Sermons upon the Book of Job

it is all one, so it have some §20show of ceremoniousness. A man shall come and say to him, see, thou haste done amiss: yea, but that is all [that is done to him.] This is like as if some servant in a house have confederate himself with the children to guzzle wine and to play the gluttons in some corner, and to do all manner of naughtive••• and yet when the fault is espied, the children should make countenance to say, thou hast done amiss: when as notwithstanding, they have all of them with one accord compacted themselves together with them, to commit such riots and unthriftiness. And §30men use the like ceremonies at this day, to mock God withal, when the evil is excessive as can be. Contrarily needs must they be condemned that have walked in simplicity and uprightness, and which have maintained Gods quarrel. These must pass the pikes & be condemned, while the wicked be bolstered out, and favoured at all mens hands. But what is there for us to do? we may hardily despise those that mock God in such sort, & take to us this cudgel here, which will serve to beat them down, & to put them to confusion before the heavenly judge: that §40is to say, whensoever any man shall teach us [aright:] let us be tractable and quiet. But if we perceive him to endeavour to confound Gods truth, or to turn it into a lye: let us abhor all such manner of dealing, and let us always hold on our own race. And this is it that is said consequently, That the words of rightness are strong, and what fault finder is there that can find any fault in them? Hereby Job meaneth to show, that when a man hath a good conscience, he shall continue steadfast and never be shaken for any thing that can be said to him. True it is that the §50wicked will labour throughly to overwhelm him: but yet shall he continue always in his steadfastness. And hereby we be warned to walk rightly before God, & to have a good [inward] witness that there hath bin no hypocrisy in us. Have we done so? Let men assail us on all sides, and we shall have wherewith to hold them tack. True it is that we shall not cease to be grieved: but yet shall the wicked never have the upper hand against us, if we have this rightness whereof Job speaketh here. And it is an inestimable privilege, that such as have kept on their way §60