Sermons upon the Book of Job

I Have declared heretofore how the Devil being Gods mortal enemy as he is in deed, is fain for all that, to yield obedience to his maker, to whom he is §30subject, not that he doth it willingly, but by force. In so much that although the devil be so sore enraged as he is, to annoy and destroy the whole world: yet notwithstanding whatsoever he attempteth, or whatsoever he can devise and practise, he is able to bring nothing to pass, without the will of God. And like as Satan is held in awe, so also are the wicked men of the world. True it is that they pass their bounds as far as they can, and they bear themselves in hand, that they can withstand God, and there wanteth no good will in them to do §40it. But yet in the mean while God accomplisheth his own will by them, so that they be as tools wherewith he worketh and serveth his own purpose. And this point is very well uttered to us in the confession that Job maketh, when he saith that God, (who had given him the goods that▪ he possessed) had also taken them away from him. For it is certain that Satan was the doer of all, both in raising the horrible tempest, and in spoiling Job of his substance, & in killing of his children. Wherefore is it then that he imputeth these things unto God? Specially seeing we have seen §50heretofore that thieves and robbers spoiled him of his goods, is it meet that God should be uttered as the author of such thieving and robbery? It should seem that we meant to wrap him in the sins of men: for we cannot excuse them that came to invade the goods and cattle of Job. We see here the thieves whom we may condemn: and yet notwithstanding Job sayeth not, It is Satan that hath so wholly spoiled me, or they be the thieves that have robbed me: but he saith it is God that hath done it. Doth Job blaspheme God in saying so? No. For God alloweth §60his saying as we have seen already, that he charged not god with any unreasonable dealing: He hath confessed that God is righteous and full of equity, and hath glorified him as meet was: and yet nevertheless he saith flatly here, how God was the doer of the things which the thieves did, and that the Devil was a doer of them too. Now then we see here, how God is evermore sovereign in degree in guiding and disposing the things that are here below, to lead them to such end as he thinketh good.