Sermons upon the Book of Job

it is certain that the richer sort have far greater assaults, forasmuch as Satan is ever at their elbow, to blindfold their eyes, to the end they should overshoot themselves, and forgetting their state, lift up themselves against God, tie themselves wholly to the world, make a mock of the heavenly life, bear them selves in hand that nothing can hurt them, abuse their credit in sundry wise, have regard of nothing, be loth to bear any yoke, be unwilling too ⟨p. 7⟩yield to any reason, and think all other men too base to be in their company, in so much that if it were possible for them, they would pluck away the light of the Sun from the poor, so that finally they bear themselves in hand, that they deserve of good right to be shoaled out, & to be set aside, as it were on a row by themselves. We see now the corruptions and other infinite miseries that riches bring: and yet there is no excuse for them that be rich. Wherefore? For here shall Job be made their judge afore god, forasmuch as he was not corrupted nor perverted by §10the great abundance & quantity of goods that he had, but always served God in singleness of heart. But if the rich men be made unexcusable: let the poorer sort also look well to themselves. For I have told you already: that it is easier for a man too walk simply, to whom God hath not given so great abundance, than for such as have a great range. The case is like as if a man were in some little boat and in some small river. It is like enough that he might be tossed, and it is like enough that he might rush against some stub, or against some bank of §20the river: but he is not in such danger, as he that is in a ship on the midst of the sea, where the waves and storms are far more violent. Even so (say I) stands the case between the poor and the rich. For surely so long as we be in this world, we row upon the water, where we may be tossed with tempests, and rush against some thing, and evermore be in danger. Thus are the poor as it were on a little River: but the rich are as it were on the midst of the sea, so as they hardly can scape sinking in some whirlpool or other. Now then §30if there be no excuse for the rich sort: what shall become of those to whom God giveth the mean too hold themselves in simplicity?