Sermons upon the Book of Job

let us not think for all this, that God hath forgotten us, or that our state is the worse. And why so? For like as we curse the wicked in their prosperity, and know it is nothing else but a dream which glideth away by and by: so also on the contrary part, when it shall seem that God hath shaken us off,§40 when the world judgeth the same of us, and when our own flesh and our own nature provoke us to such temptations: Let us assure our selves that God will turn all to our welfare, and that his afflicting of us is, because we have need to be wound out of this entangling world here, and that in so doing, he doth the duty of a Physician towards us, intending to purge us from all our naughty corruptions, and from all the outrageous lusts of our flesh, which make us too kick against our master like Horses that are overpampered. God then foreseeth §50all this. Also let us hold it for certain and sure, that we be blessed when the world seeth nothing but cursedness in us: and that even when (according too the flesh) we can perceive nothing but unhappiness: even then we see by faith, that we cannot light otherwise than upon our feet, because God loveth us, and showeth himself to be our father. We see in effect what we have to bear in mind. But let us be well advised, that we cast not forth such sentence of cursing, but against fools. As for us, we cannot judge who be fools except we have §60Gods spirit to guide us with such discretion as we may not judge at all adventure. I have told you already who be the fools that Eliphas speaketh of: that is to wit, those whom men would take to be the wisest, and which glory of the fineness and subtleness of their wits. Yea, but for so much as they fear not the living God, and are so carried away as they look not even to themselves: we see the reason why there is nothing but folly in them. VVill ye judge of such men? First of all let us have an eye unto God, and secondly let every of us enter in too himself, and examine himself well. For that is the true wisdom, and therein it consisteth. I say we must first and foremost have an eye unto God: that is too wit, too submit our selves wholly unto him, to serve him in true humility, to frame our selves unto his word, to put our whole trust in his grace, to call upon him, and to flee too him for refuge.

let vs not thinke for all this, that God hath forgotten vs, or that our state is the woorse. And why so? For like as we cursse the wicked in their prosperitie, and know it is nothing else but a dream which glydeth awaye by and by: so also on the contrarie part, when it shall seeme that God hathe shaken vs off,