Sermons upon the Book of Job

Although the sea have so great a violence, as it may seem that nothing is able to hold it back: yet notwithstanding God holdeth it back still even unto this day, by the only word that he spake, which is, that there should be some dry ground for men to harbour in. Then ought we too bend all our wits, that way, but we do not. And therefore let us mark that it is not a superfluous or needless doctrine when it is said that God walketh so upon the Sea. Afterward here is mention made of the stars. True it is that the number of them is infinite, according as it is said in another Psalm, that is to wit, that there is so great a number of stars, as would require a long discourse. But under these few names here, Job meant to put us in mind of all the whole beautiful host of heaven. Besides the Planets, we see the stars that are in the firmament, and we see they serve all of them to mark out something, that we might the better consider the wonderful workmanship ⟨p. 172⟩that is in the moving of the skies. We see well that the Sun keepeth one circuit every day, that after he is risen he goeth down again, and that he turneth about the earth as well beneath as above. Men see this. Also we see how the Sun hath another clean contrary course. How? whereof cometh winter, whereof cometh Summer, but of the Suns approaching too us, or of his retiring away from us, and of his keeping of a higher or lower gate in respect of us? For according as he goeth further from us or draweth nearer to us: thereafter §10maketh he the diversity of seasons. We see this I say even the rudest and most ignorant of us all. True it is that they perceive not how the Sun walketh a clean contrary course to that which he maketh in keeping his daily course: but the experience thereof is known by the effect. For we have neither winter nor summer but by the Sun. But although we know this: yet do we not sufficiently conceive after what sort God ordaineth this walk of the Sun. On the other side, there are the stars that Job nameth to us here, which inform us of §20other things. Like as we see the wheels of a chariot turn about because there is an Axletree overthwart, whereupon are the two naves by means whereof the wheels go: Even so God hath set these two Stars to be as naves in the wheel of a Chariot, about the which the Sun is seen to turn.