Sermons upon the Book of Job

And we must not think it strange, that Job hath spoken §30according to the same manner that we be taught by the holy Ghost. The things that we have in these days were not yet written in the time of Job: but yet had God engraven all those things in the hearts of his faithful ones, which are now written. Yea and God even yet still at this day maketh us to feel the same in our hearts, and engraveth the same still with his finger, that is to say with the holy Ghost. So let us come back again to the article that I have touched, which is, that the Scripture speaketh of the battles which we have in our own nature, without §40taking hold of Gods goodness which is from above. As how? We have already alleged some records where it is said, That a man is but a breath, or a wind that passeth away and returneth no more. It should seem that man is likened to the brute beasts. Yea and he should be like them in very deed, if God did not put to his hand. For whence cometh the immortality of our souls, but of a special favour that God beareth us? Saint Paul sayeth that only God is immortal. We then are rransitorie, we do nothing else but fade away, and what are our §50souls? Even the very Angels of heaven should also be mortal: howbeit for so much as God hath breathed his own power into them, they must needs continue in him. It is he from whence proceedeth the immortality (I say even) of the Angels: and it behoveth us also on our part to draw out, of the same well, according as it is said in the Psalm Lord in thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light shall we be enlightened. We see now how men being considered in them selves, have nothing in them but deadliness, according as it is said in another sentence of the hundred §60and fourth Psalm. Lord, draw thou away thy spirit, and all things shall decay and come too nothing. Now when the holy Scripture speaketh after this manner, it is not too take from us the hope of the Resurrection: neither is it to make us think that we be not immortal: but we must always begin at this point, namely too know what our own weakness is, and afterward mount up by degrees to know what God hath put into us. What are men then? A wind: a smoke. Howbeit for as much as God hath breathed a continuing power into us: therefore we be immortal.

And we must not thinke it straunge, that Iob hath spoken