Sermons upon the Book of Job

3 I have seen the fool taking root, and immediately I have cursed his house. 4 His children shall be far from help, they shall be trodden down in the gate and no man shall deliver them. 5 The hungry shall eat up his harvest, and pick it out of the midst of the thorns, and the thirsty shall drink up his riches. 6 Misery cometh not from out of the dust, neither doth trouble grow out of the earth. 7 But man is borne to travel, and the sparks fly upward.

3 I haue seene the foole taking roote, and immediately I haue cursed his house. 4 His children shall bee farre from helpe, they shall bee troden dovvne in the gate and no man shall deliuer them. 5 The hungry shall eate vp his haruest, and picke it out of the midst of the thornes, and the thirstie shall drinke vp his riches. 6 Miserie commeth not from out of the duste, neyther dooth trouble grovve out of the earth. 7 But man is borne to trauell, and the sparkes flie vpvvarde.

WE have seen heretofore what they win which repine against God, and accuse him of cruelty, & pass their bounds into all impatience▪ that is to wit, that they make their case the worser, and that they must be consumed in their fretting and rage.§20 But forasmuch as oftentimes the despisers of God do prosper & are well at their ease: here is mention made of their state, notwithstanding that men esteem them happy to the worldward. Eliphas saith that when he saw a foolish man in prosperity, he judged not after the common trade, (which is to say, This man is happy, he is blessed of God:) but knew by and by that the end of him should be evil, & that he should be punished even in his offspring. And although Eliphas do misapply this sentence unto Jobs person: yet is it the doctrine of God and of the holy §30Ghost, and not of man. For God doth oftentimes utter such kind of sayings to turn us from the false opinion which we may conceive, when we see not them punished out of hand which run into such excess of wickedness, but rather (to our seeming) are favoured of God. I know what the common opinion is, for we esteem things after as they may be seen by the eye, & our mind wadeth no further. If God lift up his hand & execute any justice that may be seen: scarcely will men vouchsafe to regard it. But if he wink at things, and tarry patiently for the sinners,