Sermons upon the Book of Job

let us mark, that although the same be not fully known and manifest unto us: yet we must honour and reverence it. It is said that his devices are a bottomless pit, and that he dwelleth in unapproachable light, so as we cannot reach so high as to know what is in him. But yet §40nevertheless, we must be fully persuaded in our selves, that it is the property and nature of God to do all things in perfect uprightness so as there is no fault too be found. Now then we see what opinion we ought too conceive of God. When worldly folk speak of God, they can well say that he is the sovereign Creator of the world: but yet in the mean season they acknowledge not the thing that is proper unto him, nor him in such wise as it is his will to manifest himself unto us that is to wit in his Justice, in his goodness, in his wisdom, and in §50all things whereby we may take taste to love him, to honour him, and too serve him. And this is the principal point that we must take heed unto. For what shall we have gained by knowing curiously what the Being and what the glorious Majesty of God is: if in the mean time we understand not that thing of him which we ought to feel by experience, and which he declareth unto us? as when it is said that he dwelleth in us, and that we live in him & have our moving & being in him, that his mercy filleth all things, that we be sustained by his §60goodness, that we have so much light as he giveth us and no more, that it is in him to remedy all our corruptions, & that we cannot have so much as one grain or one drop of righteousness, except we draw it out of him who is the wellspring thereof. Now if we know not these things, what shall it avail us to know that there is but only one God, who containeth all things, & to have some feeling of his majesty? Wherefore so much the more behoveth it us to mark well what is said here: that is to wit, that we must take it for a grounded principle, that Gods nature is righteous, & that it is no more possible for him to turn aside from right & equity, than to say that he can forgo his being, & cease to be God. For it is no less absurdity to say, that God doth any thing unadvisedly, than to say that he is not at all, or to say that his Being is diminished. And here ye see also how S.

let vs marke, that although the same bee not fully knowne and manifest vnto vs: yet wee must honor and reuerence it. It is sayde that his deuices are a bottomlesse pit, and that he dwelleth in vnapprochable light, so as we cannot reache so high as to know what is in him. But yet