Sermons upon the Book of Job

For if he should punish all the sins of men, we would think the end to be come already, & we would no more hope that our Lord Jesus Christ should gather us up to himself. So then it is needful for us, that God should leave many faults unpunished, & also it is needful that the good should be afflicted, and seem to have lost their labour in serving God. But now let us come to Jobs words. If the scourge (saith he) doth slay immediately: that is to say, if God make no delay of his corrections, but lift up his hand too smite men as soon as they have sinned, and do unto every man according to his worthiness and deservings: why should he then laugh at the affliction of good men? for we know that Justice and uprightness consist of two parts: whereof the one is the punishing of evil folk, and the other is the relieving of good folk and the maintaining of them in their righteous and sound conversation. Therefore if God punish the wicked: he must also on the contrary part maintain the good, so as he keep them under his tuition, and suffer them not to be troubled or tormented, bur that they may feel his succour so soon as they cry unto him. Howbeit (as we see) the good are punished, not for a day or two, but with lingering pains all their life long, so that in stead of showing any sign that he is minded to help them, it seemeth that God taketh vengeance of them, and is purposed to plunge them into the bottomless ⟨p. 182⟩pit. Then let us conclude, that he is not hasty to punish the wicked out of hand, nor bringeth them at the first brunt too the point that men may say, Such a one hath done amiss, and therefore he must be punished. For it were convenient that both these two things were joined together. And the reason that Job useth here is good. For it is the same that S. Paul also setteth out in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians, saying that it belongeth to Gods righteousness too punish those that trouble the good, & to give relief and rest to such as shall have been §10oppressed wrongfully for a time. The one of these points (say I) cannot be separated from the other: that is to wit, that if God be righteous and mind to show it perfectly in this world: on the one side he must have his eye upon all such as do amiss, & not suffer them to scape his hand, but make them come to a reckoning:

For if he should punish all the sinnes of men, we woulde thinke the ende to be come alreadie, & we would no more hope that our Lord Iesus Christ should gather vs vp to himself. So then it is needefull for vs, that God shoulde leaue many faultes vnpunished, & also it is needful that the good should be afflicted, and seeme to haue lost their labour in seruing God. But now let vs come to Iobs wordes. If the scourge (sayth he) doth slea immediately: that is to say, if God make no delay of his corrections, but lift vp his hande too smite men as soone as they haue sinned, and do vnto euery man according to his woorthinesse and deseruings: why shoulde he then laugh at the affliction of good men? for we knowe that Iustice and vprightnesse consist of two partes: wherof the one is the punishing of euil folke, and the other is the releeuing of good folke and the mainteyning of them in their rightuous and sounde conuersation. Therefore if God punish the wicked: hee must also on the contrarie part mainteyne the good, so as he keepe them vnder his tuition, and suffer them not to be troubled or tormēted, bur that they may feele his succour so soone as they crie vnto him. Howbeit (as we see) the good are punished, not for a day or two, but with lingering paynes all their life long, so that in stead of shewing any signe that hee is minded to help them, it seemeth that God taketh vengeance of them, and is purposed to plunge thē into the bottomlesse