Sermons upon the Book of Job

and yet for all that, as soon as they have to do with their neighbours, a man shall perceive what they have in their harts. For they seek their own advantage, & make no conscience to rake to themselves, and to beguile folk when they have them in their danger, by what means soever it be. Now then there is no doubt, but that those which seek their own advantage and profit, are hypocrites, and that their hart is corrupt: & how earnest christians soever they seem outwardly, god bewrayeth that they have nothing but dung and poison in their hearts: And why so? For look where soundness is, there must needs be uprightness also: That is to say, If the affection be pure within, then will it follow, that when we have to deal with men, we shall procure the welfare of every man, in such wise as we shall not be given to our selves & to our private commodity, but shall have that indifferency which Jesus Christ avoucheth to be the rule of life, and the whole sum of the law & the prophets: namely that we do not that thing to any other man, which we would not have done to our selves. So then, we perceive that by this commendation of Job many men are condemned, forasmuch as the holy Ghost declareth, that this man had not only a soundness before god, but also an uprightness and plain dealing among men. This plain dealing which he speaketh of, shall serve to give sentence of damnation upon all such as are full of maliciousness, and upon all such as pass not to snatch and rake to themselves the goods of other men, or which pass not to spoil other men of their livings. This sort of men are condemned by this present text. For it followeth, that He feared God, yea, that he was a man which feared God, and withdrew himself from evil. Now seeing that Job had had the praise of keeping right and equity among men: it behoved him also to walk before god: for without that, the rest is nothing worth. True it is (as I have said afore) that we can not live with our neighbours to do harm to none, and to do good to all: unless we have an eye unto god. For as for them that follow their own nature, albeit that they be endued with goodly virtues, (for so will it seem) yet are they overtaken with self love, & it is nothing else but vaingloriousness, or some other such respect which thrusteth them forward: in so much that all the show of virtue which appeared in them is marred thereby.

and yet for all that, as soone as they haue to do with their neybours, a man shall perceiue what they haue in their harts. For they seeke their own aduātage, & make no cōscience to rake to thēselues, and to beguile folk whē they haue them in their danger, by what meanes soeuer it be. Now then there is no doubt, but that those which seke their own aduantage and profit, are hypocrites, and that their hart is corrupt: & how earnest christiās soeuer they seme outwardly, god bewrayeth that they haue nothing but dung and poyson in theyr hearts: And why so? For looke where soundnesse is, there must nedes be vprightnesse also: That is to say, If the affection be pure within, then wil it folow, that whē we haue to deale with men, we shall procure the welfare of euery mā, in such wise as we shal not be giuē to our selues & to our priuate cōmoditie, but shall haue that indifferencie which Iesus Christ auoucheth to be the rule of life, and the whole summe of the law & the prophets: namely that we do not that thing to any other mā, which we wold not haue done to our selues. So thē, we perceiue that by this cōmendatiō of Iob many men are condemned, for asmuch as the holy Ghost declareth, that this mā had not onely a soundnesse before god, but also an vprightnesse and plain deling amōg men. This plain dealing which he speaketh of, shal serue to giue sentence of damnation vpō all such as are ful of maliciousnesse, and vpon all such as passe not to snatche and rake to themselues the goods of other mē, or which passe not to spoyle other men of their liuings. This sort of men are condemned by this present texte. For it foloweth, that He feared God, yea, that hee was a man whiche feared God, and withdrew himselfe from euill. Now seeing that Iob had had the prayse of keping right and equitie among mē: it behoued him also to walk before god: for without that, the rest is nothing worth. True it is (as I haue said afore) that we cā not liue with our neybors to do harme to none, and to do good to al: vnlesse we haue an eye vnto god. For as for thē that folow their own natur, albeit that they be indued with goodly vertues, (for so wil it seeme) yet are they uertakē with self loue, & it is nothing else but vayngloriousnes, or some other such respect which thrusteth them forward: in so much that all the shew of vertue which appeered in thē is marred therby.