Sermons upon the Book of Job

Behold wherein we have to rejoice. But the chief point is, that we should have an eye to the benefit & good grace which God hath given us above the order of nature in restoring us by his word, as the Prophet Isaiah saith: All flesh is but as grass. Verily man is green & florisheth for a while: but he withereth by & by. Whereas the word of the Lord endureth for ever: yea, not only to continue in heaven, but also to the end that by it we may have everlasting life, and be redeemed out of the universal corruption of this earthly life, that God may dwell in us & make us partakers of his everlastingness. We see then whereto we must come to profit our selves by this lesson, as we shall see yet once again anon. Furthermore forasmuch as we see our selves wane away so fast, that from Morning to Evening we go continually to our decay: therefore must we be the busier to bestow the time well that god giveth us, because it is so short. God hath put us into this world to keep us occupied in his service: if we have long time, yet can we not be to diligent nor earnest in doing our duty, too discharge our ⟨p. 84⟩selves when it shall come to the point to do God service, both with our bodies & our souls. But forasmuch as we see that he needeth but to turn his hand, and behold we be at the last cast: ought we not to be much more earnester to run? according also as the Scripture exhorteth us, showing us that this life here is but a race, and therefore we may not go loiteringly, but every man must cheer up himself, & prick and spur forward himself. Thus we see what we had as yet to note upon this sentence, where it is said that men are consumed away from morning §10to night. But now let us come to that which Eliphas addeth. He saith, That they perish for ever, because no man thinketh upon it. A man might demand here, whether we shun death when we think not upon it. For in the nine and forty Psalm, it is said that the wise men and fools are gathered all into one herd So then it behoveth us to understand, that all mankind is shut up under this necessity of dying. And wherefore then is it said here, that all perish for ever, because none think of it? First of all Eliphas meant to tea•he us here, that men do as it were wax §20beastly when they look not to themselves. For look what he speaketh here, we must always refer it to the present case.