Sermons upon the Book of Job

Well, ye pass through this world, but your life is short, therefore endure ye patiently the afflictions that are so short, and in the end ye shall come to the rest that I have prepared for you. Ye see after what sort we ought to mind this doctrine, if we intend to take profit by it. As much is to be said of all the chastisements that God sendeth us. For that which I have said hitherto, extendeth generally to our whole life. But in particular, whensoever we shall endure any adversity, verily god will send an end of it according as we see how he speaketh by his prophet Isaiah, when he commandeth him to comfort his people. Thine appointed time (saith he) is at an end. He speaketh there of the captivity of Babylon. For his meaning is, that although he scourgeth his people for their sins, yet he intendeth not to consume them ⟨p. 136⟩utterly, but keepeth a measure in his corrections, that anon after they may have some release, and know that God hath had pity of them, and will not punish them to the uttermost, and therefore that they ought to be thankful towards him for his goodness. We see then how that in all the whole course of our life we must be fain to suffer adversities here: howbeit God will not prolong them beyond their appointed time. But soothly it should seem that this is a common thing though God spake not of it: and even the heathen men (I mean even the most §10brutish of them) have always had their recourse too that point. For in all the miseries that could befall them, they comforted themselves therewith, saying: well, there is no misery so great, but it hath an end. See I pray you how they measured their passions. It seemeth then to be a superfluous doctrine when God to comfort us with, declareth that there is a time foreset too men, and that their days are as the days of an hireling. Howbeit we have to mark, that whatsoever men conceive in their imagination: yet when God presseth them, they are abashed at §20it, and to their seeming they are in a bottomless gulf whereout of they can never scape. So long as we be in rest we have the skill to say, that when adversities be great and sharp, they are not of long continuance. But if God summon us afore him, and make us to feel our sins:

VVell, yee passe through thys world, but your life is short, therefore indure ye paciently the afflictions that are so short, and in the end yee shall come to the rest that I haue prepared for you. Ye see after what sorte we ought to mind this doctrine, if we intende to take profite by it. As much is to be said of all the chastizementes that God sendeth vs. For that whiche I haue said hitherto, extendeth generally to our whole life. But in particular, whensoeuer we shall indure any aduersitie, verely god will send an end of it according as we see how he speaketh by his prophet Esay, when he commaundeth him to cōforte his people. Thine apointed time (sayth he) is at an end. He speaketh there of the captiuitie of Babylon. For his meaning is, that although hee scourgeth his people for their sinnes, yet he intēdeth not to cōsume thē