Sermons upon the Book of Job

And this is it that is ⟨p. 91⟩meant in the Psalm where it is said, that the children of good men and of such as are blessed of God, shall be maintained in the Gate, and put their enemies to confusion. Likewise on the contrary part it is said in this text that the children of the wicked shall stumble, and be crushed in pieces, yea even by plain justice. Whereby it is the better expressed, how God persecuteth them openly, so as it is apparent to the eye, that it is he which layeth his hand upon them. For he addeth immediately, That no man shall succour them. For when God mindeth too put §10men so to destruction, he leaveth them destitute of all means of help and succour. In deed some do refer this unto men: but it is to be understood, how it is God that hath bestripped them and left them destitute of all succour, to the intent they should never be holpen up again. But as for our parts, (according to that which I have touched already) we have so much the more cause to cast down our eyes, & to pray God to make us walk aright in his obedience, and that although we perceive not his curse upon us nor upon our children, yet notwithstanding §20we may take it for a conclusion, that God hath means to us incomprehensible, insomuch that when it shall seem unto us that all things go well, and that we have provided aforehand, not only for our whole life, but also for after our death, that our children also may be in good sureness of welfare, so as it may seem we have set all things in good order, and nothing is amiss: we may consider that all this is nothing, and that as soon as God do but blow upon our determination and devises, he shall turn them all upside down. When we §30know this, let us not abuse his patience: and if he spare us for a time, let it not make us to oversleep our selves and to sooth our selves in our vices: but let it learn us to return unto him in due season, and to prevent this vengeance wherewith he menaceth all despisers in this place. But herewithall let us mark, that oftentimes the good men and their children may happen to be persecuted unjustly. Nevertheless the holy Ghost presupposeth that which is true, and which we also may stick unto as most certain and infallible: which is, that in scourging and §40troubling of us, God hath a respect to provide for us by it in the end: