We see then how it is all one, as if men meant to bury all the wit and reason that God hath given them. Therefore it is not without cause that Eliphas condemneth men here, for dying without wisdom. For it is as much to say, as although God have told them whereunto they must come, & have set the Butte before their eyes, as if he should say, Go me thither: yet they run astray all their life long, & know not whither they go. And when it cometh to the point that they must depart hence, they grunt and grudge at it, striving & fighting against God: & although it boot them not to do so: yet show they a furious sturdiness. Thus then do we now see in effect, what we have to mark in this text. It remaineth to see the conclusion that Eliphas maketh here: which is, that he sayeth to Job, that when he hath turned him on all sides, He shall not find any faithful man of his sort, nor of his company, but that he is as a man utterly forsaken of God. Hereby we see, that when he spake of men heretofore, he toke them as they are in their own proper nature: that is to wit, without having any respect too the special grace which God giveth too those that are his in opening his kingdom unto him, in giving them the hope of salvation, in governing them by his holy spirit, & in making them to go to a better and an everlasting life. Eliphas then meant here, to set men down in their own proper state and plight, such as they be of their own selves, during the time that they be separated from God. And this appeareth in that he saith to Job, Thou canst not find so much as one faithful man of thy sort, or whom thou mayest call thy companion. Why so? For (saith he) Anger slayeth the fools, and Envy, (or spite, or fretting, or choler, or moodiness, which gnaweth a man like a wild beast) is the thing (saith he) which killeth the witless. But certes, according as I have declared already, Eliphas doth amiss in applying this to the person of Job: yea and he doth him great wrong in it. Yet notwithstanding, this doctrine ceaseth not to be both true and very profitable. As how? That is to wit, that as oft as we be chastised at Gods hand, we must have an eye to those that have gone afore us, to see whether they have suffered the like torments and anguish or no. For if we see Gods children to have traced the path before us:
VVe see then how it is al one, as if men ment to bury all the wit and reason that God hath giuen them. Therfore it is not without cause that Eliphas cōdemneth men here, for dying without wisedome. For it is as much to say, as although God haue told them wherevnto they must come, & haue set the Butte before their eies, as if he should say, Go me thither: yet they run astray all their life long, & know not whither they go. And when it cōmeth to the poynt that they must depart hence, they grunt and grudge at it, striuing & fighting against God: & although it boote thē not to do so: yet shew they a furious sturdinesse. Thus thē do we now see in effect, what wee haue to marke in this text. It remayneth to see the cōclusion that Eliphas maketh here: which is, that he sayeth to Iob, that when he hath turned him on al sides, He shall not finde any faythfull man of his sort, nor of his cōpany, but that he is as a man vtterly forsaken of God. Hereby we see, that when he spake of men heretofore, hee toke them as they are in their owne proper nature: that is to wit, without hauing any respect too the speciall grace whiche God giueth too those that are his in opening his kingdome vnto him, in giuing thē the hope of saluatiō, in gouerning them by his holy spirite, & in making thē to go to a better and an euerlasting life. Eliphas then ment here, to set mē downe in their owne proper state and plight, suche as they bee of their owne selues, during the time that they be separated frō God. And this appeareth in that he sayth to Iob, Thou canst not find so much as one faythfull mā of thy sort, or whome thou mayest call thy companion. VVhy so? For (sayth he) Anger sleaeth the fooles, and Enuie, (or spite, or fretting, or choler, or moodinesse, whiche gnaweth a man like a wilde beaste) is the thing (sayth he) which killeth the witlesse. But certesse, according as I haue declared already, Eliphas doth amisse in applying this to the person of Iob: yea and he doth him great wrong in it. Yet notwithstanding, this doctrine ceasseth not to bee both true and very profitable. As how? That is to wit, that as oft as wee bee chastized at Gods hand, wee muste haue an eye to those that haue gone afore vs, to see whether they haue suffred the like torments and anguish or no. For if wee see Gods children to haue traced the path before vs:
