Sermons on Job, To the reader
¶ TO AL GENTLE READERS, GREETING.
IF euer men needed too learne vvhat patience is: ſurely the ſtate of this preſent time ought to leade yea and too dravve them to it. For if vvee looke vvell about vsus, vvee ſhall finde that there hath not bin almoſt any Realme or countrie, vvherein God hath not vttered great ſcourges. If ye demaund the cauſe: it is euident, ſo as euen the blinde (as ye vvould ſay) may ſee it. Let the old men that are now aliue conſider the vvicked things vvhichwhich they hauehave ſeene committed commonly, ſince they vvere firſte able to remember, vntounto this day: and muſt they not needs ſay (as it vvas ſayd of the tyme of the generall flud) that all fleſh hath corrupted his vvayes vponupon earth, that all is full of extorcion and outrage, and that ſuch as beare the name of Chriſtiās do (as ſayth Sainct Peter) fulfill the vvaye of the heathen, by liuing in ſhamefulneſſe, pride, lecherie, drunkenneſſe, gluttonie, quaffing and abhominable idolatrie? But like as it is good to knovve the cauſes of the aduerſities that happen, to the intent that men may the better bethink themſelues, to amend as vvell publikely as priuately: ſo is it right neceſſarie to be …enſed vvith true patience, that vve ſink not vnderunder the burthen vvhen Gods ſcourges continue long vponupon vsus, for euen that alſo is one of the points of the amendment vvhichwhich he requireth of vsus. Neuertheleſſe, it is a thing that cannot be learned elſe vvhere than in Gods vvord. For although the ancient Philoſophers and other vviſe men of the vvorld hauehave ſpoken of it and giuen certaine rules of it: yet vvas there neuer any man found that for all his learning therof in their ſchoole, could ſhevve that he knevve vvhat it is at the neede and vvhen it commeth to the putting of it in vre. And in very deede euen thoſe that tooke vponupon them (as I ſayd) to teach others, beſids that their doctrine vvas vnperfect itſelf, moſt commonly vviſt not vvhere they vvere vvhen it came to the point that they ſhould hauehave practized it in daungers: & thoſe that did beſt, ſhevved I vvot not vvhat a reſemblance of patience, vvhichwhich being more neerly conſidered vvas cleane contrarie. Therfore not vvithout cauſe doeth the Apoſtle ſainct Paule ſend vsus too the vvhole ſcripture to learne patience and comfort: according alſo as in another text he ſayeth, that the end of the ſcripture is to make a man perfect and readye in all good vvorks. But yet among the books of Scripture, the booke of IOB is commended to vsus by name for that purpoſe by the Apoſtle Sainct Iames. And the verie bare reading of the ſtorie, ſhevveth ſufficiently that it is not vvith out cauſe. Neuertheleſſe, it is not to bee doubted, but that the help of a good expounder is very profitable euen to the skilfulleſt, and likevviſe neceſſarie in common, for the better knovving and vnderſtanding of the diuerſitie of the matters, and for the furtherance of a mannes ovvne profiting in the doctrine that is conteyned in it. That is it vvhichwhich hath moued certaine goodmen, to put foorth his yeere. The Sermons of the faithfull ſeruant of God and his Churche Maiſter Iohn Caluin, vponupon the booke of Iob, notvvithſtanding that he himſelfe vvhichwhich is the author of them, and at vvhoſe mouth they vvere gathered, vvithſtoode it as much as he could, according as hee hath done vvith his other Sermōs. Furthermore, although other mē of knovvledge hauehave trauelled to giuegive a more eaſie vnderſtāding of this booke by their vvrytings, yet notvvithſtāding, beſides that theſe Sermons are in the common French toung: his maner of handling the doctrine thereof is ſo playne and vvell framed to the capacitie of the groſſeſt ſorte (as yee vvould terme them) hovvbeit vvithout omitting any needfull things, and moreouer ſo applied one vvay & other to the behoof of the preſent time, that ſurely all ſuche as intend too iudge vprightly and vvithou…malice, ſhall find good helpe heere, vvhervvith too content themſelues. For profe vvherof, it is not novv needfull to ſhevv a ſumme of the booke, or of the chiefe points of doctrine and of the vſe of the ſame diuerſe vvays. For beſides that he ſhall better find it here and there in reading his Sermons: the firſt conteyneth a ſufficient diſcourſe, and yet very ſhort to be eaſly borne in mynd. Hovvſoeuer the cace ſtand, if thoſe that read the vvhole, be folke that hauehave already left Idolatrie, and giuen themſelues to the doctrine of the Goſpell: they ſhall find heere vvhervvith to further themſelues▪ ſtill more and more in the knovvledge of God and of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and ſpecially too ſtrengthen themſelues vvith right patience in their aduerſities. Or if they be ſuch as hauehave not yet knovvne or liſted to diſcerne the true Religion, to frame themſelues therafter by leauing the falſe Religions, vvhat occaſion ſo euer hath letted thē, yet being vvarned by the doctrine of this booke ſo chavved to them as they ſhall finde it, and cheefly being vvakened by Gods extraordinarie iudgement in Iobs perſone, vvhiche they ſhall ſee there layde forth and declared at length: they ſhall be prepared to bethinke thē ſelues better, & to take profite of the great number of aduerſities vvhichwhich are ſeene novvadaies in the vvorlde, & of farre greater vvhervvith it is verie likely that God threatneth men for the greate & open deſpizing of his Goſpell. For although the things that are happened this yeere, as well in his puniſhmēts layd vpō the vvicked ſort & the enimies of Chriſt, as in his chaſtizements layd vponupon the faithfull, be verie terrible: Yet notvvithſtanding foraſmuchas very fevve amende, and contrarivviſe moſt men grovve more ſpitefull in fighting againſt Ieſus Chriſt, and ſome hauing begonne to do vvell vvex recheleſſe againe, yea & viterly turne avvay: there is none other thing too bee looked for, but that he vvill continue to ſmite ſtill. So then, the firſt ſort ſhall hauehave to conſider, that if Iob being a ſound and rightuouſe man that feared God and eſchevved euill, (according as it is vvitneſſed of him) and liuing ſo long tyme before the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt and the great light of the Goſpell, vvas handled ſo ſtraungely at Gods hand vvho loued him: and that the ſame vvas too the end that his patience ſhould be tried: it is no maruell though vve novv in theſe latter dayes, vnderunder the reigne of Ieſus Chriſt, hauehave novv and then many croſſes to beare, & be for our peculiar faults chaſtized vvith ſtrype vponupon ſtrype at the hand of the liuing God, vvho notvvithſtanding loueth vsus, for the ſeruing of vvhom according to his vvoord, vve be turned from ydolls vntounto him, as ſayth Sainct Paule to the Theſſalonians. The ſecond ſort ſhall hauehave to thinke & bethinke, yea & to chavv as their cudde, that if God do ſo ſhake therodde in his hand ouer thoſe that are already reclamed to his ſure, to bridle them & make them vvalke right frovvard throughout: & that if he hauehave gone that vvay to vvorke vvith Iob as is reported heere, vvho notvvithſtanding had bene as an Angell in the vvorld, in indeuering to do his dutie to God and man: VVhat is likely to lyght vponupon themſelues, if they do not in generall amend and vtterly forſake their fooliſh, ſhamefull, and vvicked idolatrie, aud particularly the manifeſt contempt of God vvherof they be full, liuing at this day as Epicures & Atheiſts: & moreouer, ſome their vvhordome & bauderie, ſome their drunkenneſſe & gluttonie, (according as there be ſome countries that are ſpecially giuen thervnto) ſome their ambitiouſe pompe, ſome their vaine vvorldlineſſe, ſome their ſnatching and extortion as vvel pryuate as publike, & otherſome their crueltie and inſatiable deſire too ſhed mannes blud, in ſpight of all lavves and to the confuſion of all ciuill order among men? They ſhall (ſay I) hauehave this little vvord of Sainct Peters to vvey, vvhichwhich ought to aſtoniſh thē more than all the thunderclappes that euer rattled in the aire: that is to vvit, that if chaſtizemēt begin at the houſe of God, & at thoſe vvhichwhich are the true Chriſtians: vvhat ſhall the end of theſe be, vvhichwhich rebell againſt Gods Goſpell? & if the rightuouſe do hardly ſcape, vvhere ſhal the vvicked and ſinfull appeare? Behold the thing that all the good ſeruants of God, and all faithfull preachers of the Goſpel do brotherly pray for at this day, as men hauehave done hertofore. Behold the thing that al the little flocks of the reformed churches diſperſed heere & there do pray for, behold, the thing that euen Ieſus Chriſt (as yee vvould ſaye) in his ovvn perſon prayeth for: is that they may by him be reconcyled to God, & receiue his grace in ſuch vviſe, as it may not be in vaine. And it is to be hoped that God of his great merciemercy vvil yet notvvithſtanding bring many of that ſort too ſuch chaunge, as he vvill make them true and earneſt follovvers of the Goſpell, as he hath done oft heretofore. Notvvithſtanding, if any or many of thē being ſo intreated for Ieſus Chriſts ſake, do harden themſelues: let ſuche vnderſt and that they ſhall not ſcape Gods hand at the laſt day, and it may be that they ſhall feele it yet ſooner too their greate confuſion. For it is he vvhoſe preheminence & none others is in controuerſie at this day: and vvhichwhich ſhall of a truthe get the vpper hand of all his enimies early or late, vvhatſoeuer betyde. He is vvilling to hauehave pitie vponupon his creatures, and by vvord he giueth comfort and patience to all ſuch as are pinched: but ſpecially he comforteth thoſe that are already vnderunder his banner, graunting them to hauehave peace in him, although they hauehave none in the vvorld.
Amen.
At Geneua the firſt day of Iune. 1563.