Sermons upon the Book of Job

Take no thought, I will give thee this land, and thou shalt be Lord and master of it. Yea, but he saw nothing. Of all this while he had not a place to settle in, and yet notwithstanding God promiseth too make him heir of the whole world. Afterward, while it was likely that he should have had issue, he had none, and yet was that the thing that should have bin his comfort. He is old and drooping, and yet God sayeth unto him, Thou canst have no welfare except thou have issue. And how could that be? for he is already so aged, as he could not §60well tarry for it. God hath given him Ismael. But he must be banished and cut off from that house. After in the end• when he had Isaac according too the promise: God plucked that sun of his from him, and said to him, Go kill him. This is yet more than we have heard of Job: for if a father hear that his children be slain with lightning, or else that some body hath murdered them: surely it must needs be a great grief to him, and hard to bear. But to go kill his child with his own hand, that is a thing too extreme for him to do But Abraham must come in place again here. Afterward when God had given him his son again, as though he had bin raised up from death: he showed him what manner of promise it was that he had made unto him. Hitherto (saith God) I have borne thee in hand, that thou shouldest inherit this land. But so far off art thou from enjoying it thy self, or from taking possession of it during thy life: that thine offspring must be driven from hence, and dwell in a strange land under exceeding cruel tyranny, by the space of four hundred years▪ We see how God exercised his servant Abraham after a strange fashion unaccustomed among men▪ And wherefore? For he had also strengthened him by his holy spirit, and therefore he gave him great and very rough assaults. See then how God worketh in those that are the excellenter sort, to the end they should be as mirrors and examples unto us to follow. And in good sooth a man shall never make such workmanship in a little shop as in a great one, where he may have stuff and store of workmen, so as all things are well furnished and in good order. For if he have but a small shop, he shall not be able too do any great piece of work.

Take no thought, I will giue thee this lande, and thou shalt be Lord and maister of it. Yea, but he sawe nothing. Of all this while he had not a place to settle in, and yet notwithstanding God promyseth too make him heire of the whole worlde. Afterwarde, while it was lykely that he shoulde haue had issue, he had none, and yet was that the thing that should haue bin his comfort. He is olde and drouping, and yet God sayeth vnto him, Thou canst haue no welfare except thou haue issue. And howe could that bee? for he is alreadie so aged, as he could not