Sermons upon the Book of Job

But (as I have said) he showeth in his littleness, that he is able to help his neighbour, for besides his confirming of them by his good example, God doth also give him the grace to employ himself for them in any small matters. Truly he hath no great show to the worldward: but yet the case so standeth, as he may serve a mans turn even with his littleness. Ye see then how such a man holding himself after that sort in lowliness, and continuing his race, may be compared to a pretty spring which never dryeth though it be but little. But there shall be other some that will work wonders, it would seem there were no mo men but they, and at the first blush ye would say, behold we see wonders. But let a man look throughly upon them, and he shall find the same lack in them that is spoken of here. There are that be practiced and learned in the scripture: yea for to talk of it, and to countenance themselves with it, and peradventure also there will be some gay show of it in their life. See here the likeness of a dry brook that makes a ⟨p. 126⟩great noise when the waters come down together▪ and when the snows are melted into it, it should seem that a whole dozen of great springs fell into it and gushed through it with great violence. But what? Ye shall see a man that beareth a great countenance: but let him be throughly viewed, that is to say, let it be marked what he doth at length, and he shall be found to fail and not to hold on. So that if he have any show of virtue, he shall have so great vices matched with them, as it is pity to see it, insomuch that a man shall see he seeketh nothing §10but to make himself well esteemed, whereas he hath so unreasonable faults in him, (backbiting one man and beguiling another,) that all the world shall be ashamed of him, or rather laugh him to skome. Ye see here the dry brooks that are well swollen for a while, but in the end are dried up. And for this cause I have said that we ought to be well advised, and to take good heed every man to himself, & to pray God to make us perceive our own infirmities, to the end that we cast not our selves in that sort out of our bounds, to purchase great reputation among §20men: but that our chief study be to have the living waters that are spoken of in the seventh of S. John.