Sermons upon the Book of Job

Neverthe less we may manifestly perceive, that God could not tell in the world how too utter the love that he beareth us, nor his great goodness towards us, better than by giving us issue. Finally it is said, that the faithful man shall be gathered into his grave, as a stack of corn is gathered together in due §30time, and laid into the Barn: and also that a man shall come thither in abundance, that is to say, he shall have lived his fill. Here Eliphas meant to say, that God will preserve his servants from violent death, and guide them after such sort in this world, that when soever they must depart, it shall be as if a man gathered corn in harvest time. And it is better that corn should be laid into a Barn, than that it should perish in the fields: for what were it too leave corn standing in the field after that it is dead ripe▪ The grains must needs §40shed and come to naught: the birds will eat some of it, and the rest of it must rot and be trodden into the dirt. But if it be gathered into the Barn a man may apply it too good use. So then Eliphas promiseth that after that God hath made the faithful too bring forth fruit in the world, they shall come too full ripeness, and he will gather them up too himself as men gather corn. True it is that he doth not thus always: for we see sometimes how God suffereth his servants too fall into violent death, and that he plucketh them §50out of this world in the flour of their age, yea and even in their infancy. We see that Cain came to great years of age, and Abel was raught away by the sword. How is it meant then that God will preserve his faithful ones even till they be full ripe, as if a man should gather corn into a Barn? we must mark first of all that when the holy Scripture speaketh of these worldly blessings: it intendeth that it falleth out so commonly, and not that it falleth out so continually. Furthermore we must make comparison between the greater benefit §60and the lesser. When God suffereth his children too be taken out of the world betimes▪ it is for their profit. For God provideth better for the faithful man when he calleth him to him at the age of twenty of thirty years, than when he letteth him live till threescore. And specially when we see the world flowing out into such corruption, that all is confounded now a days: