Sermons upon the Book of Job

To be short, he doeth us to understand, that this present temptation was so unruly and excessive, as he forwent the whole taste of Gods goodness, yea and that his faith was as good as quenched as in respect of his own natural reason. Not that it was utterly perished: but because it was as a little fire under the Ashes, it was as good as choked. If Job were overwhelmed with his temptation: alas what shall become of us? If he whom the holy Ghost hath set before us for a mirror of patience was brought so low, as to be fallen into so deep a pit of dreadfulness: I pray you, if God touch us to the quick, must not we needs be more swallowed up to that whirlpool? So much the more need then have we to pray God, to strengthen us. And though we light now and then into such temptations: let us not be out of hart, it is no token that God hath cast us away, nor that we be destitute of his holy spirit. And why so? For he useth a wonderful fashion of governing & rescuing those that are his, notwithstanding that in respect of ⟨p. 178⟩their own nature they have conceits and imaginations which dismay them and plunge them over head & ears yea even down into hell, so as there remaineth nothing for them to say, but that the Devil holdeth them as his slaves. But what? They have their eyes so troubled for a time, as they are not able to look at him, but they are as it were dazzled at it: nevertheless he leaveth them some feeling of his Majesty to hold them always back, that they should not utterly despair. Thus ye see how the effect that we have to mark, is that in the midst of these §10great temptations, where the Devil shall have won so much at our hands as that it shall seem unto us that we must be utterly overwhelmed, and that there is no shift to get out of it: we must continue in calling upon our God, yea even till such time as he have given us the light again which was as it were overcovered in us for a time. Not that it was quite quenched, as I have said: for what should have become of us if God should have left us up for altogether▪ but God suffereth the said brightness of faith and of his holy spirit which he hath put into us, to be as it §20were stifled, after the same manner that I have already declared by comparison of a little fire overcovered with ashes, in which case the fire may nevertheless be kindled again in time.