Sermons upon the Book of Job

Lo wherein consisteth the said happiness whereof Eliphas hath made §10mention. Let us learn here, that when God purposeth to exhort us to patience, he not only telleth us that we cannot eschew his hand, that we do but lose time in rebelling against him, that we must pass that way spite of our teeth, and that we cannot withstand necessity: for that were but the patience of a Lombard as they say, when we should grind our teeth after that manner, and therewithal lift up our selves against God as much as in us lieth, so as we should not be patient, but perforce. Therefore if we will be patient to Godward, we must §20be drawn to him after another manner: that is too wit, we must be soon comforted as Saint Paul speaketh in the fifteenth to the Romans, where he putteth these two things together as inseparable: that is to wit, that to the intent we may have patience in all our adversities, we must have a taste of Gods goodness, we must rejoice of his grace, and we must assure our selves that his scourging of us is for our welfare. And this is the thing that is showed us in this strain: when it is said: Refuse not the correction of the almighty. For it is he that is the Surgeon §30of all your sores, it is he that will send you health of all your diseases. God then showeth us here, how his meaning is not that mens submitting of themselves unto him should be too say: Seeing we can none otherwise do, needs must God have the mastery of us, for we cannot exempt ourselves from his jurisdiction. The case standeth not upon coming too him so, but our Lord sayeth: No: but be ye patient, humble your selves unto me, and take warning by my judgements that ye murmur not against me, ne stomach the matter:§40 or otherwise ye shall be fain too be beaten down by my hand, yea even in such wise as ye shall be utterly overwhelmed. But if ye humbly acknowledge your faults, and come to me to crave pardon: ye shall feel assuagement of your miseries, in such sort as ye shall have cause too yield me thanks, even in the midst of your greatest troubles. Behold (say I) what we have too muse upon, that we may have the true patience. Seeing then that of our own nature we be stubborn against God, and are angry with him if he do but touch us with his §50little finger: