Sermons upon the Book of Job

the beating upon them is not able to change their nature, for we §10see how they beat back the blows again. Even so then until God have touched us to the quick within, it is certain that we shall do nothing but kick against him and gather rancour more and more: and whensoever he chastiseth us, we shall gnash our teeth at him, and we shall do nothing else but storm at him. And in good soothe the wickedness of men is so mischievous, so headstrong, and so desperate, that the more that God chastiseth them, the more do they spue out their blasphemies, and show themselves to be utterly past amendment, so as there is no way §20to bring them unto reason. Let us learn then, that till God have touched us with his holy spirit, it is unpossible that his chastisements should serve to bring us back to repentance, but rather they shall make us to wax worse and worse. Yet can it not be said that God is not righteous in so doing. And why so? for thereby men are convinced, in so much as if God held them not at a bay in that sort by punishing their sins, they might plead ignorance, that they never wist of it, and that they overshot themselves because God had not provoked them too acknowledge §30their faults. But when they have felt the hand of God, so as they have been fain to perceive his judgements spite of their teethe, and have been as it were summoned, and yet notwithstanding have not only gone onward from evil to worse, but also been puffed up with open and manifest rebellion against God: Hereby we see, that in effect they have their mouth stopped, and that they have not any more to say for themselves. Ye see then how God showeth his justice as often as he punisheth men, notwithstanding that the same be not found to be a §40correction to their amendment. Furthermore, when God chastiseth the castaways, it is all one as if he should out of hand begin to show his wrath upon them, and that the fire of it were already kindled. True it is that they are not utterly consumed for the present time, howbeit they are tokens of the horrible vengeance that is prepared for them at the latter day.

the beating vpon them is not able to change their nature, for we §10see how they beate backe the blowes againe. Euen so then vntill God haue touched vs to the quicke within, it is certeine that wee shall do nothing but kicke against him and gather rankour more and more: and whensoeuer he chastiseth vs, we shall gnash our teeth at him, and we shall doe nothing else but storme at him. And in good soothe the wickednesse of men is so mischeuous, so headstrong, and so desperate, that the more that God chastiseth them, the more do they spue out their blasphemies, and shew themselues to be vtterly past amendment, so as there is no way