Sermons upon the Book of Job

yet notwithstanding God needeth not too content himself with it, except he list: that is to say, he can find such a perfectness in himself, as all that we bring to him, shall be nothing to it: but yet he doth not so, as I said afore. And this is it that Job meant by saying, that God will plunge him in the mire when he shall have washed himself: that is to say, God will find means to shake me off as a wretched and unperfect creature: & although I §30have given my mind to all pureness, that my life might be ruled by his law and by his ordinance, and that my works might be good and holy: yet notwithstanding, all the said pureness shall be but filth, if Gods rightfulness pass upon it. And I have said already that this present lesson ought well to astonish us. For though we were as pure as the Angels: yet were we not able too stand, but by the grace of God, and so far forth as he upholdeth us as his creatures, without using his rigour against us. For if he listed to handle us as we deserve:§40 how should we do? Now then if God may overwhelm we were like the Angels: alas is there any cause why we should advance our selves, seeing we drink sin as a fish sucketh in water (according as it is said in this self same book) seeing we cease not to go against the rule that he hath given us, and seeing we perceive, not some one condemnation but a hundred thousand, yea & an infinite number of condemnations before us? Alas, what shall become of mans pride? Hereby we see what rage or rather fury hath bin & still is in the Popedom,§50 in alleging their own merits. For the wretched folk are so puffed up with pride, as they ween themselves able to purchase Paradise. And if they do amiss in any point, they have means of their own too recompense God, they have their satisfactions, and they have their works of overplus or supererogation as they term them: and all these are payments too discharge themselves with against God. The devil must needs have be witched men, when they could so bear themselves in hand, that they were able to bind God to them by their works.§60 And so let us weigh well this doctrine: but by the way let us repress our affections and hold them short, that we come not to the same point that Job was at. Not that he rested upon that point (for that had been a blasphemy:)

yet notwithstanding God needeth not too content himselfe with it, except he list: that is to say, he can finde such a perfectnesse in himselfe, as all that we bring to him, shal bee nothing to it: but yet he doth not so, as I sayde afore. And this is it that Iob mente by saying, that God will plundge him in the myre whē he shall haue washed himselfe: that is to say, God will finde meanes to shake mee off as a wretched and vnperfite creature: & although I