Sermons upon the Book of Job

yet notwithstanding there were always some few remaining, which maintained themselves in the said pureness that God commandeth. And that was to the end that God might continually have some Church in the world, & some small number of people to worship him. And herwithal he would also that the same should turn to the damnation of the unbelievers, & that they should be made the more unexcusable. We know that men labour continually §20to shroud themselves under the covert of ignorance: and they bear themselves in hand, that they be cleared before God, when they have gotten that buckler. But Gods will hath all ways been, that there should ever be some small number of people to serve him in all pureness, & the same have evermore been as judges of all those that are turned aside, and gone astray from the right way. So hath it also been concerning Job. Yea all we know also, that God hath ordained Sacrifizings even from the beginning of the world. For had they been invented at mans pleasure, they §30had been but trifles and apish toys, which God would have rejected. And furthermore we know, that the sacrifices of Abel were preferred before the sacrifices of Cain, by reason of faith. But if Abel had devised the said manner of sacrificing to God, of his own head: he could not have had any faith. For the chief point is, that God do le•devs and govern us: and faith can never be without obedience: it must needs be answerable to that which God hath ordained. So then we see that God is the author of the Sacrifices that have been ever since the creation of the world.§40 And when he commanded men to do sacrifice unto him: he did it not without showing them the end & mark whereto the same tended. For had me offered but the brute beasts without understanding: it had been of no value, and it had served but for a mockery. But we know that God instructeth those that be his, unto their salvation. Therefore there is no doubt, but that God in commanding Sacrifices, did also show the true use of them, & how they might profit men to their salvation. And this was to the end they might know themselves to be utterly unworthy to come §50near him, and that they had deserved death, so as it behoved them to acknowledge themselves wholly blameworthy, and therewithal also understand, that there was yet some means whereby to reconcile themselves unto him.