Sermons upon the Book of Job

shall we love him, or shall we honour him, but only so far forth as may be for our own profit? what a mockery is that? See we not how the order of nature §20is perverted? But if there be true friendship between us and any man: we will honour him for his virtues which we know to be in him, and to the end we may live together in one common accord to serve God. I say that when God giveth us such marks, we may well serve & honour a man. So then, we may well have this regard to creatures which are nothing. But as touching God, he must be honoured for his own sake, because he deserveth it: and we must be so ravished to the honouring of him, as we may not think of our selves, saving as in second place and in inferior degree. We §30may see then how the hypocrites bewray themselves by repining against God in the time of adversity, and when he handleth them not after their own fancy. And for as much as most men are given to this vice: we see there is cause, why we ought to mark this lesson the better. And now Eliphas addeth: Consider if ever any righteous man have perished, Mark if the right dealing men have been rooted out. Eliphas (as I have said already) taketh here a good sentence, so as the reasons which he bringeth here against Job are good and holy, notwithstanding that the case §40be evil. And surely the principles that are set down here, are drawn out of Gods pure truth. By reason whereof it is as much as if the holy Ghost had pronounced this saying. That never any righteous man had yet perished, and that never any right dealing man had been destroyed. Neither could any such thing happen. Why so? For God hath promised to have a care of the righteous, as it is said, The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers, to hear them and to succour them at their need. The Scripture is full of this matter: that is §50to wit, that Gods hand is stretched out to preserve the righteous, which call upon him and put their trust in him. For needs must the Devil have been stronger than God, if the righteous might have perished: and therefore let us always have recourse to this sentence of Jesus Christ. The father who hath put you into my hands is stronger than all. His meaning is, that our welfare shall never be in hazard, for so much as God taketh us into his keeping. Wherefore?