Sermons upon the Book of Job

But in the mean while he had no understanding of Gods grace, how strong and invincible the same is in us. True it is that he feeleth it, and that he hath experience of it spite of his hart: and yet for all that, he knoweth it not a whit. And see how he is deceived▪ see whereupon he maketh his reckoning: namely that if he can get leave to torment us, we shall §50be vanquished out of hand, we shall be swallowed up of heaviness by and by, and that we will fall into despair & blaspheme God. Lo what Satan hopeth, and what he pretendeth to do. Mark it well. But God will resist him, and disappoint him of his hope. For he will send the grace of his holy Ghost before hand, and so shall Satan be confounded when he sees he hath no power to compass the thing that he meant to have attempted against Gods servants, but all goes backward and clean contrary to his intent: God therefore knowing what the issue of Jobs afflictions §60should be▪ had determined in his own purpose to scourge him, and so you may see he did it not at Satan's instigation. Why then doth the holy Scripture tell us here, that it was done at Satan's request▪ That is for two causes. First, that when we be beaten with Gods rods, we might know that Satan procured it, yea even to cast us into despair. And this is it which S. Paul showeth us in the text which hath been alleged a few days ago: namely that we have battle against spiritual powers, and not against flesh & blood. As often then as any evil befalls us, let us be sure that Satan hath practiced it against us: to the end we may withstand him by faith: and that we being fenced & armed with the mighty power of God, and knowing that Satan hath so great power over us, may retire our selves to the refuge of him that is able to strengthen us. Here ye see whereunto the Scripture had an eye in that case. And now for the second point, the Scripture meaneth to show Gods fatherly love towards us, insomuch as he supporteth us as his little babes, and giveth not any such liberty over us, as our enemy would very fain have, specially that he might take his pleasure in afflicting us, were it not that he knoweth how the same is for our singular welfare. True it is that we must be fully resolved upon this point, namely that though we know not wherefore God punisheth us, we must always acknowledge the same to be rightful.