Sermons upon the Book of Job

And now let us go through with these matters from word to word. He sayeth, My soul is cut off in my life. The Hebrew word signifieth §20oftentimes to mislike, as if he should say, my soul is weary of my life, or I am loth to live any longer. But the truer meaning is to say, My soul is cut off in my life. And why so? For although he were alive: yet notwithstanding he confesseth that his state was such as he was even as good as dead. Behold (sayeth he) my life is no life. For I live in death. And thus ye see that his meaning was so. And hereby he confesseth himself to be as it were past hope: yea verily as in respect of Gods handling of him. He had still a hope in God: howbeit, too §30trust thereunto, it behoved him to go out of his own person. And this is a point which we ought to mark throughly. For if we look but upon our present state, what can we do that we should not be utterly overthrown by it? And for proof hereof, although a man be at his ease, yet hath he no continuance too bear out the inconveniences of this life: and if he look upon his own frailty, he is besieged with a hundred deaths, and he hath but a shadow of life. But specially when God scourgeth us,§40 and showeth himself as our adversary, so as it should seem he will thunder upon us, so as on the one side we consider our sins, and on the other side have an eye too this so perfect and high righteousness which is in God: it is certain that we cannot conceive any hope of salvation in our selves. Notwithstanding, they that suffer themselves too be overcome by such temptations, do well show themselves to be overdull, that is too say, that they have not any such feeling of Gods judgement as they ought too have. For whosoever is §50touched rightly and to the quick, shall feel himself as it were in hell when he bethinketh him of his sins, and specially if God summon him before his seat, and make him feel how guilty he is. It is not for nought then that I told you that Job confesseth himself too be as it were paste hope, yea verily as in respect of himself. Nevertheless, so it is that he tasted Gods mercy and fatherly love whereunto he always had his recourse. That was the thing whereby he was sustained, and overcame so great a temptation. And it is for §60us also to do the like.