you see My body thus piece-meal'd but you must be While you pretend my losses to condole The cruel Executioners of my soul. Is 't not enough you see my body pin'd But you must likewise thus distract my mind Ah will your tedious arguing never cease Would as for seven daies you did hold your peace When first you hither came so to this hour You ne'r had spoke alace how lean and poor All your Discourse is on my present state Expressing not so much your wit as hate Still varieing still mistaking of my case Still anvilling on one poor common place As if 't were meritorious to assert Though pious in my words yet in my heart I am a rotten Hypocrite indeed If you intend in railing to proceed In my opinion truly it were fit You should at least those threed-bare tropicks quite You should your former Batteries neglect And on new grounds new arguments erect And truth I think by what I 've spoke of late I 've furnish d you with matter adequat To more then any of you hath spoke as yet Proceed my friends then do your worst let all Your wits joint forces brisquely on me fall All your insults I shall with patience Endure and with my miseries dispence When I reflect on my own innocence My innocence I ever will assert For not your logick not your wit and art Shall wheadle me into acknowledgement Of your so oft repeated argument No no I never will confesse what you To have conceded keep so much adoe No I 'm so far from being asham'd of what I 've spoke since we did mannage this debate That I could wish my words were registrat I care not who hereafter do revise The memoires of my woes and miseries I am indifferent who hereafter read My Plea and see how I have answered Your pointed arguments I care not who In after ages do peruse what now I speak although the words that from my mouth Do issue are not so polite so smooth So fine so quaint so fraught with Eloquence As yours are yet I do presume the sense Imports as much as if you had abus'd Your Parts and most injuriously accus'd A man who ' spite of all your argument And pungent talk will still plead innocent O that my words were keep 't upon record O that my God such favour would afford That what I speak in this my agony Might be transmitted to Posterity In such a fair and lasting character As all our Edicts Laws and Statutes are Would they were graven with an Iron pen In Lead or Brass that all the race of men Might still remember on this conference And see how firm I 've stood to the defence Of my as yet unspotted innocence Nor would I have you think my friends that I Value my self on my integrity Or boldly plead my innocence because I fall not under reach of humane Laws Or that I did on Earth no tryal fear Because my Padlock't-sins did not appear By evidence expos'd to publick view But cunningly were all conceal'd from you No God forbid that e'r I should assert My innocence i'th'least if in my heart By strictest search I found on record that Which my assertion might invalidat No no such practises I do detest I keep a constant Jury in my breast By which I 'm hourly try'd no allegation No fain'd excuse no specious information No falshood no corrupted evidence In that impartial Court of Conscience Will ever be receiv'd at any rate From this same Court I have certificat Of my pure innocence For I 'm perswaded my Redeemer lives I firmly do believe 't is he that gives Assurance to all those whom he doth love That he will interceed for them above I know in him I have some interest And upon that security I rest I know he will at last on Earth appear And make the sinful World quake for fear Of his approach when like a mighty king He shall i' th' Clouds appear and in a ring Oh Heav'ns great Host stand circled all around Issue his Edicts and by Trumpet sound Command both dead and living to appear In Judgement where each mortal thing may hear His just Procedure there he will indite Him whom you call the cunning Hypocrite As well as th' open sinner him he will Find guilty and condemn for all his skill If I be such then as you 'd have me be In that great day my friends you 'll clearly see What shall become of me For after this my Body Worms have eat And with their substance 't is incorporat After my Bones are squandred in the Ground And of my Flesh no vestige can be found My Scull my Arms and Thigh-bones thrown aloft By th' Shovel of the Grave-maker as oft As for new Guests new Rooms he doth provide And in the Earth my Corps are putrifi'd After my Dust about the Grave is roll'd Yet in the Flesh I shall my God behold Yes with these eyes these individual eyes With which I now behold these glorious Skies I then shall see that glorious Architect Who for his glory did the Heavens Erect For though some think our Bodies made of Clay Which crumble in the Grave on rising day Shall not stand up but some of thinnest Air Compos'd shall in their place that day appear Yet I 'm convinc'd that this numerical This Earthly Body this organical Composure which we here a Body name Shall on that day appear the very same Only as Earth when vitrify'd is still But Earth though richly polish'd by the skill Of knowing Artists so this peice of Clay Shall be refin'd and at appearance day Shall with such beauty grace and glory shine As God thinks proper for the grand design Of its perpetual true Felicity Which join'd with Soul in heavenly harmony It shall enjoy impassible of all Those thwarting ills which here we troubles call Then in this Body with those very eyes I shall perceive him with none else but these I shall behold my Saviour I believe Firmly that in the Flesh I shall perceive My bless'd Redeemer though my very Reins Are shrunk within my Back and all my Veins Choak'd up with stagnant and corrupted Blood Are now like Ditches full of Dirt and Mud. Although my moisture is all spent and gone And I am nothing now but skin and bone Though I all humane shape and form have lost And in the eyes of all more like a Ghost Then like a living man I do appear And no man will come nigh me now for fear Of my contagious breath yet after all This bodie this same individual And putrid bodie shall again revive And I again as formerly shall live And my Redeemer with those verie eyes I clearlie shall behold when from the skies He shall descend to judge the Quick and Dead And with those verie eyes I then shall read The Journals of his Actings then I shall Before my Heavenlie Judge convince you all I am no Hipocrite as you assert But
seem to represent In all his actings something of a Saint Yet then he cryes then he repines a main Then he complaines of poverty and pain O then he railes upon that providence Which was in former times his sole defence For now all sorrow wrath and desperation He thinks on nothing less then restauration Whereas before he thought he was so sure His wealth to generations would endure Well I have seen some Gallant in his pride Inâ—ulsly laugh at all the world beside Fix'd and firme-rooted as he did suppose And proof against the batterie of his foes When on a suddain providence would frowne And this same fool would tumble headlong down With all his sins about him in a tryce Kill'd by the fall from glories precipice Then would I say this man deservedly Doth fall and with him all his family Is levelled with dust because he did In such vain transitory things conside For by fair justice he shall be destroy'd And all his unjust purchases made voide Then after he has justly forfeit all He without pity shall most justly fall Those who are hungry shall eat up his grain And reap the profit of his nine Months pain Nay they shall sweep his grounds and fields so clean As his poor children shall find nought to glean The thirsty travellers who for rain doth gape Shall drink up all the substance of his grape For thou must know afflictions do not come By accident as is suppos'd by some On any man nor do Heavens noble laws Allow that any one without a cause Should suffer punishment no not at all There 's no such thing as that you fortune call 'T is a meer notion a device of men To palliate their sins and entertain A proud opinion of their innocence And lay the blame of all on Providence Which they call fortune and conclude from thence When any are afflicted at the rate As thou art now that they 're unfortunate Unlucky and I know not what alace Why should we with such sopperies as these Abuse our selves when certainly we know Who know there is a God things are not so But that our God doth formally arraigne For every sin convict and punish men Then know That no affliction comes by accident But that all Judgements to our doors are sent By rule of Heavens Court where information Is made and prov'd preceeding condemnation Besides as sparks by nature upwards fly So man to sorrows born doth live and dye In a continued sweat of toyle and care With dregs of anger for his daily fare Tortures of mind and body all at once Do suck the marrow from his very bones Nor can he pleasure to himself project Or joy and comfort in this earth expect Were I then in thy lamentable case I 'd not repine but humblie make address To my good God from him I would demand A patient mind and learn to understand From whence such floods of evils do proceed And in my sorrows I my sins would read To him alone my self I would apply To whom the world belongs who sits on High To whom all Creatures in subjection are Whose Jurisdiction doth exceed by far All Powers on Earth who things unsearchable Performes of which we are not capable To give a Judgement things beyond our reach Things which to act no humane Art can Teach 'T is he who makes the Rain from Clouds to fall By which the Earth made pregnant yeelds us all Our Hearts can wish affords us dayly Bread Drink Cloaths and Med'cine and what else we need For Maintnance of that Fabrick which he fram'd To Lodge the Soul and it the Body nam'd The Body O a thing most excellent For whose Subsistence we should even torment Our Souls a very precious thing indeed That on the Labours of the Soul should feed The Body a meer piece of useful Dust Demis'd for some time to the Soul in Trust. Though for its use the too kind Soul at best Payes a severe and dreadful Interest Whilst to afford it pleasure legally It forfaults its own true Felicity What is 't we hugg then what do we esteem A dying thing which scarce deserves a name A thing so long as Soul doth it inspire Moves for a time like Puppet on a Wyre That gone it moves it prats it squeeks no more But a dull piece of Clay as 't was before Breathless and Sapless on the Ground it lies Yet in its Fall its Maker glorifies As well as in its Frame because from thence We learn what Honour and Obedience We owe to him who this fair Fabrick raises And by a Breath destroyes it when he pleases Besides who 'd not in Duty be exact When still before his Eyes he sees the Rack The Axe the Gibbet and in Mind doth feel Sad apprehensions of the dreadful Wheel Is not our case the same do we not see How many thousand Shapes of Death there be Dayly presented to our view to show That after all all to the Grave must go From this fair Topick let us argue then He is our God and we poor sinful men Therefore since to him we owe Life and Breath We should live well that when invading Death Approaches he may find us on our Guard Not by his gastly looks to be out-dar'd For though he seize the Body yet on high The Soul shall live to perpetuity 'T is he the mighty God 't is he alone Who in the Heavens has set up his Throne From whence he orders all things and doth raise This man to honours and that man debase That to th' afflicted he may comfort give And make those whom the world abhorreth live The subtile plottings of our knowing men He disappoints and makes their projects vain He laughs at all their consults and despises Both them and all their silly state devises So that what e're those Crocodiles project Their Machinations never take effect He spoiles their counsels and makes all their wit Like salt whose savour's lost down-right unfit For any thing save at a round of Ale To be the subject of some Country tale For the Worlds wisdom in Gods eyes is folly Their Art but th' product of dull Melancholly Their reasoning is notional and vain Erring in things even evident and plain Things manifest things clear as noon-tide-light To them are dark as to one in the night Who nothing sees gropes but no rode can find And stands confounded betwixt raine and wind Whil'st at each justling shrub his joints do tremble Thinking the Night-thieves round him do assemble Lord what is all we brag of then for what Keep we such toyl on earth is 't only that We may be thought more wise than others are And be esteemed wits 't is very fair A rare designe indeed well worth our pain When after all we learn or can retain All our fine wisdom in Gods eyes is vain For when our Politicians counsel take How they the just and pious man
to your half-dead Friend you threaten Death Your unkind words like Grins and Snares you lay By which your Friend you shrewdly may betray Now therefore pray at length impartially Look on me and consider whether I Have reason thus t' expresse my grief or no When I endure what none of you can know Assure your selves then I take no delight Thus to complain I am no Hypocrite As you pretend my sorrows are no less Then I esteem them nay could I expresse My inward griefs they 'r more in number sure Then mortal man did ever yet endure Forbear then pray at my desire forbear From such Discourse so rigid so severe As wound my Heart more than my Sorrows do With all my Plagues and Torments pray allow My grief some vent or as my present case is Should I be silent I should burst to pieces Have patience but a while and you shall see There 's no so great iniquity in me As you alleage when my survey is made And with my woes my words in Scales are laid Cap. VII THen what am I a man and what is he A breathing Bauble now pray let us see What is this man of what should he be proud What more than t' other Creatures is allow'd To this same taudry piece of Flesh and Bone This painted Glow-worm this Cameleon That casts it self in every Form and Shape And fain would something of its Maker Ape Is there not to this glorious Creature set A certain time his days are limitate As are those of a Hireling his abode Upon this Earth has its own period Beyond which no man of the greatest strength Can pass vain man must dye vain man at length Must drop into his Grave and there become The very Dross the Caput mortâ—um Of Lifes projection fitted for no use Yet is this all his labour doth produce Although he fancies to himself he may Exceed the reputation of Clay In high conceits and even seems to hold Within his Clutch whole Magazines of Gold Like one who in a Dream great Booties takes But finds himself deceiv'd when he awakes On what alace then should this silly Tool Value it self this Hypocondriackfooll For what should he himself so much esteem When all his Life is but a very Dream Have you not seen a Labourer all the day Long for the happy night wherein he may Refresh his wearied Bones and think the Sun Spite of him with too slow a pace doth run And with impatience doth his Task attend Longing to have his Labours at an end This is my very case for so have I Toil'd all the day long of my vanity And long'd extreemly for th'approach of night In which I pleas'd my self to think I might Enjoy some Rest but here the difference lay 'Twixt the Labourer and me the night and day To me were both alike no rest I found In either at no rate I could compound With sleep for one hour of its company But on my Bed I 'd sick and tossing lye With Eyes unclos'd and Spirit much perplex't Fainting with grief in Mind and Body vex't So runs my Time so do my Years advance I'have indeed had for Inheritance Long dayes of pain and months of vanity Which makes my Life a Scene of misery So soon as I my self compose to Rest Thinking to cach some slender Nap at least Before I shut up my o'rewearied Eyes Now I lye down but when shall I arise I say how shall I pass the tedious night When shall I see again the morning light The night I do by Moments Calculate And with impatience for the Morning wait With tossing too and fro upon my Bed My Body is sore pain'd and wearied My Body tortur'd with a strange Disease Wâ—ose fury no soft Ointments can appease What art to such as I am can bring ease My Flesh with Vermine is all overspread See how with Dust and Mud I 'm covered My Skin to pieces is all rent and torn Was ever man to such sad Judgements born My Pains and Torments are all visible With Ulcers I am become horrible My days do pass with more celerity Than Weavers Shuttle through the Web doth fly Amidst a thousand Sorrows Cares and Fears I spend some inconsiderable Years They flye they flye nothing in Earth or Air In swiftness can with humane years compare Out all sight they flye they flye amaine Never intending to return again Time turns its Hour-glass and ore'turns us all No Mortal Creature can its Time recal Consider then good Lord what thing I am And how I must return from whence I came In a few days my Life is but a blast And like a puff of Wind is quicklie past Then shall my Eyes with darkness black as night Be sealed up and to my earthly sight Nothing that 's pleasant shall again appear For what to me most precious was and dear I have alreadie lost and now remains What to preserve is hardlie worth my pains For why alace should such a one as I Desire to live in pain and misery Of which I cann't be free unless I dye In a short time for which I do implore Th' Eye that hath seen me shall see me no more Thy Eyes O Lord are on me and annon Shal't strike me dead and so I shall be gone I shall no longer in this state remain For Death shall put an end to all my pain As Clouds do quickly vanish into Air And in full Bodies do no more appear So he that once goes down to silent Grave To Life again shall no more access have Shall not return unto his dwelling place For even his Servants who ador'd his Face To whom on Life his presence was most dear If after Death to them he shall appear His gastlie looks will make them quicklie run Nor can these very underlings be won With their old Friend and Master to converse By all the Rhetorick of the Universe Though all such apparitions as these Are but meer phantasms and delude our Eyes With empty Shadows of composed Air But the True Body never doth appear That rests in Grave and shall not rise before The Fabrick of this Earth shall be no more Then since no other lenitive can be found T' allay my grief ere I go under ground But only words by which I may express Those inward ills that do my Soul oppress I will not spare my mouth but openly Unto my ever-living God I 'le cry I 'le speak as one in Spirit sore perplex't As one with Plagues and Torments shrewdly vex't I 'le speake I 'le speak I will not hold my Tongue But roar out my oppressions all day long Lord I 'le say what am I an Ocean A Whale or any thing that 's more than man That to destroy me thou shouldst take such pains Whilst to undo all that of me remains Were but a small Task for a Gnat a Flee A Wasp a Hornet or a humble Bee
to dye Nor should I offer to expostulate ' And with my Maker enter in debate Is there an Umpire to oblige us both And tye us by Subscription and Oath To stand to his award for who is he Dares arbitrate betwixt my God and me But let him hold a little and at least For some small time forbear at my request To torture me let him withdraw his Rod And let th' hot Pincers of an angry God Piece-meal my Soul no more O let his wrath Be satisfied with a single death Then would I boldly speak and without fear Before him in my own defence appear Then would I argue with such Eloquence As in short time would clear my Innocence But 'cause at present I am not in case For speaking I think fit to hold my peace Cap. X. MY Soul 's cut off and though I seem to breath Yet am I coop'd up in the jaws of death My Soul is fled my days of life are gone And this poor widow'd Body left alone To be the subject of some country fable As in its ruines only memorable This fashion'd piece of Earth which formerly One would ha' thought would shift Mortality For many years a Body which of late In health and vigour fully animate With a most cheerful Soul seem'd to imply As if at least some small felicity Were to be found below the Heavens this point Of the Creation framed joint by joint Into a reasonable shape at last By griefs consuming fury quite defac't Has now no figure but doth every day Like Wax before the Candle melt away For as a stranded Vessel by no hands To be got off and sticking on the Sands Obnoxious to the rage of every Tide Whilst each rude Wave beats ribs out of its side In its dimensions every day decreases Until at length 't is shattered all to pieces And then what was a statelie Ship before In Planks and Boards is cast upon the Shore So this frail Body which in health and strength Look'd like a tall Ship in its Course at length Stranding upon the Shelves of foul diseases In its proportion every hour decreases And that it may be ruin'd with dispatch Each ulcerous Billow doth large Gobbets snatch Out of that vigorous Body which alace Is now in a most despicable case Hence what remains is that this shattered frame Void of all honour beautie shape and name Should like infected Goods by no man own'd In Skin and Bones be hurried under ground Then what is Life O let me but admire What idle expectation can hire Insipid man upon this Earth to dwell And love that thing which we call Life so well Life like the Mornings-dew upon the Grass Exhal'd e're Noon-tide Life a simple lease At will and pleasure of a homelie Farm For us to toile in where we 're hardly warm In the possession of it when anon Our Lease runs out and we must all be gone Life but the parcels of a few years breath Summ'd up at last i' th capital of death Times wast-book health and strengths extinguisher Heavens great derider Hells remembrancer The old mans profit and the young mans loss The rich mans Idol and the poor mans cross Sins active Pander for some little space Then to Repentancea sad looking glass Pleasures mean vassal times obedient â—alve And a most faithful servant to the Grave Death charges Time Time charges Life by Roll To make account of every living Soul The grand Collector by just calculation Himself discharges of each Generation In deaths exchequer then begins afresh T' exact the impost of all living flesh This is that we call Life this is the thing Of which poor Mortals make such reckoning As if the sum of all their happiness Lay in their breathing for some little space Alace that men of reason thus should lye Sick of an universal phrenesie And not rouz'd up at length perceive for shame What is this Life which they so much esteem This Life a thing so burdensome to me As how I hate it you do clearly see May I not then oppress 't with Life repine Since there 's no Life comparable to mine The dregs of Life that do with me remain Are but the meer fomenters of my pain For who extended night and day on rack Would not with all his heart Death welcome make O let me then to God make my address O let me to himself my woes express He is a God of mercy and will hear Th'oppress't and have regard to every tear That drops from pious eyes A sore complaint then on my self I 'l make And in the anguish of my Soul I 'l speak I 'l say to God condemn me not and why Wilt thou contend with such a thing as I An Eagle take the pains to kill a flee Contend with me a thing not to be nam'd A thing of which even Nature is asham'd A piece of Earth that serving for no use Is thrown out on the Dung-hill as refuse The dross of human frailâ—â—y the abstract Of all that 's mouldy low decay'd and crack't A thing now grating at the gates of death Retarded only by a gasping breath A thing so mean as is not worth thy wrath Then why good Lord dost thou take so much pleasure T' oppress so mean a thing beyond all measure What doth this to thy Glory contribute How doth such usage with thy Justice sute Alace I know not how the matter stands But thus t' undo the labour of thy hands Thus to destroy a Creaure thou didst frame And once didst think it worthy of a name Nay as thy Creature thou was 't pleas'd to own Thus to reject it with a sullen frown Me thinks is strange What may the Atheists say When thy own servants are oppress 't this way Why they will surely in their scoffing mode Blaspheme the ever glorious Name of God See here they 'l say a man who seriously Apply'd his mind to th' art of piety Who his great God above all things ador'd A most devoted Servant to his Lord. One who not pleas'd with what his neighbours us'd Despised their Religion and refus'd T' acknowledge any of their Deities But in a zealous phrensy did devise A Deitie to himself peculiar Out of an humour to be singular See now they 'l say see how his God doth treat him See how his Lord he so much lov'd doth hate him How he doth whip him how he takes delite To vex a man who us'd himself to write A most obedient Servant to his God See how he beats him with a heavie Rod. Let him complain weep pray do what he can Let him cry out yet still this pious man Finds none to comfort pity or deplore him And for his God ' has no compassion for him But on the contrair doth appear t' abhor him Sure this will be their language thus alace Those impious wretches will themselves express Yes this will be their Table-talk I fear O then forbear for thy own sake
Life a Life so poor and mean A Life so larded with sad grief and pain As if his mortal foe a man would curse All his invention could not wish him worse Then I am now then I am I sad I Who that I may be sadder must not dye Lord how my Sighs with force ingeminate Pump up whole floods of Tears which when I eat Are now the only Sawces to my Meat For from my Eyes these as from Water-spout Like Rain swoln Torrents issue always out Then let me dye O let me quickly dye As others do and not so cruelly Be forc'd thus to survive my Losse and see Under the Heavens no sinful man like me No sinful man no none of all that Race So much opprest as I am none alace Of Heavens foes suffering so much as I Who liv'd by th' Laws and Rules of Piety As I who always studied to shun Those Courses which a many Mortals run As I who always shunn'd to give occasion To my indeed kind God of provocation But now I plainly see my former Zeal And Piety could not with him prevail T' avert this blow no no my clouds of Prayers Are now dissolv'd in deluges of Tears And I must suffer now what never man Endur'd before me since the world began Indeed in th' affluence of my former bless I still would fear this sad Catastasis And these same thoughts did so my Spirit seize As in the night time my o're wearied eyes Had little sleep for I could ne're endure In all my prosp'rous time to live secure As some who on their earthly Blessings rest Which makes me so uneasily dâ—gest My present troubles O then let me dye For since alace my â—eal and Piety My Prayers my Tears my daily Offerings Could not prevent my present Sufferings How should I think they can me extricate Out of this sad and miscrable state Then let me dye O let me dye again I beg it Lord let me be out of pain At any rate let not thy dreadful wrath Deprive me of the benefit of death As it has done of all things here below Nâ— my good God permit it not for so I shall in horrour live and possibly After long sufferings in despair shall dye O let me dye then for thy mercies sake Lord let me dye and force me not to take Those resolutions which some other men Would take if in such misery and pain Burst then poor heart O split burst speedily That I may have the happiness to dye To dye and then I know my Makers wrath For all this will be by my single death Quickly appeas'd and in the grave I shall Rest sweetly free of troubles after all O death what mortal can thy worth esteem Who 's he can thy intrinsick value name All states of life are daily to be sold But thou death art not to be had for gold Though th' world of life but one great mercat be Yet all 's bought up and there 's none left for me But that which even mad men would abhor Then why should I this life keep any more This life this hellish life O now kind death Ease me of this and take my parting Breath Then burst sad heart what cannot all my Art Be able yet to burst one broken heart Yes sure burst quickly let me quickly dye And in this ugly â—â—unghill where I lye Let me be buryed but my Friends take heed My Body with much earth be covered Under a heap of stones lest Labouring Men Digging this Dung hill in the Season when They dung their grounds should find my Carcass here For if uncovered will infect the Air. PART II. Cap. IV. JOB having thus attempted to express That inward grief which did his Soul oppress One of his three Friends Eliphaz by name Did him thus tartly for his passion blame Should we says he with thee expostulate And on the matter enter in debate We see the heat of thy impatience Is such as our discourse may give offâ—nce Yet though thou should st be vext and curse us all As thou hast done thy birth-day nothing shall Make us forget our duty for reprove The errors of a man we so much love We must indeed then pray who can forbear To answer thee when such discourse we hear Of thy great zeal and piety of late Thy grace thy virtue and I know not what By which thou'd make us think forsooth that he Who cannot act unjusâ—ly punish'd thee Without a fault preceeding very fair Pray who with patience can such language hear Should in our hearing one of God complain Unjustly and from answerâ—ng we abstain No no my friend we came not here indeed To hear thee in thy Passions exceed The rage of mad-men or allow thee so To cry and overact a man of woe For shame how mean a thing it is to see Thy mind thus discompos'd that such as thee Whose eminent prudence virtue piety And long experience o' th' worlds vanity We thought had taught thee to know better things That such as thee in foolish murmurings Should bluster thus Thou who didst others in affliction teach How to behave would to them patience preach And how with crosses they should be content Thy self to become thus impatient Thou who in troubles others hast restor'd Canst thou no comfort to thy self afford Others thou'd check when in Adversity As thou dost now they 'd passionately cry And curse their Birth-day as thou now hast done Afflictions at length are come upon Thy self and thou art griev'd it toucheth thee I' th' quick and thou art all in flames we see Where 's now thy fear of God thy confidence In him thy Uprightness thy Patience Where are those Virtues now what are they fled At such time as thou most of them hast need Why should'st my friend like mad-man then cry out In view of all thy Neighbours round about And set out thy condition with such Art As if without cause thou afflicted wer 't Have not thy sins call'd for thy punishment Prethee forbear then this thy vain Complaint Who ever perish'd being Innocent Pray call to mind how thou hast liv'd before As other sinners and complain no more Revise the Annals of thy former time And thou wilt surely find the hidden Crime For which we all of us perceive indeed Thou now art most severely punished Consider this pray and without debate Thou 'lt not so with thy God expostulate He acts according to most upright Laws And punishes no man without a Cause But I 've observ'd that Antecedent sin How slow soever still doth usher in Punishment to it self proportionate Which still attends the sinner soon or late So in his Judgement on his sins may read And see the Cause from whence his woes proceed For I have often seen that such as Plow Your heathy Ground and corrupt Seed do Sow For all their Labours when their Harvest came They'd Reap no other but the very same Vain men who
thou shalt know No want of any Blessing here below Firm peace within thy walls thy family Shall live with thee in perfect amity All thy Relations shall thee kindly own And to undo thy Fame shall joyn with none As some who on small Piques and petty Jars Do lay foundations of fierce lasting Wars Against their nighest Friends and Blood-Relations And will not hearken to accommodations Whose wretched malice doth admit no change But with a most implacable revenge Pursue their foolish quarrels never cease From Railing and have in their Minds no Peace No Wars like those 'mongst Friends no Piques so hot As those in the same Family begot When Blood it self in several streams divides And checks its common Course by Counter-tides Of Envy Malice Pride Revenge and Hate O how much to be pitied is the State Of that accurs'd unhappy Family Where such sad Piques have broke its Unity Thou shalt be ignorant of all such and scarce Think there are such things as domestick Jars Thy Blood shall in a peaceful Channel flow And all its Course no other Banks shall know Than those of Love and Friendship all thy Life Shall have no Quarrels and perceive no Strife Shalt see thy loving issue multiply Into a fair and numerous Family Whose large extent should one intend to trace Might as well reckon every pile of Grass That grows i th' field or calculate the motion Of waves and billows in the foaming Ocean Full fraught with years at length thou shalt descend Into the pleasant grave and put an end To those enjoyments of thy mortal state As those who with their Feasting satiate Lye down to sleep or as the Corn is brought Into the Barn when it by time is wrought To full perfection or as Fruits do fall From Trees when over-ripe so truly shall Thy exit with felicity be crown'd And thou shalt sleep most sweetly under ground Thus friend we have enquir'd and thus have found Nor is our Doctrine without solid ground Thus then it is if we be understood For what we speak is only for thy good Cap. VI. AS prisoner at bar for crimes arraign'd Hears his Inditement read and is constrain'd To hold his peace in such an exigent Although he knows he 's truly innocent Of what he is accus'd but after all He pleads not guilty and begins to fall To his defence so with attentive ear Job all this while this reasoning did hear Not interrupting till at length his friend Of his so learn'd discourse had made an end Then as his sorrows would permit he speaks And argues thus O says he that my ponderous griefs were weigh'd And all my miseries were in ballance laid Poys'd by a steddy and impartial hand Then my good friend you soon would understand What is my case what my disease and pain And how much reason I have to complain It would be found most unsupportable The sands with it were not comparable No pain so great no grief so heavy sure As this which I poor mortal do endure I cann't express it I want eloquence And cannot with that grace make my defence As you accuse me grief will not allow Me the same liberty of speech as you Do use in your discourse your figured words And pretty Tropes which like so many Swords Cut out a passage for your arguments And make a Lane for your unjust Complaints T' oppress my Spirit do your wit express But what do all such Flowers of Art as these To one in my condition signify Who am already dead with misery Why do you then accuse so dull a thing That doth not understand your Reasoning A silly Creature that makes no defence But only strives t' express its innocence By pious Sighs you had as good forbear Your Rhetorick and with me drop a Tear In kind complyance with my killing grief To which your pointed words bring no relief You see my case beyond expression sad Then why d' ye affliction to affliction add See how th' Almighties Arrows in my Heart Are fix'd beyond all remedy of Art Th' envenom'd Shafts have suck'd my Moysture dry And caus'd the Wounds they made to putrify Spreading a foul contagion every where Yea even my very Soul they do not spare Besides I feed a flame within my Breast By which my pain is every hour encreas't A flame that burns with heat and violence Beyond belief a flame of Conscience A flame that makes us waste our days in fear For who a wounded Conscience can bear A wounded Conscience ah a dreadful thing What Art can this express whence shall I bring Similitudes to point it out O whence Shall I bring homeward so much Eloquence As to express a wounded Conscience A Sting of Conscience O a horrid thing Not the most virulent and sharpest Sting Doth hurt the Body as this doth the Mind No no this Sting is of another kind Then all your Sâ—ings on Earth no poysoned Dart Composed by the subtilest Rules of Art Makes such a wound as doth a Conscience When God allowes it once a perfect Sense Of its own Strength then then it wounds indeed And makes the Heart of hardest Mettal bleed What tempered Steel can make a wound so deep As doth a Conscience rouz'd out of its sleep By Divine Power it Rages Stares and Foames Like one out of his Wits that haunts the Tombs It Stings it Bites it Pierces Cuts and Stricks Practising all the Feats of Lunaticks For when of sin we have a lively sense No Torment with a frighted Conscience Can be compar'd Yet this this Torment I endure alace There 's none can pity one in such a case But he that hath the like affliction known And so can guess my Torment by his own Why do you then condemn my just Complaint As if it did exceed my Punishment Why so severe to vex a poor forlorn Unhappy wretch as ever yet was born A thing Of which my Countrey is ashamd And thinks not fit that I should ere be nam'd Hereafter but as Malefactors are Who suffer for their Crimes with shame and fear Indeed you try me by too Bloody Laws When you affirm I cry without a cause Pray does the wild Ass bray and make a noise When it has Grass for Pasture at its choice Does the Ox Low when Fodder lyes before it Or cease from Lowing whilst it doth implore it D' ye think I 'm proud of suffering God knows I take no pleasure to express my woes I had as â—â—â—ve be silent but that you Force me to speak because you won't allow Me to sigh out my Breath and hid my Face Amongst those ashes whilst I hold my peace Can any man take pleasure in his pain Or by stupendious Poverty make gain No sure no more then you 'l with pleasure eat White of an Egg or such unsavoury Meat Without some Salt such my affliction is And needs no help of this periphrasis T' express its nature such my
upright My sins were perceptible by the sight Of God alone and so such Godly men As you are of no scandal can complain Proceeding from my carriage pray then why Should you upbraid me thus continually With sins which were you put to prove I fear For all your art you could not make appear That I were guilty of 'em why should you Who are wise men such liberty allow To your hot passions why should you exclaim Against a poor afflicted man for shame Forbear this bitter railing pray forbear And if you be Comforters let me hear Some words of comfort pray now let me see If you be such as you pretend to be But if in railing you will still proceed And think you do perform a noble deed In whipping one with words already spent With sad afflictions whilst you would torment A dying creature I will teach you how To mannage this trade better than you do I 'le furnish you with store of arguments Better than those which your poor wits invents And let you see where your advantage lies Which yet indeed for all that your 're so wise You have not hit I 'll teach how t' upbraid And how to say more then you yet have said Though after all 't is but a scurvy trade I 'd have you then my friends to understand That by the Power of an Almighty hand I 'm totally undone I 'm overthrown And all my glory turned up side down I am entangled in afflictions net With wounding sorrows I am round beset And still the more I struggle to get out I stick the faster when I look about For help from man I easily perceive That of all my acquaintance none do grieve To see their old friend in this woful case But all upbraid me to my very face I cry out of Oppression Rapine Force Plain Depredation or what else is worse Yet from Heav'ns Court there 's yet no answer made I call but there 's no justice to be had All do abhor me all do do say 't is just That I should have my dwelling in the Dust Because in wealth I many did exceed And had in store all things that Mortals need From whence as 't were a Crime they do infer 'T is just that such as I should now be here For those who me in peace and wealth did know Are out of envy glad to see me low This is my lot this is my present state This is the woful and disconsolat Condition of my life I now appear Like a distress'd night-wandering Traveller Who sometimes falls on stones sometimes doth rush Amongst the prickles of some silent bush Sometimes in Quag mires falls from whence got out With arms at length out stretch'd he grops about I' th' horrid darkness of the night and fain Would follow out his way but all in vain For the poor soul no sooner extricats Himself from troubles then in other straits He quickly falls now on some precipice He finds himself advanc'd then in a trice He casts about him and not many paces From thence the Trunk of some old tree embraces Anon from some steep Rock he tumbles down And finds himself amongst the Brambles soon Engag'd with Wild goats thence with toil and pain He wrestles out and by and by again Falls in some Quag-mire to the Knees and thence He makes a passage with some violence And falls anon into some Ditch at length O're toil'd with wandring and now wanting strength To wrestle any more with Shrubs and Bushes Ditches and Quick-setts Quag-mires Pools Bull-rushes Willows and Elms which ever and anon He doth encounter fairly he sits down On the cold ground and there in pain and fear Resolves to watch it out while day appear Even such am I such is my dismal case My way is closely fenc'd all passages Block'd up on every side and every road Stopp'd as with trees a cross by th' mighty God So that I cannot pass Inward and outward so my troubles now Do multiply I know not what to do As waves upon each others back do ride In a full body at a growing Tide And with such fury fall upon the Shore As if they would the very earth devour And as one breaks another doth succeed With the same force and in that others steed Another and so wave on wave doth break So after one sad cross I still expect Another and another on the back Of that and so untill all go to wrack I cannot see how these rude waves will cease But that my woes each moment will encrease Untill I be destroy'd I cannot see What th' issues of these miseries may be Or where my sorrows raging course will stop Only upon a slender plank of hope I still do â—it expecting after all The pride of these insulting waves may fall A calm may come and I may get ashore And live in plenty as I did before But now the hand of God upon me lies Most heavily my woes and miseries Are not to be express'd my prosp'rous state In which I was conspicuous of late Is now renvers'd my Honours rent and torn And I exposed to the rabbles scorn He who created me he who employ'd His Breath in framing me has now destroy'd What formerly de did appoint to live And for that end did such allowance give Out of Heav'ns treasure as might well expresse Both his own glory and the happinesse Of him he lov'd But now I am undone My expectation is quite overthrown And as when th' Earth doth in her bowels find Strong torments of a subterraneous wind She trembles as in Ague fit and then To ease her self of that sad inward pain Like one in Child-birth for sometime she roars Then quickly bursts asunder and devours Towns Castles Mountains Houses Villages And by the root pulls up the tallest Trees Though ne'r so firmly knit though ne'r so sure Fix'd in the Rocks yet they cannot endure That furious shock of Nature but must all In Earths dark Caverns find their Burial So am I swallowed up alive and none Can help me now for all my hopes are gone Against me God his Ban has issued Proscrib'd me set a price upon my head And now as for an Outlaw every where Search is made for me neither here nor there Am I secure but still I am espy'd My God has hemm'd me in on every side And as a skilful wary General E're he to close Seige of a Town doth fall First with light Troops invests the place around Shut up all Passages takes up his Ground As he thinks proper then begins his Lines Raises his Batteries labours in his Mines Makes his approaches and doth never cease By night or day until he gain the Place So I am now besieg'd his Troops invest My fortresse on all quarters and infest Me with allarums and with all the power Of Heavens I am assaulted every hour Expecting no relief I do perceive That all my hopes depend upon the Grave For
Thus now in Firmance his effects all seiz'd Opprest with sorrow crazy and diseas'd His desolate and starving Family With open mouth for Aliment do cry But he has nothing left to purchase bread And cannot now upon his credit feed Those hungry things but for one single day So that they 're forc'd to shift another way Truss up their little Furniture and so All hand in hand fairly â begging go The news of this so shrewdly doth torment Th' imprison'd man that now his spirits spent With his last breath he payes his Creditors And makes the Worms his sole Executors Ev'n so this grand Oppressour whilst his Sun Doth clearly shine is by degrees undone And all his friends and followers every where When this man falls shall in his Judgement share Nor need his Judges be at so much pains As 'gainst this man to search for evidence For Heav'ns themselves though all men silent were Shall his bad actings openly declare And when this sinner with up-lifted hand Arraign'd for hundred Crimes at Bar shall stand The Earth in Judgement too shall then appear And make out all his Crimes so full and clear As of his guilt that Court shall no more doubt But 'gainst him sentence speedilie give out Then shall the Witness first of all lay hands On this poor soul and as the Law commands Beat him to Death that all the world may see With what impartial measures such as he Are judg'd and punish'd Thus shall this tall and famous sinner die Himself and for his poor posteritie They shall themselves like Rivolets disperse Some here some there through all the universe Poor pedling Miscreants in great straits and wants A scattered rabble the Inhabitants Of all the World a sad Societie Of hateful Slaves without all propertie Without all order Laws and Government Pillag'd by all and yet dare not resent Nor shall this so late numerous Family Amongst them all erect one Colony That may preserve this great mans Memory And for his Goods and Chattels in the day Of Gods hot Wrath they shall all melt away Thus all bad men shall perish thus they shall Who do contemn their great Creator fall Presumptous Persons God doth punish so These judgments everie one shall undergo Who with bold language doth his God upbraid And is not of his flamming Wrath afraid When he sees others punish'd but persists In Sin thinks speaks and acteth what he lists Cap. XXI AFter this storm of words was overblown And Zophar now his utmost skill had shown In talking and as one who had design'd To speak no more had fullie spoke his mind Without all passion with a Spirit stay'd To all this Lecture which his friend had read Thus only Job in calmness answered I do not doubt my friends but when by fame Inform'd of my distress you hither came When hearing of my lamentable state Which has occasion'd so much noise of late Both far and wide you thought it worth your pains with your own eyes to visit what remains Of your old friend When you were pleas'd I say to be so kind I make no doubt but that you then design'd In Sympathetick bowels of compassion T' afford me truly all the consolation Lay in your power I make no doubt indeed But when you see me first your heart did bleed I do believe that you were stupifi d When me first on the Dung-hill you descry'd As your kind silence fully testifi'd Nay furder when you spoke I think you meant To give me no occasion of complaint As since y'have done but that you did intend Some words of consolation for your friend I am perswaded you are honest men Just fearing God and such as entertain No wicked thoughts but openly detest That man who is a sinner in his breast Though in his words and looks he 'd fain deceive The World and make the neighbour-hood believe He 's truly pious and that you do hate The man whose conscience is adulterat I know my friends what hitherto ye've said Was out of love and I would fain perswade My self to think that all this eloquence Is not made use of to give me offence Yet after all my friends I would request You would take notice for some time at least To what I speak hear me but patiently Whilst I expresse my thoughts and seriously I 'll take 't more kindly in my present state Then any thing y 'ave spoke or done as yet This will to me more consolation bring Then all your talk and nauseous arguing Allow me as you love me then to speak But some small time for truth I am so weak I cannot make long harangues and indeed I may complain but am not fit to plead With such as you what therefore I intend To speak shall very quickly have an end My words shall be but few and when I 've done You may proceed as formerly mock on Pray mark my friends then I make no complaint To mortal man for 't is most evident That my complaint is made to God alone To thee all-hearing God I do bemoan My present state my judgements do not flow As you may see from any hand below No they do from a higher hand proceed And in them I the wrath of God do read From him they do proceed immediatly He 's th' only author of my misery My plagues alace are extraordinary Not such as usually inflicted are On other men no they are such as none Have ever yet endur'd but I alone No wonder then that I cannot contain My passion but do heavily complain Nay let us even suppose my plagues did flow From th' hand of man I pray my friends if so Why may not I as other men be vex't Is it so strange to see a man perplex't With misery complain as I do now Pray my good friends what would you have me do Won't you allow me where I find a pain As all men do a little to complain My constitution is but ordinar And I 'm but Flesh and Blood as others are May not I then exhibit my complaint To my Creator since he is content To hear me since he doth to me allow That liberty I cannot have from you And O amidst my woes and miseries My griefs my terrors and anxieties With all the pains that do my soul oppresse How happy am I that I can addresse My self to God indeed it were not good For me if this grand boon were not allow'd For were I to addresse my self to men I fear my prayers should be us'd in vain And I 'd have yet more reason to complain Mark what I say then mark and be afraid And let your hands upon your mouths be laid Mark me I pray observe my sad estate And then I hope you will no more debate Upon the subject with such violence But will confesse with me that Providence Sends plague on men with great indifference Remark me pray observe how God in me Points out so clear that
are the same And as they liv'd together so they dy Returning both to dust by sympathy They think re-union not imaginable And hold the Resurrection but a fable Thence void of apprehensions after death With great indifference they shut up their breath Nor are these men to whom God is so kind O' th' better sort more polish'd and refin'd Then common sinners are no they are such As hugg their sins and honour vice so much In foulest shape with so high veneration They 're not asham'd to make it their profession Such as our God so little do esteem They think his glory but a sounding name Such as affirm the works of Providence The checks and dictats of a Conscience To be but stale devices forg'd by those Envious men whom Fortune doth oppose Men who enrag'd because they can't possesse That which themselves acknowledge happinesse Pick'd to see others in a better state Then they themselves invent they know not what To crosse their joyes and fain by art would move The World to credit what they cannot prove For when outwitted by Philosophy They run to th're fuge of a mystery Yet God is even kind to such as these Who think so of him and speak what they please Who boldly laugh at Death Heavens Hell and all In principles so Atheistical As they to God dar impiously say Prethee begone disturb us not we pray Let us alone torment us pray no more With admonitions which our souls abhor Forbear thy curses and dire menaces Vex us no more but let us live in peace And when we dy thou mayest dispose of us Even as thou wilt but whilst we live we 'll thus Employ our time in mirth and jollity And take our hazard of Eternity For who say they shall ever us perswade Or make believe that thou a soul hast made A something which doth after death exist A thing which preachers call even what they list That such a thing of thy own essence part Infus'd into us by thy special art Should after separation be condemn'd To endlesse torments and by thee esteem'd As useless dross because the thing did take Pleasure in that which thou thy self did make Why this we are perswaded were to hate Thy self and so thy self excruciat For others errors this is somewhat strange And in our thoughts a very poor revenge Give orders pray then to thy preaching men Who in this World spend much talk in vain To spare their lungs for they shall ne'r perswade Any of us that thou a soul hast made A subtile Idea a thing Divine Limbeck'd to th' hight sublimat sopra fine To be destroyed eternally No let us live say they even as we please On Earth let us enjoy our mirth and ease Not all thy art our pleasures shall controle Nor shall the silly notion of a soul Ever be able in the least to check What we resolve by what we may expect Pray who 's this God say they let 's understand Who 's this Almighty Lord at whose command We all must live and dy pray let us know Who is this Prince to whom all here below Must pay such homage who 's this Heavenly King To whom all Mortals on their knees must bring Their praying tribute twice a day at least And once a week give audience to some Priest Who calls himself this Kings Ambassador Whilst he repeats his Message o'r and o'r In such a saucy and incensing strain As those who hear him hardlie can abstain From choller when he is so bold to say All men shall be chastis'd who do not pray To this Great God For what end should we pray who stand in need Of nothing from him those whose dailie bread Comes from his Table those who do possess No part of earthlie Joy and happiness As we do all those whom unluckie fate Has plung'd into a miserable state Those men may lie a begging at Heavens Gate But as for us who live in afluence Who spend our time in great convenience Why should we pray what can he give us more Than we enjoy nay whom should we adore Shall we adore an unknown Prince who shrouds Himself behind the Curtains of the Clouds And treats the Sons of Men with such Disgrace As he disdains to let us see his face The Sun and Moon we know and dailie see But for this God of Heaven pray who is he Or if such adoration we allow him What profit shall we make by praying to him Have any fortunes by this praying made Are anie wealthie by this idle trade Do not we see how those who dailie call On this same God are miserable all Poor and Deform'd Contemptible and Mean By want of food most scandalouslie lean Praying and sleeping by a formal Rule Treated by all the world in Ridicule Why then should we to him our selves applie Who live in Wealth since onlie Povertie Is the return of Prayer shall we request That we may become such no let us wast Our Years in mirth and not our selves betray To miserie but chase all cares away By frolick sports whilst Fools and Beggars pray Yet such even such the God of Heavens doth bless Such cursed things in Honour Wealth and Peace Do flourish here on earth those wretched men Have in their lives no reason to complain They know no judgments nor afflictions they Whilst ' those who from their tender Years do pray And in Devotion earlie exercise Their spirits are involv'd in miseries For shame forbear my friends then to assert That punishments are meerlie by desert Inflicted when the contrair doth appear By what I 've said so evident and clear Nor would I my dear friends you should mistake My meaning or suppose by what I speak Whilst I express how happy those men are That I envie them or i' th' least appear To harbour any thoughts of discontent Whilst those means plentie with my punishment And wretched state of life I do compare Or that I would be happy as they are No God forbid that I should entertain Such impious thoughts or any way complain Of Gods good Dispensations No I 'm so far from that as seriouslie I think what those men call Prosperitie Doth not deserve the name of happiness But is at best but like a gentle breeze Which blowes before a Storm I do believe What those poor Souls do fillilie conceive To be the true supream Felicity Is on the matter down-right Misery O let those mens prosperity to me Be never known let these eyes never see Plenty on earth as I have seen before Let my kind Maker never me restore To anie thing which men call happiness Rather than I should be as one of those And now my friends as I have thus express'd How much the wicked in this life are bless'd So I would have yow know that what I say I do not as a firm position lay Nor do I think it proper on my part That I should so tenaciouslie assert That all such
judgements sends To keep the great-men of the Earth his friends So thou didst think when thou didst live in state God thought it fit thou shouldst be alwayes great As being one so justly qualifi d For Government as there were none beside In all the Countrey to supply thy place Wer 't thou undone and therefore if in peace His Majesty would govern all above He thought it not his interest to remove From Government so great a Minister As thou wer 't hence thou vainly didst infer That having left all to thy management Reward thou might but never punishment Expect from God O principles most Atheistical Opinions to be abhorr'd by all Dost think that God who all things did create Who plac'd us all in every rank and state That he whose eye views all things should not know What all of us think speak or act below His Heavenly Throne dost think the thickest cloud From him who holds them in his hands can shroud Our actings here on Earth dost think but he Whose eyes see clearly through the thickest Sea And through the body of the Earth can tell What all those things do act who live in Hell Dost think but he with far more ease doth see Through all those rouling orbs and clouds what we Act here on Earth dost think that he 'll permit The sons of men to live as they think fit Whilst as a meer spectator he looks on Indifferent and concerns himself with none No sure thou thinkst not as thou speakst for so Thou mightst as well pretend thou didst not know Whether there were a God in Heavens or no. For to conclude with thee that Providence Doth rule the World with such indifference As sometimes here it strikes and sometimes there Sending out plagues or blessings everie where As th' fatal Dye doth turn upon the square As points out each mans Destiny were even To fancie a grand Lottery in Heaven Or think that God who all men fullie knows Should by mistake at anie time send blows Where blessings should be sent allow me then To tell thee that none but the worst of men Should vent such errors in which thou appears To be involved over head and ears For thou thinkst not enough thus to denie That providence doth rule with equitie But dost thy error proudlie justifie Thou argu'st too by reason as do all Those whom the knowing world do Athiests call But were there no more arguments to confute Thee and those prating Fellows who dispute The actions of their Maker this alone May teach you all God will be fool'd by none That though those wretches firmlie do believe There is no God yet still they do conceive There 's some such thing for in their mind they doubt Although they are asham'd to speak it out Whether what they believe be reallie true Or not for to give providence its due They find all 's ordered by some supream hand Though whose it is they will not understand So though in their opinions positive Yet by their doubtings we may well perceive That they with contrare thoughts are still opprest And maugre all their braving cannot rest On such opinions but still apprehend God out of Heav'ns will view them in the end And on their old-age heavy judgements send Take heed I do beseech thee then from hence My friend how thou dost talk of Providence And ask no questions pray why wicked men To great enjoyments in this life attain Whilst pious men are strictly punished As if here Providence did erre take heed And do not think such things for if thou dost Assure thy self thou art for ever lost Then use no more that trivial defence So oft repeated of thy innocence For we are all perswaded that our God Without just cause doth never use the Rod. Remark but th' History of former times Thou 'lt see how men have suffered for crimes Hast thou not heard how men before the Flood Behav'd themselves as if they had withstood The power of Providence and would not bow To the great Prince of princes or allow That homage to him which the Creature owes To its Creator he did so dispose Those Clouds in which thou think'st he 's wrapp'd a round As in a few dayes all those men were drown'd He who by power of his Almighty Hand Clear'd all the Marches betwixt Sea and Land And by the same power doth restrain the Floods Above us in Borrachios of Clouds Was pleas'd then in his wrath t' unty them all Which caus'd a Deluge Epidemical That race of Creatures which not long before He had created he did then abhore Because they had his Government disclaim'd And all his reverend Orators contemn'd Whom he had sent with open mouths to tell 'em Of those sad things which afterwards befel 'em But they with open mouthes those men did mock And told them that they knew not what they spoke Nay when the Good-man whom the Lord design'd To be the great Restorer of Man-kind By special Direction did begin In view of all to build an Ark wherein The Seeds o' the World might be preserv'd entire Whilst all the rest did in the Flouds expire Those silly Fools did laugh at his intent And oft would ask what the old Fellow mean't So in their errors these men did proceed Still living as they were accustomed In wanton pleasures regulating still Their Lives by order of their foolish will Hence when the Cataracts of Heaven did swell And Floods out of the Skies upon them fell They were catch'd napping in their Festivals And minding nothing but their Bacchanals Were in that universal Deluge drown'd With all their sins about ' em But O the man who as they thought had rav'd Was in that Ark which they derided sav'd With all his Family he safety found Amidst those rowling Waves in which they drown'd And the Good-Master of Heavens only Barque With all his Passengers did in his Ark O'r'e-top the Flouds Then on might see when that Spring-tide was full The Stock of Mankind floating in a Hull The hopes o' th' world the Origination Of every future Kingdom State and Nation Shut up below Decks under Boards and Dails Without the help of Masts Ropes Oars or Sails Rudder or Compass Steer they knew not whither Upon the Waters many days together And yet at length as well as any now Who with great Art and Skill the Ocean plow Arrive at their wish'd Port of Ararat From whence they quickly did Disseminat In fruitful Colonies giving Birth to all Who now do scramble 'bout this Earthen-ball Such wicked men then did not dy in peace Nor did they step into their Graves with ease Who said to God depart from us good Lord What more than we enjoy can'st thou afford And generally were so insolent In sin as they disdained to repent As thou affirm'st no they were visibly While living punish'd for Impiety Yet after all with thee I must confess 'T is strange to think how our good God did bless
time are often overtane With punishment nor do I yet denie But God doth his Displeasure signifie By previous signs to such ere he doth fall Upon them in his Wrath for good and all But that he sends afflictions on none But those whose sins do merit Hell alone I still denie and in that Confidence To all your bold and cruel Eloquence I still oppose my Faith and Innocence On these and on Gods mercie I relie And if you think I argue foolishlie Convince me pray by other arguments Then I have heard as yet But thus to treat me thus to aggravate My woes to comfort me at such a rate By adding to my sorrows is indeed A comforting of which I have not read 'T is such a method as I think that none Did ever yet practise but you alone I do confess indeed my grief is such As may have prompted me to speak too much Upon the Subject and I don't denie But in my sore and bitter agonie Some words might fall I cannot justifie But when you see me in this dire estate With griefs and sorrows so exasperate And plagu'd with such sad exercise of mind I did expect you would a'been so kind As to afford me counsel and advice That such a fool as I by men so wise As you are might b'instructed in the case But stead of that you tell me in my face I 'm lost undone and may in justice fear Moe pains and torments then I yet do bear Such comforting did ever Mortal hear What spirit moves thee thus my friend to speak Dost thou imagine I am yet so weak But that I understand as well as thou What is Gods greatness and his justice too What spirit then doth move thee thus to speak Dost thou intend to comfort or correct Thy poor afflicted friend do let me know Whether thou means't to comfort me or no For what thou speaks't doth nothing contribute T' uphold my swouning spirits or recruit My so much wasted strength I cannot see What comfort all thy speeches yield to me For with such zeal and fervour thus to press Once and again what all men do confess Gods power and greatness thus still to repeat Were to suppose that we did now debate The truth of these things and that I deny'd What you so eagerly affirm beside If any man should chance to hear us now Upon this Subject and observ'd but how Thou and my other friends with all the Art That Learning can afford do still assert What I deny hee 'd presently conclude That you are pious men and I a leud Ungodly person whereas you all know And are convinc'd your selves things are not so Pray then forbear this way of comforting By such reiterated arguing And telling of me things I don't deny For what doth all this talking signifie T' a poor afflicted man and if you please Pray use such words as may afford some ease To one in a deplorable estate And let me hear no more of your debate For what you speak if I do understand Doth not concern the question in hand But here my friends that you may no more Preach Upon this Theme as if you meant to teach One that is dull and ignorant I 'le show How I Gods Greatness and his Justice know As well as any of you all and how I can descant upon his wonders too Allow me then his Greatness to express As you have done by as few instances First then that my discourse may method keep Let us observe his wonders in the deep Let 's there begin and see how providence So vast so pow'rful so profound immense Active and quick at all occurrences Doth reach ev'n to the bottom of the Seas There he doth rule as well as on the Land There all the Creatures which his mighty hand Hath fram'd submit themselves to his command Those Monsters of the Ocean who afright Th' admiring Sea-man with their very sight Those dreadful Creatures of such various frames As we do hardly yet know all their names Those numerous Giants of the deep who scoure The Ocean with an Arbitrary power Swallowing their fellow-creatures with such ease As if they claim'd dominion of the Seas Who when they mean to sport themselves will make Th' unbroken Waves with their strong motion shake Like troubled Waters and anon to show Their force whole Tuns of Water up they throw From their prodigious Snouts as if they 'd dare By force of Water to subdue the Air. Those huge portentuous Creatures though they seem In their own Sphere to be of some esteem To have some pow'r dominion and command Yet are they govern'd by his mighty hand And do submit their necks with deference To his great Lord-Lieutenent Providence Who when he sees those Creatures wantonly Sporting along the Ocean by and by With single nod commands them to be gone Then like so many Slaves they trembling run To the Seas bottom where they groveling ly Until from him they have the liberty To swim aloft and there they roam about At every prey till their Verloof run out Dead things he also orders in the Seas Such as Pearls Amber Coral Ambergrease And Sperma cete which for humane use He makes them as a yearly Rent produce Now as he rules i'th'bottom of the Seas So in the earth he orders all with ease He views its darkest Caverns and descryes What is impervious to all humane eyes The Grave before him opens up her Womb His eyes doth pierce the clossest Marble Tomb. No place affords a shelter from his wrath Not all the winding Labyrinths of death Not Hell it self in whose closs Vaults do ly The burning Tares of poor Mortality Where damned Souls eternally bemoan Their idle progress here on earth whilest none Can make them help and to no purpose groan Where grining Fiends by his permission rule And treat our glorious World in ridicule Making the highest 'mongst the lowest ly Where all are Cudgell'd to conformity Yet of this Dungeon he doth keep the Keys And every moment doth survey with ease The actions postures tears of all in Hell And the sad living knows exactly well Of all those Souls who nigh Earths Center dwell With curious Art he doth expose to th' eye That large and glorious Azure Canopy Which round this Earthen Glob he doth expand Whilst in its Center with a mighty hand He makes this Glob so spacious and fair Unfix'd unprop'd unfounded any where Hang like a Water-bubble in the Air. Here then let admiration fix its eyes And high-flown Art its Artless self despise When it considers how beyond all Art And contrair to what reason doth impart A solid Body which should downwards tend By Nature and is apt still to descend Should in this posture Pendulous remain And by its own weight it s own weight sustain To see gross Earth and heavy Water mix't Stand so unmoving so secure so fix't Amidst the Light thin Element of Air That unresisting Element that rare And
must be Some liquid thing for so they say 't is plain VVhen they by cold are soon condens'd again As waters are Others again assert And labour to make out by Rules of Art That out of Earth and VVater mix'd adust And in Earth's Oven bak'd into a Crust Springs Vitriol which doth all Mettals breed From which as their first Matter they proceed Because all Mettals when dissolv'd appear Like Vitriol besides they say 't is clear That Oyl from Vitriol Sublimat is drawn By which all Mettals are reduc'd again To their first Matter Others there be yet VVho on this Subject eagerly debate That from earths intrails a dry breath ascends VVhich mix't with watry vapours upward tends And as it meets with earth accommodate And by its matter become Sublimate Condens'd by cold this or that Mettal flows And it Gold Silver Lead Iron Copper grows And last of all there 's others that debate That Mettals are all truly procreat 'Twixt th' elements which do give both to all And those we name Bodies Celestial But whatsoever be their generation Sure 't is a matter worth our admiration To think Earths bowels doth such things prepare As frets us all to know what things they are Mystical creatures whose origination In vain we search and trace their procreation But by uncertain rules for after all We must acknowledge every Mineral Is fram'd by th' hand of God and seriously After all Arts profound subtility What we suppose their birth must be confess 't Are but sublime conjectures at the best Then to proceed to th' several species Of that so vagrant subterraneous race First let 's observe what we in Silver see Which from Earths-center branches like a Tree And its small roots so cunningly doth spread Some here some there on purpose scattered As though it fear'd to be discovered By th' Art of Miners yet the Art of man Finds out this Mineral do what it can To hide it self in Natures most recluse And private Cells and for a publick use Brings it above Ground where the silly Ore Which in Earths bowels signified no more Then its own Sparr and in no more esteem Then Lead or Copper soon procures a name After it's washen sifted melted cast In massy Ingots stamp'd and coyn'd at last Above its fellow Minerals and doth hold In mens esteem the second place to Gold To Gold why there too is a boasting Ore Though in its Veins it signifies no more Then other Mettals yellow Earth at best Meer coloured Dust but once brought to the Test 'T is no more dust 't is no more simple Ore No more a heap of Sand as 't was before But now a most illustrious name it bears Beyond all Mettals and indeed appears To be the Worlds Idol This O this Mettal this dear Mineral This Earths Elixir this fair all in all This Princely Dust what figures doth it make Amongst poor Mortals how oft doth it break The bonds of Conscience and Morality Th' interest of Blood and common Honesty Makes Wars and Tumults 'mongst the race of men And quickly reconciles them all again Tyes and un-tyes kills wounds and heals apace Leads men in favour brings them in disgrace Sets up with this hand and with that pulls down What ' ere it lists from th' Budget to the Crown This is the Standart which doth regulate The actions of men and sets a Rate On every Head this puts a Valuation On every Kingdom State and Corporation In short this Gold makes such a mighty sound And keeps such Domineering above ground As it gives Laws to all the World a-round For Gold for Gold alace all 's bart'red now For that proud Mettal and with much adoe A few poor soules who generouslie soare Above the scent of that infecting Ore Escape which were they catch'd would soon be sold Amongst so many thousands too for Gold Yet that I may give this same Gold its due As 't has its Vices so its Virtues too Are Eminent which Artists do relate Who of the state of Minerals do treate 'T is prov'd by these then in their Operations Which surely are the best of Demonstrations That gold is such a Mettal as the fire In which all other Minerals expire At least much of their Weight and Substance lose In every trial though from Bellows nose Suppli'd with constant aid yet after all Can not subdue this solid Mineral Or make it quit the very smallest grain Of Weight which in its Ore it did contain Next as a mark of its true purity We see it has this singular quality Above all other Mettals that it never Leaves any Tincture on the hand however It frequently be handled then again Sharp Juyces which all other Mettals stain And by degrees corrodes if Gold do ly In such it nothing of its quantity Doth lose nay to the brim a Vessel fill With Water then but sink it in with skill A lump of Gold yet th' water shall not spill Or in the least run over by which sign Artists find out what Gold is purely fine For if but allay'd with the smallest Grain Of other Mettals 't will run o're Again This Gold though pure and soft yet 't is not frail Nor can the Hammer in the least prevail To break this Mettal as 't would do a Stone In little pieces no for 't is well known By strength of hand upon the Anvil beat In such thin Leaves it doth it self dilate As out of one Grain fifty Leaves or more Have been beat out by th' hammer whence we know Of what pure Matter Gold consists Again This Mettal seems for ever to remain In its perfection for when eating Rust Reduces other Minerals to Dust By length of wasting-time on upright Gold What eats all other Mettals takes no hold On Gold no Rust no Verdi greese appears Though buried under ground a thousand years But after all its Weight and Quantitie Pure Substance solid Grain and Qualitie Will be the same as when at first prepar'd By Artists hand Then if we do regard Its usefulnesse for Humane Life no Mine Produces such a Cordial Medicine As is this Gold for being cold and dry It guards the heart by its Frigidity From all infecting Exhalations hence Princes not onlie for Magnificence But out of Cups of Gold for Health do drink As out of Wholes me Mettal for some think Gold for its drynesse powerfullie resists All Putrid Humours Then for Splenetick Vapors Plates of Gold Made often hot i'th'fire as often cool'd In Earthen Vessels full of purest Wine Drunk up by such whom that Disease doth pine Doth quicklie cure 'em nay this Liquor too As most of our Physicians avow And some inform us by Experience Is a firm Antidote against Pestilence And these intected Cures But what needs more 'T would take up too much time to reckon o're Its numerous qualities now let us see What other Minerals in Earths Closet be Why there is Iron a Mineral that 's found Not much below the Superfice
of me which now you hear And as good men your justice testifie At least in showing how you heard me die That th' unjust World at length may be asham'd To have me without Reason so defam'd From such just men as you I do expect No less to you therefore I shall direct My full but last Confession of Faith That if not in my life yet after death Has stop'd my mouth when you hear any speak Of your deceased friend with disrespect You may assure them I was no such man As I was represented nay you can If you believe what I now speak is true You can I say that Argument pursue With so much Candor Art and Eloquence As you may soon perswade all men of sense How much I 've been abus'd how much injur'd By bloody Tongues and they may be assur'd That all the ill things they have heard of me When I 've been censur'd in a high degree By foul-mouth'd Tiplers ' have been only Lies Unjust Reproaches and base Calumnies First then my friends I since my Infancie Firmly believ'd that from Eternitie There was one God who all things did create One only God whose Power doth regulate The universal World in Soveraignty And doth by a Supream Authority Give Laws to all and save that God alone Man of a Woman born should worship none And therefore those that did the Sun adore The Moon or Stars I truly did abhore Nay though those splendid Creatures I esteem'd Beyond all others which his hands had fram'd Yet were those glorious parts of the Creation Only the subject of my admiration But not of my devotion for indeed As in a Picture I in these would read The immense Power of him whose mighty hand At first did mould them by whose sole command They did exist and to this Power obey Their first directions whilst the Sun by day The Moon and Stars by night the World survey By his sole order and acknowledge none For their Superiour but Heavens King alone Hence would I looke on them with admiration But at no time with secret veneration Only as those at Court a leg will make T' th' Princes Servants for their Masters sake So when I 'de see the Sun at morning rise With great devotion I would turn my eyes To th' East and with uplifted hands confess Gods greatness and my own unworthiness T' approach the Throne of that bright Deity Who keep'd such servants in his Family As was that Creature in one single beam Darting more splendor then all those we name Kings here on Earth with all their glorious shows Patch'd up in one can on the World impose Again when I this Creature could espy Shining at Noon-tyde in his Majesty Then would my soul fly out in admiration Of him who 's Author of the whole Creation When such a member of it in its Sphere So worthy admiration doth appear And through that glorious Prospect I 'de descry The beauty of the Divine Majesty As at great distance When again at night I 'de see it from the World withdraw its light Then would I think what 's all our glory here When even th' illustrious Sun which did appear In stately splendor but some hours ago Is now extinct with all it pompous show Then when I 'de see the Moon and Stars draw out Like the Night-watch and walk the Round about This spacious Globe I 'de think O what must he Who entertains such Guards what must he be What must he be to whom those glorious things Perform such service sure he 's King of kings For there 's no Prince on Earth with all his power That can command those Forces for one hour To stop their march nay not the Sun by day Nor in the night will Moon and Stars obey Their Edicts but proceed in their Carreer And on their duty still by turns appear As their instructions from their Master bear Thus for respect to him who these did frame Which as so many Heralds do proclaim His Glory far and wide at all occasions I 'de honour them with pious Contemplations As Servants of that Heavenly Majesty Under whose feet all things created ly And by the splendor of such things as these I would the glory of their Maker guess As Artists by Proportions Rules will show The Bodies bulk by measure of the Toe But all my life-time I would ne're allow To any of 'em that honour which is due To God alone though such Idolatry Were not by Law repute Grand Fellony Hence in this God alone I put my trust And 'cause he was impartially just When any one did me an injury To him alone I would my self apply I never was vindictive never knew That humour which is but unknown to few That prompts men to revenge I 'de never strive T' encroach upon his high Prerogative To whom alone Revenge doth appertain But would shut up in patience remain Until that God did think it proper time For him to punish and revenge the Crime Yea though my cruel Enemies God knows Would every day when from their Bed they rose Bitterlie curse me and my Family Instead of Morning Prayer yet would not I Though these did hate me as I hate the Devil To their unguarded souls wish any evil Nay though my followers when they would perceive How much I was injur'd would trulie grieve To see my usage and at all occasions Would own my Quarrel with dire imprecations And often wish it were to them allow'd To take revenge angrie they were withstood By my commands and often would repeat Would we had of those Villains flesh to eat Who have injur'd our Master we would make Those Slaves a bloody Victim for his sake Yet would I ne're consent I 'de ne're agree That ever man should take revenge for me But on the contrair I would pardon those Who wrong'd me were they even my greatest Foes I never on revenge would meditate Nor thought my self oblig'd at any rate To quarrel those who did me injuries Which rather then resent I would despise But O I took delight in Charity By taking always opportunity T' assist all Persons whom I knew to be In want as oft as they apply'd to me The wearied Traveller whose lean Purse did shrink Below the credit of a cup of Drink Whose Visage and Apparel look'd so thin He was a very Bug-bear to an Inn All destitute or'edaub'd with Dust and Sweat Readie to take up lodgings in the Street Into my House I 'de always kindlie take And entertain him for his Makers sake Now though those Virtues did possess my breast And I all sinful courses did detest Yet if at any time I 'de chance to fail And some strong sin against me did prevail Then would I not my Conscience abuse By framing of some pitiful excuse As once poor Adam did t' extenuate The error which he could not pailiate No no such stale devices I abhor'd And therefore when I fail'd I 'de
polish'd reason and solidity So wisely and discreetly answered As they had not yet any progress made In what they undertook nor could they prove That he was one found guilty from above Yet had all three concluded he was such As those great men of whom they talk'd too much Now this same Elihu this knowing Youth Sate silently not opening of his mouth During the whole Debate and with attention Had heard them speak what in his apprehension Might ha' been spar'd yet would not undertake To interrupt them whilst they yet did speak In reverence to their Age and that true sense Of things afforded by experience With which he thought those men were richly stor'd And therefore whilst they argu'd not one word Upon the Subject from his mouth did fall Though in his mind he kept record of all But now that Job his last Discourse had ended And he with patience had some time attended To see if any of 'em would answer make That not succeeding as he did expect In indignation he began to speak I 'me young says he 't is true and you are old On which account I durst not be so bold Whilst you persisted in your reasoning To give you my opinion of the thing But now that I perceive you at a Bay And it appears you have no more to say Not knowing further as the Case doth stand How to pursue the Argument in hand And that Jobs Reason's strong yours low and weak I think it is high time for me to speak For truth I with the Vulgar had esteem For every Formal Fop that bore the name Of solid Judgment hudled up in years And had a great respect for Silver hairs But now I see now I perceive at last Reflecting seriously on what is past The fallacy of this Vulgar Error now I clearly see what 't is to have to do With men of reason who as well appears Are not to be out-brav'd by boasting years Now I perceive what we Experience call And aged Judgment is meer cous'nage all For when 't is brought to th' Test and we expect Our gray-hair'd Sires like Oracles should speak And utter nothing but grave Sentences In you my friends I 've seen I do profess Nothing but a tenacious wilfulness For I 've observ'd with how much heat and passion You spoke and us'd but little moderation In your Discourse which if I may divine The Judgment by the Tongue is no good sign Of reall wisdom and I now conceive That we of younger years are made believe Old men to be the only men of sense Because enrich'd with long experience And that no man while old can become wise Meerly by th'unperceived artifice Of bare Tradition as the idle tales Of Fairies and Hobgoblins or what else Good women to affright their babes devise Do passe for truths though little more then lies No trust me wisdom is not purchased By length of days nor can a man be said To be an owner of that quality Which we call wisdom or solidity Only because of his antiquity Alace you are deceiv'd if you think so For by what I have learn'd I tell you no. I tell you no for I am confident There is a Spirit which from Heaven is sent Into our Breasts by which we learn to know What all our toile and labour here below Cannot attain for to be plain with you I alwayes thought but am confirmed now That wisdom is a spark of Divine flame A piercing glance of him whose hand did frame The Universe a most conspicuous sign Of what we know but cannot well define I think it one of those Coelestial Rayes Which neither doth consist in years nor days A thing that is not in a Sanguine air Or a brisque Mine though one would think that there Great Spirits lodg'd nor in a serious eye Or sad deportment doth this wisdom lye Nor in a dull and slow phlegmatick sense Which doth not yeeld the world much eloquence But by a forc'd frugality of speech Would make us think what is above its reach Were jealously shut up within its breast Whilst this wise thing knows of all others least Nor in a sullen melancholy look Which seems to order all things by the Book And in all subtile Arts and Sciences Knows more then it has language to expresse No I think wit consists in none of these 'T is neither in Earth Water Air nor Fire But God alone true wisdom doth inspire 'T is true I know there is a rational And well prepared soul infus'd in all The Race of Adam by which they indeed From other Creatures are distinguished And that this soul which being the same in all The Sons of men we do a Spirit call May be by Art and curious Industry So much improv'd and elevat so hye 'T will stoop to nothing but Divinity Yet in that Spirit Wisdom doth not dwell For there 's a Spirit that doth yet excell That Spirit which we may call Divine Grace There there true Wisdome hath its dwelling place There it resides and in that Spirit God For mans instruction keeps his firm abode Hence those that are not furnish'd with this Spirit Let them all Learning Parts and Wit inherit Let them with stretches of a large dimension Exceed the reach of humane apprehension In their high subtile notions let them raise Themselves beyond the faculty of praise Yea let all men them wise and prudent call Without this Spirit they 're but dunces all For don't we see how those whom all esteem Prudent learn'd wise and Politicians name The great eyes of the world the knowing things Whom we call States-men by whose wisdome Kings Are rul'd who rule us all When by their carnal wit and policy Void of all grace they labour foolishly To do great things that thence they may attain The reputation of contriving men When by their wit they make alliances And break them too to serve their purposes More then their Princes int'rest for their zeal Neither regards the Crown nor Common-weal But their own ends until the Princes eye Begins to make some sharp discovery Of their ill actings then their wit appears Their great experience and their length of years To be meer folly and they now too late Do find that something not precogitate Doth lack which would ha' made their wits compleat For now estranged from their Princes face They find their wisdome was not that of grace And now the poor discarded man of wit In solitude most pensively doth sit Whilst with his former greatness he begins At once to call to mind his former sins And so concludes for all his wit and art He was deceiv'd by a deceitful heart Which made him still believe that without grace His parts would fully do his business But now he sees he 's but a very fool A child and yet but entring to the School Of real wisdome and endeavours now In the short time he has with much adoe To know but even the
wrong Because I did think fit to change thy state Therefore in passion thou'd expostulate With me for doing so since then thou hast So oft deni'd to plead with me at last Shalt have thy wish and since thou wilt not be Convinc'd by those who have discours'd with thee By my appointment and will yeeld to none In thy opinions but to me alone It shall be so I 'le argue now the case My self with thee and show thee in thy face How thou hast err'd I 'le let thee plainly see I am not such as men take me to be But am what neither thou nor any thing That breaths on earth from woman issuing Can comprehend Go too then Job behave thee like a man I 'le ask the question answer if thou can Say then poor mortal man where wast thou say When I at first did Earths Foundations lay Where wast thou pray hadst thou a beeing then Didst thou exist wast thou created when I did this Glorious Work at first commence And ordered all things so by Providence As I no sooner did this thing intend Than instantly the work was at an end Who did the Model of this World design Who drew the Plan thereof who stretcht the Line From Pole to Pole on which as all may see It yet doth roul as on an Axel-tree Who measur'd out at first the vast extent Of this huge Glob or by what instrument Was all that now the universe is nam'd At first into a perfect Circle fram'd Upon what grounds are the Foundations laid Of this great Fabrick which my hands have made Canst thou O man by all thy art find out On what this Glob of earth doth rest I doubt Thou never canst imagine how a thing Of so much weight i' th' open air can hing Without some Nail on which by Chain or String Such a vast ponderous body should depend I know this doth thy reason quite transcend Dost know how every Atome doth support Each other in that Mass in such a sort As no part upon any part doth rest Nor are light parts by heavy parts deprest But altogether solid firm and sure Ly in one lump by Aequilibrature And for the Air that subtile fluid thing Which 'bout this Orb like a soft rind doth cling And fills up every waste hole pore or chink That 's in this Glob what dost thou of it think Dost think that can so great a weight sustain That in its own sphere doth subsist with pain Shattered each hour by Thunder Lightning Rain No truely it doth upon nothing rest So that all your opinions at the best Of the supporters of this earthen Ball Are but mere notions and conjectures all Then where wer't thou when I at first did lay The Worlds Foundations when the blushing Day Did first appear and all my numerous croud Of Angels did for joy cry out aloud When they perceiv'd all I had done was good Where wast thou pray when all that now thy Eye Perceives distinct did in confusion ly When the luxuriant Seas did issue out Of Natures pregnant womb and grasp'd about The spongious Earth so close as by the Flouds Its face was covered as 't is now by Clouds When then in these the Earth lay sopp'd around And nothing like dry Land was to be found All being under Water Who did their rage else boundless limitate And within doors as 't were incarcerate Those furious Seas which now with all their power Cannot o'reflow Earths surface to this hour Who was it then that first this Earth did drain And from the Land so separate the main As they should never be unite again Who was it pray dost know why it was I Thy God and Maker I did speedily As with a swadling Band of darkest Clouds Ty up those Infant and disordered Flouds Then in a distinct body I did frame Those rouling Waves and them a Sea did name I cast them off the Earth and by and by I did assign them a Locality In which they might thereafter domineer And roar their fill but never more appear Upon the Earth and overwhelm the Land Without my warrand and express command Such bounds I for these Billows measured out As I thought good and fenc'd them round about With earthen Ramparts such as might expell Their fury when they should begin to swell And make them tamely within bounds contain For all their lofty pride and numerous train Assaulting oft these Ramparts but in vain I said unto them thus far shall you go No further in High Spring-tydes shall you flow I charge you that you do encroach no more Upon the Earth this Line shall be your Shore Dost know what light is pray or to what end Both this and darknesse I on Earth did send Dost know the reasons which made me conclude At first upon this strange vicissitude Of day and night or why I overspread The glorious face of Earth which I have made With clouds of darkness so that what of late Appear'd in a most beauteous pomp and state Whilst light did shine and feasted curious eyes With all the choice and rich varieties That heart could wish doth suddainly appear An object not of pleasure but of fear When then the Sun is gone when he is fled And darknesse doth the face of Earth o'respread Canst thou command him to return with light T' allay the horrour of a Winters night Or canst thou hire him to diffuse his rays Before his time didst ever in thy days Attempt such a light wind-mill enterprise As to make day spring e're the morning rise But when this Sun by my command appears Upon Earths utmost confines and still bears Upward to his full Orb Then doth your darknesse quickly steal away With all its allies at the break of day For when the Sun out of his sleep awakes Those things like downs from coverlet he shakes Which do in darknesse trade at sight o' th' Sun Night-walkers into holes and corners run Whilst th' Earth which by its absence void of light Shut up behind the curtains of the night Appear'd without all form at break of day As upon washen and well tempered Clay A new impression brightly doth appear Is in her morning dresse most bright and clear At break of day the labourer breaks his rest And to the field with every working beast He cheerfully doth march nothing afraid Because pursuing of his lawful trade Whilst Drunkards Camesters Whores Adulterers Murderers Lifters Thieves and Burglarers Who in the night-time do their businesse Assoon's the Sun begins to show his face Run all into their lurking holes annon And at the break of day they 're broke and gone Next as to darknesse dost thou comprehend What thing that is or what I do intend By this privation what 's the use of it What is its scope for what end is it fit Sure thou who understand'st not what is light Which every day is obvious to thy sight Canst
aspects of the Pleiades Who when the Sun in Taurus doth appear Calmly and gently usher in the year Or when the sullen barbarous Orion Attended by an host of storms leads on The dreadful Winter which o're runs you all And makes you with ingeminat groans recall Your ever kind but then far distant Sun To your assistance else you 're all undone With killing cold When this same Orion doth then appear In wasting terrour to shut up the year And bury all in Snow can'st thou restrain His violence and force him back again Can'st thou repell the fury of his Winds His Rains his Hail and Tempests of all kinds And make that ne're yet conquered Constellation Draw off his Troops with fear and consternation Can'st in his season bring out Mazzaroth That torrid Constellation of the South And make him in his Summer garb appear To celebrate the Solstice of the year Say canst thou make this Constellation shine This Canis major which beyond the Line Lyes quartered and from its pleasant seat Draws out but as a Sammer guard to wait Upon the motion of the glorious Sun What time he his three greatest heats doth run Can'st thou by Art a certain survey make Of all the Chambers in the Zodiack That spacious Colledge that magnificent And stately Inns of Court that eminent And princely Fabrick of great excellence Where the Twelve Signs do keep their residence And though they hold their chief Demeurage there Yet in their several Circuits appear The twelve conspicuous Judges of the Year Each Month by turns attended by no less Then the bright Sun himself with all his rays Who for the time keeps House with each of them Then what can'st say to this would thou reclaim Against this order or in spite decry This method can'st thou by authority Inhibite their procedure and allow No such Appartments but to one or two Of all the twelve Or can'st thou make the Sun per saltum pass Into the Rams head from the Ballances And baulking the five Melancholly Signs In which he rather looks a squint then shines Make him continue his warm influence In every corner of the Earth and thence By that new heretofore unknowen device Evite the trouble of the Winters Ice Canst make the Northern Stars live orderly And rule Arcturus with his Family Who in the Harvest season doth appear Attended with his great and little Bear And th' other Troops of the Septentrions Drawen out of all his Northern Garisons T' invest as 't were the year whilst Orion With the main body follows quickly on Canst make celestial bodies influence Bodies sublunary dost ' know from whence That rich but hidden Virtue doth proceed Which 'mongst you mortals strange effects doth breed Whilst some Diseases others Health afford Some fair and some foul weather in a word Each constellation in its aspect bears A consequence of either hopes or feares But not a cause for that to me alone Belongs which I communicate to none Whom I 've created for in sober sense These Stars have in themselves no influence On any thing but as determined By second Causes which are furnished By my appointment and the Subject Matter With which they meet Yet I know some of you sad Creatures too Pretend by study to demonstrare how All things are ordered in my Cabinet Ere they be brought to action and relate By knowledge of these Stars strange passages Of my designs long e're they came to pass Fools whence have you so good intelligence Of my intents and purposes from whence Have you this knowledge is it from the Stars D' ye think such mean things are my Counsellers That such as these forsooth should be acquaint With the deep Intrigues of my Government Presumptuous Mortals that you thus should dare To think you know what my intentions are When you own Reason fully may convince You of your folly for if even a Prince Of my creation that on Earth doth dwell And must make use of Council can so well Conceal his Secrets as what he intends Is neither knowen to Enemies nor Friends How think you then That I who use no Council in the least But that which doth reside within my breast Should of my Secrets take so little care As any thing in Heavens Earth Sea or Air Nay even my Angels who my Court attend Should e're discover what I do intend But from my Mouth yet from a silly Star With which you correspond of Peace and War Intended Famine Fire or Pestilence You Mortals have all your intelligence Would not you of that States-man make a sport Who from the Lacqueys of a Princes Court Pretended he did draw intelligence Of all his Cabin-councils and from thence Would take his measures pray what else are those With whom you correspond do you suppose That I make any other use of these But as of Grooms to carry Messages Nor is it lawful for you to erect Your Figures on Nativities and make From thence Conclusions or by Art to frame From the conjunctions of the Stars a Scheme O' th' life and death of any private man That lives on Earth a thing no mortal can With safety undertake or if he do Know all of you that I do not allow Such Practices for hidden things are knowen To me who am your Soveraign alone But things reveal'd to you are only showen The Knowledge then in which I do permit The wisest of you all to try your Wit Is to distinguish as these Stars appear The several times and seasons of the Year To know them all both fix'd and wanderers And gaze upon them as Astronomers To know besides their influences so As when 't is time to plant and when to sow When to set sail when to return again When to endure when to cast off your pain How in the darkest night your course to steer At Sea or Land when to hope when to fear When to rejoyce when sadly to Lament Especially when flaming Stars are sent As Heralds of my Wrath when to repent All this I do allow and you may pore Upon this Knowledge so far but no more For none of all these Stars can in the least Have influence on either man or beast As Causes but they only do appear As signs to show my actions every where Can'st thou by keeping coyl and noise below Perswade the Clouds to let their Vapours go And water all thy Sun-burn'd Grounds with Rain When they at any time of Drought complain Can'st thou by single lifting of thy hand Make all the Troops of Lightning understand Thy pleasure and appear at thy command All ready arm'd in order instantly And hotly forward in thy service cry Lord we are here let 's have thy orders now Pray what wouldst have thy Souldiers to do Give us the Word and Sign let 's understand Upon what Service thou would'st us command For here we 're ready as one man to act Whatever thou would'st have us undertake But all these things and
be conceiv'd 'twixt God and thee to ly Canst ' make huge Armies at thy call assemble And with uplifted hand make Nations tremble Canst make the Scoâ—ts of Lightnings fly abroad And manage Thunder with a voice like God Canst ' thou appear in splendid majesty Equal in beauty and excellency With me can thou poor-dying man display Such glory and thy self with light array More bright then th' Sun at Noon-tide of the day Canst thou send out the Serjeants of thy Wrath Bring in the proud and prosecute to death All those who dare presumptuously dream They 're such as I can hardly humble them Canst thou sad Creature cover such with shame As I can do canst in the view of all With great contempt make such high-soarers fall From top of all the hopes which they conceive Down to the very bottom of the Grave Canst break the Projects long time harch'd by such As are ambitious to command too much Who vex their Neighbours with unjust Pretences And will not hearken to their just Defences But with their Sword in hand do boldly seize On what they can and do even what they please Whom Oaths and Treaties can no longer tye Then with fresh Troops they can themselves supply Which done A Quarrel suitable to their design Is slily fabricate and then the Mine Doth quickly spring and at the Trumpets sound The peaceful Nations are involv'd around In Blood again whilst the voracious things Mounted aloft upon Ambitions wings With confidence at no less Prey do fly Then that of universal Monarchy Do'st thou then thou thou man of words do'st know The ways and methods how to bring such low Canst ' take them down can'st their ambition crush And make those mighty Conquerours sadly blush To see themselves out-done by such as they Did look upon as conquer'd 't other day And where their Armies us'd abroad to roam Canst ' turn the chace and give them work at home Canst ' crumble all these men in dust together And send them with their glory who knows whither In some dark corner canst thou make them die Where they 're attended by no weeping eye And not in publick where the pitying Croud Of curious Spectators can make proud The dying Wretches where they cann't declaim Or bribe the favour of a whiffling same By a set speech Where none are present where no standers by Observe with what composed looks they die And so spoil Deaths beloved Pageantry If all this thou canst do then I 'le confess And willingly acknowledge thou' rt no less In power then I am and that thou canst save By thy own strength thy body from the Grave But since thou are a man so mean and weak As thou canst hardly speak what I can act Then O poor Mortal how I pity thee That proudly offerest to debate with me Not knowing as thou shouldst do who I am Nor valuing the glory of my Name At its true rate for if thou didst but know With whom thou hadst to do thou hadst not so Express'd thy self as thou of late has done Like mad-man in the view o' th' open Sun For thou must know that I who form'd both thee And all what thou around dost hear or see Must know how all things should be governed Better then any creature I have made Know then that though on Earth there were no more T' expresse my power then those of which before I 've made relation yet since they transcend Thy knowledge and thou cans't not comprehend How and for what use they at first were fram'd And why not men as well as beasts were nam'd I 'll show thee in two special instances The one on Land the other on the Seas How much my creatures do my worth expresse Observe then Behemoth a first-rate creature A beast indeed of a stupendious feature Which you may think is that which you do call The Elephant well then there 's one for all Observe his body how he doth exceed In bulk all creatures that on Earth do feed This same huge Animal I did create This bulky thing these hands did fabricate And yet for all his bulk and vast extent Of bones and sinews I made him content With the poor Oxe that labours in the plow To feed on grasse and Hay and glad so too Observe then Job of how much strength and force This creature is exceeding far the Horse And Lyon for all creatures in the field To th' Elephant in force and strength do yeeld His legs like brazen pillars do sustain His close-built body which with little pain They bear from place to place as he doth ramble Whilst all the other beasts in forrest tremble At his appearance no less honouring That stately creature then he were their king When his proboscis in the Air he shakes With violence he such a figure makes As if a tall and lofty Cedar spread Its Trunk with all its boughs above its head 'T is wonderful to think what strength doth ly In this proboscis what activity What art what cunning what dexterity When with it as one with his hand would do He 'll mannage Faulchion Sword and Dagger too When with it he on man or beast will seize Lift them from ground and throw 'em up with ease To th' Garrison o' th' Tower upon his back Where they are kill'd the sinews which do make His Trunk so strong are twisted so together As branches of a tree and move it hither And thither as it pleaseth wantonly Though big and long with great agility Like staves of brass his great bones do appear His lesser bones like bars of Iron are Amongst the beasts he terrible appears His Trunk the Horse in battel only fears The Lion when he sees him shrinks apace The Tiger dares not look him in the face The Boar the wild Bull the Rhinoceros The Unicorn and Panther are but dross Beside pure mettal when with him compar'd The Stag the Bear the Wolf and Leopard Are all afraid of him and run for fear When like a walking-Tower he doth appear Yea man himself no less amaz'd doth fly When he perceives this dreadful Beast draw nigh For when you men do in closs Battel stand And threatning Swords appear in every hand With many Bows and Shields and many Spears And pointed Launces yet he shrewdly fears Th' approach of this four-footed Warriour Whose blows and throwings he cannot endure Yet this same dreadful Beast I can with ease Beat down like other creatures when I please For though By reason of his bloods frigidity He sometimes lives a hundred years yet I Who made him live can make him sooner die And now this Beast as dreadful as he is Is tame and gently peaceable in this That with the other Creatures who do breed Upon the Mountains he on Grass doth feed As if they were his equals every day Whilst round him all the lesser Beasts do play Now fearless not suspecting in the least
thing 26. They are pass'd as the most swift ships and as the eagle that flyeth to the prey 27. If I say I will forget my complaint I will cease from my wrath and comfort me 28. Then I am affraid of all my sorrows knowing that God will not judge me innocent 29. If I be wicked why labour I thus in vain 30. If I wash my self with snow water and purge my hands most clean 31. Yet shalt thou plunge me in the pit and mine own cloaths shall make me filthy 32. For he is not a man as I am that I should answer him If we come to judgement 33. Neither is there any umpire that might lay his hand upon us both 34. Let him take away his rod from me and let not his fear astonish me 35. Then would I speake and fear him not but because I am not so I hold me still 1. My soul is cut off though I live I will leave my complaint on my self and I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2. I will say unto God condemn me not and why dost thou contend with me 3. Thinkest thou it good to oppress me and to cast of the labours of thy hands and favour the wicked 4. Hast thou carnal eyes or dost thou see as man seeth 5. Are thy days as mans days or thy years as the time of man 6. That thou enquirest of mine iniquity and searchest out my sin 7. Thou knowest that I cannot do wickedly for none can deliver me out of thy hand 8. Thine hands have made me and fashioned me round about and wilt thou destroy me 9. Remember I pray thee that thou hast made me as the clay and â—ilâ— thou bring me into dust again 10. Hast thoú not poured 〈◊〉 like milk and turned me to curds like cheese 11. Thou cloathed me with skin and flesh and joâ—â—ed me together with bones and sinews 12. Thou hast given me life and grace and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit 13. Though thou hast hid these things in thine heart yet I know that is so with thee 14. If I have sinned then thou wilt strictly look unto me and wilt not hold me guiltless of mine iniquity 15. If I have done wickedly â—o unto me if I have done righteously I will not lift up my head being full of confusion because I see my affliction 16. But let it encrease hunt thou me as a lyon return and show thy self marvellousupon me 17. Thou renewest thy plagues against me and thou encreasest thy wrath against me changes and armies of sorrows are against me 18. Wherefore then hast thou brought me out of the 〈◊〉 O that I had perished and that no eye had seen me 19. And that I were as I had not been but brought from the woâ—b to the grave 20. Are not my days few let him cease and leave off from me that I may take a little comfort 21. Before I go and shall not return even to the land of darkness and shadow of death 22. Into a land I say dark as darkness it self and into the shadow of death where is no order the light is there as darkness 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said 2. should not the multitude of words be answered or should a great talker be justified 3. Should men hold their peace at thy lyes and when thou mockest others should none make thee ashamed 4. For thou hast said my doctrine is pure and I am clean in thy eyes 5. But O that God would speak and open his lips against thee 6 That he might shew thee the secrets of wisdom how thou hast deserved double according to right know therefore that God hath forgot thee for thy iniquity 7. Canst thou by searching find out God canst thou find out the Almighty to his perfection 8. The heavens are high what canst thou do deeper than hell how canst thou know it 9. The measure thereof is longer then the earth and it is broader then the sea 10. If he cut off and shut up or gather together who can turn him back 11. For he knoweth vain man and seeth iniquity and him that understandeth nothing 12. Yet vain man would be wise though man new born is like a wild asles colt 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him 14. If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let no wickedness dwell in thy tabernacie 15. Then shalt thou truly lift up thy face without spot and shalt be stable and shall not fear 16. But thou shalt forget thy misery and remember it as waters that are past 17. Thine age shall also appear more clear then the noon-day thou shalt shine and be as the morning 18. And thou shalt be bold because there is hope and thou shalt dig pits and shalt ly down safely 19. For when thou takest thy rest none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make sute unto thee 20. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail and their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of mind 1. Then Iob answered and said 2. Indeed because you are the people only wisdom must dy with you 3. But I have understanding as well as you and am not inferior to you yea who knoweth not such things 4. I am as one mocked of his neighbours who calleth upon God and he heareth him the just and the upright is laugh'd to scorn 5. He that is ready to fall is as a lamp despised in the opinion of the rich 6. The tabernatles of robbers do prosper and they are in safety that provoke God whom God hath enriched with his hand 7. Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the fouls of the heaven and they shall tell thee 8. Or speak to the earth and it shall show thee or the fishes of the sea and they shal declare unto thee 9. Who is ignorant of all these but that the hand of the Lord hath made these 10. In whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind 11. Doth not the ear discern the words and the mouth taste meat for itself 12. Amongst the ancient is wisdom and in the length of days is understanding 13. With him is wisdom and strength he hath counsel and understanding 14. Behold he will break down and it cannot be built he shutteth a man up and he cannot ' be loosed 15. Behold he withholdeth the waters and they dry up but when he sendeth them out they destroy the earth 16. With him is strength wisdom he that is deceived he that deceiveth are his 17. He causeth the Counsellors to go as spoiled and maketh the judges fools 18. He looseth the collar of kings and girdeth their loins with a girdle 19. He leadeth away the princes as a prey and overthroweth the mighry 20. He taketh away the speech from the faithful councellors and taketh away the judgement of the ancient 21. He poureth contempt on