The sermon we will hear today is the
first sermon from the first chapter of the
Book of Job, from a series of sermons
on Job preached in the 1500s by the
Reverend John Calvin.
The sermons were translated from the original French
into English by Mr. Arthur Golding and published
in 1574.
The 1574 publication is the basis for the
sermon as we will hear it today.
And so let us begin.
The Book of Job, chapter 1, verse 1.
There was in the land of Hus a
man named Job, sound and upright, fearing God
and withdrawing himself from evil.
The better to profit ourselves by that which
is contained in this present book, first and
foremost it is advantageous for us to understand
the sum of it, for the story written
here shows us how we be in God's
hand, and that it lies in him to
determine of our life and to dispose of
the same according to his good pleasure.
That it is our duty to submit ourselves
unto him with all humbleness and obedience, that
it is good reason that we should be
wholly his, both to live and die, and
especially that when it pleases him to lay
his hand upon us, although we perceive not
for what cause he does it, yet we
should glorify him continually, acknowledging him to be
just and upright, and not to grudge against
him, nor fall to striving with him, assuring
ourselves that we shall always be vanquished in
pleading against him.
So then, the thing that we have briefly
to bear in mind in this story is,
that God has such a sovereignty over his
creatures as he may dispose of them at
his pleasure, and that when he shows any
strictness or hardness, which we think strange at
the first blush, yet notwithstanding, we must hold
our peace and not grudge, grumble or complain,
but rather confess that he is righteous, and
wait till he show us for what reason
or purpose he chastises us.
And here with this we have to behold
the patience of the man that is set
here before our eyes.
According as St. James exhorts us in James
chapter 5 verse 11, turn with me there
if you will, James chapter 5 verse 11,
Behold, we count them happy which endure.
Ye have heard of the patience of Job,
and have seen the end of the Lord,
that the Lord is very pitiful, and of
tender mercy.
For when God shows us that we ought
to bear all the miseries that he shall
send upon us, we can well afford to
confess that it is our duty so to
do.
But yet there as well we allege our
own frailty, and we bear ourselves in hand
that that ought to serve for our reason.
Wherefore it is good for us to have
such examples, as show unto us how there
have been other men as frail as we,
who nevertheless have resisted temptations, and continued steadfastly
in obedience unto God, although he have scourged
them even with extremity.
Thus we have an excellent mirror.
Moreover, we have to consider not only the
patience of Job, but also the outcome of
it, as St. James says.
For had Job continued in misery, even though
he had had more than an angelical strength
in himself, yet that would have been no
happy outcome.
But when we see he was not disappointed
of his hope, and that he found grace
because he humbled himself before God, upon the
sight of such an outcome, we may conclude
that there is nothing better than to submit
ourselves unto God, and to suffer peaceably whatever
he sends us, until he deliver us of
his own mere goodness.
And here as well, besides the story, we
have to consider the doctrine comprised in this
book, that is namely, concerning those that came
unto Job under pretense to comfort him, and
yet tormented him much more than did his
own miseries, and concerning the answers that he
used to repulse their checks, by which it
seemed they would have daunted him.
But first of all, as in respect of
our afflictions, we have to note that although
God send them, and that they proceed from
him, yet despite this, the devil also stirs
them up in us, according as St. Paul
tells us in Ephesians 6, verse 12, that
we have war against the spiritual powers.
For when the devil has once kindled the
fire, he also has his roar.
That is to say, he finds men that
are fit to prick us always forward, both
to feed the evil and to increase it.
So then we shall see how Job, besides
the miseries that he endured, was also tormented,
both by his friends and by his wife,
and above all, by such as came to
tempt him spiritually.
For I call a spiritual temptation, not only
when we be smitten and afflicted in our
bodies, but also when the devil comes to
put a foolish thought in our head that
God is our deadly enemy, and that it
is not for us to resort any more
unto him, but rather to assure ourselves that
henceforth he will not show us any mercy.
See whereunto all the discourse tended, which Job's
friends laid before him.
It was to make him believe that he
was a man forsaken of God, and that
he deceived himself in imagining that God would
be merciful unto him.
Surely these spiritual battles are far more harder
to be borne than all the miseries and
adversities that we can suffer by any persecution.
And yet, as God let Satan run so
far upon the bridle, that he also brings
his servants with him, who give us such
assaults as we see Job has endured.
Mark this well for a special point.
But here as well we have further to
mark, that in all this disputation Job maintains
a good case.
And yet it is more that Job maintains
a good quarrel did handle it ill, and
that the other setting forth an unjust matter
did convey it well.
The understanding of this will be as a
key to open unto us all this whole
book.
How is it that Job maintains the good
case?
It is in that he knows that God
does not ever punish men according to the
measure of their sins, but has his secret
judgments, whereof he does not make us privy,
and therefore that it is necessary for us
to wait till he reveal unto us for
what cause he does this or that.
Thus is he in this whole discourse persuaded
that God does not always punish men according
to the measure of their sins, and thereupon
assures himself that he is not a man
rejected of God, as they would make him
to believe.
Behold here a good and true case, notwithstanding
that it be ill handled.
For Job ranges here out of his bounds,
and with such excessive and outrageous talk, that
in many points he seems a desperate person,
and specially he so chafes as it seems
that he would even resist God.
Thus may you see a good case mishandled.
But on the contrary part, they that undertake
the evil case, that is to say that
God does always punish men according to the
measure of their sins, they that undertake the
evil case have goodly and holy sentences, and
there is nothing in their whole talk which
would not entice us to receive it, as
if the Holy Ghost himself had uttered it.
For it is plain truth.
They be the grounds of religion.
They treat of God's providence.
They treat of his justice.
They treat of men's sins.
Thus we see a doctrine which we must
receive without opposing.
And yet the drift of it is evil,
namely for that these men labor by that
means to cast Job into despair, and to
drown him altogether.
But by this means we see that when
we have a sure ground, it is necessary
for us to look that we build upon
it in such way, as all things be
answerable to that according as St. Paul says
of himself, that he built well, for as
much as he founded the church upon the
pure doctrine of Jesus Christ.
And therefore that it has such a conformity
in it, as those that come after him
shall not make any other foundation, either of
chaff or of stubble, or of any other
brittle stuff, but have a good foundation, steadfast
and substantial, ready laid to their hand.
Likewise in our whole life.
We have to look unto this point.
Namely that if we be grounded upon good
and right reason, it is necessary for each
one of us to stand upon his guard,
that he reel not, nor wander, not one
way or the other.
For there is nothing easier than to mar
a good and rightful matter, so sinful as
our nature, as we find by experience at
all times.
God of his grace may give us a
good case, and yet we may be so
stung by our enemies that we cannot hold
ourselves within our bounds, nor simply follow that
which God has enjoined us, without adding some
trick of our own, seeing then that we
be so easily carried away.
We ought the rather to pray unto God,
that when we have a good case, he
himself will grant to guide in all singleness
by his Holy Spirit, so as we may
not pass the bounds which he has set
us by his word.
Together with this, we also be put in
mind not to apply God's truth to any
evil use, for in so doing we dishonor
it, like as these men do here, who,
although they speak holily, as we have showed
already, and as we shall see more fully
hereafter, although they speak holily, are notwithstanding but
traitors to God, for they corrupt God's truth
and abuse it falsely, applying that thing to
an evil end, which of itself is good
and righteous.
So then, whenever God gives us the knowledge
of his word, let us learn to receive
it with such reverence, as our receiving of
it may not be to deface good things,
nor to set a color upon evil things,
as oftentimes those that be most sharp-witted
and cunning do overshoot themselves, and abuse the
knowledge that God has given them, unto deceit
and naughtiness, turning all things topsy-turvy in
such a way as they do nothing but
snare themselves.
Considering, therefore, how all men are given to
such infirmity, it stands us so much the
more on hand to pray God, to give
us the grace to apply his word to
such use as he has ordained it, that
is to say, to pureness and simplicity.
And thus you see what we ought to
consider in essence.
But now that we understand what is in
this book, we must lay forth these matters
more at length, in such way as the
things that we have but lightly touched may
be expanded upon according to the process of
the history.
It is said that there was a man
in the land of Hus named Job, a
sound and upright man, and fearing God, and
withdrawing himself from evil.
We do not know, neither can we guess,
in what time Job lived, saving that a
man may perceive he was of great antiquity.
Nevertheless, some of the Jews have been of
the opinion that Moses was the author of
this book, that he did set it as
a looking-glass before the people to the
intent that the children of Abraham, of whose
race he himself came, that the children of
Abraham might know that God had showed favor
to others that were not of the same
line, and therefore be ashamed if they themselves
did not walk purely in the fear of
God, seeing that this man, who had not
the mark of God's covenant, nor was circumcised,
but was a pagan and a heathen, seeing
that this man had behaved himself so well.
But, for as much as this is not
certain, we must leave it in suspense and
uncertainty.
Nevertheless, let us take that which is of
no doubt.
That is to say that the Holy Ghost
has authored this book to the end that
the Jews should know how God has had
people to serve him, even though they have
not been separated out from the rest of
the world, and that although they had not
the sign of circumcision, yet notwithstanding, they walked
in all pureness of conversation, by the knowledge
of which the Jews have had occasion to
be so much the more diligent to keep
the law of God, and as he had
granted them such favor and prerogative as to
gather them out from among all other strange
nations, they ought to dedicate themselves wholly unto
him.
Also a man may perceive by the book
of Ezekiel that the name of Job was
renowned among the people of Israel.
For in Ezekiel 14, we see it is
said in verses 14 and 20 that if
Noah, Job, and Daniel were among the people
that should perish, they should save no more
men's lives but their own, and all the
rest of the people should be destroyed.
See how the prophet speaks of these three
men as of such as were known and
renowned among the Jews, as I have touched
already, and by that we see what the
intent of the Holy Ghost is, namely that
the Jews should have a mirror and pattern
whereby to know how they ought to keep
the doctrine of salvation that was given unto
them, seeing that this man which was of
a strange nation had so kept himself in
such purity, and that is the chief thing
that we have to remember concerning the name
that is set down here when he says
that Job was of the land of Hus.
True it is that some men do place
this land far eastward.
Nevertheless, in the fourth chapter of the Lamentations
of Jeremiah, the same word, Hus, is stated
as a part of Edom.
We know that the Edomites are descended of
Esau, and true it is that they also
had circumcision.
Nevertheless, in view of the fact that they
were strayed away from God's church, they had
it no more as the sign of his
covenant.
Therefore, if we take Job to have been
of this land of Hus, then he was
an Edomite, that is to say, of the
line of Esau.
And we know how the prophet Malachi in
the first chapter of that book, in verses
two and three, we know how the prophet
says that although Esau and Jacob were natural
brethren, born both at one birthing, yet God
of his mere goodness chose Jacob, rejecting Esau
and cursing him with all his whole lineage.
Behold how the prophet, in speaking to magnify
God's mercy towards the Jews, tells them that
he chose them not for any worthiness that
was in their own persons, considering that he
had rejected Jacob's eldest brother, to whom the
birthright belonged, and had chosen him that was
the younger and inferior.
So then, although this man Job was born
of Esau's line, yet despite this we see
how soundly he lived, and how he served
God not only by upright conversation and equitableness
among men, but also in pure religion, which
he did not defile with the idolatries and
superstitions of the infidels, as touching the name
of Job.
Some interpret it to signify weeping or wailing,
others take it for an utter enemy, not
such a one as he hates, but such
a one that is as it were a
white target for men to shoot at.
There is no cause why we should doubt
whether this man, whose country is so marked
out, and whose name is expressed, there is
no cause why we should doubt whether this
man existed or not, or lied or not,
or whether the things that are written here
did come to pass or not.
So as we should think it to be
but a tale contrived, as if a man
should under a counterfeit name set out something
unto us that was never done, for I
have already alleged the records of Ezekiel and
St. James, who show very well that there
was a Job indeed.
And further, seeing that the story itself declares
it, we cannot in any way deface the
thing which the Holy Ghost meant to utter
so precisely.
And indeed, we see in Genesis chapter 14,
verse 18, that in Abraham's time, Melchizedek had
God's church and sacrifices, which were without any
defilement, and so, even though that the greater
part of the world was wrapped in many
errors, and false and wicked imaginations, yet despite
this, God had reserved some little seed to
himself.
And he always had some that were hid
still under the pure truth, yes, and which
waited continually when God should establish his church
and choose out one people, that is to
say, the offspring of Abraham.
To the end, they might know that they
were picked out from the rest of the
whole world, but very true it is that
Jacob lived after this time, although the church
of God was not then so well established
as it was afterward.
For we know that while the children of
Israel lived in Egypt, it was like that
all should come to nothing.
And especially, we see to what an ordeal
they were come to, when in the end,
Pharaoh commanded that their male children should be
killed.
In Exodus 1 verse 16, And in the
wilderness, where it seemed that God had rejected
them, when they were come into the country
of Canaan, they had great battles against their
enemies, and especially the service of God and
his tabernacle were not yet there so well
appointed as was requisite.
God therefore, not having yet settled an apparent
state of the church, would there should always
remain some last seeds of it among the
pagans and heathens, to the intent he might
be worshipped.
And that was also to convince those that
are turned aside out of the right way
like pagans and heathens, for Job alone was
enough to condemn a whole country.
Noah also condemned the whole world, as the
scripture says, because he hid himself always in
pureness and walked as before God, as such
time as every man had forgotten him and
all men were gone astray in their own
superstitions.
Look with me at Hebrews chapter 11 and
verse 7.
By faith, Noah, being warned of God of
things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his
house, by the which he condemned the world
and became heir of the righteousness which is
by faith.
Here then is Noah, judge of the whole
world, to condemn the unbelievers and rebels, as
much is to be said of Job, who
has condemned all the people of that country,
in that he has served God purely and
the remainder were full of idolatry, shameful deeds
and many errors.
And this came to pass because they hold
scorn to know the true and living God,
and how and after what manner it was
his will to be honored.
So great regard has God always had, as
I have said, to make the wicked and
the unbelievers always inexcusable, and for this cause
it was his will that there should always
be some men that should follow the things
that he had showed to the ancient fathers.
Such a one was Job, as the scripture
tells us, and as this present story shows
very well, he served God purely and lived
uprightly among men.
It is said that he was a sound
man.
This word sound in the scripture is taken
for a plainness, where there is no point
of faking, counterfeiting or hypocrisy in a man,
but that he shows himself the same outwardly
that he is inwardly, and especially when he
had no hiding places to shift himself from
God, but lays open his heart and all
his thoughts and affections.
So as he desires nothing but to consecrate
and dedicate himself wholly unto God.
The word said has also been translated perfect
by the Greeks as well by the Latins,
but for as much as the word perfect
has afterwards been misconstrued, it is much better
for us to use the word sound.
For many ignorant persons, not knowing how the
said perfection is to be taken, have thought
thus, Behold, here a man that is called
perfect, and therefore it follows that it is
possible for us to have perfection in ourselves,
even during the time that we walk in
this present life.
But they deface the grace of God, whereof
we continually have need.
For even they that have lived most uprightly,
must have recourse to God's mercy, and accept
their sins, be forgiven them, and that God
uphold them.
They must necessarily all perish.
So then, although that they which have used
the word perfect, have meant well, yet despite
this, in view of the fact that there
have been some that have bent it to
a contrary sense, as I have said, let
us keep still the word sound.
Then look upon Job, who is called sound.
And how, for it is because there was
no hypocrite, nor hiding in falseness of appearance,
nor any doubleness of heart in him.
For when the scripture means to set down
the vice that is contrary to this virtue
of soundness, it says heart and heart.
Meaning by that, a double heart.
Let us mark then, that first of all,
this title is attributed unto Job, to show
that he had a pure and simple mind.
That he did not uncover two faces in
madness, nor served God by halves, but labored
to give himself wholly unto him.
True it is that as now we cannot
be so sound, as to attain to the
mark as were to be wished.
For as touching these, those that follow the
right way, although they go on limping forward,
yet are they so lame, that they drag
their legs and their wings after them.
The case then stands so with us, so
long as we be wrapped in this mortal
body.
That until such time as God have quite
discharged us, of all the miseries to which
we be subject, as I have said before,
there shall never be any perfect soundness in
us.
But yet for all that, it profits us
nevertheless, to come to the said plainness, and
to give over all counter fitness and lying,
and further let us note, that true holiness
begins within us, inasmuch that if we show
all the fairest countenances in the world before
men, and that our lives be so well
guided, that every man shall commend us, yet
if we do not have this plainness and
soundness before God, all is just nothing.
For it is necessary, that the fountain be
first pure, and afterwards, that the streams that
run out of it be pure also.
Otherwise the water may well be clear, and
yet nevertheless be bitter, or else have some
other filthy corruption in it.
Therefore it is advantageous for us, to always
begin with this text, John chapter 4 verse
24, learning, that God will be served in
spirit, and in truth.
For he is a spirit, and he regards
the truth of the spirit, as it is
said in the fifth chapter of Jeremiah.
Turn with me if you will, to the
prophet Jeremiah, chapter 5.
And so we read in Jeremiah chapter 5,
beginning in verse 1, Run ye to and
fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see
now, and know, and seek in the broad
places thereof, if ye can find a man,
if there be any that execute of judgment,
that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon
it.
And though they say, The Lord liveth, surely
they swear falsely.
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the
truth?
Then ought we to learn first and foremost,
to frame our hearts to the obeying of
God.
For after that Job has been reported to
have been sound, it is also said of
him that he was upright.
This uprightness is meant of the life that
he led, which is, as it were, the
fruit of the said root, which the Holy
Ghost had planted before.
Job then had an upright and sound heart,
for his life was simple.
That is to say, he walked and lived
among his neighbors without hurting of any person,
without doing any wrong or trouble to anybody,
without setting of his mind to any guile
or naughtiness, and without seeking his own profit
by the hindrance of other folks.
We see now what this uprightness imports, which
is added in this place.
And by this means we be admonished to
have an agreeableness between our hearts and our
outward senses.
True it is, as I have said before,
that we may well withhold ourselves from ill
-doing and that we may well have a
fair show before men, but that shall be
nothing if there be any hypocrisy or covert
dissimulation and hiding in a false appearance before
God when it comes to the root that
is within the heart.
What must we do then?
As I have told you before, we must
begin at the previously mentioned point and then
to have perfect soundness It is necessary that
our eyes, our hands, our feet, our arms,
and our legs be answering to that.
So as in our whole life, we may
show that our will is to serve God
and how that it is not in vain
that we pretend a meaning to keep the
same soundness within.
And here you may see why Saint Paul
also exhorts the Galatians in Galatians chapter 5,
verse 25 to walk after the Spirit if
they live after the Spirit.
As if he should say, Verily it is
necessary that the Spirit of God dwell in
us and govern us.
For it is to no purpose to have
a merry life that please men and is
had in great estimation unless we be renewed
by the grace of God.
But what?
It is necessary for us to walk.
That is to say, it is necessary for
us to show in effect and by our
work how the Spirit of God reigns in
our minds.
For if our hands be stained with robbery,
with cruelty, or with other annoyances, if the
eyes be carried with lewd and unchaste looks,
with coveting other men's goods, with pride or
with vanity, or if the feet, as the
Scripture says, be swift to do evil, by
that we well declare that our heart is
full of naughtiness and corruption.
For it is neither the feet nor the
hands nor the eyes that guide themselves.
The guiding of them comes of the mind
and of the heart.
Wherefore, let us endeavor to have the said
agreeableness which the Scripture shows us when it
says that Job, having this soundness and plain
meaning, did also live uprightly, that is to
say, was conversant among his neighbors without any
annoying of them and without seeking of his
own peculiar prophet and kept an even hand
with all the world.
Also, you see the reason why God proves
whether we serve Him faithfully or not.
It is not that He has need of
our service or of anything that we can
do, but because that when we deal well
with our neighbors, so as we keep our
faithfulness toward all men, according as nature itself
teaches us, in so doing, we yield assurance
that we fear God.
We see many which bear the face of
very zealous Christians, so long as it is
but to dispute and to hold long talk
and to bear men in hand that they
study to serve God and to honor Him.
And yet for all that, as soon as
they have to do with their neighbors, a
man shall perceive what they have in their
hearts, for they seek their own advantage and
make no conscience to gather to themselves and
to beguile folk when they have them in
their danger, by whatever means it be, now
then there is no doubt but that those
which seek their own advantage and profit are
hypocrites and that their heart is corrupted.
And howsoever earnest Christians they seem outwardly, God
reveals that they have nothing but gung and
poison in their hearts.
And why so?
For look where soundness is, there must necessarily
be uprightness also.
That is to say, if the affections be
pure within, then it will follow that when
we have to deal with men, we shall
procure the welfare of every man in such
manner as we shall not be given to
ourselves and to our private commodity and convenience,
but shall have that indifference which Jesus Christ
affirms to be the rule of life and
the whole sum of the law and the
prophets.
Namely, that we do not that thing to
any other man which we would not have
done to ourselves.
So then we perceive that by this commendation
of Job, many men are condemned for as
much as the Holy Ghost declares that this
man had not only a soundness before God,
but also an uprightness and plain dealing among
men.
This plain dealing which he speaks of shall
serve to give sentence of damnation upon all
such as are full of maliciousness and upon
all such as do not pass over to
snatch and gain to themselves the good of
other men or which do not pass over
to spoil other men of their livings.
This sort of men are condemned by this
present text.
For it follows that he feared God, yea,
that he was a man which feared God,
and withdrew himself from evil.
Now, seeing that Job had had the prayer
of keeping right and equitable among men, it
necessitated him also to walk before men, rather,
to walk before God, for without that, the
rest is worth nothing.
True it is, as I have said before,
that we cannot live with our neighbors to
do harm to none and to do good
to all unless we have an eye unto
God.
For as for them that follow their own
nature, albeit that they be endowed with godly
virtues, for so it will seem, yet are
they overtaken with self-love, and it is
nothing else but being loriness or some other
such respect which thrusts them forward insomuch that
all the show of virtue which appeared in
them is marred by that.
But although we cannot have the said uprightness
without the fearing of God, yet notwithstanding, the
serving of God and the regarding of our
neighbors are two separate things, as God has
also distinguished them in His law at such
time as it pleased Him to have them
written out in the two tables.
Then let us bear in mind that like
as up to this time under the word
uprightness, the Holy Ghost meant to show after
what manner Job lived among men.
So also, when he says that Job feared
God, he means to set out the religion
that was in him.
And by that means, we be warned that
if we will frame our life rightly, we
must first have an eye unto God and
then to our neighbors.
I say we must have an eye unto
God to give ourselves over unto Him and
to yield Him His due honor.
And we must have an eye to our
neighbors to discharge ourselves of our duty towards
them.
According that, that we be commanded to help
them and to live in equity and uprightness.
And finally, for as much as God has
knit us each to one another, that every
man study to employ his whole ability to
the common convenience of all.
Thus you see how the case stands with
us in having of an eye both to
God and men for the well ordering of
our life.
For he that looks on himself it is
sure that he has nothing but vanity in
him.
For if a man were able to order
his life in such a way as he
might seem faultless to the world and yet
notwithstanding God dislike him, what shall he gain
by his excessive working of himself to walk
in such manner as all men might magnify
him?
As to Godward, he is nothing else but
uncleanness.
And necessarily must this sentence which is written
in St. Luke be verified, namely that the
thing which is most high and excellent before
men is abominable before God.
Turn with me, if you will, to the
16th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
Luke, chapter 16, verse 15.
And he said unto them, Ye are they
which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth
your hearts.
For that which is highly esteemed among men
is abomination in the sight of God.
Then let us bear in mind that we
can never order our life as we ought
to do except we have our eyes fastened
upon God and our neighbor.
Upon God.
And what for?
To the end we may know that we
be created to his glory, to serve him
and to worship him.
For although he have no need of us
as our neighbors have, nor is either the
better or the worse for our service, yet
it is his will that to have reasonable
creatures which should know him and in knowing
him yield him that which belongs unto him.
Furthermore, whereas he speaks of the fear of
God, we have to understand that it is
not a slavish fear, as men term it,
but it is so termed in respect of
the honor which we owe him because he
is our father and master.
Do we fear God?
Then it is certain that we desire nothing
but to honor him and to be wholly
his.
Do we know him?
That must be in such way as he
has uttered himself.
That is to say that he is our
maker, our maintainer and one that has showed
such fatherly goodness towards us that we of
duty ought to be as children towards him
if we will not be utterly unthankful.
Also, it is necessary for us to acknowledge
his dominion and superiority over us to the
end that every one of us yielding him
his due honor may learn to please him
in all respects.
Thus you see how that under this fearing
of God here is comprehended all religion.
That is to say all the service and
honor which the creatures owe unto their God.
And surely it was a right excellent virtue
in Job to fear God after that manner
considering how the whole world was turned aside
from the right way.
When we hear this when we perceive that
although we live among the most wicked ones
in the whole world we shall be utterly
inexcusable if we be not given to the
serving of God as we ought to be.
And this is well to be marked because
many men are of opinion that when they
are among the thorns God will hold them
acquitted and excused and that if afterwards they
corrupt themselves or as the proverb says if
they agree and hold with the hare and
hunt with the hound which is all one
God will pardon them.
But to the contrary look upon Job who
is called that man that feared God.
In what country?
It was not in Jewry.
It was not in the city of Jerusalem.
It was not in the temple.
But it was in a defiled place in
the middle of such as were utterly perverted.
Albeit then that he was among such people
yet he had such control of himself and
lived in such way that he walked purely
among his neighbors notwithstanding that at that time
all was full of cruelty of outrage of
robbery and of other similar enormities in that
place on which we have to consider that
it shall turn so much to our greater
shame if we on our behalf have not
a care to keep ourselves pure in the
service of God and of our neighbors seeing
He gives us such occasion as we have
that is to say that God's word is
continually preached unto us that we be exhorted
unto it and that He reforms us when
we have gone amiss.
It stands us on hand then to give
ear to that which is showed us here
and therefore in conclusion let us mark that
which is added here in the text namely
that he withdrew himself from evil for we
see that the cause why rather why Job
overcame all hindrances and encounters that might hinder
him from the serving of God and from
living uprightly among men was because he had
control of himself for he knew right well
that if he had taken liberty to do
like other men he should have been given
to all vices so as he should have
been the enemy of God.
Job then did not watch so in the
fear of God and in such plain dealing
and soundness without great abundance of run-ins
or without the devils heaving at him to
overthrow him and to cast him into the
filthiness of the whole world but he withdrew
himself from evil that is to say he
withheld himself what must we do then?
Although we be in the church of God
yet we see great abundance of evils and
however it happens there shall never be such
plainness and pureness but we shall be mingled
with abundance of scorners and unthankfuls which are
firebrands of hell and deadly plagues to infect
infect all men therefore it is necessary for
us to be very wary seeing there are
too many stumbling blocks and so great looseness
by which to train us immediately unto unthankfulness
what remedy then?
let us withdraw ourselves from evil that is
to say let us fight against such assaults
after the example of Job and when we
see abundance of vices and corruptions reign in
the world even though we be inclined and
desirous to be mixed and intermeddled with them
yet let us not be defiled with them
nor say as men are commonly inclined to
say namely that we must do as other
men do but rather let us take counsel
by Job's example to withdraw ourselves from evil
and to retire in such way as Satan
may not be able to make us to
yield for all the temptations that he shall
cast before us but that we may suffer
God to cleanse us from all our filthiness
and infection according as he has promised us
in the name of Jesus Christ until he
hath pulled us quite out of the soil
and uncleanness of this world to match us
with his angels and to make us partakers
of that endless felicity for the which we
must labor here continually therefore let us
present ourselves before the face of our good
God with acknowledgement of our sins praying him
to give us such feeling that in acknowledging
our own poorness we may always have recourse
to the remedy that he gives us which
is that he pardoning all our offenses will
so govern us by his Holy Spirit that
although Satan be named the prince of the
world and have such a scope among men
that the greater part of them are so
perverted as we see yet despite this we
may not be harried away with them but
rather that our good God will hold us
back under his obeisance and that we may
know the thing where unto we be called
so as we may follow it and maintain
the brotherliness which he has ordained among us
so linking ourselves one with another as we
may desire nothing but to procure the welfare
of our neighbors to the end we may
be settled more and more in his grace
which he has granted us by our Lord
Jesus Christ until he make us to receive
the fruit of it in his heavenly glory
and that it may please him to bestow
this benefit and grace not only upon us
but also upon all people and nations of
the earth let's stand together and bow our
hearts in prayer This Reformation audio resource is
a production of Stillwaters Revival Books and was
read by Mr. Mike Crowns on November 4,
2001 There is no copyright on this material
and we encourage you to reproduce it and
pass it on to your friends Many free
resources as well as our complete mail order
catalog are available on the web at www
.swrb.com The site and catalog contain many
classic and contemporary Puritan and Reformed books and
CDs at great discounts We can also be
reached by email Our email address is swrb
at swrb.com Or contact us by phone
at 780-450-3730 By fax at 780
-468-1096 Or by mail at 4710 37A
Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Our postal code is
T6L3T5 If you do not have a web
connection please contact us to request a free
printed catalog Thank you