and of the houshold of god 377. b 14. 3. 9. 10. The Gospell is a secret which hath bene hidde from the beginning in God to the intent that the manifolde wisdome of GOD might be knowne vnto principallities and powers in heauenly places by the church 16. b 39. 220. a 7. 12. VVe haue boldnesse and entraunce with confidence by Christ 651 a 52. 18. VVe must comprehend what is the bredth and length and depth and heighth 2â—0 b 53. 19. VVee must know the loue of our Lorde 530. b 55. 4. 4. VVe are called in one hope of our calling 584. b 11 13. Till we all meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of god vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of christ 660. b 19. 14. God gaue ministers to the end we should not be wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine 354 b 43. 19. The Gentilles hauing lost all feeling haue giuen themselues vnto waÌ„tones 19. a 28. 440. a 60. 472. a 13. 739. a 3. 14. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines 673. a 55. 26. Let not the Sunne goe down vpon your wrath 599. a 15. 30 Ye are sealed by the holy ghost vnto the day of redemption 651. a 55 32. Be ye courteous one to an other teÌ„der harted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you 597. b 61. 5. 2. VValke in loue euen as Christ hath loued â—â— and hath giueÌ„ himselfe for vs. 597. b 64. 5. No couetous person which is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God. 591. a 40. 6. Let no man deceiue you with vain words for for such things commeth the wrath of God vppon the children of disobedience 91 b 24. 153 a 43. 364. b 19. 388. a 30. 580. b 29. 8. VValke as children of lyght 474. b 33. 11. Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknes but euen reproue theÌ„ rather 603. b 30. 25. Loue your wiues as your own bodies 8. b 21. 6. 5. 6. That maisters and seruauntes know their maister is in heauen neither is there any respect of persons with him 61. b 25. 583. b 32. 12. VVe wrastell against spiritual powers and not against fleshe and bloud 18. a. 12. 18. b 58. 23. b 8. 16. By the shield of faith you may quench all the firie darts of the diuell 282. a 43. 17. Take the helmet of saluation and thet swoorde of the spirite which is the woord of God. 31. a 18. Philippians 1. 15. 16. SOme preach christ through enuie and strife supposing to ad more afflictions to my bondes 629. a 23. 21 Christ
into good towardes his chosen 25. a. 25. Gods apparell or clothing 795. a 49. VVhat is ment by Gods arme 795. b 18. Gods bearing and forbearing of vs is of his own free mercy 711. b 54. VVhat it is to be written in GODS Booke 350. b 40. Gods concealing of thinges from our knowledge is for that our capacity is not able to conceiue theÌ„ 636. a 24. Gods doinges are incomprehensible to vs furtherforth than he listeth to reueale them vnto vs. 36. b 44. A comparison betweene God and vs to abate our pride in finding fault with Gods doinges 692. a 38. God doth not any thing that is not reasonable and righufull 35. a 60. 38. a 35. GODS euerlastingnesse compared with the shortnesse of our lyfe 763. b Gods goodnesse towardes vs 17. a 44 25. a 25. Gods goodnesse in giuing seasonable weather 775. a 33. GODS goodnesse in humbling himselfe to our capacity both in his doctrine and in his workes 16. a. 30. b. 29. 18. b 22 35. 39. a 50. 528 a 35. 736. b 3. 768. a 35. Gods goodnesse extendeth it selfe euen to the wicked 766. a 38. GOD sheweth his goodnesse towardes vs at all tymes 508. a. 50. VVe must repose our selues vppon Gods goodnes as Iob did 560. b 5. Howe wee ought to conceiue the goodnesse and power of God beleue in him 369. a 18. Gods intent in vsing goodnesse toward vs. 33. a. 14. 740. a 28. How vnmindfull we bee of GODS goodnesse in any of our aduersities 740. a 21. GODS grace is not to be measured by that that wee see 156. a 50. Gods grace is the only stay and repayrer of all thinges 83. b 43. VVhereof it commeth that wee bee destitute of Gods grace and holy spirite 28. b. 6. The papistes knowe not what grace is 447. b 55. VVee must goe still forward still in Gods schole and not stand still at a stay 805. b 55. Gods soueraignty oneâ— man and all other his creatures 1. a 15. and 27. 8. a. 41. 16. â—30 24. a 33. 34. a 38. VVherevnto the consideration of Gods soueraignty leadeth 96. a 12. GODS spirite raigneth aboue the order of nature 619. a 17. 620. a b 730. a b. The woonderfull alteration that Gods spirite woorketh in mennes hartes 817. a 58. Gods wil is the rule of al righteousnes 682. a 50. GOD sheweth an incomprehensible wysedome euen in the basost and smallest thinges 772. a 16. GODS woorde is not heard of it selfe but by reason of our dulnes 18. b 30. GODS woorde must not be forbidden to bee redde of any man 18. b 27. GODS woorde and trueth are dishonoured when it is put to an euil vse 2. a 35. VVith what mindes men doe commonly heare and reade GODS woord 714. a. 31. VVhy GOD sendeth his woord vnto vs. 304. b 40. It is best for vs that God haue his ele vppon vs. 147. a 53. The way to come vnto God 260. b 31. VVe cannot bring any thing to God to pleasure with all 701. b 40. 702 a 20. How God sheweth himselfe vnto vs 174. a 25. The thinges that are in God can not be deuided the one from the other 151. a. 18. VVhy the Scripture termeth GOD our Buckler Sheeld wall trench Rampire Bulwarke Tower Fortresse 22 b 44. VVho so euer setteth hym selfe agaynste GOD setteth himselfe against al right and equity 151 a 33 Looke more in the Titles of Almightynesse Afflictions Benefites Beeinges Chastizementes Defence Face Goods Gouernement Giftes Glory Hotynesse Honour Iustifie Iustice Iudgements Knowing and Knowldge Lawe Loue Liberality Maiesty Magnifie Prouidence Powers Rightuousnesse Soueraignty Trueth will Wisedome Workes Woord c. Gouernment Gouerners The maintenaunce of Gouernment common weales and eiuill pollicy is an euident proofe of GODS prouidence 718. a 12. VVhy wicked Gouerners are too bee honored and obeyed and how The state of Gouernment commeth of God and to what end it is ordeined 674. b 25. VVhy God suffereth wicked Gouerners and Officers to raigne ouer vs 671. a 19. 688. b 47. The demeanor of Princes Gouerners Iusticers in these daies 718 a. 56. Commonly the worst and wickedst haue the Gouernement of thinges in this world 670. b 46. It is meete that God should Gouern vs and that we should followe his holy will. 572. a 30. Earthly Gouernours haue neede too be put in minde of their dutie 671 a 24. VVicked Gouerners are to be rebuked by the Preachers 675. a 39. VVhy men are put in subiection and thraldom vnto Gouerners 780. b 53. All inferior meanes of Gouernment are but instruments seruauntes of Gods soueraign dominion 671 b 19. God is not only the maker but also the continuall and alonly Gouerner of all thinges 670. b 20. 671. b 6. 749. a 36. 778. b 7. Gods almighty power in Gouerning all thinges is an inuincible and peremptory proofe of his righteousenesse 670. b 41. 672. a 40. God Gouerneth guideth and directeth al thinges by his prouidence notwithstanding the manifolde troubles disorders in the world 713. a 1. 716. How GOD Gouerneth the worlde 438. b. 22. Godly Godly folke must alwaies resist euil 20. b 1. Godly folk are afflicted more roughly then reprobates 28. b 54. The honour that God doth vs in giuing vs grace to be Godly and to ouercome Sathans assaultes 19. b 10. God sometime clotheth the Godly with the spoyle of the wicked 515. a 44. Looke more in Faithfull Gospell The Gospell is a cleare loking glasse wherein vvee see God face to face 370. b 10. The doctrine of the Gospell belongeth to al sortes of men both wise and ignorant learned and vnlearned high or lowe 660 a 59. The doctrine of the Gospell can not be attained to by mannes natural vnderstanding 619. b. 10. The cause why the Gospell is preached 627. b 5. The chief end of the Gospel 645. b 36 The inestimable benefite and treasure of the Gospel and of al Godly comfort 645. a 55. 646. a 6. 648. a 32. The singular priuiledge which God giueth to those Countryes where his Gospell is preached 646. b 35. In the Gospell we haue infinite treasures of wisdome and knowledge 552. a 53. The coÌ„mon manner of mens knowing of the Gospell 661. a 27. VVhy the world hateth the Gospell 474. a 60. Good and Goods VVe must do Good to such as haue no meanes to recompence vs. 545. b 39. God giueth vs his Goods to the inintent we should relieue our Brethren with them 586. a 30. It is an vntolerable vice for a man to trust in his Goods 591. b 2. None of the Good turnes which are done in the worlde are done freely 542. a 45. Grudging or murmuring To murmur or Grudge against God for afflicting vs is as much as too iustify our selues aboue him or to make ourselues more righteous than he 613. a 36. To Grudge against GOD in afflictions is a priuie and indirect blaspheming of him 699. b 28. To Grudge at the prosperity of the wicked or at the disorder of
is added in this place And herby we be admonished to haue an agreablenesse betweene our hearte and our outwarde senses True it is as I haue saide afore that wee may well withold our selues from yldoing that we may wel haue a fayre shewe before men but that shall bee nothing if ther be any hipocrisy or couert dissimulation before god when it commeth to the roote that is within the hearte VVhat must we do then VVe must begin at the foresayd poynt as I haue told you afore and then to haue perfecte souÌ„dnesse it behoueth that our eyes our hands our feete our armes our legs be answering thervnto so as in our whole life we may shew that our will is to serue God and howe that it is not in vaine that wee pretende a meaning to keepe the same soundnesse within And heere ye maye see why Sainct Paule also exhorteth the Galathians too walke after the spirite if they liue after the spirite as if he shoulde saye Verily it behoueth that the spirit of God dwell in vs and gouern vs For it is to no purpose to haue a gay life that pleaseth men and is had in great estimatioÌ„ vnlesse we be renued by the grace of god But what It behoueth vs to walk that is to say it behoueth vs to shew in effect by our work how the spirit of god reigneth in our minds For if our hands be stained with robberie with crueltie or with other anoyances if the eies be caried with leud vnchast lokes with coueting other mens goodes with pride or with vanitie or if the feete as the scripture saith be swift to do euill therby we well declare that our hart is full of naughtinesse corruption For it is neither the feete nor the haÌ„ds nor the eies that guide theÌ„selues the guiding of theÌ„ coÌ„meth of the mind of the hart VVherfore let vs indeuer to haue the said agreablenes which the Scripture sheweth vs when it saithe that Iob hauing this soundnesse plain meaning did also liue vprightly that is to say was coÌ„uersant amoÌ„g his neybors without any anoying of theÌ„ without seeking of his own peculiar profit kept an eueÌ„ hand with all the world Also ye see the reason why God proueth whether we serue him faithfully or no It is not for that he hath neede of our seruice or of any thing that we caÌ„ do But bicause that when we deale well with our neybours so as we kepe our faithfulnesse toward al meÌ„ according as nature it selfe teacheth vs in so doyng we yeld assuraÌ„ce that we feare god VVe see many which beare the face of verie zelous ChristiaÌ„s so loÌ„g as it is but to dispute and to hold long talke and to beare men in hand that they study to serue God to honor him and yet for all that as soone as they haue to do with their neybours a man shall perceiue what they haue in their harts For they seeke their own aduaÌ„tage make no coÌ„science to rake to theÌ„selues and to beguile folk wheÌ„ they haue them in their danger by what meanes soeuer it be Now then there is no doubt but that those which seke their own aduantage and profit are hypocrites and that their hart is corrupt how earnest christiaÌ„s soeuer they seme outwardly god bewrayeth that they haue nothing but dung and poyson in theyr hearts And why so For looke where soundnesse is there must nedes be vprightnesse also That is to say If the affection be pure within then wil it folow that wheÌ„ we haue to deale with men we shall procure the welfare of euery maÌ„ in such wise as we shal not be giueÌ„ to our selues to our priuate coÌ„moditie but shall haue that indifferencie which Iesus Christ auoucheth to be the rule of life and the whole summe of the law the prophets namely that we do not that thing to any other maÌ„ which we wold not haue done to our selues So theÌ„ we perceiue that by this coÌ„mendatioÌ„ of Iob many men are condemned for asmuch as the holy Ghost declareth that this maÌ„ had not onely a soundnesse before god but also an vprightnesse and plain deling amoÌ„g men This plain dealing which he speaketh of shal serue to giue sentence of damnation vpoÌ„ all such as are ful of maliciousnesse and vpon all such as passe not to snatche and rake to themselues the goods of other meÌ„ or which passe not to spoyle other men of their liuings This sort of men are condemned by this present texte For it foloweth that He feared God yea that hee was a man whiche feared God and withdrew himselfe from euill Now seeing that Iob had had the prayse of keping right and equitie among meÌ„ it behoued him also to walk before god for without that the rest is nothing worth True it is as I haue said afore that we caÌ„ not liue with our neybors to do harme to none and to do good to al vnlesse we haue an eye vnto god For as for theÌ„ that folow their own natur albeit that they be indued with goodly vertues for so wil it seeme yet are they â—uertakeÌ„ with self loue it is nothing else but vayngloriousnes or some other such respect which thrusteth them forward in so much that all the shew of vertue which appeered in theÌ„ is marred therby But although we can not haue the sayde vprightnesse without the fearing of God yet notwithstaÌ„ding the seruing of God the regarding of our neybors ar two seueral things in likewise as god hath distinguished them in his law at such time as it pleased him to haue theÌ„ writteÌ„ out in the two tables TheÌ„ let vs beare in mind that like as heretofore vnder the word vprightnesse the holye Ghoste ment to shew after what manner Iob liued amoÌ„g men so also when he saith that Iob feared God he meaneth to set out the religion that was in him And hereby we be warned that if we will frame our life aright we must first haue an eie vnto god then to our neibors I say we must haue an eie vnto god to giue our selues ouer vnto him to yeld him his due honor and we must haue an ey to our neybors to discharge our selues of our dutie towards theÌ„ according to that we be coÌ„maunded to helpe them and to liue in equitie vprightnesse finally forasmuch as god hath knit vs ech to other that euery man study to imploy his whole abilitie to the coÌ„moÌ„ coÌ„moditie of al. Thus ye see how the case standeth with vs in hauing of an eye both to God meÌ„ for the wel ordering of our life for he that loketh on himself is sure that he hath nothing but vanitie in him For if a man wer able to order his life in such wise as he might seeme faultlesse to the world yet notwithstaÌ„ding god disliked him what shal he gain by his ouerlaboring of himself to walk in such wise as al
his Angels to mainteine vs and wil haue them to be the workers of our welfare Now that we may the better vnderstād that which I haue touched let vs first marke that Iob is punished here in sundrie sorts that is to wit in all his goods and in his children Sathan was hilde shorte so as he could not attempt any thing againste his person but only against his goods This sheweth ful wel that god had giuen thē vp into his hands afterward Iobs childrē also which were as deare to him as his owne life And ther is yet one other poynt which is that Iob forewent not his goods and his children all after one manner but the Diuell had a policie to send him diuers temptations For he stirred him vp enemies on the one side and hee himselfe serued to send downe lightening from the heauē tempests from the ayre on the other side Lo how this seruant of God is tormented in diuers sorts And it might augmēt his griefe and trouble him yet more too thinke thus with himselfe How now Not onely men are contrarie to mee but also God himselfe fighteth agaynst me Beholde here the crastynesse of Satan True it is that this will seeme straunge to vs at the first push and here we may see what hath moued some men too be of opinion that God hath set vs downe here a certaine potrayture of pacience and not aplayne storie or deede done But suche men vnderstande not how God dealeth with his seruantes according too the measure of sayth which hee hath distrybuted vnto them Howe is that VVe are not tempted all alyke for God hath not made vs all so strong as were requisite There are some weakelinges and God supporteth them And if he chastize them it is to humble them to the ende they should take heede to themselues and call vpon God more earnestly There are other some farre more strong and stoute and wherefore are they so Bycause God hath powred out his spirite vppon them in much greater abundance For as I haue earst sayde accordingly as God dealeth vnto vs of the strength that is in himselfe so doth he exercise vs he will haue our fayth tried which thing we are sure is not agaynst our profit howbeit that he only know wherefore he doth it He is not bound to vs to giue vs one droppe of strength hee may leaue vs in our owne weakenesse too cause vs to bee oppressed and vtterly destroyed euery minute of an houre For in our selues wee haue no meane too resist sauing so farre foorth as God strengthneth vs by his grace Yet notwithstanding as I haue sayde that is not all after one fashion For the one sorte abyde weake styll and the other sorte haue a farre greater strength And here wee see wherefore the holye men that haue beene indued with excellent graces haue also beene much more tormented in their life VVhich of vs hath beene so roughly dealt with as Abraham or hath had so miserable a life as neuer to be in rest For wee see that God commaunded him to forsake his natiue Countrie and when hee had done so hee taryed lingring in the middes of hys iourney vntill his father was deceassed by the way In the ende hee went into the countrye and yet hee wyst not which way he shoulde take nor whither he should go For God vouchsaued not too tell him which was the Countrie that hee called him vnto but hilde him as a foule vpon the water VVhen he was come thither some troubled him ▪ othersome spyted him and he had nothing but vnquietnesse VVithin a while when the men had wrought him as muche spyte as they coulde famine persecuted him so as he was faine too get him away and his wife was taken from him After warde when he returned he was new to begin againe and he was faine too go to another place too seeke pasture And yet for all this God sayde to him Take no thought I will giue thee this lande and thou shalt be Lord and maister of it Yea but he sawe nothing Of all this while he had not a place to settle in and yet notwithstanding God promyseth too make him heire of the whole worlde Afterwarde while it was lykely that he shoulde haue had issue he had none and yet was that the thing that should haue bin his comfort He is olde and drouping and yet God sayeth vnto him Thou canst haue no welfare except thou haue issue And howe could that bee for he is alreadie so aged as he could not well tarric for it God hath giuen him Ismaell But he must be banished and cut off from that house After in the end◠when he had Isaac according too the promise God plucked that sunne of his from him and sayd to him Go kill him This is yet more than we haue heard of Iob for if a father heare that his children be slaine with lightning or else that some bodie hath murdered them surely it muste needes be a great griefe to him and hard to beare But to go kill his childe with his owne hande that is a thing too extreme for him to doe But Abraham must come in place againe heere Afterwarde when God had giuen hym his sonne againe as though he had bin raysed vp frō death hee shewed him what maner of promise it was that hee had made vnto him Hitherto sayth God I haue borne thee in hande that thou shouldest inherite this lande But so farre off art thou from enioying it thy selfe or from taking possession of it during thy life that thine ofspring muste bee dryuen from hence and dwell in a strange lande vnder exceeding cruell tirannie by the space of foure hundred yeares ▪ VVe see howe God exercised his seruaunt Abraham after a straunge fashion vnaccustomed among men ▪ And wherefore For he had also strengthened him by his holy spirite and therefore hee gaue him great and verie rough assaultes See then howe God woorketh in those that are the excellenter sort to the ende they shoulde bee as mirrours and examples vnto vs to follow And in good sooth a man shal neuer make such workemanship in a little shop as in a great one where hee may haue stuffe and store of workemen so as all things are well furnished and in good order For if he haue but a small shop hee shall not be able too doo any great peece of woorke Euen so dooth God VVee see then howe it was conuenient that Iob shoulde be set foorth vnto vs as a patterne and that God shoulde plague him to the vttermost too the intent that when we compare our selues with him euery one of vs may bee ashamed seeing we be not able to suffer any affliction be it neuer so light or meane for we be so tender as it is pitie to see it If God sende vs any aduersitie wee neuer consider wherein he spareth vs but our minde is vpon our present griefe and we will not bee comforted by taking
vs that euen those which haue vsed visions from heauen haue had muche a do to vnderstande a little of such secrecie So then let vs vnderstande that it behoueth vs to be diligent in this article for when we haue imployed all our wittes about it yet shall we not comprehende the hundreth part of that which is in it And for proofe heereof is not Gods rightuousnesse an infinit thing And are not our corruptions as a Sea or as a bottomlesse pitte Therefore we must not maruell at Eliphas for telling vs heere that hee had but a small taste of this article But let vs nowe come too that which hee addeth which is That a breath or winde went to and fro so as his to die quaked and shuddered and his heare stoode vppe stiffe throughout all his bodie and that there appeered an image vnto him which hee knewe not and that at the ende he heard a voyce of silence All this was done to the ende which I haue touched that is to wit to make Eliphas readie to receiue that which God purposed to saye to him and to prepare him in suche wise as he might vnderstand howe it was God that spake to the ende that his doctrine might bee of authoritie and furthermore that Eliphas might bee humbled so as hee might no more bee hoissed vp with presumption according as men commonly chalenge to themselues I wote not what It behoued Eliphas to be altogither abased to the end he might know his owne want and giue the glorie vnto god True it is that in these dayes we haue no such visions as they had in times past But it behoueth vs to knowe that whereas God gaue such signes to the auncient Fathers they must serue for vs also at this day And therefore when we reade the holie Scripture or come to a Sermon wee must bee touched with the Maiestie of God to yeelde him reuerence so as wee defile not his holie truth by esteeming it as if a man should tell vs some merie conceyted tale but rather thinke thus Seeing that our maker speaketh vnto vs it behoueth all knees to bowe before him and all men ought to quake at that which he sayth Lo what we haue to mark in this sentēce And moreouer we know that God in publishing his lawe shewed tokens to affray all such as he ment to teach at that time and therevpon the people sayd Let vs not come neere the mountaine for we shall al die if God speak vnto vs Thus ye see how it was Gods will to authorize his lawe in such wise as the people were vtterly dismaid by reason of the great number of miracles that he shewed And was this done for their sakes onely which were of that time No but God ment to giue vs also knowledge of his power whiche is permanent vnto the worlds ende The Gospel hath had yet greater proofe of maiestie So then ther is nothing that either can or ought to hinder vs frō receiuing of the Gospel except our own vnthankfulnesse and vngraciousnesse put out oure eyes Although wee can not see all the wonders that God hath shewed yet must we hold ourselues cōtented in that God teacheth vs by his worde wythout any longing for newe visions as many wandring spirites doe whiche woulde that the Angels shoulde come downe from heauen and bring them some newe reuelations But heerein they doe God great wrong for that they content not themselues in that God hath shewed himselfe so familiarly vnto vs For seeing that we haue the holy Scripture it is certaine that wee can not wante any thing And aboue all thinges in this brightnesse of the Gospell wee haue a perfection of wisdome as Sainct Paule sheweth Syth the cace standeth so they that are tickled with a fonde desire to haue some visions doe well bewraye that they neuer knewe what the holy Scripture is Then let vs contente vs with that whiche it hathe pleased God to disclose vnto vs as well by his Prophetes as by his Sonne oure Lorde Iesus Christe assuring our selues that there he maketh vs a finall conclusion without any further passing And hereby wee see whereunto they are come that haue such a desyre to raunge abroade and to leape beyonde their boundes Heere we see from whence came the horrible confusion that is in the Popedome heere wee see wherevpon the Pope groundeth all his doctrine For hee sayth that the Apostles haue not declared all that is for the profyte of the Churche and that the holy Ghoste is come to make men to frame newe articles and too make men too reste themselues vpon holy Councels For as much then as the Pope and all his hangers on haue not hild themselues to the purenesse of the holie Scripture God hath vndoubtedly blinded them in their owne folies and wee see some among them to bee so dull and brutishe and finally which haue beene growne so farre out of kynde as to worshippe stones and stockes of timber and that things are so farre out of square that euen little babes might well be ashamed of them And this commeth of that Diuelish curiositie that they bee not contented to be taught simply by the holy Scripture Beholde also wherevpon the Religion of the Turkes is founded Mahomet hath reported himselfe to bee the partie that shoulde bring the full Reuelation ouer and besydes the Gospell And by meanes thereof they be vtterly become brute beastes And at this day wee see that those poore beastes buzie their heades about as doltishe and vnsensible things as any can bee But it is the iuste vengeance of God who hath gyuen them ouer to a wilfull stubborne mynde As much hathe bene doone to other fantasticall persones and specially of our dayes which haue troubled the Churche and would needs haue their visions And it was one of the Articles of that cursed creature Seruet that was burnt For he sayde that the holy Ghoste had not reygned as yet but that hee was too come That wycked creature dishonored God as thoughe the Fathers of olde tyme had had but a shadowe of the holie Ghoste and as though that after he had once shedde out himselfe visibly vpon the Apostles hee had retyred agayne incontinently in suche sorte as the Churche hath beene destitute of the holy Ghoste Beholde what hee did sette downe and as in respect of himselfe he would haue made himselfe a Mahomet to haue the holy Ghost at his cōmaundement But a man may see how the Diuell had caried him away and it was requisite that God should bring some such men to that poynt to the end we might the more abhor them But for our part let vs followe the order that I haue told alreadie that is to wit let vs be taught according to the rule that God hath ordeyned and let vs not be so headie as to bynde God to agree to our desires nor to our fashions but let vs content vs with the holy Scripture seeing that God hath inclosed vs within
the boundes thereof Futhermore as touching that Eliphas sayeth That he hearde the voyce in silence It is too shewe that God had prepared him in such wise as hee bare awaye that which was spoken vnto him For a man that is rauyshed as it were in a traunce may well heare a thing and yet haue no remembrance of it when he commeth againe to himselfe and so there are many who when they come too Sermons doe heare well the matter that is treated of but it settleth not in them in so much that if one aske them what was treated of they cannot tell him one worde And why so for as the prouerbe sayth their wittes were a woolgathering one of them mused on this thing and another on that they were houering in the aire and they were not setled to giue eare vnto god For all such vaine fancies as we conceyue and as come in our myndes are as many turmoyles to hinder vs from gyuing such eare and audience vnto God as wee ought too giue So then those that wander in their owne imaginations can not comprehende these things to say I see a lesson whiche ought to bee common among vs and wee must bee fully settled in it by faythe For this cause Eliphas sayeth that this voyce came too him in silence or stilnesse For before that God had so disposed him he presupposed that it stoode him on hande to giue eare and too be attentiue too that which should be spoken vnto him And this is it that I haue touched alreadie namely that when we come to heare Gods worde wee must not haue our wittes rouing here and there after that manner but we must holde them short too giue diligent hearing vnto God so as our fleshely affections and vanities carie vs not vnto wickednesse and turne vs not hither and thither out of the way And to be short wee must bee quiet to heare all that God will haue sayde to the ende that the same may be rightly vnderstoode of vs VVee see then what wee haue to gather vpon this sentence And nowe let vs come to the doctrine that Eliphas handleth heere Shall man be rightuouser than God and shall man be more rightuous than his maker Beholde hee findeth no stedfastnesse or truth in his seruantes hee hath iudged that there is follie or vanitie in his Angelles And howe shall they doe then which dwell in houses of Claye In the first place heere Eliphas setteth downe the sentence and as it were the Theme that hee groundeth himselfe vpon that is to with that it is an vnreasonablenesse in men to desire to glorifie themselues in comparison of their maker Must not men needes be destitute of wit and reason when they will so gloryfie them selues in comparing themselues with God Lo heere his Theme or grounde And for as much as men can not easily abyde to haue their owne authoritie condemned behold here the reason which hee addeth too confirme his doctrine which is that if God shoulde examine his Angels hee should finde fault in them and hee should not finde them stedfast but they should perceiue themselues to be vaine and weake creatures Nowe if the Angels be such what shall become of men which dwell in houses of Claye For what is our bodie what foundation hath it what firmenesse so euer seemeth to bee in it there needes but one little shoure of raine too washe it quite away Then sith the case standeth so let vs now assure our selues that wee can not stande in Gods presence if wee come thither presuming to bring any rightuousnesse of our owne considering that the verye Angels are not able too doe that Thus we see in effect what is sayde vnto vs heere But we haue too consider what is meant by the mention that is made here of Angels Some imagining it too bee agaynst reason that God should not finde his Angelles throughly rightuous haue concluded that it is not ment here concerning those Angelles that continued in their obedience to God but of those that are falne and become renegates For the Diuels were once Gods Angels But they kept not the state wherein God had created them but fell an horrible fall in so much that they are fayne to be the mirrours of damnation VVee see then after what maner diuers haue expounded this texte namely that seeing there was no stedfastnesse in these Angels which fell what is to be looked for in men whose foundation is of Clay But we must not seke out forced expositions to magnifie the Angels For this place speaketh of Gods seruants and the tytle is honorable Eliphas would not haue sayde God hath not founde stedfastnesse in his seruants but hee would haue sayde Beholde the Diuelles which were heretofore appoynted too the seruice of God But nowe they be falne after suche an horrible fashion that by their fall all things are brought into a wauering in so much that euē mankind also is come to the like perdition and is drawne into the selfe same decay Eliphas woulde haue spoken so but he sayth God found no truth in his Angelles hee founde follie or vanitie Hee sayeth not that he founde Rebellion or backesliding but he sayth onely vanitie which is a greater maner of speeche So then when all is well considered no doubt but Eliphas speaketh heere of the Angelles that serue God and giue themselues wholly therevnto And what meaneth hee then by saying that there was no stedfastnesse but rather vanitie and vnstedfastnesse in them VVhen Sainct Paule sayeth that there is none immortall but onely God it is certayne that he excludeth all creatures And yet wee know that the Angels are immortall spirites For God hath created them of purpose that they shoulde not any more returne to nothing no more than the soule of man may at any tyme dye Howe then shall wee make these sentences agree that the Angelles are created to lyue euerlastingly and that there is none immortall but onely God The solution is very easie For the Aungels are immortall bycause they be susteyned by power from aboue and bicause God mainteyneth them who beeing the immortall nature it selfe and the verie fountaine of lyfe is in them as it is sayde in the Psalme O Lorde the fountayne of lyfe dwelleth in thee and in thy light shall wee see light Then seeing there is no lyfe but in God onely and yet notwithstanding the same is no hinderance to the spredding of lyfe into all creatures because it proceedeth of his grace wee perceyue howe the Aungels are immortall and yet haue no stedfastnesse in themselues but haue nede of God to strengthen them by his meere goodnesse VVithout this the thing woulde happen vnto them whiche is spoken in the hundred and fourth Psalme which sayeth when thou withdrawest thy spirite all decayeth VVhat is it then that gyueth liuelinesse to the Aungelles of heauen but the spirite of God And so wee see they haue not that thing of themselues which is giuen them of God neyther
Therefore if wee wyll be pacient to Godward we muste be drawen to him after another manner that is too witte wee must bee soone comforted as Sainct Paule speaketh in the fiftenth to the Romanes where hee putteth these two things togither as inseparable that is to witte that to the intent wee may haue pacience in all our aduersities we must haue a tast of Gods goodnesse we must reioyce of his grace and we must assure our selues that his scourging of vs is for our welfare And this is the thing that is shewed vs in this streyne when it is sayd Refuze not the correction of the almyghtie For it is hee that is the Surgion of all your sores it is hee that will sende you health of all your diseases God then sheweth vs heere howe hys meening is not that mennes submitting of themselues vntoo him should be too say Seeing wee can noneotherwise do nedes must God haue the maystrie of vs for wee cannot exempte ourselues from his iurisdiction The cace standeth not vppon comming too him so but our Lorde sayeth No but bee yee pacient humble your selues vnto mee and take warning by my iudgementes that yee murmure not against mee ne stomack the matter or otherwise ye shall bee fayne too bee beaten downe by my hand yea euen in such wise as yee shall bee vtterly ouerwhelmed But if ye huÌ„bly acknowledge your faults and come to me to craue pardon ye shall feele assuagement of your miseries in suche sorte as yee shall haue cause too yeeld mee thankes euen in the middes of your greatest troubles Beholde say I what we haue too muze vpon that wee may haue the true pacience Seeing then that of our owne nature wee bee stubborne against God and are angrie with him if he do but touche vs with hys little finger seeing also that wee haue suche a proudenesse in vs as wee thinke that God dothe vs wrong if he chastize vs Seeyng I saye that wee haue these twoo so greate vices it is a very harde matter too purge vs of them So muche the more therefore must we mind the lesson that is shewed vs here that is too witte that God by scourging vs meeneth to bring vs backe to himselfe yea euen to our benefite and welfare Furthermore it behoueth vs to marke well the promisse that is set downe heere that is to witte that God will beale the woundes which â—e hath made True it is that this healing pertayneth not to all men but onely to suche as receyue his corrections meekely And by the way lette vs marke that God will haue all menne put in minde to returne vnto him considering the gentlenesse whiche he sheweth them But what There are many which taste not the thing that is conteyned heere and this also is the cause why we see so much impacience so much murmuring and so muche blasphemie vsed against god The corrections light on all through out but where is the repentance There is none at all But we see how it seemeth that men had conspired to withstand God to the vttermost VVhy is that Bycause there are very fewe that conceiue this presente doctrine or that receyue the sayde promisse to say Lorde it is thine office too bynde vp the woundes whiche thou hast made and to heale the sore And therefore lette vs remember well this lesson specially seing it is so often repeted For it is not onely in this sentence that the holye Ghoste speaketh so but also wee see howe it is sayde the Lorde smiteth vs and healeth vs againe the third day after so that if hee haue gyuen vs any stripe with his rodde we shoulde not therefore imagine that hee will not bee mercifull too vs when wee come vnto him VVhen suche exhortacions are made vnto vs in the Prophetes it is all one as if God shoulde say vntoo vs true it is that I haue scourged you for a while but I will spredde out my mercie vpon you and that shall bee euerlasting for as if ye felt any anger or any signe of choler as in a father that is displeased with his children it was not bycause I haue hated you but bycause I haue bene fayne to make you feele the frute of your sinnes and to doo you to vnderstande that I hate them neuerthelesse in the end ye shall finde that I purpose nothing els but to heale the woundes and to cure the diseases which I haue sent True it is that at the first blushe to our seeming it is not meete that God shuld take pleasure to wounde men first and then too heale them VVhy rather doth hee not lette vs alone in peace and prosperitie But I haue alreadye shewed that the woundes which God maketh are as good as medicines to vs It is then a double grace whiche God graunteth vs heere The one is that when God scourgeth vs he procureth our welfare by drawing vs to repentance and by purging vs from our sinnes specially from the sinnes that we know not of For God is not contented too remedie the inconueniences that are alreadye present but he considereth also that there is muche seede of sicknesse hidden within vs Therefore he layeth holde on vs aforehande he redresseth things amisse and singular is the benefyte that he doth vnto vs when hee seemeth to come agaynste vs with naked sworde and pretendeth to be angrie wyth vs and yet notwithstanding sheweth himselfe a Phisition how so euer the world go Marke this for a speciall poynte Then followeth the seconde grace which also is well shewed vnto vs that is to witte that God bindeth vp the woundes which he hath made and healeth them And this is it whiche I haue alledged alreadye out of Sainct Paule how hee suffereth vs not to be tempted aboue our power but giueth a good issue to all our miseries So then although corrections bee profitable yea and necessarie for vs and that God is fayne to prouoke vs by diuers meanes to returne vnto hym yet notwithstanding hee spareth vs and looketh not altogither what our sinnes require but what wee are able to beare And heere yee see why he sayeth that he will chastize vs with a mans hande that is too saye hee will not proceede according too his owne mightie power For what woulde become of vs if God should stretch out hys arme against vs Alas what creature were able to stande before him Verely he needeth no more but to shew one angrie loke and behold all the world should perishe And though hee doo not so yet let hym but withdrawe his spirite and all muste needes decay as it is sayde in the hundred and fourth Psalme But he handleth vs gently and therwithall also withdraweth his hande when he seeth vs too sore oppressed and spareth vs when wee bowe vnder the burthen condicionally that wee bee of a lowly and meeke mynde For wee knowe how hee telleth vs in his lawe that if wee fall to sturdinesse against hym hee will be sturdie towardes vs as he sayeth also
and that we seeke nothing but too knitte our selues togither in all goodnesse whereas we see the vnbeleeuers conspyre to despise God and all right and reason That it may please him too graunt this grace not only to vs but also to al people and Nations of the earth c. The .xxiij. Sermon which is the first vpon the sixth Chapter 1 IOb ansvvered and sayde vnto them 2 O that my distresse vvere vvell vveyed and that my sorovves vere put into the balance 3 It vvould be heauier than the sand of the Sea vvherefore my vvordes are svvallovved vp 4 For the arrovves of the almightie are in mee vvhereof the poyson drinketh vp my spirite the terrours of God are directed agaynst mee 5 VVill the vvilde Asse bray vvhen he hath grasse or vvill the Oxe lovve vvhen he hath fodder 6 Shall that vvhich is vnsauerie bee eaten vvithoute Salte or is there any taste in the vvhite of an egge 7 But the thing vvhich my soule hath lothed to touch is as it vvere the disease of my flesh 8 O that the thing vvhich I desire might happen to mee and that the thing vvhich I loue vvere graunted mee 9 That is that God vvould crushe me and breake me and that he vvould cut mee as abovve HEre wee haue to consider what the state of a poore man is when God scourgeth him and maketh him too feele suche misery as it may seeme to him that hee hath God against him VVe see there is no power in mē that can hold out whē the cace is so And it is verye true that Iob was neuer yet vtterly ouerthrowne so as he shoulde haue no pacience at all but yet notwithstanding it was not without much difficultie that he could gather his wits to him too haue some comfort By the way as I haue sayd wee haue to behold in what anguish mortal man is whē God sheweth himselfe as his aduersarie partie And it is greatly for our behoofe to mind this lesson bicause we be ouer negligent yea and there are ouerfewe that thinke vpon this kinde of temptation For when we bee spoken to of suffering any miserie ▪ and of being pacient in aduersitie we bee fleshly and we mount no higher than our sensualtie is able to comprehend that is to say that we may indure diseases we may bee put too some troubles this or that may happen vnto vs But the greatest mischiefe of all whiche is able to ouerwhelme men vtterly is when God presseth them and maketh them too feele his wrath as if hee were bent full against them to say why haue ye offended me so Therefore when God sheweth himself so sore against men behold it is a temptatiō which passeth all that euer we may indure in our bodie And here ye see why I saide how it is good to trie that thing throughly which is conteyned here Iob then sayth that he would faine that his distresse were well weyed and on the other side that his sorrowes and greefes that is to wit the miserie which he indureth and suffereth were put togither with it into the balance For then sayth he it should be seene that this miserie of mine is heauier than the sand of the sea And for proof hereof god hath shot his arrowes at me yea euē poysoned arrowes in so much that I am as it were fired my spirit is as it were swallowed vp or my spirite is as it were steeped in bitternesse by reason of Gods sayde arrowes which haue pearced mee Beholde whereat hee beginneth But it seemeth heere that hee frameth an vniust complaynt when hee sayeth that his miserie is so great as no sorrowe can bee able too match it or bee answerable to it And thys complaynt draweth neere too that which Cain made the which as wee knowe was not without blasphemie For as soone as Cain heard the condemnation whiche God pronounced agaynst him it is certaine that hee could not iustifie himselfe for his sinne was manifest and hee was conuinced of it but he accused God of crueltie or ouer-great rigour My punishment sayth he is ouergreat I am not able to beare it thou wilt chase me ouer all the earth I am not able to stande before thy face howe doest thou handle mee wee see heere that although this wretched caytife coulde not denie but he was punished iustly yet notwithstanding he had his startinghole that God punished him not vprightly but passed measure in rigorousnesse against him I sayd it seemeth that Iob doth the like here For he sayth it is no maruell though he bee in great distresse bicause the affliction which he indureth is exceeding great and much more heauie As if he should say he could not lament ynough seeing that God handled him so roughly But we haue seene how he hath come already euen to the cursing of his byrthday and howe he woulde that he had bin borne dead And not only so but hee also banneth the day wherein he was borne It seemeth then that Iob might not bee excused And in deede as I haue tolde you alreadie although he haue a good cace yet doth he handle it amisse and it behoueth men to know howe there is some faultinesse in this respect Neuerthelesse he ceasseth not too speake truth when hee sayeth that the miserie whiche hee indureth is so great and so extreeme as euen his woordes are swallowed vp in so muche as in that behalfe hee is as a man ouerwhelmed whiche hath no liuelynesse in him so that all that euer he is able too saye is nothing in comparison of the affliction wherewith God presseth him Lette vs marke therefore that wee haue here two things the one is that wee see what a poore sillie creature is when God presseth him wyth his iudgement as I haue sayde alreadie and the other is that wee shoulde knowe that in fighting agaynst our temptations although wee doo the best wee can too withstande them and too submitte our selues vnto God yet notwithstanding wee swaye aside eyther one waye or other through infirmitie so as there is neuer sufficient strength in vs except God holde vs vp and suffer vs not to bow at all And why so It is expedient for vs to know that we bee not made of steele nor that wee bee not as rockes of stone but that we be mortall men full of frailtie It is behoofefull that God shoulde make vs feele this Also although he assist vs in our afflictions so as we be not ouercome yet doth he make vs to be woūded and to halte that is to say he leaueth alwayes some feeblenesse in vs which sheweth it selfe in the mightie operation which he giueth vs Thus ye see the two points which we haue to consider here But first of all let vs call to remembrance that which I haue touched heretofore which is that if wee bee tempted and whensoeuer we bee pinched with any aduersitie in our bodie wee muste the more feare still this spirituall temptation when God cyteth vs to his
iudgement and becommeth as it were our Iudge so as wee must bee faine too answere before him and too render him our accounte True it is that wee shal much more perceiue that thing which toucheth vs in our fleshe And why so For wee bee wholly giuen too that So then wee see commonly that menne feare famine pestilence sicknesse or death whiche is the vttermost If a man threaten vs with this wee bee afrayde but if a man speake too vs of God wee bee not moued a whit And why so Herein we shewe our selues too bee dull yea euen too the vttermost as they that differ nothing from Oxen and Asses in that wee make so small reckening of Gods wrath and of the damnation that is prepared for our soules I meane of them that continue enemies vnto God But if a man talke to vs of any thing that concerneth this present life wee are amazed out of measure Neuerthelesse in the meane time whyle other continue in their dulnesse God ceasseth not too exercise those that are his after such a maner as he maketh them too feele his wrath and then as I sayde they bee tempted muche more without all comparison than if they indured all the miseries that are possible too bee imagined Sometimes wee shall thinke it straunge that the faythfull should speake thus And what God hath shewed himselfe as a Lion towards me he hath broken all my bones I am on a burning fire I wote not where to become my soule is as it were swallowed vp my bodie is as good as rotten and there is nothing but stinch in me VVherefore is it that the faythfull speake so It seemeth that they bee nice and womanishe and yet notwithstanding these are they that were most strong and stedfast and whome we haue seene gouerned by the spirite of God so as they haue had an inuincible courage Had not Dauid a goodly pacience God exercysed him verie much and yet we see he alwayes had the vpper hande so he was neuer caryed away vnto wickednesse for all the trouble that befell him Ye see here a man of armes who hath bene practised in all maner of battayles not onely for a day or for a yeare but all his lyfe long and yet for all his experience he complayneth as if hee had neuer beene acquainted with any aduersitie or as if he wist not what it were to be afflicted Yea verely But as I haue sayde let vs marke that he was not pressed with bodily harmes And although he were sensible as other men are yet had it not greatly grieued him too beare any sicknesse or too suffer any such other like thing VVhat is it then that driueth him too complaine so It is bycause hee entereth into hymselfe and is touched in his conscience as though God had not onely forsaken him but also were become his deadly foe and pursued him euen vnto hell too say thou shalt haue neyther peace nor truce but I will drowne thee altogither Seeing then that Dauid was so pressed wyth the feeling of his sinnes and perceyued that Gods wrath was kindled agaynst him yee see what nipped him euen too the heart Ezechias felte as muche For God not onely afflicted him with sicknesse as may commonly befall vnto vs but also besides that he shewed him a token of his displeasure Therefore it seemed vntoo him that God woulde repeale and disanull all the grace that hee had graunted him before And further that his deathe shoulde cause Gods seruice too bee quite ouerthrowne which had beene stablished by his hande VVhen Ezechias conceyued so great and so horrible vengeance of God there was good reason why hee shoulde be so dismayde And so yee see why hee made such complaynts as ar conteyned in this song Therefore let vs marke that when God afflicteth vs in our bodies wee can well take paciently the miseryes that hee sendeth vs for that is nothing in comparison of the anguishe whiche they indure whom he maketh to feele his wrath and vengeance and yet notwithstanding it is for our profite too come therevnto And although it be so harde and bitter a thing vntoo vs yet neuerthelesse wee must bee fayne too come too it And why so For they that conceyue not theyr bodily tribulations passe not too seeke helpe of the diseases of theyr soules bycause they perceyue them not at all and so consequently they passe not to seeke attonement with God for they consider not his iustice So then as I sayde it is more than necessarie for vs to be wounded with Gods iudgement that when wee haue taken holde of it we may bee constrayned to grone vnder such anguishe according as wee see it to haue beene in Iob. True it is that euerye man shall not haue like measure and God also knoweth what wee bee able too beare According as a man shall bee weake and as God shall not haue indued him with so great a grace of his holy spirite so verily will hee make him too feele his iudgement thereafter howbeeit hee will holde him vp and make him to taste of his mercie in the middes of his wrath so as the same shall not vtterly dismay him But as for him that hath receyued a more singular strength and whome God hath fortified with his holy spirite he must be faine to sustaine greater brunts and farre rougher assaults than such as are feeble like litle children And here ye perceiue why we see these spirituall battayles in Dauid Ezechias and Iob which neuer a one of vs shall finde in himselfe True it is that we shall haue our portion of them for as I haue sayde without it we would become dullards and it woulde be a signe that we were forsaken of God so as we should haue our consciences rocked asleepe too much But when God presseth vs with his iudgement it is but for a small while if wee compare our selues with the holy persons that haue incountred agaynst the sorrowes of death and hell And why so For God had armed them yea and hee had so fenced them with his owne strength that although they were bowed yet were they not vtterly beaten downe and if they were beaten downe yet did God lift them vp againe And therefore it behoueth vs to marke well what is sayde vnto vs here Furthermore when we see Iob so sore pressed euen Iob I say who was the mirrour of pacience let vs learne to walke aduisedly For if this happened to the greene tree what shall become of the drie tree VVe see that Iob was so hartburned with anguish and wee see he was so dulled with torments as he wist not what to speake and what shall become of vs then if God list too scourge vs rigorously must we not needes quaile vtterly But this must not astonie vs neuerthelesse it standeth vs on hande to bee afrayde For we can be hardie ynough while we bee farre from blowes as our ordinarie maner is insomuch as there is none of vs all but he will
bothe his goodnesse and iustice And why so For by this meanes he calleth men to repentance and afterwarde hee maketh them too feele him too be theyr iudge that they may humble themselues Hee chastizeth them to their profit if their vnthankfulnesse hinder not their profiting Lo what wee haue too remember in this streyne Howsoeuer the worlde go let vs keepe our selues from saying too god And what is man that thou magnifiest him so as thou visitest him a mornings Lette vs not be greeued if God set sure watch vpon vs all no let vs not do so For that is for those to do which woulde haue the brydle layd looce in their necke to runne at rouers to the end that God should not chastize them at all But if it were so what should we gayne by it Let vs put the cace that God did shet his eyes and that he did let vs runne at randon all the feeldes ouer so as wee gaue oure selues to riot he passed not of it what should become of vs Beholde the diuell would ceaze vpon vs and wee should be his pray and he woulde carie vs euen into destruction So then let vs know that there is nothing better for our welfare than that God should haue his eies open continually that he should see all that we do and specially that he should gage the bottome of our thoughts and that wee shoulde not remoue one fingers bredth nor step forth one pace but he should note it marke it assuring our selues I say that it should not be for our profit if he did otherwise Thus yee see what we haue to gather vpon this text And by and by Iob addeth Howe long will it bee ere thou let mee alone and withdrawe â—â—y selfe from mee tyll I haue swallowed in my spittle Heere Iob declareth his passions wherewith hee had bene tempted By the way wee haue to beare in minde what hath bene sayde heretofore that is to wit that Iob felt alwayes some comfort that God forsooke him not for a full doo Iob then sheweth heere after what sort hee was affectioned as in respect of the flesh to the intent his freendes might knowe that he made not so great complaint without cause And the better to expresse the anguish wherein hee was hee turneth himselfe to God bicause hee sees hee shall gaine nothing at mens hands But yet for all that he ceasseth not to regarde men yea euen too much For had he bene well gathered into himselfe and had hee made his prayer vnto God it is certayne that hee had behaued himselfe more quietly and hee had shewed a greater token of fayth and pacience VVhat is the cause that Iob martyreth himselfe in such sort as it may seeme at the first blush that hee is a desperate person It is for that hee hath an eye to the reproches that are offered him and he is not able to beare them to passe them ouer and to haue an eye vnto god And this is it that I sayde heretofore namely that if men come to molest and to sting vs we must not looke vpon that wee muste not cast our countenance thitherwarde but forasmuch as wee perceyue that Satan laboureth too bring vs by that meanes to confusion wee muste come streyght vnto God we must mourne before him and we muste assure our selues that hee will cause vs to feele the auaylablenesse of his chastizements the better that we cannot bee thrust out of the way as when men were the marke that wee ame at But yet neuerthelesse Iobs purpose in this streyne was too expresse the vehemencie of his affection the better by turning his talke vntoo God as if hee had sayde VVell ye vnderstand nothing at all I see yee perceyue not the spirituall battell wherevntoo God hath put me and therefore I must talke to him that is my iudge To bee short it is all one as if Iob had sayde This that I speake is no counterfeyte stuffe but it is as if God himselfe were heere And hee sayeth as hee had touched afore that his lyfe was nothing but vanitie in so muche that God ought to take himselfe awaye from him vntill hee bad swallowed in his spittle according as wee may saye too take his breath Heereby Iob meeneth that God pursueth vppon him ouer roughly and it seemeth that hee woulde pleade agaynste God as hee hath done heeretofore But I haue tolde you alreadie that hee dooth but expresse the passions of the fleshe And truely whensoeuer God giueth men the grace too frame themselues vntoo him and too beare their crosse and afflictions paciently it is not in suche wise as they should bee altogither without feeling it is not that they shoulde bee vnmooueable and vnprofitable when men trouble them and torment them But it is too the intent they shoulde fully settle themselues to beare all this with pacience and that they shoulde conclude It is meete that my God should haue the maysterie and that I should frame my selfe too his lure and therefore yeelde my selfe ouer vnto his good pleasure But howsoeuer the worlde go none is is able to do it without incountering Iob then expresseth heere his owne pasâ—ions in suche sorte as hee felt them in the meane while Gods grace is as it were buried for the tyme not that it was vtterly quenched for as I haue sayde God vphilde him But it will come too passe that when the firste passions assaulte the faythfull they shall as a man woulde say be harried away in suche maner as it may seeme that God gouerneth them not any more and that they play the horses that are broken looce Nay but it is as if a man were vpon a horse and very well yee see the horse flingeth and kicketh and doth all that he can to escape and to runne ouer all the feelde but anone the man that is handsome can tell well inough howe too tame him hee will reyne him vp with the brydle and bring him too a good pace Euen so is it with vs that wee shall oftentimes bee caryed awaye headlong by our ouerheady passions but yet for all this God will not let vs alone so but will rather reyne vs vp and drawe vs too him according as we shall see howe hee worketh towardes Iob. But as it hath bene declared heeretofore it is true that wee may well alledge vnto God the frayltie of our lyfe when wee woulde obteyne some mercie and releefe at his hande But Iob speaketh heere excessiuely as a man that is out of his wittes and knoweth not to whome hee ought to direct his woordes Euery faithfull bodye will lightly say Lorde my dayes are nothing but vanitie and smoke therefore haue pitie vpon so miserable a creature This request is good and holy God accepteth it in good woorth bycause we be taught by his holie spirite to speake so But Iob steppeth to him after an other fashion and with another maner of style Howe my dayes sayeth he are but
euen till he haue taken vs vp into his heauenly glorie to continue with him for euer And now let vs fall downe before the face of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him that wheras we prouoke his wrath so many wayes he wil not suffer vs too continue stubborne in oure vices and plunged in our owne filthinesse but that hee will drawe vs out and make vs cleane yea and that in the meane while he will so moderate his roddes as we may not bee vtterly past hope but may comfort our selues in that hee hath promised to be our God and to assist vs to the end and therevpon returne vnto him knowing that it is his office to chaunge the world to better and therefore pray vnto him too increase his graces in vs that wee may alwaies fashion our selues more and more like vnto oure Lorde Iesus Christ and that in the meane time he will so gouerne vs by his holy spirite as wee may no more prouoke his wrath against vs as wee haue done hitherto but rather that by his making of vs to feele his sweete fatherly hand we may euer haue so much the greater occasion to magnifie glorifie him in all our life That it may please him to graūt this grace not onely to vs but also to all nations of the earth bringing back all poore ignorant soules from the miserable bondage of errour c. The .xxx. Sermon which is the first vpon the eight Chapter 1 BAldad the Suite ansvvered and sayde 2 Hovvelong vvilt thou holde suche talke the vvoordes of thy mouthe are as a vehement vvinde 3 VVill God peruert Iustice vvill the Almightie deface the right 4 Thy Sonnes haue sinned and he hath made them come to the place of their misdeedes 5 But if thou returne to God betimes and pray to the almightie 6 If thou bee pure and right hee vvill avvake vnto thee and make the tent of thy rightuousnesse peaceable THe better to profite our selues by that whiche is conteyned in this present Chapter we muste beare in mind what we haue declared afore that is to wit that Iobs freends vndertaking an euill case haue notwithstanding good arguments good reasons True it is that they misapply thē neuerthelesse the doctrine is in it selfe both holy profitable So if we take the things generally that are spoken here wee shall finde good sentences And in very deede ye shall see that the principall matter that Baldad pretendeth is to maynteyne that God is rightuous in punishing men and that there is no cause to finde faulte with him And without question all this doctrine is not only good but also one of the chiefe articles of our fayth There is none other faulte in it but that Baldad will needes apply it to the persone of Iob. For as wee haue seene heeretofore the intent of that holie man was not too blame God nor too lifte vp himselfe agaynst him but hee maketh his moane that the miserie whiche hee had indured was to grieuous and heauie for him considering his feeblenesse yet for all that he ceasseth not to glorifie God still And so lette vs marke that Baldad had an euill cace but yet in the meane while that which he setteth downe here is good and rightuous it behoueth vs to receyue it bycause it is fitte for our edification Like as when he sayeth that such as pleade after that sorte against God do turmoyle themselues like the winde in the ayre True it is that we must leaue the persone of Iob as I sayde afore and take the thing generally that is contayned here VVe heare how the wicked and vnbeleeuers do spew out their blasphemies in rayling at Gods Iustice and it seemeth that they should thunder and lighten But what All their woordes are but winde and they washe away and they can not reache so high with them as the maiesty of God sheweth it selfe therein And so in this sentence wee haue to marke firste that when we heare these blasphemies against God we must not be dismayed therefore so as we should not alwayes glorifie god For he cōtinueth whole and sounde as hee was and men cannot abate his maiestie though they rayle at it with full mouthe all is but winde and vanitie Thus much cōcerning the first poynt As touching the seconde let euery of vs learne to speake of God soberly and with all reuerence and humblenesse so as wee caste not foorth suche a winde as is mencioned here For although wee be not able to preiudice God by any maner of meanes yet will not hee fayle to take vengeance of them that indeuer too lifte vp themselues after that sort agaynst him by casting for the proude and presumptuous woordes VVhat is to be doone then If wee haue once settled that thing in our hartes which the holy Scripture teacheth vs the same will hold vs in true stedfastnesse And afterward when wee speake after the measure of our fayth wee shall not onely caste foorth goodly blastes but God shall be exalted and magnified in all our talke But now lette vs come to that which is set downe heere for the principall VVill God peruert Iudgement and right will the Almightie ouerthrowe Iustice Here wee bee put in mind to yeeld God the honor of beeing the fountaine of all equitie and right and that it is impossible that hee shoulde do any thing that is not good and rightfull Some can well finde in their hartes to graunt that God is Almighty but in the meane while they acknowledge him not to bee rightuous as they ought to do For the one of them must not be separated from the other VVe muste not imagine that there are things in God whiche can bee deuided one from another True it is that it behooueth vs too put a difference betweene the wisedome and the goodnesse and the Iustice and the almightinesse of God but yet notwithstanding in respect that hee is God all these things must needs be in him at once and they must be as it were himselfe or his very beeing Then let vs beware that were surmyze not a lawelesse power in God as if he gouerned the world like a Tyrant and vsed excesse or crueltie But lette vs vnderstande whereas he hath all things in his hande and is of endlesse power and doth all things yet notwithstanding hee ceasseth not to bee rightuous It is true that this rightuousnesse of God is partly hidde from vs so as wee comprehende it not but yet neuerthelesse it is of his mightinesse also and for proofe thereof are we able to measure it by our with and vnderstanding It is certayne that wee cannot And therefore when we heare speaking of Gods rightuousnesse and Iustice let vs marke that although the same bee not fully knowne and manifest vnto vs yet wee must honor and reuerence it It is sayde that his deuices are a bottomlesse pit and that he dwelleth in vnapprochable light so as we cannot reache so high
secrets from the wise men and greate men of the world and openeth them to the little ones and yet some of them are but very beastes But yet they glory in it as though there were no diuinitie but in them But what Is it Gods will that men should vaunt themselues of theyr slendernesse to despise the gifts that are of him and deserue to be esteemed VVhēce come all sciences VVhēce commeth the discretion that is more in one man than in another Are they not all riuers flowing out of one fountaine that is to witte out of the spirit of God Yes vndoutedly are they So then let vs learne not to despise Gods gifts when they appeere in men but to profit our selues by them and to applye them to our owne vse For if wee refuse all that is in men without discretion Surely that is too great a folly Men say A fooles bolt is soone shot and are not we double fooles when wee iudge without anye knowledge or discretion And yet we see many such and diuerse will say Such a thing was hilde and obserued yea and ther is reason in it howbeit forasmuch as it commeth of men I refuze it Nay but what canst thou tell whither such a thing came first from God by the meanes of men Therefore when a man layeth any doctrine before vs we must not be so swift and hastie to refuze it but wee muste sift it Thus ye see the modesty that we must vse to eschue the extremitie that I spake of But there is also the other extremitie that I touched that is to witte as the same which we see in the Papists Behold say they I will holde me to that whiche hath bin taught me from my childhod I will follow my fathers and auncesters and that is of antiquitie And shall God forgo his authoritie in the meane while Must men be aduanced so high that God should be thrust vnder their feete VVere it not better that the sunne were plucked out of the skie and throwne into the bottome of the sea For behold heere a greater and more outrage ouse confusion Therefore let vs keepe our selues well from offering suche outrage vntoo God as to leaue him behind vs and to hold our selues wholly vnto men For our receiuing of that whiche commeth by men and which God giueth vs by their meanes must bee after such a sort as God may always haue his whole due as hee may be exalted as both great and small may be taught by him as we may protest that our teachablnesse towards men serueth not to abate any whit of Gods duetie nor of hys soueraintie which he hath ouer vs but to guide vs vntoo him and to stop all mouthes when he speaketh so as wee may hold our peace and he not bee hindred too leade vs whither he listeth and that we may without any gainsaying receyue whatsoeuer proceedeth out of his mouth Ye see then the modestie that ought to be in vs And heereby a man may perceiue what a doltishnesse it is for the papists to say O see humilitie is so great a vertue as it can neuer be condemned at Gods hand Yea verely but what manner of humilitie is the humilitie of the Papists It is a crouching vnto men and shaking off of Gods yoke yea and a spiting of him by all meanes possible And what a diuelish humilitie is this that the creatures should be aduaunced and obeyed and the creator be as a thing of nothing Then let our humbling of our selues be after such a sort as that for the maintenance of the sayd meekenesse towards men we may bee of a mild mind to receyue that which is for our behoofe and profite and yet neuerthelesse that God may reygne ouer vs and be our only master and teacher so as the authoritie which he lendeth to men may be no derogation at all to himselfe Let vs not be forepossessed with any fond imagination to say such a man sayd it and therefore it must be beleeued And who is this suche a man Is he not a mortall man Is hee not a frayle creature wherin ther is nothing but vanitie There let vs beware of sticking so much vnto men that wee returne not alwayes vnto God nor be grounded vpon him and that the certaintie of oure fayth bee not ioyned and knit to his word Thus ye see what wee haue to marke It is he therefore in whome is wisdome and skifulnesse and wit and counsell VVhen it is sayd It is he it is to exclude al that is in men For when the Sunne shineth it darkneth the light of all the Starres and what can men doo when God commeth among them And that is the cause why it is sayd by the prophet Esay That all creatures must ceasse when God shyneth And Iob ment too repeate expresly heere with many words that the perfection of all wisdom is in God too the intent wee shoulde not surmise that it needed to bee supplyed as wee see men so foolish that if they haue receyued anie blissing at Gods hande they must be adding of somewhat to it they must make some mingling of it No no there must be no patching and piecing in that matter VVhen God putteth his wisdome into vs it must bee vsed pure and simply and men must not adde any thing to it whatsoeuer it be But Iob ment too step yet farther as I haue touched afore namely that there is in God a secret wisdome which surmounteth all the capacitie of man and wherevnto wee cannot attayne as yet True it is that Gods wisdome is not diuers and of sundrie sorts as in respecte of it selfe for his wisdome is a thing inseparable and such as cannot be diuided or parted But in respecte of vs and to our seeming God is wise after two sortes that is to wit wee may say there are two particular kinds of Gods wisdome howbeit but in respect of our selues And howe is that There is the wisdome which is conteyned in his word the which hee imparteth in such wise vnto vs as we become wise by receyuing the instruction that hee giueth vs and that is the wisdome whiche hee communicateth to his creatures and moreouer there is that wisdome which he keepeth still in hymselfe And what manner of one is that It is the woonderful Prouidence whereby he gouerneth the world beyond all that wee can conceyue Beholde God dispozeth the things which we take to be very confuzed to our vnderstanding VVhen tyrants beare sway as shal be sayd hereafter when wicked mē seduce sillie folke and carie their soules to destruction and when the other sort are saued all this is done by the wonderfull prouidence of god But if we seeke what is the reason of all this then are wee in such a gulfe as all our wits must needes be swallowed vp Thus ye see a wisdome which God keepeth to himselfe whereof he maketh not men partakers according also as it is vnpossible for them to atteyne vnto it
if one make a great noyse then ye shall see him wake and a man cannot speake so softly but he will heare what is sayd So standeth the cace with vs For God sheweth vs many things that ought too serue for our instruction but we haue our eyesshet hee speaketh to vs but we heare nothing And why Bicause we bee asleepe And therefore he must be faine to make a great noise to waken vs to the end we may think so much the better vpon his prouidence and acknowledge that it is God that wakeneth vs therefore it is not now for vs to be sluggishe so as we shoulde not haue regarde of him to profit our selues by the iudgementes that hee sheweth vs VVherfore let vs aduisedly shroud vs vnder his protectioÌ„ doubting not but that inasmuch as he hath all creatures in his hand yea euen vnto the little sparrowes which are of small value and estimation he will neuer forget vs not only for somuch as we be his creatures sashioned after his owne image but also bicause we be his children according as he hath adopted vs by our Lord Iesus Christ But let vs fall downe before the presence of our good God with acknowledgemâ—t of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better that we may abhorre them condemne this flouthfulnesse which is in vs in all our senses to inlighten vs by his holy spirite bicause we be blinde euen in the lighsommest and manifestest things Therfore let vs pray him to open our eyes in such sort as we may behold the great secretes of his heaueÌ„ly kingdome yea and that we may beholde his maiesty so farre forth as is expedient for out welfare according also as he she weth himselfe to vs by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ vntill we may come to the full perfect sight of it which shal be at the last day when wee shall see him face to face in such wise as it shall be fully fashioned like vnto his glory That it may please him to grauÌ„t this grace not only to vs but also to all people and nations c. The .xlix. Sermon which is the first vpon the thirtenth Chapter 1 BEhold mine eye hath seene all these things mine eare hath heard and vnderstoode them 2 I knovve as much as you I am not inferiour to you 3 But I vvill speake vnto God and reason vvith him 4 Yee bee forgers of lyes and Phisitions of no value 5 O that you vvould hold your tungs and that should be counted to you for vvisedome 6 Heare my discourse and vnderstand vvhat I debate 7 Neede you to alledge iniquitie in Gods defence and to speake vntruth for his sake 8 VVill yee pleasure him vvill yee pleade his cace 9 Is it good that he should allovve you and that you should vsurpe vpon him as vpon a man 10 He vvill reproue you if you fauour him in secrete IT is a very euell thing when euerye of vs will set out himselfe and will not bee inferiour to his companion For when we haue this sonde desire to seeme and to be couÌ„ted wise it is possible that the same shall ingender much strife among vs as S. Paule also speaketh of it This vayngloriousnesle is the Sea and welspring of all debate For men shal neuer agree quietly among theÌ„selues except euery man yeelde meekely to that whiche is good and reasonable and bee voyde of desire to aduance himselfe aboue others But if euery of vs be so fond as to steppe before other to be the more esteemed the fire muste needes be kindled out of hande Furthermore wee see howe the Scripture telleth vs that wee must esteeme the gyfts of God in those that haue receyued them VVherefore let euery man thinke vpon his owne infirmities and sinnes and that will make vs to stoupe and to esteeme those whome we haue presumptuously shaken off let vs be afraid to do God any wroÌ„g by despising such as are not vtterly destitute of his gracious gyftes But it seemeth heere that Iob mente to preferre hymselfe before them that had spoken I vnderstand as much as you sayeth he I am not inferior mine eare hath hearde these things mine eyes hath seene them It seemeth here that Iob would haue more reputation of wisedome skilfulnesse than those three to whome he spake But he was not ledde with desire of prayse his doing so is bycause these men woulde beare him downe with theyr presumptuousnesse yea and peruerte Gods truthe after theyr owne fancye Iob therefore was constreyned to say that he vnderstoode those things better than they and he doth it to the end that if these men be able to profit theÌ„selues by it they should do it by humbling them For vntill such tyme as men bee made to stoupe so lowe as they may bee no more puffed vp with the sayde presumptuousnesse it is impossible too wynne any thing at theyr hande for all that euer a man can shewe them for they sette to muche by themselves Then if a man mynde too make himselfe fit to heare Gods truthe and too receyue it he muste be humbled afore That is the thing whereat Iob ameth But for as muche as they with whome hee talked had bene hardened and were settled in the blinde ouerweening of theyr owne wisedome Iob wyll haue the truthe hearde and not to ceasse to haue authoritye styll notwithstanding that these men reiect it Thus ye see Iobs meening in effecte According heerevntoo wee see how Sainct Paule is forced sometimes to make comparison betweene himselfe and those that were of estimation among men It is certayne that Sainct Paule was not prouoked thereto by vaynegloriousnesse nother was hee ledde with such a minde as to desire couet to be esteemed among men VVhy then coÌ„pareth hee himselfe with suche as had bone wont to magnifie themselues If they be Hebrewes sayth he so am I if they be of auncient linage I also may well account my pedegree If they bee earnest followers of the Lawe I am so to as well or more than they I haue liued without blame if they boast theÌ„selues too haue any knowledge I also haue beene well taught froÌ„ my childhood and I haue had a good mayster It seemeth there that S. Paule gathereth togyther all the things that are wont to be esteemed to the end that men should clap their hands at him and take him for a greate man and set muche store by him But hee ment no suche thing For hee himselfe auoucheth it to bee starke folly VVell sayeth he you compell mee to play the foole and to do as they do which spred out their wings bee medling with euery thing to be magnified among men I am fayne sayeth he to deale so but not of mine owne will. And why For he saw that the Corinthians such other like were sorepossessed with a fonde reputation of men that were nothing worth loued none but such manner of teachers bycause they had ytching eares
could be yea with very bitter ones that is to wit that hee was tormented inwardly bicause God was as it were his mortall enemie Certesse he sayth that the leannesse of his body was as a withering and that in witnesse of Gods wrath he was full of wrinckles so as all his flesh was as good as halfe rotten alreadie And heerein a man may see the tokens of a dreadfull affliction and that God handleth him not as he is cōmonly wont to handle those whome hee chastizeth with his roddes but that his payne is excessiue This therfore is in effect the matter that Iob intended to expresse And heere wee haue to note that God ment to giue vs lookingglasses in suche as haue had any excellent vertues to the ende that in theyr persones we might learne to knowe that according as hee dealeth foorth the giftes of his holy spirite thereafter also doth hee sende them greate afflictions in themselues trying them and chastyzing them too the vttermoste to the intente too make them the more esteemed and too bring foorthe the more fruite As for example Looke vpon Abraham who was gouerned by Gods spirite not as a common persone but as an Angell and was as full of excellencie and perfection as mighte bee And yet for all that howe did God deale with him If wee were too indure but the tenth part of the combattes that Abraham susteyned and ouercame what a thing were it VVee woulde quyte quayle But God spareth vs bycause hee hath not gyuen vs so excellent giftes as hee gaue to him As muche is to bee sayde of Dauid Beholde Dauid was not onely Gods Prophet but also the King that gouerned his holy and chozen people and had such vertues in him as were well woorthie of renowme and prayse yea and euen of woonderment and yet for all that howe did God turmoyle him VVe see what complayntes he maketh not onely as a despyzed and off shaken persone but also saying that God hilde him heere on earth as vpon a racke so as hee was forced too shewe the extremitie that hee was come vnto For it is not without cause that hee so often sayeth he had passed through fire and water that hee had bene plunged into the deepe gulfes that hee had felte all Gods dartes that hee had had all Gods arrowes shotte at him that the hand of God hath lyen heauy vpon him that his verie bones had bene broken and that there remayned nother marye nor substance in him VVhen wee heare these kinde of speeches they seeme too vs too bee but a mockerie But God purposed too set vs foorth a liuely picture that according too that whiche I haue sayde wee might knowe that after as God giueth greate vertues vnto men so dothe hee exercise them liuely to the intent that those vertues should not be idle but that they should bee knowne in due time and place Besides this let vs marke by the way that the chiefest temptations that euer the faythfull endured were these spirituall battels as wee terme them that is to witte when God summoned them in their consciences so as he made them to feele his wrath by smyting them in suche wise as they wist not in what cace they stood with him And this pludged them in deeper distresse than all the bodily aduersities that could befall them And heere yee see also why Iob vseth this similitude that God grated his teeth at him Also we see how Ezechias speaketh bycause he had passed through the same temptation God sayth he hath played the Lyon with me Likewise he had vsed the same similitude afore which hee vseth heere namely that hee wist not whither he might speake or hold his peace For I am sayth he like a Swallowe I chatter and chirpe but I want wordes to vtter the griefe of my miserie I haue no toung to deliuer it And herevpon hee commeth afterwarde to shewe that God hathe crasshed and broken his bones as a Lyon that holdeth him in his pawes and teeth But howe can God bee likened to a Lyon which is so cruell a beast No Ezechias mente not to accuse God of crueltie but he speaketh of his owne feeling and of the terrible payne that hee endured when Gods wrath was vpon him So then lette vs marke that when a poore creature entereth into doubting in what cace hee is with God and perceyueth not that God will make him to feele his goodnesse he must needes bee in so greate distresse and so afflighted as if he were betweene a wolues pawes VVee must not imagine it too bee a small thing for a man too feele Gods wrath and especially too conceiue that hee is vtterly against vs And therefore let vs praye God to hold vs vp and to spare vs knowing that wee bee not able to beare such a burthen except he giue vs shoulders to do it withall Besides this lette vs praye him not to vse such rigour against vs we might feele him like a Lyon but rather to shewe him selfe a continuall father and not punish vs after our desertes but make vs alwayes to feele his mercie by meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ to the end that when he hath guyded vs in this life by his holie spirite he may lift vs vp into the euerlasting glorie of his Angels which he hath purchased so deerely for vs. Nowe let vs cast our selues flat before the face of our good God and father with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them in such wise that beeing touched with true repentance wee maye returne vnto him knowing that he will be fauourable to vs And after wee haue desired him to forgiue vs our sinnes let vs also beseech him to ridde vs more and more of our fleshly vices and that in correcting the sinfulnesse of our nature he will bring vs to perfection of life that being guyded in this world by his holie spirite wee may glorifie his name and serue him with an earnest zeale dedicating our selues wholly vnto him according as hee hath prouoked vs by his goodnesse to do That it may please him c. The .lxiij. Sermon which is the second vpon the .xvj. Chapter 10 They open their mouthe against me they giue mee buffets in vvaye of reproch and they gather themselues to gither against me 11 God hath put me into the handes of the malicious he hath dismayde me before the vvicked 12 I prospered and he threvve me dovvne hee hath caught mee by the necke and set me as a butte before himselfe 13 His Archers hem me in on all sides he slitteth my reines he spareth me not he poureth my gall vpon the ground 14 He hath broken me vvith breaking vpon breaking and he hath runne ouer me as a Gyant 15 I haue sovved sackcloth vpon my skin and loden my glorie vvith dust 16 My face is vvexed blevve vvith vveeping and mine eyeliddes are couered vvith the shadovve of death 17 Yet is there no guile in my handes and my praier
end to all oure afflictions must not we needes be toto vnkynd if we refuze suche a benefite and priuiledge So then there is no way for vs but to humble and present our selues at the iudgement seate of God that wee may be vphild by his grace Now Iob addeth Bycause thou hast couered their hart that they can haue no vnderstandyng thou wilt not exalte them Heere Iob strengtheneth himselfe against those that vexed him vnder the colour of comforting him But we haue to remember what hath bene sayd namely that Iob bewrayeth all his affections and so it is no woonder though he continue not all in one tale but shift eft into one matter and eft into another and so shewe himselfe variable And wherfore is that Bycause he speaketh as in his combate VVe knowe that when a man is fighting of a combate he keepeth not alwayes one countenance but is fayne to trauerse his ground to fet a compasse about to shift handes to retire and to auaunce forewarde after as his enimie preaceth vppon him or as he himselfe espyeth his owne aduauntage Euen so is it with vs when wee fall to resisting of our temptations Sometimes we stoupe to saue our selues and sometymes wee giue backe too auoyd a blowe After as God giueth vs respit so take wee hart agayne and are releeued when it was lykely we shuld haue bene ouerthrowen The thing therefore that we see here in Iob is that now he taketh courage and sayth Lord it is true that it is a corzie to mee to see my freendes become dalyers and to doo nothing else but vexe mee but yet must I not discomfort my selfe for all that And why For I see well they haue none vnderstanding and therefore I must not take hold of them seeing there is no reason in them If a beast came running vppon mee or if a dogge hild mee at a bay I myght well vse fayre woordes to appeaze them but it could not preuayle for they vnderstand them not So then ô Lord I must not take it too hart when I heare the wandering talke of these men here VVhy so Bycause thou hast couered their hart that they can haue no vnderstanding And thys is it that I haue touched already namely that if we will comfort wretched folke in their afflictions wee must desire God too giue vs his spirit and wisdome to do it withall For our talk shall be vaine and vnprofitable sauing so farre foorth as he reacheth vs his hand like as on the contrarie part wee shall speake to edifying if he guyde vs It is sayd that he couereth their hart that they might haue none vnderstanding as if a man should say hee blyndfoldeth their eyes For in the scripture this word Hart is sometimes taken for the mynd In deede it is not taken so continually for it is sometimes taken for a truenesse and for a pure conscience But whereas it is sayde by Moyses God hath not giuen you a hart to vnderstand no not euē vnto this day wee see that the word Hart is taken there for the mynde Euen so is it also in this sentence Iob therefore meeneth that God hath as it were blyndfolded the eyes of these men heere which thought themselues very wise and that thereby they became as good as beasts Now let vs marke what manner of men these freendes of Iob were It is euident by their talke that they were excellent men and no fooles For we see they were men of experience and men of great wit yea and it is sayd that God had sent them And how then shall they do that scarsly haue one iote of wisedome what shall become of them when it pleaseth God to blynd them Agayne if God do so blind the wise let those that thinke themselues skilfull and trust to their owne sharp wit and presume much vpon their owne policie learne to humble themselues knowing that God can so blynde their eyes as they shall not see a whit at high nooneday Thus see yea profitable lesson for such as take pride in their owne wisedome and thinke that nothing ought to passe but by their aduice VVhat shall become of them when God shall haue blynded them Thus the blynde wretches haue their eyes seeled vp that they can discerne nothing and what shall the end of them be God will not exalt them that is to say hee will put them too shame in the ende Now if this bee verified of worldly things what is to be sayd of the secretes of the heauenlye kingdome which do farre surmount al the wit of mā Behold God blindeth the eyes of the wise euen in worldly affayres and in the things that concerne this present life insomuch that euen those that are most craftie of greatest wit become like little babes and do fond deedes and are readye to fall downe at euery blowe Men see this And what is the cause It is for that God hath couered their eyesight And how shall wee then doo when wee must be fayne to mount vp hygher to the wonderfull secretes which cannot be knowne vnlesse God haue inlightened vs by his holy spirit Heereby wee bee warned not to take offence when wee see the wyse men of the worlde haue no tast of the Gospell nor of any poynt of the doctrine of Saluation And why It is not a dishe whereof euery man may be hys owne caruer God must bee fayne too worke there by his holy spirite And that is a thing well worthy too bee noted For wee see many wretched weaklings at this day which rest themselues vpon thys that the wise men of the world cannot frame themselues to the Gospell How is it say they that such a man being a man of so great reputation sauoreth not of the Gospell Yea and there needeth no alledging of some one man but of whole Nations For men will say what In suche a Nation where there are so many wyse heads we see the Gospell is not receyned As who should say that the receyuing of the Gospell came of our owne towardnesse that we by our own motherwit were able to comprehend what soeuer God sheweth vs in the holy Scripture No. But cleane contrariwise it is sayd that we be blinded in that behalfe and that all the wisdome of God is foolishnesse to mans reason Seeing then that the cace standeth so let vs not thinke it straunge though suche as presume to know themselues be blynded after that sort And why For God forsaketh them by reason of their pride And further hee is no schoolemaister but for the humble and little ones But these men will be great ones and are they then able too take any profite at all in Gods schoole No. So then seeing wee perceyue that God blyndeth men after that sort let vs for our part learne not too trust in ourselues but to desire him to guyde vs by his holy Ghost and so to gouerne vs as we may see cleerely in the middes of the darknesse of this world
them so as they prosper and liue at their ease all that while they bee so dulled that their mirth is a drunkennesse they runne ryot without order or measure Lo what Sophar ment to speake To this purpose let vs marke well how our Lord Iesus Christ sayeth wo be to you that laugh for you shall weepe your mirth shal be turned into gnashing of teeth Not that it is not lawfull for vs to be merrie as I sayd afore or that it is not lawfull for vs to reioyce when God giueth vs occasion But will we be merrie Then let vs as S. Iames willeth vs Let him that is merrie sing that is to say let him giue God thanks and in calling vpon him let him alwayes still go foreward towards him and be stablished in loue feare and trust towards him more and more Ye see then what our mirth ought to be But by the way with this sayd mirth wee must also bee sadde considering how wee ceasse not too offend God as S. Paule also sheweth vs by example and considering the vices that are in vs And so let vs alwayes go onward still to the full and perfect ioy which is hidden from vs as yet Thus muche concerning this saying that the ioy of the wicked shall not indure long Furthermore let vs mark that Sophar was beguyled by mistaking these words a short time and of small continuance For when the Scripture sayeth that the wicked vanish away and that God will consume them in the turning of a hand it is not ment that he keepeth one ordinarie stint as I haue declared already And why for if God should do so what should be reserued till the latter day we would be wedded to this world and not wayte for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to accomplish our resurrection and redemption Our Lord therefore is fayne to reserue many yea and the most parte of things till hys last iudgement But yet in the meane while it is alwayes his office to destroy the wicked and to shew that they be but of short continuance And in good sooth let vs consider well what oure life is and wee shall se◠that the thyng which lasteth longest time in this worlde doth but passe by and slip away in the turning of a hand VVee bee suche fooles that if God lift not vp his hand the first day to destroy such as haue offended wee are of opinion that the time will neuer come And why It seemeth to vs that this life lasteth long and yet we graunt it is but a shadow for euery man must away hence spite of his teeth Therefore when it is sayd vnto vs that the wicked continue not any long tyme lette vs learne that it is not meant that oure Lorde riddes them out of hand For although they come too the yeeres of fiftie or threescore yet ceasse they not too bee trayned on still by Gods hand to their decay and confuzion To bee shorte wee muste bee pacient and wayte with silence what God will do without such boyling and hastinesse as Sophar is wont to vse heere Behold I say howe it behoueth vs too apply this doctrine if wee intend to fare the better by it And truly it is a right necessarie poynt for vs For wee shall see many offended at the reading of the promises in the holy Scripture as that God will blisse those that are his that he will leade them in all their wayes that he will bring all their deuices too good ende that they shall liue in prosperitie that they shall bee blissed at his hande both in themselues and in their ofspring and their cattle at home and abroade and in their possessions and that they shall bee preserued by the grace of god And on the contrarie part we see that the children of God indure so great scarcitie and so many miseries as is rufull Sometime they haue not so much as one morsell of bread to put into their mouth and they be smirten with diseases and al other calamities while in the meane time the wicked whome God had threatned doe prosper VVe be astonished at that that wee seeme to lose our time in trusting vnto God and that his threatenings and promises are deceytfull VVhat is the cause of suche trouble It is for that we want pacience to bridle ourselues and to say I wil see what God will do VVe need no more but to stride ouer as when wee haue to passe a diche we bee fayne to leape and stryde that wee maye get ouer it So then for as much as we can not leape ouer the things of this worlde and so lift vp our selues to beholde Gods iudgements therefore we cannot see them though they be neere at hand And certesse there are diuers that will say I can go no further for such a thing stoppeth me And what is that stop It is but some strawe that lyeth in their way That is all the let and yet they needed no more but to lift vp their foote or to treade vpon it to ouercome all the matter that we make so great adoe of And is not that a great lazinesse in vs Howbeit when we be destitute of Gods spirit yee see in what plight we be Yet are not the things that are conteyned in the holie scripture spoken in vaine nor without cause Furthermore it behoueth vs to marke also howe Zophar sayeth heere that when the wicked shall haue lifted vp their heade to the skie and reached to the clouds God will find meanes well inough to throw them downe yea and to sinke them euen into hell Lo what the end of the wicked shall be which seeke nothing but to aduaunce themselues True it is that God doth erewhiles exalt his seruantes to honour and dignitie but yet do they not ceasse to be lowely still all the while VVhen a man is gouerned by Gods spirit although he be a great Prince and honoured of the whole worlde and God hath reached him his hande to exalt him highly yet will hee always be modestly mynded to acknowledge his own infirmities and to walke in the feare and warenesse saying Alas what would become of me if my God brydled mee not He giueth me of his grace and as for me I haue nothing of myne own Haue I any cause then to glorifie my selfe No But the neerer he commeth to me the more doth he bynde me to him so as if he be honored among men it behoueth me to be as a mirrour to saue such as are destroyed and ouerthrowne God then hath sette me in this cace to the ende I should serue their turnes that haue neede of my helpe Thus when the children of God are indued with any graces they meene not to keepe them to themselues too serue their owne peculiar turne withall but to acquaint themselues with their neighbors yea euē with the meanest of them according as Saint Paule speaketh and to humble themselues to the lowest of them as God hath commaunded them
as bee wicked are punished out of hande and that god delayeth not their punishment till afterward nor vseth any sufferance nor reserueth any thing to the life to come for thē should we enter into a great disorder VVherfore sith that our knowing of Gods iudgements ought too be in such wise as to wayt for the accomplishment and fulfilling of them at the latter day thereby wee maye well dispatche the contrarietie that seemeth too be at the first blush betweene Iobs saying heere and the holy Scripture VVhat is it that Iob meeneth That wee see the wicked prosper and that God is so farre off from punishing them as they bee caried on still in all pleasures and delightes euen till their dying day so as they pine not away with long lingring but rather seeme to bee exempted by priuiledge at Gods hande from all aduersitie Nowe it seemeth after a sort that Iob intended too beare men in hande that all things are gouerned by fortune and that God hathe no regarde of worldly matters ne careth for them But his meening is nothing so according also as he himselfe protesteth at the ende to the intent that men should not take offence at his woordes VVhat then His purpose is too shew that when God visiteth a man wee must not at the first dashe giue sentence of condemnation vppon him to say such a one is a wicked man suche a one is hated and forsaken of God but it behoueth vs to examine well his life And why For wee must not thinke that God doothe alwayes handle men in this worlde wholly according too their deserts VVherefore see wee so many wicked men spared For it shoulde not seeme that their iniquities are knowne to God seing he layeth no punishment vpon them So then let vs vnderstand that our Lorde reserueth many punishments to the latter day whiche are not seene as yet and agayne that hee handleth those very rigorously whom he loueth and haue not offended so greeuously as other men which thing he doth not for their sinnes sake If wee knowe not why he doth it let vs humble our selues for God must bee glorifyed in all his workes although wee knowe not the reason of them as yet Nowe then wee see what Iob pretended How bee it that wee may the better profite our selues by that which is conteyned heere let vs lay foorth and serche out the things in order as hee setteth them downe Hearken to mee sayth hee and take beede too my woordes and let it bee too you for a comfort that is too say let it bee in steede of the comforte that you come too giue mee Truely wee knowe that Iobs freendes came too that ende howebeit they were sore combered when they sawe him in that plight and according to mans reason they concluded that Iob was a castaway See howe they were dazeled with this generall sentence that God punisheth the wicked And so they set Iob in the rancke of the wickeddest sort which thing they ought not too doo Now therefore hee telleth them that whereas they be come too comfort him hee desireth nothing of them but pacience and quiet hearing And afterwarde he protesteth agayne that hee shapeth not his talke vnto men as these hypocrites do who seeke no more but to bee iustified before the worlde alwayes shunning the presence of God and neuer come to acknowledge what they bee but by force and till men haue throughly tried what is in them Iob then sayth that his talking is not vnto men that is to say he is not led with vayne ambition to make fayre countenaunces and flourishings before men but hee shapeth himselfe to god And for proofe there of he sayth might my spirit holde out if I had respect vntoo men Yee see me here in suche necessitie as no creature were able to indure in so miserable state By all likelihoode I could haue beene dispatched a hundred tymes ere this but sith you see neuerthelater that my spirite fayleth mee not is it not a signe that I knowe the hande of God and that I submit my selfe too it and that I rest vpon him Seeing I am not heere as a wauering Reede can yee not perceyue that I haue a better and surer foundation Forsomuche then as you see that I speake as before God heare mee And afterwarde hee addeth Thinke not that I am without feeling For when I beholde my selfe I cannot but be sore abashed and I am greatly dismayde at the things whiche I see For surely Iob was a spectacle of all terriblenesse and when wee reade what happened vnto him the heares ought to stande vp vpon oure heade His saying then is that hee cannot thinke vpon himselfe nor remember the great miseries that were befalne him but terrible feare must catche holde on him Therefore when ye knowe my state throughly sayth he then will you bee astonished and lay your hande vpon your mouth That is too say you will blame mee no more as yee haue done hithertoo For yee imagine of mee at your pleasure and it is a signe that yee haue no pitie nor compassion of the great miserie that is in my persone And heere you haue too marke first if wee will comfort the miserable in their aduersitie it behoueth vs too consider well howe For there is required a singular discretion in that behalfe as wee haue seene heeretofore For afflictions are as diseases and if a Phisition vse one medicine for all diseases what a thing will that bee Some disease is whote and some is colde some disease requireth that a man shoulde bee kept drie and some other that hee shoulde bee refreshed with moysture one disease will haue a man kepte close and another will haue him too go abrode Yee see then that a Phisition shall kill his patientes if hee haue not a regarde of their diseases yea and it behooueth him also too be acquainted with the complexions of his patients Euen so ought wee too consider of those whome God visiteth with afflictions First we must marke what the persones are and then howe wee see them dispozed I say wee muste marke what the personnes are For if a man haue liued without stayne walking in the feare of God and shewing all tokens of sounde meening what a thing were it too condemne him when wee see him in aduersity Agayne though a man had committed foule offences and for a time beene in a rage agaynste God if hee bee daunted by the aduersities that hee indureth so as wee perceyue nothing but true repentance in him were it not a beastly and wicked crueltie too steppe too him neuerthelesse and too vse great roughnesse agaynst him Nay wee must rather reache our hande too suche as are beaten downe and helpe them vp according as it is sayde that the duetie of them that will teache faythfully in the name of God is too strengthen the weake knees and feeble hands and to herten and comfort those that are in destresse and in anguishe of minde Yee see
they saw there such glory dignity as they thought they shuld haue done great wrong iniurie to the sun if they should not haue worshipped him as god And it is certain that men in this cace can do no otherwise when they haue no better direction yet say I not that the heathen a◠therfore to be excused for they haue conceiued that the Sun the Moone are creatures yea euē liuelesse creatures which haue no feling but yet they hauing no scripture nor law to bee taught by could not but be touched with this glory highnes which appered in the sun Moone By reason wherof they were moued to worship thē to make idols of thē this error shal serue to our condēnatiō after another maner For seing that God speaketh vnto vs declareth himself so fully to giue vs record of his maiestie sheweth vs the way to come vnto him therewithall doth offer vs as it were autētick seales in the sun and Moone to ratifie that thing vnto vs which he had spoken by mouth as ther we see a proofe of it in effect I pray you shal we not be dubble gilty if this consideratiō do not moue vs and make vs to worship this great God his incomprehensible maiesty and to humble our selues vnder the same This is the summe of that which we haue to learne out of this place Let vs now come to that which Eliphas casteth in Iobs teeth namely that he did not thinke that God marketh things here beneath For he chargeth him with this vngodlinesse to say that God walketh in the circkle of heauen and that the clouds are a stop vnto him so as he seeth not the state of mē to gouerne them The thing that Eliphas doth here lay fasly vnto Iobs charge is to be seene in all the wicked men of the worlde For in asmuch as they perceyue not that God is heere neere vnto them they conclude that they are so farre off from him that they may sport themselues as though he sawe them nomore They be like these blinde wretches who when they haue no visible shape of God thinke themselues vtterly vndone and that God is no more among them If the Papists see not a crucifixe that may mow vppon them or if they see not their marmosets they will say what now VVhere is God become They can no more skill of religiō they know not what christianitie meeneth they pray no more vnto God vnlesse they haue their marmosets and may kneele downe before a blocke or a stone And so were the heathen alwayes wont to do For we see that when the Heathen rayled at the law of Moyses they said that the Iewes worshipped the cloudes and an vncertaine and secrete Godhead bycause they looked but vp too heauenward and had no images too forge themselues a God after their owne desire The wretched Papists proceede after the same manner at this day and are altogither like the heathen and it is impossible that mē should do otherwise vntill such time as God declare vnto them that it is by another meane that he is neere vntoo them Nowe in the meane while what doo these wicked men which haue no deuotion in them they thinke Oh God is aboue but he is there in his glory and what careth he for things here beneath he will not busie himselfe about them nor meddle with them neither is it a thing perteining vnto him or comely for his maiestie Thus the wicked take occasion too estraunge themselues from God and to giue themselues libertie too all mischiefe saying that God seeth them not And wee must note this thing well For were it not that wee bee stayde by the hande of God and that his worde doth stande vs in stead of a bridle VVee should fall into the like confusion For when our Lord doth declare vnto vs that he dwelleth on high and that hee beholdeth things heere beneath and that there is nothing hid from him VVell wee are thereby admonished too walke as it were before his face And hath he declared so much vnto vs Yea and he worketh also in vs by his holy spirite he openeth our eyes to the end that wee should thinke vpon his maiestie in all oure deedes and thoughts and for a greater confirmation hee addeth that his woord which is preached vnto vs is as a two edged sword so as it examineth all the thoughts and affections and proceedeth euen vntoo the maree of the bones as is sayd of it in the Epistle to the Hebrues To be short when God declareth vnto vs that he hath giuen such a property to his word the same stayth vs and if we had not such a bridle what should become of vs Let vs note well then this sentence where it is said that the wicked vnder the shadow that they do not perceiue God by their naturall witte thinke they are scaped his hand and then they triumph and willingly perswade themselues that God careth not for anything that is done heere beneath and that here is nothing but cōfusion of all things and that the same commeth not vntoo his knowledge Concerning this which is heere sayd of the Clouds that the Cloudes are as a couert vnto God that is very true howbeit in farre other sense For when the Scripture speaketh vnto vs of the maiestie of God it saith in deede that he is hid in the clouds to what purpose saith it so but to the end that we should not curiously gad astray as we are wont to do For we see that men are so ticklish as nothing can be more and when they speake of God they dispute of him to no purpose or reason and without all modestie saying yea but how is this and how is that And when they reason of God it seemeth they do not only speake of him as of their companion but as of some one that were inferiour vnto them VVee see then such diuelish boldnesse in men that they will enter into the deepest secretes of God and they will turne vp all things and leaue him nothing vnremoued To be short God must be as it were subiect vnto them See whereto we are now come For this cause the holy Scripture saith vnto vs that God hath the darke cloudes as places to hide himselfe in And wherto saith it so It is to mocke at the phantasticalnesse that is in vs For will we purchace vnto God VVill wee comprehend all his secrets Let vs come but only to the cloudes yet are we not come to the starres by a great way Behold one cloude only doth so lette vs as wee cannot see the sunne And although his brightnesse come vnto vs yet know we not in what place he is VVhē the Sunne shineth at noone dayes if it bee a close and a raynie weather we cannot marke the place of the Sunne to say it is now in such a place If a cloude let vs that wee cannot see a creature whiche sheweth himselfe dayly
which befell him me not by reason of his sinnes but for some extraordinarie purpose of God which was hidden from men hee protesteth that hee will stande stedfastly in the same minde And it behoueth vs to marke well this dealing which is not to settle our selues determinately vpon any thing whereof we be not well assured aforehand For that is the poynt wherein the wilfull sort doo differ from the good and allowable constant sort If an vndiscrete person and such a one as weyeth not things by good reason and aduisement conceyue a toy in his head he can neuer bee remoued from it But yet shall not such a one bee named constant therfore neither deserueth he to be commended For there is not a worse poynt than to mainteyne things without knowing what they be It is commonly sayd that a fooles bolt is soone shot But as for him that not only is hastie in iudging but also wilfull in mainteyning he must needes be an vnrecouerable foole Therefore let vs mark well Iobs proceeding here For first of all he declared his intent and shewed himselfe not to be imbrewed with any false opinion nor to haue any errour in all that he sayde but that he had spoken the pure truth After the declaring of that now hee addeth this protestation that he will neuer be remoued from his purpose which he knoweth too be rightfull and iust So then whensoeuer wee come too the iudging of any thing let vs looke neerely to it and sift it throughly And if we haue not skill ynough to do it as it behoueth vs always to acknowledge our own rawnesse and infirmitie let vs pray God too giue vs the spirite of skilfulnesse discretion But when a thing is wel knowne to vs so as we be fully resolued of it let vs not wauer any more For it is a great shame that wilfull persons shoulde stick so fast to their fond imaginations as they cannot bee drawne from them and that we should be so soone remoued from the truth when we know it There neede none other witnesses nor iudges to condemne our rashnesse vnconstancie than the very wilfull sort that haue bin so wedded to their owne wit. And why For if they after they haue once allowed a thing do sticke stoutely to it and cannot by any meanes be wonne from it I pray you what is to be done by those to whom God hath giuen the knowledge of his truth Ought they not at leastwise to imbrace it and to sticke stedfastly to it yea and to stande fully resolued vpon it how much soeuer men labour too draw them from it Lo here the two poynts that we haue to marke in this streyne The one is that we should not be hastie to mainteyne the thing that we haue no skil of and whereof we be not well assured but that we shoulde first looke through it and be discrete to iudge wel and rightly Is it so that is to say do we know the matter perfectly Are wee sure of the truth Then let vs take courage too sticke to it whatsoeuer come of it and let vs not be shaken from it And this declareth to vs the true nature of fayth For we beleeue not vpon a fickle opinion at leastwise if we be well grounded in Gods truth As for such as say I beleeue and in the meanewhile haue no certaintie of Gods truth but onelye some imagination it is certaine that they bee as it were bewitched by Satan at leastwise if they be wedded to it as men say Behold the Turkes they be sufficiently hardened in their errours but ought that fastnesse or rather that steelinesse of theirs to be counted a sayth No. And why For there is no certaintie in it Then behoueth it vs to vnderstand of whom we hold our doctrine that is to wit that we holde it of God and we must be fully perswaded that it is he which hath called vs to his schole VVell then haue we the sayde certaintie VVee must immediatly match it with a purpose to perseuer in it that we be not as many are which howe with euery blast and forget what they haue learned afore assoone as they heare any newe thing I wote not what whereby they shewe that they neuer did so much as once tast of Gods truth VVhat is to bee done then As I haue sayde the thing that we knowe to be good must neuer escape vs nother must wee by any meanes bee turned from it but wee must so print it in our heartes as we may stande in it too the ende Thus ye see alreadie what we haue to remember in this text And furthermore whereas Iob sayeth here God forbid that euer I shoulde instifie you let vs marke also that it is no small fault before God to make countenaunce of consenting too suche as mainteyne an euill cace and go agaynst the truth For although a man doo it not with his heart but bee otherwyse mynded in himselfe yet God is blasphemed therein for we knowe how great store hee setteth by his truth So then if there be any that maynteyne an euill cace or set themselues agaynst the truth too deface it or go about any wicked practize if wee doo but onely make countenance too cleaue vnto them or too their partakers it is certayne that wee bee guiltie of the same wickednesse before god And so much the better ought wee to minde this lesson forasmuch as nowe adayes wee see that most men make no bones too agree with the wicked or at leastwyse too beare them good countenaunce although they mislike of their euill doings And although they woulde faine that they were amended yet notwithstanding for auoyding of displeasure and too shift off such battelles as are seene they make a countenance to bow and yeelde vntoo them As oft as they see the wicked aflote and haue their full scope they be fayne to vale their bonnets too them And although they vphold not their euill with ful mouth yet are they so farre off from speaking agaynst it as a man woulde thinke they were adherents and consenters to it VVee see this so ordinarie in the worlde nowe adayes as it is verie rufull There is no man that steppes vp too maynteyne good quarelles but rather it is a common excuse too say I will not meddle ouerhastily I see I shall but bring my selfe in the Briers euery manne will bee in my toppe I will not make it mine owne cace No And are wee not woorthie to bee shaken off at Gods hande if wee bee loth to mainteyne his truth But is it not a wilfull renouncing of God and a separating of oure selues from him of sette purpose when wee giue any token that wee iustifie the wicked and like of their euill cace And what thinke wee too doo or where to become So then it is not without cause that Iob speaketh heere with suche vehemencie as to say God forbidde and that he abhorreth the iustifying of vnrightuousnesse as a thing that
as in a little shedde vnder leaues that are soone rotten but in an euerlasting house that is full of glorie Seeing then that we knowe that God calleth vs to so happie a lyfe and gyueth vs assurance of it in oure Lorde Iesus Christe wee neede not to shunne death sith that therby we enter into the full possession of our saluation To be shorte wee come not to death as the vnbeleuers do The vnbeleeuers say I know not whither I go If they haue any opinion of the immortalitie of their soules eyther they muste needes bee dismayed at it when they know that God shall be theyr iudge or else they shall be sotted in such wise as they shall thinke there is no better lyfe than this But for our parte it behoueth vs to know that God hath created vs after his owne image and likenesse to the intente to gather vs vp to himselfe and that wee shoulde bee sure that he will do it if wee referre our selues wholly vnto him following the example that oure Lorde Iesus Christe sheweth vs Father sayeth â—ee vnto thee do I commende my spirite Then lette vs learne too saye freely vnto God Lorde I yeelde my soule into thy handes Thus yee see howe wee shall bee safe when wee knowe that God is the keeper of our soules Thus ye see how we shall go gladly and with a good will vnto death bycause our soules are in Gods keeping till he knit them to theyr bodies agayne in his comming at the laste daye VVhen wee bee at this poynt then to confirme the sayde prayer withall thou mayst adde Thou hast redeemed me ô Lorde God of truth Lo howe Dauid speaketh and Iesus Christ hath vsed the same to shew that it is a requeste whiche oughte too bee common to all members of the Church So then to the ende that we doubt not of Gods receyuing of our soules into his keeping when we betake them to him vnfaynedly let vs know that he is the God of truth in so muche that hee will not suffer vs to perishe whatsoeuer befall vs so wee haue the heart and minde to put ourselues into his handes Nowe lette vs fall downe before the face of our good God with acknowledgemente of our sinnes praying him to haue pitie vppon vs wretched creatures and bycause wee be so loth to followe that which he sheweth vs that it may please him to stablish vs in such a zeale by his holy Spirite as wee may neuer swarue nor be turned from the right way wherein he shall haue once set vs And for asmuch as so long as we liue in this worlde we be inclined yea and giuen vp to many vices and imperfections lette vs pray him to graunt vs the grace to resiste them in such wise as hee may bee glorified by oure confessing of his name whyther it bee in lyfe or deathe and that in the meane whyle wee may bee knitte too him by fayth and hope so as wee may persiste therein too the ende and vntill hee haue gathered vs into the euerlasting heritage whiche is purchased for vs by oure Lorde Iesus Christe That it may please him too graunte this grace not onely to vs but also too all people and Nations of the Earth bringing backe all poore ignorante soules from the miserable bondage of errour and darkenesse to the right way of saluation for the doing whereof it may please him to rayse c. The .xcix. Sermon which is the third vpon the .xxvij. Chapter 8 VVhat is the hope of the hypocrite vvhen he shall haue heaped vp and God shall haue plucked avvay his Soule 9 VVill God heare his crye vvhen trouble commeth vpon him 10 VVill he set his delyght on the Almightie vvill hee call vpon God at all times 11 I vvill teach you vvhat is in the hande of God and I vvill not conceale from you vvhat is vvith the Almightie 12 Beholde yee haue seene all these things and vvhy do yee vanishe avvay in vanitie WE sawe yesterday that if we will iudge of the state of men wee must not rest vpon this present life but we must go further for if we loke no further thaÌ„ to the life of man we shall see that it is but as a shadow although it were grauÌ„ted that he had all his own harts desire so as god wold giue him whatsoeuer he wold wish what were al that but a smoke that passeth away out of hand Therfore it behoueth vs to come too the hope that Iob speaketh of heere that we may haue skill to discerne whither a mans life be happie or vnhappie And hee bringeth vs purposely vnto death declaring that sith the vnbeleeuers or despisers of God are plucked out of this world by violence it behoueth vs to coÌ„clude that they be all vnhappy and that the pleasures riches honour such other like things which they haue are but deceitfull vanitie and we must not busie our heads about them Therfore when a maÌ„ liueth after such a sort in this world as he knoweth himselfe to be in Gods hand so as he resteth disposeth himselfe vpon his goodnesse and therewithall is readie to remoue hence as oft whensoeuer God shall call him assuring himself that his euerlasting abiding place is not here but in heaueÌ„ then is he in the cace that he may be deemed a happy maÌ„ But as for him that regardeth not God ne trusteth in his goodnesse ne knoweth himselfe to be in his keeping but woulde fayne dwell euer in this worlde and cannot bee gotten hence but by force and constraynt although such a man haue all that he can wish for a time yet is he but a wretched creature And for the better confirmation of this matter Iob addeth as now That God wyll not beare the wicked when they pray no not euen in the middes of their distresses This deserueth too bee well marked Iob sheweth wherein the cheefe weale that wee can haue or wishe to haue consisteth namely in hauing recourse vnto God that he be mercifull to vs to succour vs at our neede Let vs put the cace that a man had all things else that coulde be imagined and yet wanted this surely all the rest were nothing woorthe but shoulde bee turned into his bane VVhat if a man laugh what if he liue in ioy and pleasure what if hee haue goods ynough and to muche what if all men honour him and to be shorte what if hee seeme to be a Petigod here by lowe as in a Paradise yet if he haue not this priuiledge of resorting vntoo God with full beleefe that his resorting to him shall not bee in vayne but that his requestes shall bee graunted all that euer he can haue besides shall bee but a curse to him and an increace of his decay Then lette vs marke well that it is not for nought that Iob bringeth vs heere to the principall poynt of our whole life as in respecte of the weale that wee can wishe which is that God shoulde
and moreouer also discerne betweene good and euill VVhere shall wee finde so beastly men that wil not condemne robberie murther whoredome For very nature teacheth vs so to do Againe all men haue some lawes and forme of common weale and they see well that they cannot breake order and guyde well the matters that perteyne to this present life of mā Furthermore they haue also trades and handicraftes as one is a Baker another a Plowman another a Shoomaker and another a Clothyer and all these trades are the gift of God and they be common as well to the vnbeleeuers as to the faithfull whome God hathe inlightned by his holy spirit Howbeit such giftes serue but for men bycause mankynde coulde not bee maynteyned in his state without suche helpes and meanes Yee see then in effect that the thyng whiche wee haue too remember is that although there be a great number of secrets in nature and that the things be high which belong to this present life yet hath God giuen men abilitie to attaine vntoo them As for example to speake of some handycraft before a man come to be cunning in the occupation he shall finde straunge things yea there are some woorkes that require such cunning as yee woulde woonder How is this possible to be done will men say Howe coulde men know where Gold lyeth in the earth Beholde men make Salt of water Howe commeth that to passe Surely euen bycause God hath giuen men the skill Agayne what is the Golde and the Siluer that are spoken of heere Beholde the mettall is mingled with earthe it hath not so much as colour yea and it seemeth to be vtterly vnprofitable And howe can a man discerne it Howe can he fine it so as it should serue his turne and become a precious metall and a meane of traffike betweene man and man according as wee see both gold and siluer applyed too that vse How might that be done Agayne as touching other artes there is no handicraft so bace and common but that at the first men are to seeke how to worke in it Specially when we see how men sowe corne how can it growe will some say How do men make wine and such other things VVhen we once know these things wee thinke them not straunge at all but yet is it God that hathe giuen vs the skill of them for otherwise we should be to seeke The thing then that I meane is that there is some capacitie in men to comprehend natural things notwithstanding that they be darke at the first enterance And although men be harde and grosse of vnderstanding yet do they attaine to the cast of this earthly life bicause God giueth them the aydes and meanes wherewith to passe through the world But when it commeth to mounting aboue this transitorie life then we finde that all of vs come too short Heere ye see wherein all proude folkes misbehaue themselues For they beare themselues in hande that bycause they bee sharpe witted and suttle in these lower things they are able also to iudge of all Gods secretes of the whole doctrine of the law of the Prophetes and of the Gospell But God maketh thē double blind when they be so presumptuous For fayth is a spirituall light The insight of Gods iudgements groweth not in vs neither haue wee it in respect of kind but we haue it giuen vs from aboue by gods good pleasure ouer and besides the order of nature Yea and we see how God punisheth the pride of suche as trust in their owne wisedome in these base and inferioure thyngs Beholde these lustie worldlings if they come once to a finenesse in their suttelties they can find in their harts to mocke both God and the world yea and they be so polytike as too theyr owne seeming nothing shall escape them and therevppon they deuise wonders they vndertake enterprises aboue their abilitie and God suffereth them to runne a head after that fashion and in the meane whyle so blyndeth them at their neede that little children can laugh them to scorne For oftentimes it commeth to passe that the craftiest such as take themselues to be peerlesse in policie are destitute of all reason put to the soyle according as the Scripture sayeth that God catcheth the wise in their owne wilinesse as in a pitfall VVe see this And how is it possible that a man which was so well aduised should as now be so ouertaken and dazeled in so small a matter Hath he not wit in him Verely as though God were not in heauen to blind such as thynke themselues too see cleerely and trust in their owne skyll and wisedome It standeth him in hande too punishe suche pride For inasmuch as they presume vppon themselues they rob God of his honour and he must be fayne too reuenge himselfe of such trayterousnesse Agayn forsomuch as men apply their wittes to naughtinesse rather than to goodnesse it behoueth our Lorde also to punish them for misusing the giftes that he hath bestowed vpon them For it is a singular gift when God giueth vs a good and sharpe vnderstāding and if we turne the same to craft naughtinesse is it not reason that God should punish vs for it For we defile the thing that he had appoynted not onely to our owne welfare but also too the common benefit of our neighbours Now if God punish such pride when men trust too much to their owne wit in these bace and transitorie things I pray you muste hee not needes cut theyr combes and plunge them intoo the bottome of hell too reuenge himselfe of theyr pride and statelynesse when they be so lostie as they would faine mount vp into heauen and be priuie to all the heauenly secretes and knowe the things that God hath reserued to himself ought to belong to him alone So then let vs learne that although our wit serue vs well ynough too discerne the things that concerne and belong heere to this earthly life yet is it not to be sayd that we be able to mount vp into heauen and to enter into Gods secret determinations and to conuey that thing into our wit and braine which our Lord hideth in himselfe Too bee short let vs assure our selues that all things which concerne the euerlasting life are farre aboue our reach and that our Lord must be faine to worke in vs yea euen supernaturally and not onely too inlighten vs after the manner of men but also too giue vs the newe light whiche is hidden from vs bycause it proceedeth of the sayd spirit of adoption where of I haue spoken Furthermore ▪ sith it is so let vs consider what mans free will is and how mad they bee that will mainteine themselues by it For if wee haue free will too guide our selues too Godward and to attaine to euerlasting life it would follow of necessitie that first of all wee shoulde haue faythe rightuousnesse and holinesse But wee see that the Scripture condemneth vs as blind
shew our selues the children of god For we cannot giue a better proofe of it Neuerthelesse let vs heerewithall keepe such measure as wee mingle not oure owne excessiue passions with the zeale of God but bee discreete in putting a differēce betweene them againe although we hate and abhorre the vices yet notwithstanding let vs labour to bring the persons to saluation Truely the practising heere of is hard Howbeit God will guide vs so we suffer our selues to be ledde by his holy spirite and gyue him the whole gouernment of vs In the meane while it behoueth vs to marke well this doctrine bycause that in these dayes wee see infinite occasions too be angrie at if wee bee the children of god On the one syde there are the Papistes whiche seeke nothing but to abolishe all religion True it is that they will pretende to mainteine Christianitie but whatsoeuer they say they intend nothing else but to suppresse the Maiestie of god VVee see howe Gods truth is torne in peeces and what cursed blasphemies are spued outby them I pray you if these things shoulde not touche vs to the quicke to be wounded with them as if a man shoulde strike vs with a Dagger Should wee not thereby shewe that wee knowe not what God is and that we are not woorthy to be taken for his children VVe bee so chare when our owne honestie is wounded as we can by no meanes indure it and in the meane while Gods honour shall be put to all shame and reproche and wee will make no countenance at all of it And must not God then needes shake vs off and shewe that we haue had no affection to mainteyne his honour Marke that for one poynt Howbeeit we neede not go so farre as the Papists for euen among our selues when wee see these Dogs and Swine which seeke nothing but to defyle all things which thrust their groynes at Gods word and labour to ouerturne all when wee see these mockers of God and these heathenish villaynes whiche turne all things into a scorne and mockerie when wee see wicked men turken corrupt and marre all things with their false slaunders and when we see heretikes sowe theyr poyson abroade too destroy all things I pray you when we see all these things ought wee not to be moued It is sayd that when men bend themselues against God after that manner it is all one as if they would wound him too deathe They shall see him sayth the Scripture whome they haue perced God telleth vs that men in so doing come too strike him with their Daggers and shall we in the meane while not passe for it God telleth vs that his spirite is greeued and after a sort in payne and shall wee but laugh at it Againe we heare such horrible blasphemies that the name of our Lord Iesus Christ is as it were torne in peeces There is no talke now adayes but of scorning and reproching Gods name in such wise as a man might bee ashamed to heare of among the Turkes VVe see naughtipackes that committe on the one syde whoredome and all disorders and on the other syde outrage and all violence Too bee shorte wee see all things vtterly out of square and doo wee shewe oureselues too bee Gods children and Christians if wee make no accounte of it VVhat proofe doo wee giue of oure Christendome So muche the more then behoueth it vs too haue another maner of zeale than we haue had heeretofore And when any of vs is angrie let it bee for our sinnes and specially if wee see God greeuously offended So shall wee haue an anger that is allowed of God lyke as he had that is spoken of heere and whom the holy Ghost here prayseth And yet notwithstanding forasmuche as it is easye for vs to swarue aside let vs therwithall beware that we giue not the bridle to our passions but let vs pray God so to gouerne vs by his holy spirit as our zeale may be altogither pure to the end it may be allowed of him Nowe let vs fall downe before the face of oure good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may sigh and sobbe for them and that whereas we haue bene ouermuche hardned heretofore by soothing our selues in our vices so as we coulde not be greued to see the worlde so farre out of order we may learne hereafter to be sorie for oure euill doings and to desire him of forgiuenesse to the intent he may so guyde vs all the rest of our life by his holy spirite as we may seeke altogither to serue and honour him in al poynts according to our calling And so let vs all say Almightie God our heauenly father c. The Cxx. Sermon which is the second vpon the .xxxij. Chapter 4 Eliu vvayted till Iob had made an end of his vvords by cause they vvere all elder than he 5 And vvhen Eliu savv those three men to haue no reason he vvas moued to anger 6 Therefore Eliu the sonne of Barachell the Buzite aunsvvered and sayde I am yonger in yeares than you and you are auncient and therefore I doubted and vvas afrayde to put forth myne opinion 7 For I thought vvith my selfe the yeares shall speake and the length of time shall bring foorth vvisedome 8 But it is the spirit of God vvhich is in men and the inspiration of the Almightie gyueth vnderstanding 9 The great men shall not be vvise therefore neyther shall the aged haue iudgement 10 Therefore I say heare me and I also vvill shevv my doctrine YEsterday I treated of the zeale of Eliu whiche is praysed too vs heere by the holye Ghoste and I shewed wherevntoo that example ought too serue vs namelye that when we see Gods truthe defaced and hys name blasphemed the same oughte to wound our hearts Also I shewed that if wee haue any affectiō to God and his honour then must we mainteine his truth to the vttermost of our power True it is that euery man shall not haue learning to do it But yet neuerthelesse according too our abilitie and measure it behoueth vs to shew that our mind is to resist the euil and not to consent vnto it And there withall it was declared that this zeale ought to be guided with reason so as wee muste not be moued with ouergreat headinesse but must haue some good respect matched with it And that is the thyng which we red euen now namely that Eliu was not ouerhastie but had giuen eare to all the sayings that had beene alledged afore and therein he shewed his modestie Then let vs marke well that if a man thrust himselfe foorth rashly without considering whether it be needefull for hym to speake or no it shall not bee reckened vnto him for zealousnesse As for example we see many that thinke it long till they may haue libertie too speake and yet notwithstanding it is possible that some other shall be much better able o lay
when men choose gouernours in a Citie or in a Countrey if they shoulde take yong light headed and brainelesse fooles which haue no skill to gouerne their owne persons the chosing of such to be their Iudges and leaders were a peruerting of the order of nature yea and it were a shame and it might seem that men intended to spite God as often as it were so Then if men which might choose settled personages and men of great grauitie and ripenesse would let them sit stil in their houses and in the meane while take phantasticall fellowes and little Snales of one nightes growth and and set them in the seate of Iustice when as they knowe not what it meeneth It were like as if men should marrie little babes It would please them well to be married bycause it would be sayde vnto them you shall eate rost meate and pastycrust and that would like them verie well But were it therefore a mariage Euen so say I is it with those that are sette in the seate of Iustice and haue neyther skill not witte but are worsse than babes bycause men had not a consideration to chose suche as were of more grauitie and experience Therefore it behoueth the order of nature to bee obserued firste of all whiche is that when wee haue men of yeares whome God hath indued with grace then they should be put in office to guide others and the yonger sort humble themselues vnder them For it is a shame that yong men should take vpon them the roome of their elders and disdayne to receyue instruction at the handes of those that haue liued long This pryde bindeth not it selfe againste mortall men but is a resisting of God who hath settled the order of nature and would haue men to obserue it As much is to be sayde of vs preachers and of the state of bearing abroade and publishing Gods word for when there is a well tryed man of good experience and knowledge If men vouchsafe not to bee serued with such a one but take a yong man at auenture what a thing is it Therefore it behoueth vs to haue the same order in estimation Neuerthelesse there must no generall rule be made of it for oftentimes it may come to passe that God shall giue much more grace to yong men than to suche as haue lyued double their time And therefore the sayde order which wee haue spoken of must not hinder the spirite of God that hee should not bee receyued where hee sheweth him selfe and his giftes bee applyed to good vse according as hee distributeth them And that is the cause why Saint Paule chose Timothie though there were many elder men at that time For when hee had seene that excellent man as who had the recorde not onely of men but also of the holie Ghost he preferred him before those that were elder Euen so dealeth Eliu heere who after he had hearkened vnto others sayth hee knewe that it is the spirite of God which is in men as if hee should say true it is that we must not iudge that olde men doe dote excepte wee knowe howe the matter goeth neyther muste wee fayle to giue them roome and place but we must yeelde such honour to their age as to say well the man that hath seene much is able to teache vs But if we perceiue that he discharge not his dutie or that he hath lost his time which he hath liued in the world then if the spirit of God be in a yong man it behoueth him to put forth him selfe Then let vs mark wel that the obseruing of the order of nature must not be alwayes with such condition that when God indueth them with any giftes of grace they shoulde not serue his Church or that they should not teach not onely their equals and companions but also euen the oldest meÌ„ of all And consequently the rich men must not sticke to their age and therevpon be vnpacient and reiect all warnings to say howe nowe I haue liued a long time and shall a yong â–ª ladde teach me my lesson No but let them thinke thuâ— with them selues I ought too haue profited in suche wiâ—e as I might haue beene a leader of others but I see neâ—we that I haue need to bee led my selfe I am a yong chylde in comparison of those that shoulde haue beene taught by mee And seeing it is so that God hathe disappoynted mee of the grace that was requisite in a leader it behoueth mee too bee a scholler and not a mayster Yee see then that olde men ought too yeelde themselues too conformitie when they see that God hath gyuen larger giftes of grace too those that oughte too followe them and not too goe afore them Nowe haue wee a good doctrine too put in vre whiche wee gather of the thinges sette downe heeretofore whiche is that for the better conceyuing of the thing which is conteyned here let vs marke that Eliu in saying that it is the spirit of God whiche dwelleth in men ment too expresse that when it pleaseth God that one man shall bee of greater vnderstanding than another it is a speciall gifte which he granteth as it were for a priuiledge True it is that generally God hath made vs all reasonable creatures and that is the thing wherein wee differ from the brute beastes God then hath gyuen some discretion and vnderstanding to all men withoute exception and yet notwithstanding wee see that some are slowe and dull and othersome quicke witted some are phantasticall and othersome are of good grauitie VVhereof commeth that Let vs vnderstande that God holdeth his giftes in his hande and dealeth them at his pleasure too whome hee thinketh good This is it that Eliphas mente too expresse in this place too the ende that men should not thinke them selues too haue it by naturall inheritaunce from their mothers wombe nor as a thing belonging to them of dutie nor as gotten by their owne purchase Beholde Eliu telleth vs that God hath created vs all and true it is that wee haue some reason howebeit but by measure Yet notwithstanding if a man haue knowledge and wisdome it behooueth him to knowe that God hath reached oute his hande vnto him peculiarly and that therefore hee is the more beholden and bounde vntoo him And this is sayde vnto vs too the intente wee shoulde not bee exalted with pryde nor thinke oure selues too bee the more worth bycause wee haue knowledge and vnderstanding But that wee shoulde consider that for as muche as it hath pleased God to giue vs that grace it behoueth vs to walke in so muche the greater feare For wee be so much the more in dette and therewithall his giuing of his benefites is too the ende wee shoulde communicate them with our neyghbours Therefore if we can not vse them too the glorifying of oure God and too the edifying of suche as haue neede of them it is cortaine that wee are so muche the more blame worthy This
is it that wee haue to marke here for one poynt And further it behoueth vs also too make comparison heere betweene two degrees that is too wit that if it bee God that giueth speciall vnderstanding vnto men too discerne things that pertaine too this transitorie life what is too bee saide of the doctrine of the Gospell and of the true and pure Religion Haue wee those of nature Can wee purchase those by our owne trauell Alas wee must needes come farre too shorte If it fall out that a man bee a good schoole maister too teach chyldren or a good Aduocate or Phisition or a good Marchant of a Citie or a good laborer in the countrey It is continually the spirite of God that worketh in all these things A man shall haue neede too bee sharpe witted in some one thing more than in some other like as there is required a greater skill in some handycraftes than in marchandize Nowe then euen in all these things which seeme too bee common and of no value in themselues God must bee fayne too distribute his holie spirit vnto men But if wee come to the doctrine of the Gospell there is a wisedome that surmounteth all mans vnderstanding yea and is woonderfull euen too the verie Angelles They bee the verie secretes of heauen whiche are conteyned in the Gospell For it concerneth the knowing of God in the person of his sonne And although oure Lorde Iesus Christe came downe heere beneath yet muste wee comprehende his godlie Maiestie or else wee can not grounde and seetle oure fayth in him I say it concerneth the knowledge of thinges that are incomprehensible to mans nature Nowe if God must bee faine too deale his spirite in respecte of the handicraftes and worldly trades that concerne this transitorie life muche more ought wee too thinke that oure owne sharpe witte is not able too knowe the things that concerne God and the secretes of his kingdome and that it behoueth vs to bee taught by him and in the meane season too become fooles in respecte of our selues as Saincte Paule sayeth that wee may bee partakers of that wisedome I or this is the sentence that is giuen thereof namely that the naturall man doeth neuer comprehende the doctrine of God that is too say as long as men abyde in their owne naturall kynde they neyther knowe what God is nor can at any time taste of his worde but which worse is it is follie too them as Sainct Paule sayth For to their seeming it is an vnreasonable doctrine and therefore it is the only spirite of God that gyueth vs fayth and inlightneth vs And this ought too bee well marked For when wee see there are so fewe that know God yea and that many men whiche are well stricken in yeares and haue liued long time in the worlde are starke madde in their Superstitions and fight feercely against the doctrine of the Gospel oftentimes it dazeleth our eyes and we are amazed at it Yea but heere is a texte which ought too arme vs against such stumbling blockes It is the spirite of God which dwelleth in men It is the inspiration of the Almightie that giueth vnderstanding Do we see wretched men blinded so plunged in ignorance as they cannot come to the Gospel Let vs not maruell at it And why For it is mans naturall kind not to discerne any whit of Gods secrets vntill wee be inlightned But contrariwise when wee see a man that knoweth God whether he be yong or old or if we see an olde man that hath bin saped a long while in the dotages of Papistrie come too right Religion let vs assure our selues that God hath wrought a miracle in that cace Also if wee see yong folkes come to it let vs assure ourselues that God draweth them to him after a maruellous fashion For they do not easily receyue the yoke bycause they bee full of presumption as I sayd afore Then if God tame them and make them teachable it is his mightie hand that hath brought thē vnto it And so we se that this text ought to serue vs in two things The first is that seeing that by our wit can neuer reach so highe as to knowe God or his truth we ought to put our owne reason from vs and to renounce it vtterly And that is the thing whiche Saincte Paule termeth too bee made a foole Then if we will haue our Lorde to fill vs with his wisedome it behoueth vs to become fooles that is to say wee muste not bring anye thing of our own nor weene our selues to haue one thing or other For that were a shetting of the doore againste god VVherefore if wee will haue God to continue the grace of his holie spirite when he shall haue giuen vs any portion of it wee must learne to exalt and magnifie him as he deserueth and to acknowledge that there is not one drop of good vnderstanding in vs till God haue put it into vs And agayne the same must cause vs to persist alwayes in his obedience and to walke in greate feare and carefulnesse seeing that if God should quenche the light that he hath put into vs wee should bee in darknesse yea and in so horrible darkenesse as wee could neuer get out of it This is the firste vse of this place The seconde is that although wee see the greater part of the worlde goe astraye and scarcely any man willing too submitte himselfe vnto God we must not thinke it straunge that men shoulde bee so farre out of order as too playe the wylde beastes And why For it is the spirite of God that gyueth vnderstanding VVherefore let the same bee a ground for vs to magnifie Gods grace the more which we shall haue receyued and therewithall let vs not bee caryed awaye thoughe wee see suche rebelliousnesse And why For men do but followe their owne kynde they followe their owne heade and in the meane while resist God and that is bycause the doctrine of the Gospell surmounteth all mans reason and God must bee fayne too worke by his holie spirite in opening their eyes or else they shall abyde continually in their beastlynesse Finally Eliu concludeth therevpon that great men are not alwayes wise and that sometimes aged menne haue no vnderstanding skill nor discretion more than other men Truely Eliu meeneth not heere to peruert the order of nature For hee hathe protested heeretofore that hee woulde hearken to the aged and was willyng to submitte himselfe too theyr doctrine But he meeneth that which I haue touched alredie namely that God is not bounde too age nor to the states and qualities of men VVhen it pleaseth God too aduaunce a man too dignitie if hee will haue him to serue for the welfare of his people hee indueth him with grace to be able to discharge his office otherwise he leueth him destitute and the higher that a mā is in degree the more shall hee bee knowne to bee a double beast As for example
mee after this manner VVhy suffereth hee the wicked too doo the worst that they can and the good too bee turmoyled and yet in the meane while hee remedyeth it not I saye if a man shoulde aske these fellowes that make suche disputations and are bolde too cast foorth suche blasphemies whether they durst go too them that haue the swoorde in theyr hande too rayle vppon them and too spitte in their faces and too say you are wicked O I dare not would they saye And why Thou art afrayde of a mortall man bycause God hathe giuen him some little sparke of his glorie and commest thou too aduaunce thy selfe agaynste him that hathe made and fashioned thee VVilte thou make no accounte of his power before whome the whole world is nothing VVilte thou checke agaynste him like a madde man and thinke too gette the vpper hande of him VVhen thou ouershootest thy selfe after that sort it shall bee too thy confusion Thus yee see after what sort it behoueth vs too sende those that lift vp themselues agaynst God vntoo the similitude that is set downe heere And likewise euerie one of vs must of his owne accorde come too it when wee bee tempted to impaciencie as surely these temptations do happen vntoo euerie man so as wee bee prouoked too pleade agaynste oure Lorde as often as hee doth not as wee woulde haue him to do Therefore when wee be moued there vntoo let vs thinke thus what Thou durstest not speake agaynst a king nor against a prince that were thy soueraine and had rule ouer thee For why Feare brideleth thee bycause God hath imprinted some marke of his maiestie in him And how then darest thou lift vp thy becke against him Thou wretched creature who art thou It is sayde in Daniell that God sheweth well his prouidence in that kings and princes are obeyed for wee knowe that nothing is more contrarie too mans nature than too bee in subiection So then if God gaue not authoritie too suche as are set in publike state men woulde neuer obey them And that is the cause why it is expressely sayde that God putteth his feare into all the birdes of the ayre and intoo all the beastes of the earth so that if men were become vtterly brutishe yet muste they needes keepe still that vnderstanding that suche as are aduaunced too the seate of iustice ought too bee obeyed And yet notwithstanding that is but a verie small portion of Gods glorie Shall wee then goe make open warre agaynste his Maiestie Is it not the next way to breake our necks If wee leape but three steppes downe it is ynough too brooze vs and if wee leape oute of a windowe that is but a two strydes high from the grounde beholde wee are deade Now we would leape aboue heauen and fetch gambaldes and kicke against God and shall wee bring it about So then wee ought well too consider the infinite glorie of our God to humble our selues vnder it which thing we do not And it is expresly sayd that be will not accept the person of the great but without regarding eyther rich or poore layeth his hande vpon all men and rooteth them out in one night and euen the strongest shal be taken away with out hande VVhen wee heare this let vs vnderstande first that suche as are greate muste not truste in their riches credit knowledge or any thing else True it is that to the worldwarde they shall be honored and it will seeme that they are able to mainteyne themselues bycause they bee rich haue well wherewith and also bycause they are in fauor but all these things are nothing with god Therfore let no man bee proude of his owne greatnesse For suche as stand gazing like Peacocks at their owne tayles do but run headlong into their owne confusion For inasmuch as they flatter themselues they become alwayes the bolder too do euill and that is no more but a further kindling of Gods wrath agaynst them Yee see then that great men ought too put this doctrine in vre of knowing that God accepteth not mennes persons and by the meanes thereof they ought also too looke that they trample not the little ones vnder theyr feete and suche as are vnder theyr power Marke heere too what ende this doctrine is applied and to what purpose it is tolde vs that God is no accepter of persons And why Too the ende that hee which hath seruantes shoulde not oppresse them but vse them vprightly as Saint Paule declareth and that hee which is in publike authoritie shoulde haue such a regarde in gouerning his subiects as to know them to be his brethren bycause that all of vs are the children of God and he hath done vs so much honour as to make vs the membres of his only sonne our Lord Iesus Christ So then let the great men of this world learne to absteine from swallowing vp of the little and from vsing of outrages towards them and let vs all learne to absteyn from aduauncing our selues proudly agaynst those that be our inferiours And why For there is no accepting of persons before god And if men trust so in the shadow of their riches and credite let vs assure our selues that God will iudge them without regarde what they bee nowe yea and that their damnation is readie prepared for them so as they shall bee forced to feele that they are a part of the shape of this worlde whiche vanisheth out of hande as Saint Paule sayeth And heerewithall let vs marke well howe it is sayd that both great and small shall bee taken away in the turning of a hande and that God will make all too bee wyped away at midnight in the time when folke giue themselues to rest and when euery man seemeth too be at his ease yea and that the strongest shall bee taken away without hande that is too say without any preparation God shall not neede too arme manie souldiours or too prepare himselfe greatly too ouerthrowe the greatest and strongest Hee needeth no more but too blowe vppon them or else too turne away hys heart to the ende too drawe his spirite from them and all shall perishe as hath beene declared heertofore Hereby wee may bee taught euerie man in his owne state So then let the great ones knowe that Gods aduauncing of them is not too the ende that they shoulde dispyse others nor vaunt themselues in oppressing the lesser sort but rather let them knowe that they are so muche the more bounde vnto god For what haue they of theyr owne And seeing that all things bee giuen them ought they not therefore too acknowledge from whence they come Aboue all things let them remember what S Iames sayeth let the brother sayth he which is exalted too the worldwarde glorie in his lowlinesse And why For if the rich and such as are honoured or be men of skill and credite do glorie in their highnesse they forget themselues in so doing and are vnthankful to God
or else as if a sick man should content himselfe with a preparatiue and afterwarde die vpon it for want of taking further phisick Then must not this shamefastnesse raigne alone in vs but it must leade vs further that is to wit that although men perceiue not our defaultes and that wee might haue couerings to hyde our selues withall and to beguile the worlde yet neuerthelesse our owne conscience may watch and keepe ward and the iudgement of God may presse vs and that we may so dispose all our whole life as wee may not desire onely to be had in good reputation of men but also to be allowed of our god And for the bringing heereof to passe wee must not onely absteyne from open euill doing but our hartes also must be clensed and we must haue our affectiōs corrected so as wee may not haue any backe nooke to hyde our filthynesse in Thus ye see what we haue to remember in this streyne But yet notwithstanding wee see in what tymes wee bee For now a dayes like as there is not any feare of God so is there no shame of men Iniquitie doeth so ouerflowe that they which bee most shamelesse are most valiant At leastwise youth ought too haue some modestie and vndoubtedly it is not without cause that the Paynims did of their owne naturall witte knowe that shamefastnesse is the peculiar vertue of yong folkes And why For yong folke are not yet so well gouerned as were requisite They are full of boylings that stirre them vp vnto euill the fire is in their heade and therewithall their lusts are so violent as it is very hard to represse them Herevnto our Lorde giueth a remedie which is that although yong folke be verie headie yet notwithstanding they are conuicted constreyned to know thēselues and they perceyue that they haue not yet such a stayednesse in them as were requisit and that is the cause why they haue some shamefastnesse in thē But what is seene nowadayes there wāteth no store of yong russians behold these yong Cockerels they are no sooner cropen out of the shell but by and by they must haue a sworde by their side and you shall see them vtterly voyde of al shame They think they ought too bee like brothels of the stewes and that whatsoeuer they doo neyther reuerence nor Iustice nor anye things else ought to gouerne them To bee short wee see how youth is become altogither diuelish and that not only there is no feare of God but also no honestie at all in them Sith we see this let vs assure our selues that there is a floud of iniquitie and that things are so farre out of order as they be past remedie For it appeareth that the thing which ought to bee imprinted by nature in al men and specially in yong folke that is to say shamefastnesse and modestie is quite razed out and yong folks are vtterly shamelesse and stubborne and passe not though they be mocked for their vnshamfastnesse So then let vs learn to walke in greater feare and carefulnesse For we shall not bee excused by alledging that euerie man dooth as wee doo for it is no meanes to acquite vs before God too say that other bee no better than our selues but rather let the same be an occasion vnto vs to drawe backe that wee bee not wrapped in the vyces that raigne so in all men And furthermore let vs remember howe it hath bin sayde that we must not walke as men that looke but onely vpon the creatures but let vs set God before our eyes according also as we cannot scape his presence True it is that through our inclination too hypocrisie wee seeke many windlasses and startingholes but yet must God needes follow vs euery where Seeing it is so let vs learne to dedicate our selues wholly vnto him and to haue our sight fastened vpon him And forasmuch as hee inlighteneth vs by his worde let vs thinke also vpon that which the Apostle telleth vs in the Epistle to the Hebrewes For there he declareth that the worde which wee heare is of the same nature that god himself is which is to search our thoughts to try out al that is in vs to deuide asunder the mary from the bones and the veynes all that is in vs Seeing thē that when our lord sendeth vs his word he will make such a triall that all that euer lieth hid in men must come to light let euery of vs walk as in the brode day and consider that we be no more in darknesse seing our lord Iesus Christ reigneth among vs by his gospel Thus ye see what ye haue to remēber in this text And now Iob addeth that the Princes rose vp afore him yea and that the cheef men and gouerners bild their peace when they heard him speake Here wee see an order that nature teacheth were it not that the malapertnesse of men peruerteth all things And if we follow that which our Lord sheweth I say euen according to the order of nature It is certaine that if there were a man that had the gift of teaching and more iudgement and knowledge than other men he should be harkned vnto and euery mā would hold their peace when he spake VVhat is the cause then that whē a man shall speake good reason haue the gift to edifie others he is not receyued but dispised and many bablers thrust themselues foorth and will needes be heard with their tongues running at ryot by meanes whereof the truth shall be put backe thrust vnder foote what is the cause thereof It is for that men cannot abyde that God should guyde and gouerne them but as I say they corrupt all the order of nature by their malapertnesse or rather madnesse For needes must we become wood beastes when wee cannot abyde to submit our selues to truth and reason and to admitte them that are ordeyned ouer vs as it were in Gods steade Therefore let vs marke well this text For Iob meeneth not too magnifie his owne persone onely No vndoubtedly it is not his meening VVhat then Yesterday I shewed you a peculiar reason which hee had too speake so But further we may gather also a generall doctrine that God giueth vs by Iobs mouth whiche is that when there is an vpright and vertuous man and therewithall indued with wisedome wee must giue eare too him and receyue him among vs For if wee followe not the rule whiche is shewed vs heere wee not onely doo wrong vnto a mortall man but also God taketh the same wrong to be done as too his owne persone And not without cause for if a a man bee able too gouerne vs with good doctrine thinke wee that hee hath it of himselfe Euerie manne can well ynough say that it is the gyft of god Nowe when God aduaunceth a manne in suche wise by gyuing hym more largely of his holye spirite it is too the intent hee shoulde purchase himselfe estimation and not rather for
the common profite of all men Hee that is so indued wyth any great giftes is bounde so muche the more too his neighbours and must so bestowe that which is giuen him as all menne maye bee partakers of it But nowe if wee vouchsafe not too heare a man when wee may profite vnder him is it not a despysing of the Spirite of God Is it not a scorning of his Maiestie whiche hee woulde haue too bee knowne when hee sendeth vs as a mortall man after that sort in his name Furthermore this pride is matched with vnthankefulnesse Beholde God rayseth vp men that are able too teache vs let vs but onely heare them and it shall bee for our welfare If we vouchsafe not too doo that is it not a reiecting of the benefite that God offereth vs as muche as in vs lyeth So then it is not for nought tolde vs heere that if there bee a vertuous man whiche hath more skill than oure selues hee deserueth too haue eare gyuen him and that men shoulde bee heedfull too receyue that whiche hee shall say For as I haue declared alreadie if men doo it not wrong is offered vntoo God and wee are also vnthankefull in that wee will not be gouerned by him There is yet more And that is that if wee ought to heare men whiche haue some worldely skill what ought wee too doo when they be purposely sent to bring vs Gods worde and are so furnished as they may say that God sendeth vs the message of saluation by theyr mouthes According as hee serued his turne by the Prophetes and Apostles during their lyues and will haue the same order of gouernment to bee at this day in his Churche and there too continue vntoo the worldes ende Then if wee refuse too heare Gods worde when it is preached by such as are ordeyned to that office Is it not a double rebellion And shall wee not bee so much the more too blame So then wee bee warned here to keepe silence when our Lord sendeth vs his worde and maketh both great and small to stoupe vnto it and too bee dumbe but not deafe I say wee muste bee tonguetyde for when God speaketh it standeth vs in hand to herken without replying and to receyue quietly whatsoeuer is sayde vnto vs and too conclude with Amen So bee it Againe we must not bee deafe but forasmuch as we see that by nature we bee so ill disposed to heare God and to obey his worde we haue to pray him to open our eares and to correct the dulnesse of hearing that is in vs and our slownesse of obeying him and specially to gyue vs the vnderstanding of his will for else wee bee so brutishe as wee shoulde neuer conceyue the thing that is for our welfare except we were inlightened by his holy Spirite And therefore let vs learne to brydle not onely our tongues but all our affections For the thing that hindereth vs from the hearing of God and from beeyng taught by his woorde is not onely that wee bee to talkatiue and too full of babbling and prittleprattle but also bycause wee bee full of lustes and gainstryuings which do as it were breake off Gods talke Now then let euery man looke well to himselfe For when wee come to a Sermon or otherwise looke vpon the holy Scripture no doubt but wee shall well vnderstande some good sayings and profitable sentences heere and there But what By and by it slippeth from vs and we forget it againe And why so For we be combered with our owne gainstryuings Therefore it is all one as if there were a great noyze in vs that brake off Gods worde so as it was not receyued Againe wee beare not away the hundredth part of that which is tolde vs And why Bycause we bee fleshly and our affections carie vs away So then as I haue sayde if wee mynde to fare the better by Gods worde we must not onely brydle our tongues which are ouer lauish but we must also bridle our affections to the ende there may bee a peasable obedience yeelded to our god Thus ye see what wee haue to marke Neuerthelesse wee muste also haue the sayde sobernesse and modestie of not beeing too hastie too speake but rather yeelde oure selues teachable It is sayde that the wyse manne shall wexe-wyzer by hearing Salomon speaketh not there of the ignorant and Idyots But for so much as men take themselues to bee great Clearkes and Doctors at the fyrst day and beare themselues in hande that they haue profited ynoughe assoone as they haue anye little taste of the doctrine as in good sooth men will swell bigge ynoughe euen lyke Toades howbeeit that all theyr swolnenesse is but wynde forasmuche then as men haue suche ouerweening of themselues therefore Salomon sayeth that there is not so wyze a man but hee groweth wyzer by hearing VVhat is to bee done then VVee muste not bee so forwarde too speake but wee muste also bee as readie too hearken and too heare what is tolde vs Lo what wee haue too beare alwayes in mynde vppon this streyne And verely seeing that Iob sayeth expressely that the gouerners euen suche as were practyzed in wisedome and bare authoritie among men had gyuen eare too him bycause hee excelled I pray you what shall become of them that can not chalendge suche skill too themselues nor haue had the lyke practyze nor borne office whereby too get so muche vnderstanding And yet neuerthelesse lesse wee see there are verye fewe nowe adayes that can abyde to bee taught but euery man taketh vpon him too be a teacher And see howe ill we practise the lesson that is giuen vs by Saint Iames where he sayeth that we must not couet too bee many masters for contrarywise there is none of vs all but hee thinkes himselfe able to guide the whole worlde and in the meane while there is not any man that can abyde to bee taught or tolde any thing no though he bee but a yong Calfe So much the more then ought we to marke this circumstance which I haue purposely touched concerning Iob. The holy Ghoste prayseth the men that were wyse and in authorite who notwithstanding yeelded themselues peasable and refused not to be taught Seeing the holy Ghost sheweth vs this let vs vnderstande that it is not onelye too commende the persons for they are vnknowne to vs at this day but too giue vs example and instruction what wee haue to do And this present admonition is not more than needeth considering the pryde that is in vs For as I sayde euerie man will bee wise and no man can finde in his heart to stoupe so lowe as too confesse that hee hathe neede to bee taught by others Thus the cause why the holy Ghost setteth vs downe suche instruction heere is for that although wee were the excellentest men in the worlde yet must wee not imagine any such perfection in our selues but that wee haue neede too profite yet further And heerewithall let