Sermons upon the Book of Job

So then, although we be promised that God will maintain us in this world, as §30though we were brooded under his wings, so as we shall be there in peace and without any disquietness: yet do our sins cause him to chastise us, and too show some roughness towards us. God can not abide too suffer us to run so into decay: and if he should leave us after that sort at random without any chastisement, it would be our utter undoing. If earthly fathers mar their children when they cocker them too much: it is certain that we should be much more marred, if God should not chastise us and show some sign of §40roughness towards us. For as experience showeth, we abuse his goodness in all respects. The faithful therefore, acknowledging themselves too offend God without ceasing, must also bear in mind, that he hath rods in a readiness too beat them for their sins, and that either to day or tomorrow he can change the prosperity which they presently enjoy, and thereupon deal rigorously with them. So then let us mark, that we must not sleep after such a sort, but that when GOD maintaineth us here in quietness, we must also have an §50eye to that which may betide us, and be always ready to receive the afflictions that he shall send us. Now let us come to that which is reported here: that is to wit, that Eliphas the Themanite one of Jobs friends that came too comfort him, is entered into talk against him. For he telleth him in effect, how he seeth too well, that the fear of God and the pureness which he seemed to have in outward appearance, was but hypocrisy, because he dealt so far out of square, and could not patiently receive the correction that God sent him. But anon after he entereth §60yet further: that is to wit, that of force it must needs be that Job is a reprobate, considering that God handleth him so roughly. And why so? for the good men are never smitten with such extremity. Lo here the first ground that this Eliphas taketh to reason upon against Job. But we must be think us of that which I have declared heretofore: which is, that Job hath a good case, but he handleth it very ill: and that his counter-companions have an ill case, and handle it very well: according as sometimes a man may set a fair colour upon an evil matter, and so do they. It standeth us in hand to mark this:

So then, although wee bee promised that God will mainteyne vs in this worlde, as