Sermons upon the Book of Job

True it is that I have already declared all that matter, so as it were but superfluous to make a new discourse of the things that have been touched heretofore. ⟨p. 20⟩It shall suffice for us to make a short rehearsal of them, to the intent to bring that thing to our remembrance which is greatly for our profit to know. Mark then wherefore the holy Ghost hath declared the life of Job new again: It is to the end it should be as a pattern for us to shape our selves like unto it. Is it our desire to frame our lives to Godward, and to his service? Then must we first of all have this said soundness of hart, that we be not double, and that we serve not God in outward appearance only, with our feet, hands, and eyes: but that our hart march §10afore, and that we have a pure and single meaning to give our selves over unto God, to be wholly his, and to abhor all hypocrisy. Behold at what point we must begin, if we mean to have our life well ruled, & allowed of God. For uprightness must in any wise spring of the fear of God: that is to say, we must show outwardly what lieth hid within us: so as if the root be good, it shall by and by bring forth good fruits, that our works may bear record how our protestation of serving God and of assuring our selves of all things at his hand, is not vain.§20 And this consisteth in two things: namely that we deal with uprightness & equity among our neighbours: (mark me that for a special point:) and also that we have a religiousness in us to serve God, imputing all unto him. And this uprightness tendeth not to the end that each one of us should shrink aside by himself, to seek his own profit: but that we should communicate all together, according as God hath bound and knit us together into one body, so as every man have a care to serve his neighbours turn, & to maintain this brotherly communion and equity of §30not doing that to another which we would not have done to our selves. Thus see we how God proveth what we be: that is to wit, whither we live uprightly among men without hurting or hindering of any man, or rather whither we labour to do service unto all men. For the principal point is, that we refer all unto God, acknowledging our selves to be wholly his, and that it is reason that our life & our death be offered unto him in sacrifice: