them because they are favourable to their unjust desires be affraid of this which was the beginning of my life and my misfortune May the starres which make all the beauty of the night be obscured by the thicknesse of its darknesse 9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark let it look for light but have none neither let it see the dawning of the day may those lights which wake when we sleep suspend their influences and their light till it have finished its course and if it may be may it languish eternally after the day and never see the morning rise which brings it to us It was too blame that it did not make the wombe which brought me forth barren and that letting me enter into the world it seemed to conspire with heaven to render me unhappy 10 Because it shut not up the doores of my mothers wombe nor hid sorrow from mine eyes Why did not death precede my birth why was not the wombe of my mother mâ— Tombe or if it were decreâ— I should be borne should noâ— the same day which saw mâ— borne have seen me die aâ— though my life had been composed but of some houres haâ— it not been too long for 〈◊〉 wretch 11 Why dyed I not from the womb why did not I give up the ghost when I came out of the belly If the midwives had noâ— been of intelligence with my had fortune had they not lâ— me fall when I came out oâ— the wombe of my mother 〈◊〉 if heaven had not treated mâ— as an enemy had not my nurses refused me the dugg and had not hunger which had kill'd me done me a favour 13 For now should I have lien still and been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest I should then enjoy a profound rest and as I should be insensible of all the evils which afflict me I should keepe silence with the dead and griefe should force no complaints from my mouth 14 With kings counselsers of the earth which built desolate places for themselves I should sleepe with Kings who knowing well that they must dye have made themselves proud Sepulchers but not considering that their bodies can take up but seven foot of earth have built themselves rather Solitudes then Tombes 15 Or with princes that had gold who filled their houses with silver The riches wherewith they have filled them deserved no difference betwixt their condition and mine because death makes all things equall and as it takes from the poore man the sense of his miseries it takes from the rich the use of his riches Or more happy than those Princes 16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not bin as infants which never saw light should I have been as an Abortive who being an imperfect work of nature hath no sense of our miseries or resembled those who are conceived and not borne and who have found death where they received life How happy is this condition 17 There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest and how different from that wherein we now live for those turbulent spirits which filled all with tumult and troubled the peace of the world with their pernicious Artifices have changed their humour and breathe nothing but repose And those valliant Warriers who promised themselves the conquest of the Universe have forgotten their glorious designes and as if they were wearied with their past travailés abandon themselves to the shadow of death There the people which groaned under Oppression 18 There the prisoners rest together they heare not the voyce of the oppressour are happily delivered from Tyranny and these poore men which trembled as oft as they heard the name of Subsidies are cured of all their feares The same earth covers the great and small 19 The small and great are there and the servant is free from his master and that common mother which shuts up her children in her bosome teaches them that they are of the same condition and those deceitfull qualities which put a difference betwixt men endure no longer than life There by a strange wonder the slave no more feares his Master and death which hath taken from him his life hath given him his liberty O God 20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soule since death is so sweet to the miserable why doe you condemne them to live what pleasure doe you take to combate their desires and to prolong their miseries 21 Which long for death but it cometh not dig for it more than for hid treasures For you know that they sigh incessantly after death and that a covetous man who discovers a treasure hath noâ— so much contentment 22 Which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can finde the grave as a miserable man who findes a Grave Why doe you force thâ—â— to live especially when thâ—â— want light to lead them 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in and that it seemes you enviroâ—â— them with darknesse for fear they should amend and 〈◊〉 turne to the good way whiâ—â— they have left Wonder not if I take thâ— part of the miserable 24 For my sighing commeth before I eat and my roarings are poured out like the water since am one of their number 〈◊〉 repasts are intetrupted wiâ—â— my sighes and I drink no water but what is mingled 〈◊〉 my teares the Torrents which ravage the fields 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me and the â—â—vers which over-flow make not a noise like my cryes and certainely I ought to be pardoned these excesses for the evill I apprehended is come upon me and feare hath not left me but to abandon me to griefe 26 I was not in safety neither had I rest neither was I quiet yet trouble came That which vexeth me the most is that my conscience cannot reproach me with any crime and that I am ignorant for what sin heaven punisheth me for I have dissembled the injuries which I have received and which is difficult enough for miserable men I have been silent in my sufferings and amidst the tumult of my enemies I have conserved the tranquility of my soule Notwithstanding God from whom I expected my reward persecutes me and he who ought to protect me is on my enemies side CHAP. IV. THE ARGUMENT ELiphas a neighbour Prince and friend of Job's resting upon exteriour appearances would perswade him that he is guilty because he is afflicted and relating to him a vision which he had had endeavours to prove that no creature is innocent before God 1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said AFter Job had expressed his griefes with so much resentment 2 If we assay to
things are common 23 Ordeliver me from the enemies hand or redeem me from the hand of the mighty Did I ever intreat you to joyne your forces with mine to deliver me from the fury of my enemies and when the great ones of the age better knowne by their injustice than their birth had cruelly assaulted me doe not you remember that without imploring your succours I resolved to conquer them by my patience But least you should beleeve that my misery makes me insolent 14 Teachme I will hold my tongue and cause me tosunderstand wherein I have erred teach me I am ready to heare and if you judge that in my discourses I am mistaken either through pride or ignorance I will have you for my masters and become your schollar Observe onely that nothing ought to be further from the Spirit of a master than lyes 25 How forrible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove and yet nothing hath more offended you in my discourses than their truth and to accuse my innocence you have fought against reason Suffer me likewise to tell you that you prepare studyed dicourses 26 Doe ye imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate which are as winde for to blot the most holy actions and that you use not your eloquence but to acquire esteeme If a childe loosing his Father hath lost all his support with him 27 Yea ye overwhelm the fatherlesse you digâ— a pit for your friend he hath no more cruell enemies than you and as your interests are the motives of all your actions you spare not your very friends you employ all your artifices to ruine them and their losse is welcome to you provided it be profitable Although you have all these bad qualities 28 Now therefore be content look upon me for it is evident unto you if I lye yet I refuse not the combat end the dispute which you have begun examine my disocourses and condemne them if you finde them lyes I aske but one favour of you 29 Returne I pray you let it not be iniquity yea returne againe my righteousnesse is in it when you would answer me use not pricking tearmes injuries make not reasons valid and when you would pronounce my sentence consult your conscience and take heed least your mouth utter any thing which is belyed by your heart And on my part I promise you that impiety shall be banished from my discourse 30 Is there iniquity in my tongue cannot my taste discern perversse things that the words which compose it shal be as pure as mythoughts and that indiscretion shall make me utter nothing which may hurt your eares CHAP. VII THE ARGUMENT JOb not knowing how to finish a discourse which pleased him relates the miseries of life and wisheth that a ready death were the remedy of them but considering on the other side that one cannot get out of the grave when one is once in he changeth this desire into prayer and conjures God to pardon him his offences T That which hath crossed you most in my complaints is the passion which I have for death 1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth are not his dayes also like the dayes of an hiteling but certainly you would finde it reasonable if you would remember that the life of man is a warre which hath neither truce nor peace and that his condition is no better than those poore mercenaries whose travells have no repose Also as slaves covered with sweat and dust wish nothing more passionately than the shade for to refresh them 2 As a servant earnestly defireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his workes and rest to repayre them and as workemen desire nothing so ardently as the end of their worke and the recompence of their travaile So I have wished nothing more than the end of this unhappy life 3 So am I made to posses moneths of vanity wearisome nights are appointed to me whose dayes are and so fruitfull in displeasures and I number the tedious nights which have not so many moments in them as they give me troubles If I lye downe 4 When I lye downe I say When shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dauning of the day I wish that the day starre were up that I might rise with it and when it hath appeared upon our Horizon its light which dissipates the vexations of others augments mine and as if night were to be the remedy of them I expect it with impatience and when it is come I finde that it is unprofitable to my paine If my desires seeme extravagant 5 My flesh is clothed with worms clods of dust my skin is broken and become loathsome you must accuse the cruelty of the evills which I suffer for my body is covered with a thousand Ulcers and my skin glued shrivil'd upon my bones and blacked with the Sun and the dust makes those who see me take me rather for an apparition than a man Why then should I love my life 6 My dayes are swifter than a weavers shuttle are spent without hope since besides the evils which make it odious it 's fragility makes it contemptible for a thread is not so easily broken as the web of our dayes and when it is once broken no hand is skilfull enough to piece it Remember Lord 7 O remember that my life is winde mine eye shall no more see good when you arm so many creatures to punish me that my life is like the winde which passeth away and never returneth for when I once enter into ihe grave you shall never bring me againe to make me taste the delights of life The world shall see mee no more 8 The eye of him that hath seene me shall see me no more thine eyes are upon me and I am and death which shall seperate me from the company of men shall deface me out of their memory and when your eyes which see all things shall reckon the number of your creatures they shall finde me here no more neither to reompence me nor punish me As a cloud appeares noe more when the sun which formed it hath dissipated it 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth downe to the grave shall come up no more so are men seene no more when death hath destroyed them and they appeare no more upon the earth when they are once gone into the grave They come no more into their families to governe them 10 He shall returne no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more nor into their states to command them and the condition of the living is so different from that of the dead that if they should returne hither their domestiques would not know them and they themselves
how I love them I imploy the sweetest names which nature teaches us and call them my Father my Mother and my sisters And how would you have me place my hope elsewhere 15 And where is now my hope as for my hope who shall see it since there is no one to be found who considers my miseries and who gives my Patience the Prayses it deserves 16 They shall goe down to the bars of the pit when our rest together is in the grave But if I could once dye all my miseries should dye with me and having no more feare nor hope I should enjoy the felicity which I search for which with all my diligence I could never finde CHAP. XVIII The Argument BIldad offended at the free replyes of Job accuseth him of impiety and making comparison betwixt his miseries and those of sinners he concludes that there is much similitude in their opinions there is so much resemblance in their punishments BIldad then spoke for his Friends and said to Job 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite said Will you never give over speaking with so much peevishnesse 2 How long will it be ere thou make an end of thy words marke and afterwards we will speake and will you never heare our reasens to engage us to heare yours It is injustice to treat men like beasts 3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts and reputed vile in your sight and to despise discourses which for wanting politenesse and ornament do not want reasons nor truth But this fault ought to be pardoned you 4 He teareth himselfe in his anger shall the earth be forsaken for theâ— and shall the rocke be removed out of his place since letting your selfe be carryed away by the fury which possesseth you you imagine that the earth shall be forsaken when you dye and that the mountains shall change their place if you change your condition Do no you know that the prosperity of the wicked disperseth it selfe as soone as it appeares 5 Yea the light of the wicked shall be put out and the sparke of his fire shall not shine and that if fortune have lâ—stâ—â—e she hath no continuance The glory â—f his house shall â—e darkened 6 The light shall be darke in his tabernacle and his candle shall be put out with him and if any conjectures abuse me not his pompe shall become mournfull and the lamps which glistered over his head during the pride of his feasts shall give no more light or if they give any it shall be but to shine upon his tombe 7 The steps of his strength shall be straitned and his owne councell shall cast him down He shall loose his courage in the midst of his enterprises and his counsell shall serve but to advance his overthrow and precipitate him into misery His indiscretion 8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet and he walketh upon a snate and Divine justice shall make him fall into snares which he had prepared for the innocent and when he shal labour to get out he shall entangle himselfe further in His feet shall be stopt in the net 9 The grin shall take him by the heele and the robber shall prevail against him and the paines which he shall take to disingage himself shall cause an unsupportable thirst whose hear shall no lesse torment him then the losse of his liberty But nothing shall afflict him so much as to have beene surprized in encounters 10 The snare is laid for him in the ground and a trap for him in the way where he apprehended nothing and that he could not tell how with his wisedome to avoid the misfortune which was prepared for him 11 Terrors shall make him affraid on every side and shall drive him to his feet A thousand Panique feares shall astonish him and having no more judgement he shall ingage himselfe so forward in danger that as if his feet were uselesse to him he shall not be able to retire Hunger that horrid Monster 12 His strength shall be hunger bitten and destruction shall be ready at his side which feeds upon our miseries and which is never more vigorous then when we are languishing shall possesse it selfe of his Heart and devouring his intrailes shall take from him that Vigour which made him subsist At the first Assault the freshnesse of his skinne shall fade 13 It shal devour the strength of his skin even the first borne of death shall devour his strength and after long languishing he shall end his life by a strange Death which shall be famed amongst the most violent His Family shall runne the same fortune as his person 14 His confidence shall be rooted our of his tabernacle and it shall bring him to the King of terrours his children which were the best part of his hopes shall perish with him Death shall make it selfe a Trophy of their bodyes and like a Victorious King take pleasure to trample them under his feet The Accomplices of his crimes shall be Companions of his punishment 15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation and he who is exempted shall be drowned in a shower of Sulphur and Flames Finally it shall be with his fortune 16 His roots shall be dryed up beneath and above shail his branch be cut off as with those treees whom the thunder hath beaten down on all sides and whose roots it hath burnt whose branches it hath broken and whose Trunke it hath reduced to powder His memory shall be defaced from the earth 17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth and hee shall have no name in the street and they shall never speake of his name in Assemblies nor publick places God himselfe to contribute to his misery shall make him passe from brightnesse to obscurity 18 He shall be driven from light into darkenesse and chased out of the world from esteem to contempt and his reputation as well as his person shall be banished the earth 19 He shall neither have son or nephew among his people nor any remaining in his dwellings He shall leave no children to succeed him in his estate and his posterity perishing with him there shall be no one to make him live after his Death In the day of his misfortune the astonishment shall be generall 20 They that come after him shall be astonished at his day as they that went before were affrighted and the great as well as the small finding wherewithall to be astonished shall be equally seized with Horrour Since these misfortunes are the inheritance of the wicked 21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and this is the place of him that knows not God and that those who forget God are punished in this manner take heed least the paines which you suffer be not proofes of
They pluck the fatherlesse from the brest and take a pledge of the poor they are constrained to hide themselves in the rocks and like wilde beasts to retire into Cavernes Divine Providence which permits these impieties cannot be ignorant of them but to know when it will revenge them is a secret which it hath reserved to it selfe Others more dangerous than these 10 They cause him to go naked without clothing and they take away the sheaf from the hungty do as many outrages to their neighbours as theeves do violence to passengers for they pillage the goods of the Orphans misery which should beget pitty in them begets but audacity and invites them to ruine the poore and fill their houses with their spoyles When these miserable men are reduced to this pittifull condition 11 Which make oylwithin their walls and tread their wine presses suffer thirst and that having no more Lands of their own they are forced to leaze in those of others These wicked men snatch the eares of corne out of their hands and condemne them to a death which is so much the more cruell as it is tedious and languishing Whilest they commit these excesses and that they make as many poore as they have neighbours they sleepe under the shadow of the sheaves to defend themselves from the heat of the sun and being no better to their Domestiques than their neighbours they constraine them to worke during the time which nature hath destined to repose and by an extreme injustice make those dye with hunger and thirst who tread the grapes and reape the corne Finally 12 Men groan from out of the city and the soul of the wounded crieth out yet God layeth not folly to them their violence is so great that it makes whole Cities groane and constrains the most generous to complaine their sighs mount up to heaven and God who glories in being the Protector of the afflicted mediates the ruine of those who persecute them Certainly 13 They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof not abide in the paths thereof if this consideration should not be strong enough to induce him to it he would be obliged to it out of interest for these are Subjects Rebels to his Decrees who would beignorant of his Lawes that they might not be bound to keep them and to have a pretence to persevere in their crimes perswade themselves that repentance is a weaknesse of minde Others whose inclinations are more guilty 14 The murderer rising with the light killeth 〈◊〉 the poof and needy and in the night is as a thâ—â—â— rise every morning before the Sun and upon the great Rodes or in publike places assassine those poore workmen who begin their labour with the day when night hath covered the earth with darknesse they slip by its favour into houses and end with theft the day which they begun with murder 15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight saying No eye shall see me and disguiseth his face If at any time an unlawfull love possesseth them and its unchaste flames consume their hearts they take a time convenient for their designes and chuse the most darke nights to satisfie their passions and guilt which is never in safety obligeth them to cover their faces that they may not be known 16 In the dark they dig through houses which they had marked for themselves in the day time they know not the â—ight When they judge that meâ— rest and that charmed by sleepe they have lost the use of their sences they betake themselves to the assignations which were given them in the day they enter into houses by tricks or force and gluâ— their unclean desires by the favour of the darknesse If at any time they awake a little late 17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death and the morning surprize them they imagine in the passion which blinds them that she that comes to bring day to men did not rise but to bring death to them and remaining in opinions contrary to the worlds they make day of night and of its most thick darknesses their most agreeable lights But whatsoever precaution they bring 18 He is swift as the waters their portion is cursed in the earth he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards that they may not be discovered Divine Providence shall know how to finde them for to punish them and if it be permitted me to prevent their chastisements by my desires I wish that their prosperity were more inconstant than the waters that their Lands were more barren than the sands of the deserts and that their Meadowes and their Vineyards may never increase the number of their possessions 19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters so doth the grave those which have sinned May the heat agree with the cold to make them barren may the winters be so violent and so moyst as to rot all the Corne which they shall sowe and if there remaine any which shall thrust forth eares may the burning heats of the summer devoure them and may this misfortune without ever being interrupted accompany them to the grave May mercy 20 The wombe shall forget him the worm shal feed sweetly on him he shall be no more remembred and wickednes shal be broken as a tree which hath no greater cares than to succour the miserable never think of assisting them may death be their onely hope may it teare them from the earth like those unprofitable trees which bring forth no fruit may it set upon their reputation as well as their life and may it deface them out of the memory of men 21 He evill enrreateth the barren that beareth not and doth not good to the widow But we must acknowledge that this punishment is too gentle for their sin for they respected not that Sex whom weaknesse serves for a priviledge and assasinating the children and the husband of the same woman they tooke from her her support and her hopes Then 22 He draweth also the mighty with his power he riseth up and no man is sure of life having made practise upon those weake persons and without defence they assaulted the more mighty and as if the ruine of great ones had been the establishing of their owne fortune they employed all their force to overthrow them and notwithstanding after all these violent precautions they were not secure of their life 23 Though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth yet his eyes are upon 〈◊〉 their wayes Heaven hath deferred their punishment to give them time of repentance but its goodnesse which should have overcome their malice hath served but to make them more obstinate in their designes and more insolent in their happinesse It is true that his Providence which watcheth alwayes
you the onely support of the afflicted but either you do not hear them or else you despise them I present my selfe before you Protectour of the miserable but you regard me not or else you disdain me Of a faithfull friend who bore a part in my interest 21 Thou art become cruell to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against mee you are changed into a cruell enemy who laughs at my sorrows and that hand wherewith you afflict me is no more the hand of a good Father which corrects his children but the hand of an incensed Prince who revengeth himself of his Subjects You have not raised mee 22 Thou liftest me up to the wind thou causest mee to ride upon it dissolvest my substance but that my fall might be heavier In the birth of my greatnesse you meditated the designe of my ruine and you have not made mee walk upon the windes but to dash my head against the Rocks when you shall throw mee down Finally 23 For I know that thou wilt bring mee to death and to the house appointed for all living I know that you will deliver me to Death and that your anger will give me no truce till it hath sent mee into those lad places where Nature hath taken up quarters for all men Yet it is not your custome to persecute them to death 24 Howbeit hee wil not stretch out his hand to the grave though they cry in his destruction you raise them up when you have cast them down and you appear more powerfull to save them than to ruine them wherefore I promise my self that your persecution will end sooner then my life and that if I have lived in your discountenance I shall die in your favour The care which I have had of the miserable keeps mee in this hope 25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble was not my soule grieved for the poor for I mixt my weeping with their tears their miseries made mine and my soul was so sensible of their sorrows that to see us together it would have been hard to judge which had been more afflicted But alas 26 When I looked for good than evil came unto me and when I waited for light there came darkness Heaven hath deceived my hopes for when I expected nothing but good there is come nothing but evill when I promised my self an happy fortune there is nothing come to mee but disgrace those fair dayes which I hoped for have produced but obscure nights and Divine Providence hath made us know that if our expectations are false our conjectures are not more true This unexpected misfortune hath put all my Passions into so furions a disorder 27 My bowels boiled and rested not the days of affliction prevented me that the warre which they make with mee can have no truce my minde cannot calm their fury because the affliction which surprized it gave it no leisure to defend it selfe and it perceived it self ingaged to fight when it thought on nothing but peace So doe I all the actions of a man whom Passion masters 28 I went mourning without the Sun I stood up and I cried in the Congregation for as I know well that my death is inevitable I wear mourning for my self I never walk in publick but the tears of my eyes discover the displeasures of my heart my mouth is always open for sighs and grief making me lose respect I cry out in company as well as in the Deserts But all my complaints are unprofitable 29 I am a brother to dragons and a companion to owls for it seems my neerest neighbours have left their sweetnesse to put on the nature of Dragons and my friends have despoyled themselves of their senses to habit themselves with the disposition of Ostriches which they say have so little love that they have none for their young ones Notwithstanding 30 My skin is black upon me and my bones are burnt with heat one neede but look upon mee to have compassion of my miseries and without alledging their Reasons the sight of my countenance might touch them with pity for my skin is more tanned then the people which inhabit Ethiopia and my bones destitute of their vigour are dryer then if the fire had burnt them Finally to comprehend in a few words all the History of my miseries 31 My harp also is turned to mourning my organ into the voice of them that weep It is sufficient to tell you that my pleasures are changed into pains that my condition is more miserable then it was happy that my Lute is no longer fit but for melancholy Ayres and that all those instruments which served for to divert me are condemned either to sigh or to be silent CHAP. XXXI The Argument IOb not able to endure that his Innocence should remain in Oppression represents to his friends all the sins which he had avoyded and all the vertues which he had practised during his Prosperity AS there is nothing more sweet to the afflicted then complaints there is nothing more agreeable to oppressed Innocents then the thought of their Innocence wherefore I will entertain you with mine and make you an ample relation of the vertues which I have practised during my good fortune 1 I made a covenant with mine eys why then should I think upon a maid I had made an agreement with my eyes that their Glances should noâ— seduce my soul and not only that they should not consider those lost women whose allurements engage men in sin but that they should not stay upon those innocent face whose beauty hath neither paint nor designe of Malice For I considered that if I give my selfe up to impurity God who cannot endure it would withdraw himself from me 2 For what portion of God is there from above and what inheritance of the Almightie from on high and that my bodâ— being infected with this 〈◊〉 my soule should never be honoured with his grace I was not ignorant also thâ—â— the Ruine of impure souls 〈◊〉 inevitable 3 Is not destruction to the wicked a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity that Heaven declares war to those who persecute Chastity and if it haâ— aversion from all other siâ— ners it hath hatred and hoâ— rour for the unchaste Aâ— although this sort of people search for darknesse and that they can hardly discover them yet I pretend not to abuse the God whom I serve for I know well that he sees my thoughts that he counts my steps and that I doe nothing which he knowes not better than my selfe So is it no trouble to me to discover to him the condition of my soule 5 If I have walked with vanity or if my foot hath hasted to deceit nor to appeare before his Tribunall to heare my Sentence wherefore if my words have been double if my mouth have not been the faithfull
for ever and they are exalted he hath alwaies his eyes open to looke upon them if Kings adde innocence to their Power he establishes their Thrones supports their Crownes and procures them as much glory as they render him obedience and submission If at any time they fall from their fortune 8 And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction if by the insurrection of their Subjects or by the usurpation of their Neighbours they are despoyled of their Estates and loaded with chaines as heavie as shamefull Their injustice is the cause of their disaster 9 Then he sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they have exceeded their crimes pal thunder from heaven upon their heads and they are not punished but for the extortions which they have used in their Kingdomes or for the violence which they have exercirsed over their enemies And God is so farre from taking pleasure to make them miserable 10 He openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they remine from iniquity that he employes all his favours to reduce them to their duty for he speakes secretly to the eare of their hearts to convert them and serves himselfe with good motions and inspirations to divert them from their sins If they profit by his advice 11 If they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their yeares in pleasures if they prudently use his counsells they shall come out of Prison happily they shall mount againe upon their Throne they shall raigne there with pleasure and passe the rest of their yeares in that glorious Pompe which accompanies Kings in their Triumphs But if they neglect or reject them 12 But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword they shal dye withoutknowledge they shall take them out of Prison but to carry them to the Scaffold and all the world shall confesse that their death is the just punishment of their imprudence and that they have lost their honour with their life for having contemned God in their misfortune Dissembling Princes shall receive the same usage 13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them those who cover their pernitious designes under faire appearances and who never faile of pretences to oppresse their Subjects shall likewise feele the just punishments which they deserve for when they shall be laid in irons and of Kings as they were become slaves their hardned hearts shall conceive no sorrow for their sins and their guilty mouth shall ask no pardon for them God wearied with their Crimes shall raise a Tempest which shall cause their death 14 They dye in youth and their life is among the unclean or if he defend them from it it shall be but to condemne them to a life more shamefull than death it selfe for being reduced to a condition where they shall be no longer men their Masters shall employ them for the Guard and service of their Concubines If the poore likewise fall into any new misfortune 15 He delivereth the poore in his affliction and openeth their ears in oppression he will not despise them by reason of their condition but by the same favour which he hath done the great ones he will deliver them out of their misery and beget a desire in them of praying to him to the end that he may be obliged to help them Wherefore you must beleeve 16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitnesse that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatnesse unfortunate Prince that if you imitate their Piety you shall share in their happinesse that God will take you out of this extreame calamity which like a vast sea hath neither bankes nor bottome then all your miseries shall end you shall see your Table full of exquisite meats and that nothing may be wanting to your felicity you shall eat them in quiet and with pleasure That which hath prejudiced you hitherto is 17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked judgement and justice take hold on thee that you have favoured the wicked and that you have made their Cause your owne wherefore you are treated as you deserve and the Judgements which you have received have been formed by those which you have heretofore given To avoyd then this misfortune I am of opinion 18 Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroke then a great ransome cannot deliver thee that when Heaven hath restored you to your Honours and that when you shall be againe the Soveraigne and Judge of your Subjects that you should resist anger and that you should not suffer this violent passion to make you oppresse the innocent Take heed also that Presents doe not shake your constancy and that Money have not more power over your minde than reason Be not troubled to leave of that haughty Greatnesse 19 Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength which is fitter to make one feared than loved take no part with the Great against the small and when you walk in publike be not accompanied with those guards which commit a thousand insolencies and which hinder Subjects from approaching their Soveraignes Else it will happen 20 Desire not the night when people are cut off in their place that your people being no longer able to endure their extreamities and taking advantage of your sleep will goe and fall upon them in your Palace and make them serve as an example to all servants who abuse the authority of their Masters Take heed likewise above all things 21 Take heed regard not iniquity for this thou hast chosen rather then affliction that you decline not to injustice for since your misfortune this sinne is become familiar with you and it seemes that Poverty hath taught you to be unjust Though your interest should not oblige you to take this resolution 22 Behold God exalteth by his power who teacheth like him the Greatnesse and Majesty of God should invite you to it for his Power elevates him above all his Creatures our Conquerors which master all by their Armes and our Sages who governe all by their Lawes are not worthy to enter into comparison with him 23 Who hath enjoyned him his way or who can say Thou hast wrought iniquity Who is he that would take the liberty to examine his Judgements and who would be so rash as to dare to reproach him with committing any injustice Remember I beseech you 24 Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold that all the wonders which his hands worke daily are hidden from you and that all which the Poets and Philosophers have spoken of them can neither make you know the greatnesse of his Power nor the merit of his Workes
the day of triumph cover your selfe with sumptuous cloathes and march with a Majesty which may strike respect in all your subjects In this glorious Equipage 11 Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath and behold every one that is proud and abase him make your just indignation felt by all the rebells of the world compose your eyes in that manner that their lookes may astonish the arrogant and teach the proud humility Beat downe Kings under your feet 12 Looke on every one that is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked in their place use not your power but to tame their insolence and when they shall have oppressed your Subjects make the same place which was fouled by their Crime be washed with their bloud and their death give an example where their life hath given scandall Bruise their Scepters 13 Hide them in the dust together and binde their faces in secret hide the lustre their Crownes hide the lustre of their glory under obscurity pursue them after their death and teach them that the Grave is not a sanctuary which can protect them from your anger When you have done these Miracles 14 Then wil I also confesse unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee I shall confesse that in the miseries wich encompasse you my succour is unprofitable to you and that your forces being equall to mine one cannot assault you so well but you can better defend your selfe But as all these effects surpasse your power 15 Behold now Behemoth which I made with thee he eateth grasse as an ox and you despise not mine but because it is not sufficiently knowne to you I will give you new proofes of it Consider then the Elephant which I have produced like you and which I have fed as an Oxe with the grasse of the fields His force which hath no equall resides particularly in his loynes 16 Lo now his strength is in his loyns and his force is in the navell of his belly which are so strong that in the Battell he carries Towers filled with Souldiers and his vigour is inclosed in his Navell which is as the center to which all the members of his body answer 17 He moveth his taile like a cedar the sinews of his stones are wrapt rogether This advantage is the recompence of his purity for he is so chaste that he is never seene to doe undecent actions and Nature which accommodates her selfe to his inclination hath hidden all those parts which seeme for the conservation of his species as the Barke covers the wood of Cedars and of Cypresses His bones 18 His bones are as strong pieces of bras his bones are like bars of iron and principally his teeth which were given him for defence are as hard as plates of Brasse and his truncke which seemes to be composed of gristles is equall in its strength to barres of Iron and in its dexterity to the hand of man Amongst the Creatures which conduct themselves by instinct he is the Master-piece of my power 19 He is the chiefe of the wayes of God he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him and if I had not given hornes to the Rhinoceros and poyson to the Dragon who are his most mortall enemies there were no beasts to be found which could have the better of him Although he be so strong 20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food where all the beasts of the field play he is so gentle that content with the Grasse which the Mountaines bring forth he seeketh not for prey and the other Beasts which know his humour feed quietly in his company When he would repose himselfe he seekes out moyst places 21 He lieth under the shady trees in the covert of the reed and fens where he sleepes under the freshnesse of the shade which the Groves afford him or the Willowes which so pleasantly bound the streams When he drinkes 23 He drinketh up a river and hasteth not he trusteth that he can draw Jordan into his mouth it is such great draughts that it seemes to those who see him that he would dry up Rivers and when he enters into Jordan to appease his thirst you would say that he hath a designe to drayne it With all his strength he hath so little cunning 24 He takeeth it with his eyes his nose pierceth thorow snares that he sees the snares of the Huntsmen and doth not avoyd them he is so simple that he lets himselfe be taken like Fish with the Hooke and so gentle that he lets his nostrils be pierced and himselfe be led by the nose But that your weaknesse and my Power may appeare as well upon the Water as the Land 1 Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down make triall of your strength against the Whale see if you can take him with a Hooke or with a Line 2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose or bore his jaw thorow with a thorn and if after having tyed his tongue with a Cord and thrust a Buckle of Iron through his nostrils or his cheekes you can draw him from his Fortresse and lead him where you please Doe you thinke to oblige him to say his prayers to you 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee will he speake soft words unto thee doe you beleeve that astonished at your power or surprized with your Artifices he will aske his liberty of you with words of sweetnesse and respect Doe you thinke to reduce him to make an agreement with you 4 Will he make a covenant with thee wilt thou take him for a servant for ever and to protest to you publickly that he honours you as his Master and will serve you as your slave and that the tearme of his life shall be no longer than that of his servitude Will you play with him as with those poore Birds 5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird wilt thou bind him for thy maidens which serve as pastime for little Children Shall your Daughters tye him with a thread which lengthening or shortning at their discretion shall make his prison either larger or straighter Doe you thinke it easie for a band of armed men to catch him in Nets 6 Shall the companions make banquet him shal they part him among the merchants to cut him in pieces to load vessels with his spoyles and to divide his Body amongst the Merchants who have contributed to his taking If it be not a thing impossible it is dangerous at the least 7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons or his head with fish-spears for when you assault him remember that you must prepare your selfe for so furious a fight that after you have tried him you will lose the desire of medling any more And though the designe should not be
and serves himselfe both with present and future evils to render me unhappy It is not hard for you in the happinesse which you injoy to make a truce with complaints but this patience 5 Doth the wilde asse bray when he hath grasse or loweth the ox over his fodder from which you thinke to draw a reputation is common with the beasts as well wilde as tame for whilest either of them findes grasse they never importune Heaven with their cryes But he may complaine with reason 6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt or is there any taste in the white of an egge who to appease the hunger which devoures his entrailes is constrained to eat ashes and to swallow poison For my part though I am not yet reduced to this misery Heaven is my witnesse 7 The things that my soule refusth to touch are as my sorrowfull meat Heaven is my witnesse that those meates which heretofore made me affraid are now my delight and that without having liberty of choosing Necessity inforces me to eat indifferently of all that I can finde Shall my vowes never be heard 8 O that I might have my request that God would grant me the thing that I long for shall I finde no favour with God for to obtaine of his bounty what my heart desires and what my mouth demands of him My prayers are neither injust for insolent 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his handâ— nâ— cut me off for I conjure him onely to finish what he hath so well begun to end by a shamefull death the miserable life which I lead and to withdraw his hand which supports me but to make me languish to the end that I may returne into nothing He would much oblige me if he did not spare me 10 Then should I yet have comfort yea I would harden my self in sorrow let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the holy one and I should comfort my selfe if by a surcharge of sorrow he would suddenly take from me my life That care which he takes to preserve it for me is the most cruell effect of his anger that which you call favour ought to be called rigour and death is so much the object of my desires that you need not feare my appealing from it when he who is most excellently holy shall condemne me to it neither have I vigour enough to sustain the assault of his power The match is unequall 11 What is my strength that I should hope what is mine end that I should sprolong my â—ife where man enters into the lists with God and for to have so much patience as you desire from me it were necessary to be assured that my death approached and that heaven advanced forwards that happy Terme when all my miseries should end Nature hath done no miracles in my person 12 Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of brasse My body hath its weaknesses as well as others and being neither composed of Marble nor of Brasse you must not wonder if it yeeld to the assault of sorrow In this deplorable condition I see nothing which may charme my displeasures 13 Is not my help in me and is wisdom driven quite from me my languishing spirit hath no more that vigour which made it triumph over all disasters and my faithlesse friends have no more that tendernesse which made them sensible of all my miseries Yet they had best take heed 14 To him that is afflicted pitty shold be shewed from his friend but he forsaketh the feare of the Almighty it is no lesse their owne interest than mine for he who assists not his friend feares not his God and who wants pitty for the one will want reverence for the other Lastly they which boasted that they loved me as their brother 15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and as the streame of brooks they passe away have basely left me assoon as they understood of my misfortunes and if at any time they meet me they passe away more swiftly than the torrents in the valleys 16 Which areblackish by reason of the yee wherein the snow is hid I know they thinke that my evill is contagious and that the feare of catching it makes them retire from me but I know also that humane prudence is blinde and that it ingages it selfe upon great hazards to avoid little dangers like those who to keep themselves from the dew unwisely expose themselves to the snow They shall undergoe the Punishment of so base a treachery 17 What time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot they are consumed our of their place and though it seeme that to ruine them whole yeares be not long enough they shall perish in a moment and soft wax shall longer resist the fire than these treacherous men shall resist the anger of God Their proceeding deserves well this chastisement 18 The path of their way are tuâ—ned aside they go to nothing perish for they have no fincerity in their actions whatsoever they promise you their words never answer their thoughts they shift like beasts who make faults for the Huntsmen but if they abuse men by their turnings they more dangerously deceive themselves because these devious wayes will lead them to death And least you should thinke I accuse them without cause 19 The troups of Tema looked the companies of Sheba waited for them or complaine without reason observe the neighbouring provinces where I thought I had as many friends as there are noble persons and have patience to consider what they have done to comfort me Indeed they came to see me and I beleeve that affection brought them rather than curiosity 20 They were confounded because they had hoped they came thither and were ashamed but when they saw the deplorable condition of my fortune they could not comprehend how amongst so many misfortunes there should remaine any hope and at the same time their heart was seized with pitty and their countenance covered with shame You have taken the paines too to come hither 21 For now ye are nothing ye see my casting down and are afraid and the reputation which my disaster gives me hath begotten a defire in you of speaking with me but when your eyes had made you see that which your eares had informed you your compassion turned into horrour and you had more feare of catching my evill than desire of curing it And it must needs be this consideration 22 Did I say Bring unto me or give a reward for me of your substance that hath seperated you from me and not my importunity for you know that my tongue never betrayed my courage and that necessity cannot compell me to aske any of your estate though I am not ignorant that amongst true friends all
that made much of them would not be able to endure them Since the condition of the dead hath its misfortunes as well as that of the living 11 Therefore I will not refraine my mouth I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule I will permit my mouth to speak and my heart to sigh I will vent my miseries in my complaints and giving liberty to my griefe I am resolved to speak to God whatever it shall suggest 12 Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me Doth my pride equall the seas that you should keepe me in prison as you doe it in captivity and am I as furious as those monsters which you shut up in the Abysse that you treat me with the like Rigor This restraint gives me a thousand paines a day 13 When I say My bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint and if I say when the night is come my Bed shall be my comfort I shall finde ease in relating it my displeasures and sleepe shall give some intermission to my Torments All these hopes are false 14 Then thou skarest me with dreams and terrifiest me through visions for you make Apparitions passe before my eyes which frighten me and you command dreames to put on hiddeous formes to trouble me during my repose Wherefore my soule yeelding to the assault of sorrow 15 So that my soule choseth strangling death rather than my life wisheth nothing but a gibbit and death which is the Terrour of the guilty is the desire and hope of the most unhappy and most innocent of all men And certainly I may well be pardoned if I have the sentiments 16 I loath it I would not live alway let me alone for my dayes are vanity of one that is desperate for in the force of my evils and in the weaknesse of my body it is necessary that I die if notwithstanding my conjectures are not true and after so many sorrowes I must yet live treat me more gnetly Lord and search no other motive of your mercy than the shortnesse of my dayes and the misery of my life What is man that you should undertake his ruine with so much indignation 17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him you make him insolent in declaring your self his enemy whatsoever misfortune befalls him in this combat he will have the advantage esteeme himself too glorious in having been the object of your anger As if it were very difficult to conquer him 18 And that thou shouldest visite him every morning and try him every moment you imploy at once sweetnesse severity for one while you flatter him as a childe and presently after you threaten him as a slave How long will yee deferr the pardon which an innocent man askes of you 19 How long wilt thou not depart from me nor let me alone till I swallowed down my spittle and when will the houre come that my tongue being no longer fastned to my palate I may forme words at liberty O divine protector of men I will betray my innocence 20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am a burden to my selfe and confesse that I have sinned but what shall I do to appease you since all my cares have been hitherto unprofitable and notwithstanding all I can do I can neither please you nor endure my self nor be well with my self being ill with you Rather of a guilty man make an innocent 21 And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seeke me in the morning but I shall not be deface my fin by your grace and deferre no longer to accord me this favour for considering the evils that I feele the grave will presently be my dwelling and if you retard your favours till the morning I shall be no longer capiable to receive them CHAP. VIII THE ARGUMENT BIldad one of the Princes who had left his state to come comfort Job speakes and after he had reproached him with his injustice dilates himselfe upon the miseries of the wicked and makes him hope that if he change his life he shall change his fortune WHen Job had finished this discourse 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said which he had not begun but to defend his innocence Bildad who held the second ranke amongst his friends spake and following the example of Eliphaz said to him with some heat How long will you talke indiscreetly 2 How long wilt thouspeak these things and how long shal the words of thy mouth be like a strong winde how long will ye wander in these extravagant discourses and accuse Heaven of injustice and your friends of infidelity Do you thinke that God who is the supream justice pronounceth unjust decrees 3 Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almighty pervert justice and that when he useth his power to punish men he proportions not the punishments to their sins Though your children have offended him 4 If thy children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression and that the sudden and unthought of death which they have suffered be the just punishment of their crimes You may profit by their misfortune 5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes make thy supplication to the Almighty and be made wise at their expence In a word if in your misery you implore the succors of heaven and if in the morning when the season is calme and your minde cleare you present it your prayers 6 If thou wert pure and up right surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous If you are sincere in your intentions and modest in your words God who at present seems to be asleepe will awake for to thinke upon you and after he hath restored peace to your soule he will restore its former luster to your house 7 Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase he will recompence your losses with interest and the felicity which he prepares for you shall be greater than that whose losse you regrett But since 8 For enquire I pray thee of the former age and prepare thy selfe to the search of their fathers this being no good security my promises may be suspected of you consult the times of our fathers read the histories of our Granfathers and consider what they have written in favour of the truth which I declare For we our selves are too 9 For we are but of yesterday and know nothing because our dayes upon earth are a shadow young to be beleeved our life being
to hold my peace 27 If I say I will forget my complaint I will leave off my heavinesse comfort my self and that I forbid my eyes teares and my mouth sighs my face betrayes me and they observe there all that passeth in my soule Wherefore without any longer keeping of silence 28 I am afraid of all my sorrowes I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent which prejudiceth me I will complaine to you oh my God and tell you that I have alwayes lived in your feare That I have been scrupulous rather than a Libertine and knowing well that you spared not those who offended you I have alwayes walked in innocence But if after all my cares 29 If I be wicked why then labour I in vain you make me passe for guilty and if you pay my services as offences have not I lost my time and are not my labours being so ill acknowledged unprofitable Though I were washed in the waters 30 If I wash my selfe with snow-water make my hands never so clean and my whitenesse equalled that of the snow though my hands were cleane and the purity of my heart surpassed that of my body You would observe faults in my person 31 Yet shalt thou plurge me in the ditch mine owne clothes shall abhor me your holinesse would discover impurities in my soule your justice would finde disorders in my body and my clothes for to accommodate themselves to your inclination and serve your Justice would be afraid and would not be able to indure me For when I contest with you 32 For he is not a man as I am that I should answer him and we should come together in judgement I see that my adversary is not a man and that there is no Tribunall on earth where I may hope that your right and mine may be equally discussed There is no person which can determine our differences 33 Neither is there any daies-man betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both since you are a party I have no more Judge and in this contestation where I oppose my innocence to your Justice I finde no Arbiter who can bring us to accord If notwithstanding you sweeten a little the paines which I suffer 34 Let him take his rod away from me and let not his feare terrifie me if you disarm those hands which carry thunder and if you temper that Majesty which begets my feare I would speak with liberty 35 Then would I speak and not feare him but it is not so with me my innocence should furnish me with reasons to defend my self but in the astonishment that I am I have neither words nor thoughts and my silence which is but an effect of my feare passeth for an effect of my sinne CHAP. X. THE ARGUMENT IOB oppressed with the extreame griefes which he suffers gives himselfe up to complaints represents to God that he is his workmanship to oblige him to do him favour and passing from reasons to prayers conjures him to end his miseries before he enter into the grave I Am weary of living 1 My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speake in the bitternesse of my soul and to see the end of my miseries I wish for the end of my dayes in the griefe which presses me I cannot keepe silence and because I knew not to whom to betake me 2 I will say unto God Do not condemne me shew me wherfore thou cotendest with me I must speake against my selfe and give way to my complaints to give ease to my paines Whatever then come of it I will say to God Condemne me not without hearing me or if you are resolved upon it grant to me if you please one favour which they refuse not to the most culpable and declare to me for what sins you punish me What advantage can you draw from my losses 3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands shine upon the counsell of the wicked and what profit will come to you if calumny triumph over my innocence if my enemies ruine the worke of your hands and if to facilitate the execution of their pernicious designes you assist them with your power Are you ignorant of the estate of my life 4 Hast thou eyes of flesh or feest thou as man seeth Are your eyes like ours which see but the appearance of things and cannot penetrate the bottome of them Is your knowledge propt upon feeble conjectures like ours and can ignorance serve you for an excuse as it does us in your judgements Are your dayes numbred like ours 5 Are thy dayes as the dayes of man are thy yeers as mans dayes and are your yeares composed of those moments which follow one another and which are the cause that we possesse but the least part of our life If your knowledge be infallible 6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity and searchest after my sin and your durance eternall what need you search into my sinnes with so much earnestnesse and corture me to make my mouth speake a thing which you may read in my heart What necessity is there of so carefully clearing to you my innocence 7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand since wheresoever I am I am alwayes in your power and there is no one in the world which can take me out of your hands Change the your designe 8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about yet thou doest destroy me remember that I am your worke and that there is no part of my body which is not an effect of your power Notwithstanding as if you were but equall if seemes that you have resolved to ruine me and that you seeke for glory in my overthrow Remember that durt is the matter of which you have composed me 9 Remember I beseech thee that thou hast made me as the clay wilt thou bring me into dust again and as of so weake beginnings you cannot hope for great progresses it is necessary that I perish presently and that having been earth before my birth I become dust after my death Consider if you please that you have given me my being 10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk curdled me like cheese and as shepherds prepare milk and make it curdle into cheese so have you disposed of the blood of my mother and thickning it by the naturall heat you have formed my body of it 11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones sinewes Of the same matter Divine workeman you have made a hundred different parts for the bone which sustaines us the Nerves which give us motion and the skin which serves us for covering and Ornament are in their first
originall but the same blood which you have thus diversified As your divine wisedome leaves nothing imperfect in nature 12 Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit you animated this worke with the breath of your mouth and as your providence abandons not your creatures you conserved that by your care which you have produced by your mercy Although it seeme you agree not with me in all this discourse 13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart I know that this is with thee and that to conceale your sentiments from me you treat me rather as your enemy then as your creature I know that you retaine the memory of the favours which you have done me and that you cannot resolve to ruine a man whom you have so much obliged But if these conjectures are true 14 If I sin then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity why then do you punish me the sins of my youth cannot be the cause for I have repented of them and you have pardoned them why then am I not exempt from the punishment if I am absolved from the offence Whatsoever it be 15 If I be wicked wounto me and if I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head I am full of confusion therefore see thou mine affliction you ought not to punish me with so much rigour for if I am guilty I shall bee unhappy enough my sinne shall serve me for punishment and if I am just my innocence shall not cause in me any vanity for alas whence should he have it whom you make drunke with teares and whom you surfet with miseries Notwithstanding as if I were the proudest of men 16 For it increaseth thou huntest me as a fierce Lion and again thou shewest thy selfe marvellous upon me you treat me like a savage beast The huntsmen exercise not more cruelties upon a furious Lionesse then you exercise upon me and when I beleeve that my miseries are about to end you returne more animated then ever and make me suffer new ones which beget astonishment and horror in the minds of those who behold them 17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me and increasest thine indignation upon me changes and war are against me All your creatures serve for your anger your Angels and your Devils are witnesses which depose against me and the diseases which assault me are the souldiers which defend your quarrell Since you did reserve me for so many miseries 18 Wherfore then hast thou brought me forth out of the wombe Oh that I had given up the ghost and no eye had seen me why did you take me out of the womb of my mother and since you have concluded that I should be the Fable of the world and that my misery should be as shamefull as it is unjust why did you not oblige death to take away my life 19 I should have been as though I had not been I should have been carried from the wombe to the grave for to conserve my honour I should be now as if I had not been and without passing through those different degrees of a long miserable life I should have been carryed from the Cradle to the Grave and from the wombe of my proper Mother into the bosome of my common one 20 Are not my dayes few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little Shall my desires never be heard shall the yeares which seem so short to contented men and so long to the unhappy never end with me will you Lord never give me any truce to sigh forth my griefs with freedom 21 Before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darknesse and the shadow of death Grant me this favour before I leave the world and that to obey the decree which you have pronounced against all men 22 A land of darknesseÌ„ as darknesse it self and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknesse I returne to the bosome of the earth where the light never dissipates the darknesse where happinesse never succeeds misery where Death never suffers life where order raignes no more and where Confusion hath established her empire CHAP. XI The Argument ZOphar Job's third friend upbraides him with the insolence of his words and to take downe the pride of which he accuseth him he represents to him diverse perfections of God and to rayse his courage also which he conceived depressed with griefe he promiseth him a happy change in his fortune if in this disaster he hath recourse to prayer CHAP. XI WHen grief had shut up the mouth of Job 1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said Zophar his third friend who took all his words for blasphemies sayd to him with more passion then charity 2 Sould not the multitude of words be answered and should a man full of talke be justified You must needs be barren in reasons since you are so fruitfull in injuries and we may well inferre that prudence hath little part in your actions since after having spoken so long you yet make difficulty of hearing us 3 Should thy lies make men hold their peaces and when tho â—mockdst should no man make thee ashamed You have too much vanity if you beleeve that men be obliged to approve your discourses and to suffer you to be insolent because you are miserable your scurrilities would well deserve censures and t is to treat you with too much sweetnesse to confute them by our reasons and to give you good advice for injuries 4 For thou hast said my doctrine is pure and I am clean in thine eyes You have said with a high insolence that your words and actions were pure and that God himself in his tribunall where he examines all things with rigour could condemne nothing in your person You would change your language if he had conversed with you 5 But oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee and if doing you an honour whereof you are unworthy he had opened his mouth to declare to you his secrets You would see that one must be very just to observe all his lawes 6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdome that they are double to that which is knowe therefore that God exacteth of thee lesse then thine iniquity deserveth and whatsoever good opinion you have of your innocence you would acknowledge that the paines which you suffer are much lesse then your sinnes and that God never had so much rigour but that he hath more bounty Your pride is the cause of your destruction 7 Canst thou by searching finde out God canst thou finde out the Allmighty unto perfection and without considering that you cannot conceive the least workes of God you would comprehend his perfections and know why his providence permitts the
houses of the wicked 6 The Tabernacles of robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly and though they hold all their goods from the liberality of God their ingratitude makes them forget it and their insolence transports them to provoke his anger 7 But aske now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the fowles of the aire and they shall tell thee It is certaine then that the favours which heaven heapes upon men are not alwayes a good proof of their innocence nor the afflictions which he sends them an assured testimony of their wickednesse he is Master of his creatures he disposeth of them as he pleaseth and his truth is so well known that if you aske the birds of the aire or the beasts of the earth they will both make you know by their answers that they are not ignorant of it Speake to the earth it selfe 8 Or speake to the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the sea shall declare umto thee its fruitfulnesse which is never weary of bringing forth will teach you the same thing and the fishes of the sea as dumbe as they are will give give you new assurances of it Also one must be very stupid to be ignorant that all the creatures are the works of Gods hands 9 Who knoweth not all these that the hand of the Lord bath wrought this and as their different qualities are effects of his power and their different motions are markes of his providence Who knowes not at last that their being depends upon his will 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind that as he hath produced them he can annihilate them and that the nobility in which man glories doth not exempt him from this necessity The minde of man may as easily conceive of these 11 Doth not the eare try words and the mouth taste his meat truths as the ear judgeth certainly of the variety of sounds and the tongue of the diversity of tasts But though nature should have denyed us this knowledge 12 With the antient is wisdome and in length of days understanding it were easie to gather it from those venerable old men to whom time being a master hath discovered secrets which young ones are ignorant of But if it be permitted me to make tryall of my abilities 13 With him is wisdom and strength heâ—â— hath counsell and understanding and strive for victory over the weake prayses which you have given to God I shall tell you that wisdom and force which are divided betwixt the old the young are united in him and as by his supreame intelligence he knowes generall things by his incomparable providence he governes particular ones and conducts them happily to their end This power of which you speak is so absolute 14 Behold he breaketh downe and it cannot be built againe he shutteth up a man and there can be no opening that if he ruine townes it is in vaine to undertake to raise them again and if he confine a malefactor to prison they strive to no purpose to deliver him If he shut up the heavens hinder the clouds from dissolving into raine 15 Behold he withholdeth the waters and they dry up also he sendeth them out and they overturne the earth the earth shall be barren or if it produceth some â—ruits the drought shall not permit them to come to perfect maturity if he open the sluces to the waters of heaven they will overflow all the earth and making a second deluge they will againe overthrow its buildings It is true then that he hath Power 16 With him is strength and wisedome the deceived and the deceiver are his if you doubt that he hath wisedome know that he understands the artifices of those who deceive others and the simplicity of those who let themselves be deceived He mockes at Statesmen 17 He leadeth counsellers away spoyled maketh the Judges fools and causeth that their wisest counsells are followed but with bad events 18 He looseth the bond of Kings and girdeth their loyns with a girdle he blindeth those who make lawes and makes Judges stupid who are appointed over the people to govern them but his power never shines forth more then when he assaulteth Monarchs when he taketh the Crowne from their heads and treating them like slaves he despoyles them of their belts leadeth them with chaines and makes their backs bend under the weight of their Irons Or when he changeth the glory of priests into contempt 19 He leadeth Princes away spoyled overthroweth the mighty and to confound their pride he permits his temples to be violated and his altars profaned or when he ruines those men whom berth or favour of Princes hath elevated to the highest degree of honours 20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty and taketh away the understanding of the aged And do not think that the qualities of the minde are lesse subject to his power then those of the body or of fortune he can take credit from those who speak the truth he takes away the power of perswading from the most eloquent and makes old men lose that knowledge which time and travaile hath acquired them When he will chastise Princes 21 He powreth contempt upon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty he takes from them that esteeme which maintaines their reigne he casts confusion upon their faces or renders them despicable to their subjects and producing at the same time a contrary effect he takes the the miserable out of oppression and makes them mount upon the throne of Kings He discovers the most hidden crimes 22 He discovereth the deep things out of darknes and bringeth to light the shadow of death he makes publick those pernicious designes which are conceived in the darke and which have no other witnesses then the night he does wonders upon all occasions he brigns day into the Abysses of our heart and makes evident their most secret thoughts Be doth he not appear very absolute 23 He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them he inlargeth the nations straightneth them againe when to increase the number of people he makes women fruitfull and for to diminish it he makes lands barren or when touched with their teares or conquered with their prayers he delivers them from their miseries and reestablishes them in their former greatnes Is not this an admirable point of wisdome and justice when he changes the heart of Princes 24 He taketh away the heart of the cheif of the people of the earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernesse where there is no way which he holds in his hands when for to deceive them he maks them leave their good resolutions which they had taken in their counsel and ingageth them in designes where they cannot
cease 21 Withdraw thine hand far from me and let not thy dread make me afraid for a man that suffers hath not liberty to speak and give me the assurance which your Majesty hath taken from me for feare puts a man in disorder and permits him not well to duce hâ—s reasons Upon these conditions I am assured of the gaining of my cause 22 Then cal thou and I wil answer or let me speake and answer thou me that without troubling my self whither the first that discourseth hath the advantage I put it to your choyce to oppose me or defend your self to speak or to heare to begin or to end the dispute And since your silence inviteth me to speake 23 How mano are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin tell me what are my sins and if you will have me have sorrow for them as I have paine declare to me their qualities and number Why do you hide your face from me 24 Wherfore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy testâ—fying by this action that you can neither answer me nor endure me and as often as you see me you thinke you see one of your most mortall enemies What honor wil you carry away by imploying your power against a leaf 25 Wilt thou breake a leafe driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble which serves as pastime for the winds and what glory can you get by persecuting a miserable man who like dry straw hath no force nor vigour to resist you You know that I complain with Reason 26 For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth since after your mouth had pronounced the sentence of my death you write it with your hand and go to ground it upon the follyes of my youth for to give it some colour Finally as if I were some signall malefactor 27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks and lookest narrowly unto all my paths thou sectest a print upon the heels of my feet you put irons upon my feet you overlook all my actions and to finde proofs against an innocent you observe all my words and my thoughts When you come with all this diligence to ruine me 28 And he as a rotten thing consumeth as a garment that is moth-eaten you have without doubt forgotten that I am but rottennesse and that my body being of no better condition then my clothes it must one day be the nourishment of wormes CHAP. XIIII The Argument IOb makes an ample description of the misery of man which he begins by his birth and finisheth with his death then by a dexterity which grief more ingenious than eloquence had taught him he draws reasons from his misfortunes to oblidge the Divine mercy to treat him more gently MAn is borne of woman 1 Man that is borne of a woman is of few daies and full of trouble and as he hath received being from her he hath derived weaknesse he lives here few years 2 He cometh forth like a flower and is cut downe he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not but in so short a term he suffers many miseryes He is borne like a flower and passeth away like it he is like the shadow of our Quadrants in a perpetuall motion and change is so far passed into his nature that notwithstanding all his endeavours he cannot remaine one sole moment in the same condition Notwithstanding 3 And doest thou open â—hine eyes upâ—on such a one and bringest me into judgement with thee Lord you esteeme him worthy of your anger you have your eyes open upon him to examine all his actions and you cite him before your Tribunall that he may give you an account of them 4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane nor one His birth might serve him for an excuse in his sin for who can make an innocent of a man conceived in crimes and who can make but you only to whom miracles are easie the progresse of his life to be pure the entring of it being so shamefull and guilty And though the sin of his father should not diminish his own 5 Seeing his dayes are determined the number of his monthes are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe at least you ought to pardon the shortnesse of his days and consider that you keep an account of his yeers and that you have given him bounds beyond which his life cannot extend Withdraw your self then from him 6 Turn from him that he may rest til he shall accomplish as an hireling his his day and let him expect in patience till the day of his death content your self with the evils that he suffers without procuring him new ones and permit him to comfort himself like a poor mercenary in hope of the happy day which must end his travail and begin his rest So will you be sufficiently revenged by his death 7 For there is hope of a tree if it be cutt downe that it will sprout againe and that the tender branch thereof will not cease which puts him in a worse condition then trees for after they are cut they leave some hope to their Masters and the sap which animates them makes them recover their verdure and thrust forth new Branches 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stock thereof dye in the ground When time hath made their roots old and age taken from them their vigour and their Trunke being planted in a bad soyle drawes up no more nourishment 9 Yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant At the very smell of the waters they recover their former force and moisture giving them life they cover their heads with a new peruke and as at the day of their birth they crown it with boughes But when man is dead all hope dies with him 10 But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is he for after the soul is despoyled of the body and the body is reduced into dust neither the endeavours of nature nor the addresses of art can restore him to life 11 As the waters faile from the sea the flood decayeth and drieth up As it would be impossible to gather together the waters of the sea if they were dispersed or to keep together those of a river if the source were dry So cannot they bring a man back from the grave when he is once gone down thither 12 So man lieth downe and riseth not till the heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their fleepe and the sleep of death is so profound that he shall not awake till heaven worne away with age and wearied with its long travailes shall stop its motions and suspend
of your state 10 With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men much elder then thy father you must know that we treat every day with men who are more ancien tand more wise then your masters You complaine of your losses 11 Are the consolations of God small with thee Is there any secret thing with thee and as if your evill were without remedy you speak to God without respect Certainly if you had ever so little of your senses left you you would judge that nothing were more easie with him then to reestablish you in your former fortune and it may be he would already have done it is the insolence of your words had not hindred him Why does your pride raise you above your condition 12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away and what doth thine eyes winke at why do they read in your eyes that you have thoughts of vanity in your heart and that you conceive designs that surpasse your power Why does your minde revolt against God 13 That thou tuâ—nest thy spirit against God and lettest such words go out of thy mouth why does your rash tongue accuse his Providence and why do you utter words which offend his Justice I know you often alledge your innocence 14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be righteous but can one be formed of earth and not sullyed with sin and can one call himself the sonne of a woman and boast of being just Amongst those great men who by their piety have acquired the name of Saints 15 Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleare in his sight there have been found some unfaithfull and amongst the angels which are the principall Ornaments of Heaven there have been found apostates How much more light and lesse faithfull will man be 16 How much more abominable filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water whom his birth makes abominable whom his weaknesse makes unprofitable whom his inclination carries to evills and by a strange blindnesse perswades himselfe that to drinke water and to commit sin are two actions equally indifferent If you will hear me I will impart to you some of my light 17 I will shew thee hear me and that which I have seen I will declare and to draw you from the error wherein you live I will relate to you what I have seen I will tell you nothing which wise men beleeve not as well as I 18 Which wise men have told me from their fatheas and have not hid it and since truths themselves are suspected when we know not the authors of them I will name you those from whom I learnt them as well to honor their merit as to satisfie your minde And for feare you should take them for persons of mean condition 19 Unto whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed among them I would have you know that their birth and their wisdome had advanced them to the administration of state and that during their governments our enemies never overran our land nor wonne any advantage over us 20 The wicked man travellech with pain all his dayes the number of yeares is hidden to the oppressour Behold the Oracles which they have declared to man and which I entreat you to heare with respect The wicked Prince hath no more cruel executioner then his own ambition or more sensible displeasure then to know that he is mortall and to be ignorant when his tyranny must end He thinks every hour that he heares the noyse of Trumpets 21 A dreadfull sound is in his eares in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon when he injoyes peace he apprehends warte and fears surprises from his enemies or treasons from his friends When night obliges him to lye down 22 He believeth not that hee shall returne out of darknesse and he is waited for of the sword he never hopes to see the day and his guilt râ—presenting to him on all sides nothing but naked swords He beleeves that they will assassine him in his bed 23 He wandereth abroad for bread saying Where is it he knoweth that the day of darknes is ready at hand When he firs at the Table to take his repast he imagines that his meats are poyson and that he shal finde death where he seeks for the conservation of his life He is alwayes in the same inquietude as a King who is going to give battail 24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevaile against him as a King ready to battaile and his state in the hands of fortune and of his Souldiers Although these punishments be rigorous he deserved more cruell ones 25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God strengtheneth himself against the Almighty for he made warre against God and by an insupportable insolence he had gathered forces for to fight with him He marched against him without feare 26 He runneth upon him even on his neck upon the the thick bosses of his bucklers and as if God might have easily been overcome he belâ—eved that the pride of his Troopes and the pompe of his Armes were sufficient to defeat him Having conceived this contempt of God 27 Because he covereth his face with his fatnesse maketh collops of fat on his flank s. he had given himself to debaushes where the fat had so swollen up his cheeks and his belly that he had neither the stature nor the visage of a man For punishment of so many crimes 28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities and in houses which no man inhabiteth which are ready to become heaps he shall see his estate ruined and 10 secure his life he shall be constrained to retyre himself into forsaken Cities and to hide himself in the ruines more proper to serve for a sepuichre for the dead then a retreat for the living His extortions shall not inrich him 29 He shall not be rich neither shall his substance continue neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth for whatsoever care he takes to transport his treasures he shall not preserve them and his fortune shall resemble those trees which not having taken strong root in the ground cannot resist the violence of the winds Feare and shame shall make him hide himself in darknesse 30 He shall not depart out of darknes the flame shall dry up his branches and by the breath of his mouth he shall go away where after he hath seen his children dye and the accomplices of his crimes he shall dye him self of displeasure and by a just judgement of God the same fire which shall burn the trunke of the tree shall consume all its branches When they shall fore-tell him these misfortunes 31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompâ—nce
the hand of a Gyant which hath made them To appease his fury I have done all the actions of a Penitent 15 I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin and defiled my horne in the dust I have clothed my Body with haire I have changed the pompe of my habit into the austerity of sack-cloth and instead of that Crowne which served as an Ornament for my Head I have covered it with ashes 16 My face is foule with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death I have shed so many teares that my face is puffed up with it that my eyes infeebled have lost all their vigour and can no more discerne the Objects which present themselves But I can say with assurance 17 Not for any injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure that I have suffered all these evills without deserving them and that they are come most commonly upon me when to discharge my Duty I offered my prayers to God which might have beene agreable to him since they were accompanied with purity If I disguise the truth 18 O earth ' cover not thou my bloud and let my cry have no place may the Earth deny my body Sepulture and may men more insensible then Rockes never lend an eare to my compsaint 19 Also now behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high But without having need of making Imprecations I have a faithfull witnesse in the Heavens who knowing all my thoughts will not suffer my Innocence to be opprest Likewise I must confesse to you 20 My friends scorne me but mine eye poureth out teares unto God when the injurious words of my treacherous Friends renew my Griefes I implore his mercy and employ my Teares to make him favourable to me As I am affored of his Justice 21 O that men might pleade for a man with God as a man pleadeth for his neighbout and the goodnesse of my cause there nothing remaines to wish but that it were permitted me to treat with God as they treat with men and to defend my selfe before him as they defend themselves before a mortall Judge But I am afraid least Death prevent the Accomplishment of my Desires 22 When a few yeares are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not returne and least my life end before his justice absolve me for I have passed the best part of my yeares and finde my selfe ingaged in a Carriere where one can runne but once CHAP. XVII The Argument IOb complaines of the Rigour of God and the infidelity of his Friends who oblidge him with their continuall invectives to wish for death and to looke upon it as the end of all his miseries and the beginning of all his happinesse THe force of my minde growes weake 1 My breath is corrupt my dayes are extinct the graves are ready for me The number of my dayes diminishes and in the middest of so many misfortunes which encompasse mee nothing is left me to hope for but the Grave My conscience assures me that I am more unhappy then guilty 2 Are there not mockers with me and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation and notwithstanding my eyes are drowned with Teares and it seems by the use I make of them that nature hath not given me them but to weep Lord 3 Lay downe now put me in a surety with thee who is he that will strike hands with me put an end to so many miseries or if it be your will that they yet endure take me into your protection and by the favour of so good a sanctuary I permit mine enemies to denounce warre against me The ignorance wherein they live 4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding therefore shall thou not exalâ—â— them and the little care which they take to observe your Lawes makes me hope that you will take my part and that they shall have no advantage over me They regard me though as a prey which cannot escape them 5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends even the eyes of his children shall faile and they promise their Allyes that they shall enrich themselves at my expence But their Hopes shall be vaine and their eyes shall never see the successe of their unjust desires They make me the Fable of all Companies 6 He hath made me also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was as a tabret and they never speak of the pubishment of the wicked but they alledge me for Example The just resentment which I have of their calumny 7 Mine eye also is dimme by reason of sorrow and all my members are as a shadow darkens mine eyes that they cannot leade mee and all the parts of my body being enfeebled cannot serve me Finally 8 Upright men shall be astonied at this and the innocent shall stir up himselfe against the hypocrite the persecution which I suffer is so furious that good men cannot think on it but their minde is strucke with amazement and their Heart seized with indignation against thâ—se Traytours who were the canse of it But this is so far from hindering them to persevere in vertue 9 The rightâ—o a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger that on the contrary animated by my example they will adde Courage to their Piety and doe with pleasure what they did before with paine Change then your opinions 10 But as for you all doe you returne and come now for I cannot finde one wife man among you you that thinke that I am punished for my crimes or if you will persist in that errour take it not â—ll that I condemne your thoughts and that I publish abroade that passion hath made you loose your Judgement But I have entertained you long enough 11 My dayes are past my purposes are broken off even the thoughts of my heart it is time to lend words to my sorrow and to begin my complaints againe but my life passeth away and my death approacheth my minde is disquieted and if it wander sometime in its Thoughts it is not to divert but to afflict it selfe All things displease it equally 12 They change the night into day the light is short because of darknesse it would have night day and when the day is come it yet wishes Night and imagines that it will sweeten its displeasures But as it sees that both of them afflict it it sighs after that night which hath no end 13 If I wait the grave is mine house I have made my bed in the darknesse and promiseth it self that it shall finde rest in that bed from which they never rise againe In these thoughts I make allyance with death 14 I have said to corruption thou art my father to the worme thou art my mother and my sister and to testifie to Rottennesse and the wormes
pitty 21 Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me and you who make profession of loving me have compassion of my griefes because their excesse makes you see that it is an incensed God which is the Author of them Why doe you agree with him to persecute me 22 Why do you persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh and why imitating the cruelty of Savage Beasts which live upon mans flesh do you feed your selves with my miseries Where is the man that will lend me his hand to write the Regrets of my mouth 23 Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a book and who will be the Engravor to carve them upon lead or ingrave them in marble to informe Posterity 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever These wishes do no injury to my hopes for with whatsoever tearmes I serve my griefe 25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth I know that he from whom I expect my salvation is living and that after he hath tryed my patience he will bring me out of that miserable condition to which I am reduced And I may well believe it 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God since faith perswades me that I must rise againe after my death that my bones shall once againe be clothed with flesh that in my owne body I shall see the God which I adore and heare from his mouth a sentence favourable to my innocence With what reasons soever they combate my beliefe 27 Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shal behold and not another shough my reins be consumed within me I hold assuredly that his goodnesse having obliged him to make himself man my eyes shall finde their happinesse in his body that in spight of death which shall have destroyed me I shall live again that changed in condition only and not in nature I shall see my God in his glory And this hope which I conserve in my soule is the onely consolation which I receive in my displeasures If you are of the same opinion why doe you prosecute me 28 But ye should say Why persecute ye him seeing the root of the matter is found in me and if you believe that heaven will one day crowne my patience why doe you forge calumnies to oppresse my innocence Change your designe then 29 Be ye fraid of the sword for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword that ye may know that there is a judgment profit by the advice which I give you fly that revenging sword which leaves not sins unpunished and to entertaine your selfe in this good resolution remember that God will be our Common Judge and that our differences shall be determined in his presence CHAP. XX. THE ARGUMENT SOphar following the opiniont of those who had spoken before him concludes that punishment is a proofe of sinne and that with whatsoeuer Reasont Job endeavours to defend his innocence he is bound to confesse that he is guilty because he is afflicted SOphar 1 Then answered Zophar the Naamaâ—hite and said who would take advantage of the last words of Job sayed to him The conclusion of your discourse hath given me a thousand thoughts 2 Therefore doe my thoughts cause me to answer and for this I make haste and my soule troubled with their number knowes not which to chuse The reproaches which you use to me 3 I have heard the check of my reproach and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer will furnish me with an ample subject of discourse but as in this conference I seeke nothing but to draw you from your errour I will not reply to the injuries which my conscience and reason assure me are not true I will onely tell you then that in your disgrace there is nothing extraordinary 4 Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon earth that every one knows that the glory of a wicked man is not of continuance 5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment and that moments are not shorter than the prosperity of a sinner Though his pride should mount up to heaven 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds though he should beare his head in the clouds and that men to content his vanity should accord him divine honours Yet all his glory shall turne into smoake that deceitâ—uâ—â— lustre which dazled eyes 7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his owne dung they which have seen him shall say Where is he shall disperse like dust which the winde carryes away those who admired his greatnesse shall be amazed at his fall and not able to believe it after they have seene it shall aske what is become of him It shall be with his happinesse 8 He shall flie away as a dream and shall not bee sound yea he shall be chased away as a vision of the night as with dreames which when we awake we cannot remember and his prosperity shall passe by like Ghosts which go away with the night and of which there remaines in the morning but a confused remembrance Those who looked upon him with envy 9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more neither shall his place any more behold him shall no more looke upon him but with pitty and his Domestiques the eye-witnesses of his vanity shall see him no more but with contempt And because a father is more sensible in the person of his children 10 His children shall seek to please the poore and his hands shall restore their goods than in his own they whom he hath brought into the world shall be reduced to extremity and Divine Justice shall ruine them to revenge the Orphans which their Fathers had oppressed But the most rigorous of his punishments is 11 His bones are full of the sinne of his youth which shall lye down with him in the dust that he shall retaine his bad inclinations till death that he shall not lose the desire of doing evill when he shall have lost the power and that he shall carry away his bad habitudes with him into the grave For as those who eat any thing that is agreeable 12 Though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth though he hide it under his tongue retaine it a long time in their mouth for to taste it with more pleasure So he shall keepe his sinne as long as he can 13 Though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still withing his mouth and if sometimes he let it go in appearance he shall retaine the desire of
in their successours they shall prove to their cost that God takes notice of all that passes in the world and if he dissemble our offences he is not ignorant of them Besides this punishment 21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him whē the number of his months is cut off in the midst they shall suffer extreame torments in their persons death shall be alwaies present before their eyes and although they try its cruelties they shall not feele its favours and shall drink great draughts in this cup of bitternesse and fury which God prepares for his enemies One must confesse that their punishment would be too gentle if they were punished but in their successors 22 Shall any teach God knowledge seeing he judgeth those that are high for when men are dead the condition of their house gives them but little trouble and 't is not their greatest paine to know that Divine Justice hath contracted the life of their children and taken them out of the world in the midst of their yeares Out of all this discourse it is easie for me to conclude 23 One dieth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet that there are no certaine markes to discerne the good from the bad since it happens sometimes that two guilty men are treated differently and that two just men who are equall in merit are not so in fortune Therefore we must adore that conduct 24 His brests are full of milk and his bones are moistened with marrow without murmuring submit our selves to the Ordinance of God for men were insolent if they would instruct him who teaches the Angels Let 's reverence then his providence 25 And another dieth in the bitternesse of his soul and never eateth with pleasure when we see that a sinner hath no disgrace whiles he is in the world that his happinesse is constant that riches and health accompany him to the grave that his body is of a strong constitution and that that vigour which makes youth acceptable leaves him not in his very age But let us adore his Justice 26 They shal lie down alike in the dust and the worms shal cover them when we see another man who is not it may be so guilty passe his yeares in sorrows count his dayes by his afflictions and dye as poore as he was borne Finally 27 Behold I know your thoughts and the devices which yee wrongfully imagine against me let us not murmure when we see that two lives different shall have the same end that the rich and the poore shall be both covered with earth and that the worms who have no regard to our conditions shall spare a happy man no more than a miserable I have not so little wit 28 For ye say Where is the house of the prince and where are the dwelling places of the wicked but I reade in your face the thoughts which you revolve in your heart I know that you accuse me whilest I pleade for God and that you condemne mine innocence whilest I defend his Justice For drawing a bad conclusion from a bad principle 29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way and do not ye know their tokens you say it is necessary that I should be guilty because I am so unhappy and that God had never suffered my flocks to be taken away my palaces to be overthrowne and my children to be buried under their ruines if by some notable impiety I had not ingaged his justice to punish me But you argue so ill in this occasion that there is no one but condemnes you 30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction they shal bee brought forth to the day of wrath and if without making choyce of a Judge you will aske the first Passenger which you finde I assure my self that his answers will make you see that upon the subject of which we dispute he hath no other sentiments than mine And certainly they are very just 31 Who shal declare his way to his face and who shal repay him what he hath done and 't is with much reason that I maintaine that sinners are not alwayes punished for their crimes for the earth hath no punishments rigorous enough to chastize them and heaven does well to reserve them for the day of its fury and to deferre their punishment to render it eternall The instruments which he useth here 32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave and shall remaine in the tomb are too feeble for to tame them for if he had a desire to chastize theie sinnes there could no man be found hardy enough to undertake it and if he had a designe to ruine them there could none be found puissant enough to execute it Do not you see that they reverence them after their death 33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him and every man shal draw after him as there are innumerable before him that they oblige nature to weare mourning for them that they condemne the Elements to weepe for them that they carry them with pompe to the grave that they embalme their bodies to preserve them a long time and that in spight of death they defend them from corruption Those who flatter them during their life continuing it after their death indeavour to perswade men that the earth respects their bodies that the graves are proud of possessing them and that that fabulous hell of profane men is happy to lodge their Ghosts and that all those that go before or follow them into those sad places come not there but to have the honour to be with them Since it is certaine then that the wicked are not alwayes miserable 34 How then comfort ye me in vain seeing in your answers there remainetb falshood and that experience contradicts the reasons wherewith you defend your opinion do not you take a wrong course to comfort me when you would perswade me that I am guilty because I am afflicted And might not you rather conclude that all the unfortunate are not wicked because all the wicked are not unfortunate CHAP. XXII THE ARGUMENT ELiphaz would perswade those who heare him that when God punisheth men he is not bound to declare his motives and that those which obliged him to punish Job are not secret since his sinnes are so publique AS they could not reply to such good reasons 1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Eliphaz who disputed not so much for truth as for glory had recourse to invectives and without any more palliating his designe undertooke openly to make Job confesse that he was a famous Malefactour We know saith he that a man were insolent who would be equall with God and who serving himself with the light which he could not have borrowed but from him would reforme his Providence and oblige him by his reasons to use another kinde of conduct over
over men carefully considered their actions and wayted but for the moment which it had decreed to punish them In a word 24 They are exalted for a little while but ere gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn their happinesse hath not been of long continuance the same Sun which advanced them hath dissipated them their end hath not bin more glorious than that of the least things of the earth and in the same manner as there needs but a little winde to beat down the fairest eares of corne there hath needed but a little disgrace for to overthrow all their fortune 25 And if it be not so now who will make me a lyer and make my speech nothing worth But if in all these discourses my opinions have not beene conformable to truth I would have them accuse me before the Throne of God and examine all my words there but if it be true that the just are sometimes opprest and that the wicked are not alwaies punished I would have you make a better construction of my Innocence and alleadge my miseries no more as assured proofes of my sinne CHAP. XXV THE ARGUMENT VVHether Baldad would divert Job from the designe which he had to contest with God or whether he had no reasons which he could oppose to his he leaves off his Invectives and makes a Panegyrick of the Majesty of God 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said BAldad distrusted his forces and judged rightly that a bad cause could not eafily be defended but as he would not yeeld to the good reasons of Job he undertooke with a bad designe an excellent Panegyrick of the power of God which he begun in these tearmes 2 Dominion and fear are with him he maketh peace in his high places It is to have too good an opinion of your selfe and not to make esteeme enough of God when you wish that he were your Judge he hath glorious qualities which ought to beget in you modest sentiments and more humble desires His Majesty is accompanied with so much Power that he strikes astonishment and feare in the minds of all the Greatures He appeaseth the differences of the elements and obligeth them to force their ' owne inclinations to preserve the quiet of the world He shakes all the Heavens with so much evennesse that in the contrariety of their Motions they never disorder themselves Finally maintaines peace amongst the Angels and tempering his Justice with his Goodnesse he makes himself equally loved and feared of those blessed Spirits Though in this absolute power God hath no need of any one to execute his designes 3 Is there any number of his armies and upon whom doth not his light arise notwithstanding he hath Armies whose Souldiers cannot be counted The Angels adore him in heaven men serve him upon earth the Devils are afeard of him in hell This prodigious number of Subjects makes no confusion in his minde and their different qualities do not hinder him but he knows their worth and knowes their names After so much pompe and glory 4 How then can men be justified with God or how can he be clean that is born of a woman which makes the Majesty of God so adorable should not that man be insolent who would justifie himselfe before him and must he not have forgotten the condition of his mother and the shame of his birth if he pretended any thing to the quality of an Innocent That beautifull Starre 5 Behold even to the moon and it shineth not yea the stars are not pure in his sight which in the obscurity of the night makes us see againe the brightnesse of the day hath no lustre in his presence and the Starres who are the honour of the Firmament and give it advantage above the other Heavens compared with him are not without impurities and without staines What then can man promise himselfe 6 How much lesse man that is a worm and the son of man which is a worm whose birth is so shamefull whose death is so miserable and who being but corruption during his life can be nothing but rottennesse after his death CHAP. XXVI THE ARGUMENT JOB descants upon the prayses which Baldad had given God and with nohler tearmes and higher thoughts exalts the greatnesse of his Power and makes seene that his will serveth as Law to all his creatures WHen Baldad had ended this Enlogivus 1 But Job answered and said which he had rather made for the patience of Job than to praise the greatnesse of God he received from him this Answer What designe can you have in your discourse 2 How hast thou helped him that is without power how savest thou the ann that hath no strength which is not injurious to God do you believe that his Power hath need of your succour and when you defend his cause with so much heat do you perswade your selfe that he is one of those oppressed persons whose weaknesse obligeth the great ones to undertake his protection When you give him advice and instructions to ruine me 3 How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom and how hast thou plentifully decleared the thing as it is do you think he hath need of your counsell and when you make these great discourses do you imagine that his Divine Wisdome hath need of your prudence Do not you know that he whom you undertake to instruct 4 To whom hast thou uttered words and whose spirit came from thee is the source of all our knowledge and that our minde being but the breath of his mouth we have no light but what we have derived from his His Power is so known 5 Dead things are formed from under the waters and the inhabitants thereof that one must have lost his Judgement to imagine that yours is necessary to him and to give you some proofes of it which may oblige you to treat him with more respect I will represent to you but the effects which he produceth in nature Know then that it is he who makes the Monsters groane under the waters who keeps captives in the sea those heavy Whales whose greatnesse justly deserues the name of Gyants His knowledge is not lesse than his Power 6 Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering he sees the dead in their graves and the earth which steales them from our eyes cannot steale them from his since the Abysses are open to him and hell it selfe hath not darknesse enough to hide the Devils from him He hath stretched over out heads those parts of Heaven whence the North winds rise 7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place and hangeth the earth upon nothing and hath given them no foundation but vacuity He hath formed the earth like a bowle and though so weighty a masse required strong Pillars he hath left it
to advertise them of the misfortune which threatens them 18 He keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword informe them of the bad designe of their enemies discover to them the treasons which they plot against them and preserve them from a violent and suddaine death He speakes to them also sometimes by griefes 19 He is chastened also with paine upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong paine and serves himselfe with diseases to instruct them he takes from them the power of doing evill so that he may take from them the desire of it and commands a languishing Feaver to burne their entrailes and to consume that moysture which nourisheth the bones and conserveth life You shall see them then in bed dejected and distasted 20 So that his life abhorteth bread and his soule dainty meart the best meats displease them Bread which is the most innocent of Elements and which changeth it selfe most easily into our substance â—auseth aversion in them and those delicate meats which they sought so passionately are no lesse horrid to them then poyson When the Malady contitues their colour changes 21 His flesh is consumed away that it cannot beseen and his bones that were not seen stick out their favour vanishes they become so leane that the bones pierceing the skiâ—me they seeme rather Skeletons than men Physitians give them over those which see the loathsome symptomes which accompany their disease judge it mortall and beleeve that without a Miracle they cannot escape But whilest every one despaires of their life 23 If there be a messenget with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnes that Angel which hath been chosen out of a thousand to be their Tutelar undertakes to convert them and to defend them The Majesty of God which takes pleasure in being overcome by the prayers of hiâ— people will give him charge to cure them 24 Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe to the pit I have found a ransome and his Mercy which is ingenious in obligeing them will finde something in their persons wherewith to satisfie his Justice 25 His flesh shall befresher then a childes he shall return to the days of his youth it will ordaine that their body which hath been consumed by sicknesse be established in its former vigour and that by secrets which Physick and Nature doe not know it be restored to that beauty which it possessed in its prime Then their Sicknesses 26 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he wil render unto man his righteousnesse joyning their prayers with those of their good Angels shall make heaven propitious to them and not to be ingratefull for so rare a favour they shall thanke God in his Temple with a thousand testimonies of joy which shall be followed with a perfect cure of their body and of their soule As a true repentance is alwaies accompanied with a humble confession 27 He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not they shall publish aloud the goodnesse of God and the excesse of their offence they shall say every where we have sinned against heaven and with whatsoever punishment we have been chastised we protest that it hath been lesse then our crime So by an innocent cunning they deliver themselves from the misfortune which threatned them 28 He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light preserve their body and their soule from a double death and procure themselves by their repentance a double life See the order which God observes for to convert sinners 29 Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man and the divers meanes which he uses to reduce them to their duty 30 To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living but their malice must not entertaine it selfe in a rash confidence for when he hath touched them twice or thrice without effect they must feare least his bounty grow weary and that the contempt which they make of his favours oblige him not to refuse them Learne then these secrets afflicted Prince 31 Marke well O Job hearken unto me hold thy peace and I will speak hearken peaceably to him which discovers them to you and since all this discourse is so profitable to your Soule rouse up your attention and continue your silence If notwithstanding you have any good reply to make me 32 If thou hast any thing 20 say answer me speak for I desire to juâ—â—fie thee I am ready to heare it and obliging my selfe to the same Lawes which I have prescribed you I will patienly heare all your Reasons for passion possesseth not my soule and you cannot doe me a greater pleasure then to perswade me that you are innocent But if you cannot doe it 33 If not hearken unto me hold thy peace and I shall teach thee wisdom and if you want colours to palliate so bad a cause as yours I am content to speake in your favour and to teach you true wisedome provided that on your part you also persever in the designe of hearkning to me CHAP. XXXIV THE ARGUMENT ELihu gives liberty to his eloquence imputeth new erimes to Job and by experience of the punishment wherewith Heaven punisheth bad Princes endeavours to perswade him that he is of the number of them and that his misfortune is the chastizement of his tyranny ELihu continued his discourse 1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said and accompanied it with all the exteriour graces which make an Oratour agreeable and which charme the sences of the Auditors to make his reasons passe with more delight into their mindes Wise men saith he 2 Heare my words O ye wise men and give eare unto me ye that have knowledge who have intelligence of all divine and humane things observe exactly my thoughts and you learned men whose minde knowledge and travaile polisheth hearken carefully what I have to tell you For as the taste discernes meats approves the good 3 For the eat â—â—eth words as the mouth tasteth meat and condemnes the bad so the eare judges of words rejects he false and receives the true Call then your minde to the succour of your sences 4 Let us chuse to us judgement let us know among our selves what is good for to make a judgement which is not passionate and despoyled of your in terest choose that which shall seeme to you the best and the most just Remen ber that Job hath bragged of being innocent 5 For Job hath said I am righteous and God hath taken away my judgement and that by a blasphemy which his vanity hath drawn from his mouth
and furrowes and treats it like an old Man from whom Age hath taken away his vigour Although the Earth brings forth many Monsters whom their enormous greatnesse makes feared 33 Upon earth there is not his like who is made without fear there is none of them to compare with this which seemes not to have come into the World but to fear nothing and to despise all things Lastly 34 He beholdeth all high things he is a king over all the children of pride he is so great that when he lifts his head above the Waves he sees under him the proudest Mountaines and his strength added to his Pride makes all the Monsters of the Sea reverence him as their Tyrant CHAP. XLII The Argument THe Patience of Job triumphs over the Justice of God who pardons his Friends for his sake reestablisheth him in all his Estate with advantage bestowes as many Children upon him as Death had taken from him and after a long Life gives him a happy Death THe greatnesse of God had imposed silence upon Job 1 Then Job answered the Lord and said his goodnesse made him speak and the regret which he had for having complained put these Excuses in his Mouth I know my God 2 I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be with-holden from thee that as nothing is impossible to your Power nothing is hidden from your knowledge you can do all that you will weaknesse hinders not the Execution of your Designes and Darknesse covers not the Sentiments of our hearts A Man must be very indiscreet 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge therefore have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not or very ignorant if he thinke to conceale his thoughts from you for my part I discover you mine and confesse to you that I spake rashly when I complained of your Justice and that by Discourses which surpassed the reach of my understanding I censured your Providence Now that my Reproaches are turned into Satisfactions 4 Hear I beseech thee and I will speak I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me and my Complaints changed into Prayers give me leave to speak to you and do me the favour to hear me The admirable Discourses which you have made me 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee have defaced all Doubts out of my Soul those divine Lights wherewith you have illuminated me have dissipated all the Darknesse of my Heart I reade your Providence I see your Designes and I adore them I understand the cause of my Misfortunes and I reverence it I know for what reason the innocent are afflicted and I am comforted at it So that I blame all my past opinions 6 Wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes I oblige my Heart to be sorry for them I command mine Eyes to weep for them I ordain my hands to punish them and condemne my whole Body to do penance for them with Ashes and Sack cloth 7 And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temaniâ—e My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my Servant Job hath After God had testified that the satisfactions of Job were not unacceptable to him he discoursed thus with Eliphas Your Crimes have irritated my Justice and she would take a memorable revenge upon you if my Mercy did not detain her for in all your Invectives my honour hath served you but for a pretence to accuse Innocence you have confounded the Crime with the Punishment and the inclination which you have to interpret sinisterly the Actions of your Neighbour hath made you judge that my Servant was guilty because he was miserable but his Complaints are more acceptable to me than your Prayses and I can more easily pardon the Regrets which sorrow hath drawn from his Mouth than I do the Reproaches which Malice hath drawn from yours 8 Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks seven Rammes go to my servant Job and offer vp for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept least I deale with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my Servant Job Wherefore I command you to choose seven Bulls and as many Rammes out of your Flockes to make a Holocaust of them which may expiate your Crimes and repair my honour but because the sacrifices of the wicked are not acceptable to me I will have you engage my Servant to joyn his Prayers with yours and to demand of my bounty the pardon of your offences he is charitable enough to do you that good office and I am mercifull enough to pardon you for his sake These three Princes touched with sorrow 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job and seised with fear exactly followed the Orders of God who let himselfe be overcome by the humble Prayers of Job accorded him the favour which he begged for his Friends and reestablished him in his greatnesse with so much advantage that all things were restored him double that it seemed God had not made him poor but to enrich him nor taken away his goods but to given them him again with interest As the adversity of Job had scattered his Friends 10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before his prosperity brought them again together for at the noise of the Wonders which Heaven had wrought in his favour they who were united to him by the Bonds of Nature or of Amity came to visit him and after they had mingled their Teares with his at the memory of his past Miseries 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had been of his acquaintance before and did eat bread with him in his house and they bemoaned him and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him every man also gave him a piece of money every one an ear-ring of gold they treated him magnificently to testifie to him the joy which the establishment of his Fortune brought them and when they returned every one of them left him a Sheep as a Gage of his Affection and an Ear Pendant of Gold in assurance of his fidelity His losse was as profitable to him as it was glorious for Heaven took care of his Flockes and multiplied them in that manner that for seven thousand Sheep which passed about his Plaines he counted fourteen thousand for three thousand Camels which carried Burdens he saw six thousand in his Stables 12 So the Lord blessed the later end oâ— Job more than his beginning for he had fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand Camels and a thousand yoak of Oxen and a thousand shâ—-Asses for five hundred yoak of Oxen which tilled the Ground he had a thousand which bore the yoak and for five hundred she Asses which served for divers uses he saw as many more in his fields His Wife becomming fruitfull at an Age well advanced brought him seven Sonnes whose perfections sweetned the sorrow which the losse of the other had caused him 13 He had also seven sons three daughters and that in so great a happinesse he might have nothing to lament he had three Daughters which equalled or surpassed in vertue those whom Death had taken from him The first whose beauty glistered like the Sun 14 And he called the name of the first Jemima and the name of the second Kezia and the name of the third Keren-happuch derived her name from light the second whose breath was sweeter than Roses borrowed hers from a most excellent Perfume and the third whose cheekes Nature had painted with a most pleasing Vermillion took her name from the colour of her tincture Amongst so many Perfections which made them remarkable amongst the Women of that Age 15 And in all the land were no Women found so fair as thaâ— daughters of Job and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren they had this further advantage that they surpassed them all in beauty though they were married they were not put to the trouble of leaving their Brothers with whom they lived alwayes and peaceably enjoyed the Inheritance which their father had left them The felicity of Job was so long that an Age could not bound it 16 After this lived Iob an hundred and fourty yeares and saw his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes even four generations for after he had happily accomplished that he lived yet fourty yeares during so long a terme he had the pleasure of seeing his childrens children even to the fourth Generation But as there is no life so long which hath not its end his was terminated by so gentle a Death 17 So Iob dyed being old and full of dayes that those who saw it wished one like it and desired that they might be happy to live and die like him FINIS