Sermons upon the Book of Job

and on the other side when good men are disquieted or have any wrong or violence offered them, he must pity them and show how he hath them in his hand. Ye see (I say) how these two things ought to match together: otherwise there should be but §20the one part of justice in God, and his justice should not be whole and perfect. We see then that Job hath good reason to speak so. And yet for all that, it is not to be said that he lifted up himself maliciously against God. As I have declared heretofore, his intent is to show, that Gods righteousness is not always apparent, and that we must not take it for a general rule, that as soon as men have sinned, God hath his hand bent to punish them: & on the contrary part he will at the first brunt show himself a preserver of the good, by ridding them out of all their miseries:§30 we must not come to that point. And why? Because it is not Gods will that his righteousness should always be known unto us, but rather to show how it is not for us to enter at any time into his judgements, but that it behoveth us to humble our selves whensoever he useth any manner of dealings that shall be quite contrary to our fancies: & we must not presume to murmur against him for it, but we must reverence these great secretes which are far above our capacity, until such time as we may comprehend that which is hidden from us as now. Ye see then §40what Jobs meaning is. True it is that he ceased not to be tormented with an excessive passion. Therefore let us learn hereby, that it behoveth us to humble our selves before God, & that although he deal after such a strange fashion with us, as we perceive neither equity nor uprightness in it: yet notwithstanding we must cast down our eyes. But if we have any inclination too murmur against God, when he doth things that we comprehend not by our own reason: the same will then specially show it self, when he scourgeth us: then are we spurred to repine against §50him: saying, what meaneth this? where am I? why doth not God pity me? Lo how men wax wood when God handleth them otherwise than they like of. But yet so is it, that Job fought against such temptations. Let us mark then that Job knew how God is righteous, & was fully persuaded thereof in general But when he came to the encounter, & that the mischief pressed him: then was he driven back and enforced to chafe against God.