Sermons upon the Book of Job

that is to wit, that when we perceive our selves faulty and worthy to be condemned, every of us must prick and spur up himself to make his own accusation §20of his own good will. And upon far stronger reason, I say that when God is so gracious unto us as to provoke us, so as we have others to exhort us to do our duty if we be stubborn against God upon his sending of such messengers unto us, and suffer not our selves to be reproved by them: it is certain that we set not our selves against mortal men, but that we bend our selves against the Majesty of God, who would fain pluck us back to salvation, when he seeth us ready to throw our selves headlong into everlasting destruction. Mark this for a §30special point. And by the way we see that Job took not thought only for himself, but also for those that were committed to his charge, according to that which we have said. But now adays, men do the clean contrary. For if a man can excuse himself: by and by he taketh covert as fast as he may. Hath a man done this or that? He will straight make a leasing to discharge himself, that he may not be acknowne of his fault. If he have either children or servants, he will seek to discharge himself that way, saying: yea marry, I have heard that such a thing was done, but it §40was not long of me. Thus we see how the most part of men do seek such starting holes. And it had been much more for Jobs behoof to have laid the burden upon others. But he knew that if his children did amiss, he himself should yield account for it. So then let us learn, not to soothe our selves in hypocrisy, nor to devise how to cherish the vices which we ought to redress as much as in us lieth. Behold what is showed us here. And by the way it may be demanded, whither Job ought to have tormented himself so in vain, so long as the faults were unknown §50to him: for it seemeth to be sufficient if a man humble himself afore God as soon as he perceiveth that he hath done amiss: but as for to imagine, it may be that I have done amiss, it may be that I have committed such a fault: it seemeth that that is more than needeth. First of all let us bear in mind that which Solomon sayeth in his .xxviij. Chapter.

that is to wit, that when we perceiue our selues faultie and worthie to bee condemned, euery of vs muste pricke and spurre vp himselfe to make his owne accusation