cruel in his punishment So when thou sendst afflictons on the just And godly men who in thy mercy trust Thou 'lt not permit that any should conclude From thence that such men must be understood Guilty of all that 's evil for if so The blessed Saints in Heaven might undergo The censure of the most ungodly men That ever liv'd on Earth since it is plain None ever such afflictions endur'd As those and yet to say their sins procur'd All that they suffered and that all they felt Whilst in the land of misery they dwelt Was but the product of their faults and that Their judgements hardly were proportionat To their foul Crimes were inallowable Since thou O Lord hast made them capable Of thy eternal favour Nay this were To prove Religion were no more but Air That none were pious that no man did call Upon Gods Name aright no none at all But that all those goodly Inhabitants Of Heaven known to us by the name of Saints Were the meer dregs o' th' World Since in this Earth they knew no other state Of life then what we do commiserat Even though deserv'd in any whom we see In sad affliction though none pity me I do concclude then 't were a consequence Of dangerous import if we should from thence Infer that because that good men do endure Afflictions in this life that therefore sure Such men are impious vile and execrable For shame let none be so uncharitable As to maintain this error For I 'm perswaded Lord that one may be Under griat troubles and yet lov'd by thee Next Lord I hold it as a rule that all By thy just Statutes are not Criminal Who black with sorrow and o're come with pain Of their afflictions modestly complain If joint with such complaints they prayers send To Heavens and from their hearts do recommend To thy kind mercy the consideration Of their estate and mildly plead compassion Lastly I am perswaded after all That though sad woes like sheets of Snow should fall From Heavens upon a man who puts his trust In his Creator yet like blowing dust These clouds of woes shall vanish into air And their succeeding life shall look more fair Then that in sorrow gloomy did appear These are my principles good Lord from whence With thy good leave I would by consequence Infer that I 'm unjustly tax't by these Who call themselves my friends who proudly raise Themselves against me and do argue still My numerous sins alone say what I will Have brought upon me all that I endure And therefore hold me guilty and impure Thou seest then Lord how these my case mistake Then why should they themselves my Judges make Who in their Censures are so partial And to their own opinions wedded all Me thinks themselves they rather should decline Then by joynt council cunningly combine Under pretence of friendship to encrease My troubles by such arguments as these Should they be Judges they who openly Do value men by their prosperity And look on those who in afflictions waves Do swim with pain as men do look on slaves Coupled in chains Such flattery our God will not permit To go unpunish'd but when he thinks fit Upon those flatterers he 'll such judgements send As in a few dayâ—s space may make an end Not only of their persons but of all What these proud fools a memory do call Shall all their worldly pageantry deface And in his anger root out all their Race Now I remember whilst my sun did shine In its full Oâ—b and all things did combine To make me happy as a man might be In this vain world then would I daily see My friends in crouds within my walls appear Protesting nothing to them was so dear As was my interest and with cast-up-eyes Perswading me that they would sacrifice Their Means their Lives and should occasion call To do me service they would venture all That men call dear I 'm become poor of late By th' hand of God I 'm become desolat With sorrows on all hands environed And all my noon-tide friends are vanished My life is chang'd and all my friends are gone And in distresse I 'm visited by none But three whose visits I may say have been The worst affliction I have ever seen For truly I esteem those Visitants No Comforters but subtile Disputants Men who retain no pity in their hearts But would on this occasion show their parts On me in this deplorable estate Not meaning to condole but to debate Would they had spar'd their unkind kindnesse too And left me here as well as others do Then had I been more easy than I 'm now For all my other friends those Parasites Those Cuckows of my life those Hypocrites That gull the World with a fair pretence Of Love and Friendship are all marched hence Nay would their venimous malice rested there And as they 've quit me so they would forbear The mention of my name and when they meet At their Festivals would they would forget That ever such a thing was born as I am Would that some other Subject might supply'm With new Discourse and I had Liberty At least in dark oblivion here to die But O I 'm now become the Table-talk Of all my friends nay all men when they walk In Streets or Fields of my afflictions prate And speak with pleasure of my sad estate I 'm now the rabbles talk at Wakes and Faires My present sorrows sounding in their Ears Like a melodious Consort and God knows Hearing of my calamities and Woes Those Clowns are no less pleas'd than when they hear The noise of Tabret Fife or Dulcimer Nay so my foes have now their malice spread As those who never knew me never had Acquaintance of me when they hear my name So much bespattered by a foul-mouth'd fame Admire what curs'd and wicked thing I am My eyes with weeping for this cause are dim My heart with springs of grief swoln to the brim Both Day and Night affording new supplies Of brinish liquors for as water rise By force of Pump so from my bursting heart By force of Sighs without all help of art Fresh Streams are suck'd up hourlie issuing out Through either eye as through a Water-spout By this uninterrupting Flux at length With sorrows I perceive my former Strength Is quite exhausted and I now appear Like a meer shadow or a Damp of air This at first view may all good men surprize To see a man plung'd in such miseries A man who thinks at least God doth not hate His Person nor doth so excruciat Him as a Malefactor though he knows That all his sorrows all his pains and woes Are but his Merits these my sufferings May possibly occasion murmurings Amongst the best of men when they perceive My sad condition which though some believe To be the product of my sins yet these Know better things and viewing of my case Upon their own Deportment do reflect
silver and his Gold In little Barrs and Ingots soon are cast In Plates his Copper Lead in Pigs at last All weigh'd and stamp'd entred and registrate In Books by these he reckons his Estate Then next because he doth perceive one Vein Two different Mettals often do contain For naturally with all Silver Ore And Copper Grains of Gold some lesse some more Are always mix'd with Silver too some Lead And Iron with Copper i' th' same Vein do breed In Lead and Iron some Silver too is found As from the Veins he draws them under ground He quickly finds a way to separate The mixed Mettals at an easie rate By Aqua Fortis Gold from Silver Ore To which i' th' Vein 't was marryed before Is soon divorc'd and other Mettals are By Allum and Nitre separate with care But lastly when he has all separat One would suppose he 'd Nature imitat When mixing all those Mettals once again Some in the same proportion with the Vein Others in such proportions great and small As for his ends are fit which he doth call Temperatures out of these mixtures too He 's so acquainted with all Mettals now He frames new Mettals as when by his art To four of Gold of silver a fifth part He adds he quickly a new Mettal frames Out of that Masse which he Electrum names With many others such as those we call Bell-mettal Soldure Pot-mettal and all That are not Mettals i' th' Original But what needs more I think by what I 've said Any impartial man I may perswade That God is great above what we can reach By art which even those Minerals do teach Suppose all th' Works of his Omnipotence Could not afford another evidence Of his great Worth and Glory Yet man may bring those hidden things to light Though one should think they to perpetual night Were by his Divine Ordinance confin'd Yet he may bring them out and please his mind As with the Search before they can be found So with the enjoyment of 'em above ground But O should man employ his wit and art In searching after things which for his heart He cannot find as if he 'd run the Scent And trace the steps of Heavens Government Or study to find out the reason why This or that good man lives in misery Whilst sinners revel in prosperity Should he attempt by the same rules to know The things above as he doth these below Should he his Reason couple with his Sense And go a hunting after Providence And proudly think when he has found it out From it he 'll have intelligence no doubt Of all Gods Cabin-thoughts and thence may know The reasons of his actings here below Should he thus use his wit thus entertain His mind thus foolishly torment his brain In studying to find out his policy By which this universal Monarchy Is govern'd by which all Gods actings are Amongst us mortals brought upon the square Why this same study were not only vain Foolish presumptous full of uselesse pain But shrewdly sinful and unlawful too For such high knowledge God will not allow To mortal race Nor will he let them know at any rate What is not fit should be communicat To humane wit because he wisely knows If we did know such hidden things as those And what to each man were predestinat Which must be sent upon him soon or late 'T would certainly cause so much pride and fear As what betwixt presumption and despair The world would split in two and men should know Too much to damn them all if things were so To th'case my friends then why should you debate On things above your reach why should you state The Question in the works of Providence To which we cannot sure without offence Prescribe those Rules by which our actings here Are rui'd from whence it plainly doth appear There is a Wisdome which we cannot reach A Divine Knowledge which no Art can teach A Wisdome to our God peculiar With which no Earthly Wisdome can compare A knowledge which to know our fond desire On no account should foolishly aspire Then O where is this wisdome to be found This heavenly knowledge which doth quite confound And with one simple dash oblit'rat all That which we vainly understanding call Where is it pray whence is it to be had On what Coast do we for this wisdome Trade This wisdome O this wisdome this divine And God-like knowledge from what secret Mine Is it extracted in what hidden Pore In Heav'ns or Earth doth this Seraphick Ore Branch out its Veins this wisdome mystical This Art of Arts this supernatural And un-born knowledge whither shall we run To find this wisdome shall we with the Sun Take Journey and view all the World about with searching eye to find this wisdome out Or shall we on the wings of contemplation Fly upward in some pious meditation In search of what on earth we cannot find And reach that thing by labour of the mind That hands cannot perform a thing in vain Our curious reason studies to attain A thing our Faith which Reason doth transcend On this side time can hardly comprehend For what it is no mortal man can know Or where 't is to be found 't is hidden so By him who all things fram'd we cann't conceive What thing it is but only must believe This divine wisdome is not to be found By Art of man 't is not a thing the ground The Seas or Air afford 't is not a thing To which we can attain by reasoning No 't is a thing of which we neither know Its beeing nor its value for although We search with Reasons Taper in our hand The darkest Creviss both in Sea and Land To find it out our toil is all in vain For to its knowledge we can ne're attain But after that by strength of contemplation We think of it to learn some information We 're forc'd at length to rest in admiration In admiration yes contentedly We must admire what all our industry Our wit art thinking cannot comprehend A wisdome that all value doth transcend 'T is not in Commerce 't is inestimable 'T is not by Gold or Silver purchasable No no this thing cannot be bought or sold At any rate not Tunns of Ophir Gold Not Cargoes of that precious Mineral Not heaps of Stones and Jewels which by all Are valued at the highest estimation Can for this knowledge make a valuation Not finest Gold nor Chrystal of the Rock O' th' purest hue can make a bartring Stock For such a rich Commodity not all What Merchants here inestimable call Can make provisions suitable to buy Such an inestimable Commodity Talk not of Coral 't is a mean Sea-weed Nor Pearl which with us silly Oysters breed No nor of Rubies though their Crimson Dye Appears most rich and glorious to the eye Nor of their beauty cut in Faucet tell For this high wisdome doth them all excell Your Aethiopian Topaz
the world 19. He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people nor any posterity in his dwellings 20. Posterity shall be astonished at his day and fear shall come upon the ancient 21. Surely such are the inhabitations of the wicked and this is the place of him that honoureth not God 1. But Iob answered and said 2. How long will you vex my soul and torment me with words 3. You have now ten times reproached me and are not ashamed you are impudent toward me 4. And though I had indeed erred mine error remaineth with me 5. If indeed you will magnify your selves against me plead against my reproach 6. Know now that God has over thrown me and has compassed me with his net 7. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard cry aloud but there is no judgement 8. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass and he hath set darkness in my paths 9. He hath stript me of my glory and the crown is taken from my head 10. He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone and mine hope he hath removed like a tree 11. He hath also kindled his wrath against me and he counteth me as one of his enemies 12. His troops come together and raise their way against me and encamp round about my tabernacle 13. He hath put my brethren far from me and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me 14. My kinsfolk have failed and my familiar friends have forgotten me 15. They that dwel in my house and my maids count me for a stranger I am an alien in their sight 16. I called my servant and he gave me no answer I intreated him with my mouth 17. My breath is strange to my wife though I intreated her for the childrens sake of my own body 18 Yea young children despised me I arose and they spake against me 19 All my inward friends abhorred me and they whom I loved are turned against me 20 My bones cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh and I am escaped with the skin off my teeth 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touch'd me 22. Why do you persecure me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh 23. O that my words were now written O that they were printed in a book 24. That they were graven with an iron pen in the lead and in the rock for ever 25. For I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth 29. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me 28. But you should say why persecute we him seing the root of the matter is found in me 29 Be ye afraid of the â—â—â—rd for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said 2. Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer and for this I makchaste 3. I have heard the check of my reproach and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer 4. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon earth 5. That the triumph of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment 6. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reacheth unto the clouds 7. Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they who have seen him shall say where is he 8. He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found yea he shall be chased away as a vision of the night 9. They also who saw him shall see him no more neither shall his place any more hehold him 10. His children shall seek to â—lease the poor and his hands shall restore their goods 11. His bones are full of the sins of his youth which shall ly down with him in the dust 12. Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth though he hid it under his tongue 13. Though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still within his mouth 14. Yet his meat in his bowels is turned and it is the gall of asps within him 15. He hath swallowed down riches and he shall vomit them up again God shall cast them out of his belly 16. He shall suck the poison of asps the vipers tongue shall sâ—ay him 17. He shall not see the rivers the floods the brooks of honey and butter 18. That which he laboured for he shall restore and shall not swallow it down according to his substance shall the restitution be and he shall not rejoice therein 19. Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not 20. Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly he shall not save of that which he desired 21. There shall none of his meat be left therefore shall no man look for his goods 22. In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits every hand of the wicked shall come upon him 23. When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the â—ury of his wrath upon him while he is eating 24. He shall fly from the iron weapon and the bow of steel shall strick him through 25. It is drawn cometh out of the body yea the glistering sword cometh out of his gall terrors are upon him 26. All darknesse shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blown shall consume it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle 27. The heaven shaâ—l reveal his iniâ—uiâ—â— and the earth â—â—all the up against him 28. The encrease of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath 29. This is the portion of a wicked man and the heritage appointed to him by God 1. Put Iob answered and said 2. Heat diligently my speech and let this be your consolation 3. suffer me that I may speak and after that I have spoken mock on 4. As for me is my complaint to man if it were so why should not my spirit be troubled 5. Mark me and be astonished and lay your hands upon your mouth 6. Even when I remember I am afraid and trembling taketh hold on my flesh 7. Wherefore do the wicked live and become old yea are mighty in power 8. Their seed is established in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them 10. Their bull gendreth and faileth not their cow calveth and casteth not her calf 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance 12. They take the timbrel and harp rejoice at the sound of the organ 13. They spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave 14. Therefore they say
so great measure As far exceeded all his Wealth and Treasure For his seven Sons who we suppose had now Attain'd mans age and that he did allow T' each of 'em distinct Farms off his Estate Did mutually each others kindly treat In Peace and Plenty they their hours did waste And call'd their Sisters when they mean't to Feast But Job considering in such 〈◊〉 How many strong temptations do ly For sinful lewdness scarce to be evited By such whose Blood and Brains by Wine are heated He would next morning early stir and pray That GOD would pardon sins o'th'by-past day Committed by his Children For sayes he I do suspect how ere the matter be There 's something sinful in the case since Feasting Is still at least accompany'd with Jesting Thus with himself in private reasoning Hee 'd for each Child make a Burnt-offering And whilst their Feasting lasted every day Job for his Childrens sins would Fast and Pray In short if Jobs Felicity we rate By Birth and Knowledge Honour and Estate A goodly Issue bless't with unity Amongst themselves unspotted Piety Sincerity in all his Dealings Grace Frugality and Virtue we may trace All Histories with which the World doth swell And 'mongst them all not find his parallel For sure this worthy Gentleman appears T' have been a Patern for some hundred years To all about him and we here may see How God thinks fit his Memory should be To this same day preserv'd that we may thence Precisely understand at what expence Of true Devotion we should live and know When with Afflictions God doth bring us low As this same Good man was how to endure With Patience the hottest Calenture Of Sorrows fever and may likewise see What silly Expectations those be On which we feed in our Prosperity As if we fancy'd Perpetuity Of our Enjoyments here and that our God Lov'd us so well he 'd never use his Rod But with soft Hand would clap our Heads and lay Our Pillows every Night and every Day Afford us every thing we can project For our poor Fastings and our Prayers sake No no that Man who ere he be that thus With fond Delusions doth his Soul abuse Dâ—th shreudly erre for in this Precedent We may perceive how clear and evident The contrair doth appear and calculate From thence the folly of a great Estate For now as longest Day must have its Night And Darkness must at length succeed to Light As greatest Calms do Storms prognosticate So greatest Joyes do Sorrowes antidate And this Good-man whom in Serenity Under the Zenith of Prosperity Wee 've lately seen must now 〈◊〉 prepare To show his Virtue in another Sphere For at a General Sessions of Heaven Held at that time when Liberty was given To all that in that Court do make abode To see the Face of the Almighty God When Heavens Great Monarch in Majestick State Environ'd with his Troops of Angels Sate He too who once was of that Corporation As Eminent as any of that Station Until with foolish Pride he did so swell Because he thought he was not us'd so well As his great Services requir'd and so He with some others would a Plotting go Against his Prince and think to model too As all our discontented States-men do The Government of Heavens but instantly His Plot was opened and he by and by With all his Friends about him poorly fell From thence by Deportation to Hell This wretched Head of Rebels too appear'd Amongst the Just demanding to be heard In some shrewd Accusation patly lay'd Against some Champions of the praying Trade At least that he might shortly understand Upon what Service God would him command He there as Serjeant of the Court did waite To receive Orders at the Utter-Gate But as when Damnster doth in Court appear The Condemnation of some Man we fear So this Old Rebel did prognosticate The Alteration of some Persons State By his officious presence This thing appearing then well known by name Of Satan God did ask him whence he came Not but that all his Wandrings he did know With all his Plots and Projects here below But that from his own Mouth he might express His villanous Toilling and Unwearyedness In doing evil and that since he fell From Heaven he every hour doth merit Hell Satan makes answer I have been abroad Compassing all this Earth of thine Great God There I have walk'd at randome to and fro And view'd the State of all things here below I 've seen how thou dost constantly suppress Me and my Subjects by thy watchfulness On all our Motions as if all to thee Belong'd by Right and nothing else to me But thy displeasure yet I 'le not resign My claim for all that nay I still design Where ever thou a Colony shall plant I and my Friends shall all their Meetings haunt And make that Church at best but Militant For since I 'm not allow'd 〈◊〉 Priviledge Of my Creation but with bitter rage Am to this day secluded from my Right Why should not I with all the Force and Might That I and my poor banish'd Friends can raise By constant In-roads still disturb the Peace Of those whose constant Prayers do combine To ruine further yet both me and mine As if already I were not undone By thy Displeasure these for sooth must run A sharper Scent and by their Prayers baull For my Destruction yet for good and all Nay know Heavens King for so I must confess Thou art indeed that I am not the less A Prince on Earth and will endeavour still To keep that Right do with me what you will Yes I 'll mentain now what I do possess And still will make it my great business T' enlarge the Limits of my Empire here Since in thy Heavens I date no more appear As formerly allow me then Great God To wander sometimes here and there abroad To view my Interest though yet after all I am thy Servant and obey thy call Then sayes the Lord since thou goest every where A-wandring since thou couldst not chuse but hear Of my great Servant Job sure thou dost know How of all Mortals that live there below He 's the most just scarce to be equalled On Earth him sure thou hast considered As one of thy chief Enemies for he Is a most Loyal Subject to me A Man most Honest Pious and Upright Just shunning Evil doing at my sight What I Judge candid good and equitable And for his Heavenly Interest profitable One who by Standart of true Piety Doth measure all his Actions constantly What say'st of him Is he not such now say For all thy Art can'st fall upon a way To make that Man break his Allegiance To me can'st thou thy Interest advance With him or tempt him to do any thing That may i'th'least displease his God and King Yes says the Divel thy Servant Job I know And have considered too why be it so That he is such as truth I
Why shouldst then be at so much pains good Lord To kill a thing which of its own accord Will quickly dye a thing that by thy Wrath As yet deny'd the liberty of Death Doth only some small sparks of Life retain And like a Dying Creature breaths with pain One entire Ulcer a meer lump of Boyls A heap of Sores one loaden with the Spoiles Of all Diseases one so fully spent In Body and in Mind so discontent No pleasure which the World affords can hire My Soul to Live pray let me now expire Or else I fear that through impatience Of my afflictions I may give offence For when I say my Couch shall me relieve And in my Bed I shall some comfort have When I imagine I may find some ease In-sleep to cull the edge of my Disease When I suppose I may find Consolation I' th' pleasure of a few hours Meditation And whilst on Pillow I my Head do lay To sleep away the sorrows of the day Then dost thou put my Soul all in a fright With fearful Dreams and Visions of the night In a cold sweat I lye my Flesh and Bones My Joints and Sinews tremble all at once Strugling with pain upon my Bed I rowl Whilst horrid Objects do night-mare my Soul And to my troubled fancie represent What neither Tongue can speak or hard can paint Hells Terrors plainlie are to me reveal'd Whilst with amusing sleep my Eyes are sealâ—d On which reflecting when I do awake Fear damps my Soul and makes my Body shake Hence Drowning Smothering Strangling of the Breath Or any of the numerous kinds of Death My Soul to Life prefers my generous Soul Abhorrs to live in such a lurking hole As is this body such a vile Hog-sty A Brutish Soul would even disdain to ly Within its Walls a Cottage so unclean So Cob web-furnish'd so obscure and mean As none but one of Life that 's wearyed In such a villanous Cave would lay his bed What Soul so poor and mean exceeding but The small Dimensions of a Hazel nut Would stoop so low as condescend to dwell In such an ugly smelling nasty Cell As is this body which I do call mine So thin the Sun doth clearly through it shine Is this a Lodging for a Thing Divine A tottering Fabrick which the rotten Bones Not able to support down all at once Will quickly fall is this a dwelling place For any thing come of a Heavenly Race No no fly hence my Soul fly hence make haste Why dost not fly for such a Noble Guest There 's here no room no fit Accomodation This body can afford no Habitation For such as thee Dear Soul O let me dy then let me dy good Lord O let me dy Death surely will afford Such comfort as I here expect in vain Why should I live then in such grievous pain And as a mark to all sad torments stand When pitying Death doth offer help at hand In this condition I do do life abhorr I baâ—e it and shall never love it more What should I for a few hours breathing give For 't is impossible I can longer live O spare me then for some small time at least That these o re wearyed bones may have some rest And in this life I may find ease before I take my Journey hence and be no more E're I be wrapp'd up in Eternity For all my days are but meer vanity Then what is Man that thou shouldst look upon him This wretched thing that thou shouldst so much own him Thou dost thy heart too much upon him set Which makes the silly Toad it self forget Valuing it self so much on thy esteem As it hath purchas'd to its self a name Beyond the other Creatures of thy hand Whereas if it it self did understand 'T is but as dust that 'fore the Wind doth fly A passing thought th' abstract of vanity Since thou canst then Lord by one word destroy This Creature why shouldst so much time employ In Torturing of it thus once and again And not by one blow put me out of pain One blow of favour Lord I do implore Kill me and then I shall complain no more But still I cannot fancy why shouldst thou Before whom all in Heavens and Earth do bow Have this same Creature Man in such esteem This flying Shade this passage of a Dream A thing so mean not worth thy Observation Why should'st allow it so much Reputation That thou the great Creator every day Shouldst of this pismire make so strict survey How long Lord shall I in these Torments lye â— Ah is there no end of my Misery Some respite Lord I beg I do request Some breathing time even so long time at least Free from these pains as I may swallow down My Spittle Oh good God let me alone But for a Moment that I may but try Thy goodness once again before I Dye Lord I have sinn'd 't is true I do confess My Error and my black unrighteousness What shall I do how shall I answer find To thee the great preserver of Mankind As worst of sinners Lord thou dost me treat For as my Sins so are my Judgements great Th' hast set me gainst thee as a Mark or Butt At which thy pointed Arrows thou dost shoot With Torments hast me so o'reloadened That long ago of Life I 'm wearied Why should thy wrath continually burn 'Gainst a poor sinner O let Grace return Pardon my sins wash from iniquity The Soul thou gavst me Lord before I dye Let me of Mercy hear the joyful sound For in an instant I shall not be found I dye I dye my Passing Bell doth Toul Have Mercy Lord have Mercy on my Soul Cap. VIII THus have we seen how Job with grief opprest By night and day has in his Mind no rest In this sad case with great impatience Appears to quarrel even Providence For those his Friends of whom he did expect Some Comfort rather sharplie did him check For th' Errors of his Life and openly Reprov'd him for his gross Hypocrisie We 've seen with how much Art and Eloquence One of his friends has given evidence Against him now another undertakes Th' argument and thus he answer makes How long sayes he friend wilt thou thus exclaim Against that justice which the Heavens did frame To what do all thy imprecations tend What means this clamour shall there be no end Of this thy idle talking shall we be Oblig'd to hear what none but such as thee Would stammer out what one in sober case Would be asham'd to speak such words as these Which thou in foolish passion hast us'd Against our God would hardly be excus'd Out of a mad-mans mouth but when they flow From such as thee friend whom we all do know To be of more than ordinary Sense We must condemn thy gross impatience Dost ' think that God whose great and mighty Name All things Created dayly do
his Sea-card and his Compass fails Instructs him how to tack and ply his Sails These troops of pointed Lights Heavens numerous Eyes In Packs and Bundles the Almighty tyes Then with his Signet doth those Bundles seal As one doth Wares and merchandize for sale So that their twinkling light appears no more And darkness reigns where Lamps did shine before The Canopy of Heavens he stretches out And makes those Orbs like Whirle-winds roul about This fixed Mass of Earth 't is he alone Directs their Motions and makes every one Of those great Engins in their circles move Some quick some in a course more slow above What human art can imitate 't is he Who walketh on the surface of the Sea Where stoutest Ships like drunken men do reel And forc'd by strength of waves turn up their Keel On those proud billows doth our Mighty God Walk unconcern'd as on a beaten road The Stars in several bodies he doth frame To each of which he gives a proper name Such as Arcturus Orion Pleiades And quarters them through all the Provinces Of his vast Empire where those bodies ly Each settled in its own Locality The standing Forces of Heavens Monarchy Great things he acts O things most admirable Beyond our reach things most innumerable Things which no human Language can express Though every Language doth the same confess Why even those works which daily to our eyes In course are obvious our Capacities By many thousand Stages do transcend Nor can our groping reason comprehend The meanest of his actings or espy This Mighty Monarch when he passeth by And makes his splendid Progress through the Sky Nor can our eyes perceive his Royal Seat Though every day he shows himself in State When this great King would Justice execute What man dares his Authority dispute Who 's he that dares Declinator alledge Against his Court or offer to repledge The highest Prince whom he intends to try Or save his Life whom he commands to dye When he our Goods and Substance doth distrain Who can compel him to restore again What he hath taken who 's that Mortal pray Dares offer to resist his Power or say He does unjustly or in Court dares bring A quo warranto 'gainst this mighty King No all 's in vain no force of Eloquence No Laws no proofs can clear the Innocence Of him whom God condemns no surely he Unhappy Creature who so e're he be After his reasoning praying after all A victim to the Divine wrath must fall Nay you my friends for all your wit and parts Which doth afford you talk though in your hearts You think not what you speak even you must dye When God pronounces Sentence from on high Against you nor will all your Art can say In Rhet ' ricks sweetest flowers procure delay For one small moment no his Sentence must Be execute and you return to Dust. Since you then even with all your Eloquence 'Gainst his Procedure can make no defence Ah how can I a wretch so despicable Void of all Reason Wit and Parts be able To make him answer where shall such as I Find sugred words t' obtain indemnity Nay though perswaded of my innocence Yet 'gainst his Justice I 'de make no defence All he layes to my Charge I would confess And then to his sole Mercy make address I would not plead but say I firmly knew All my Inditement to be simply true And then exibit with great veneration Before my Judge my humble supplication Wherein I 'de ask that he by me would do As he thought fit but if he pleas'd t' allow Some breathing time that I might yet implore Before I trindle hence and be no more His pardon for my sins I 'de only say This favour would oblige me still to pray For should I in this manner supplicat I 'de hope that God would me commiserat 'T is but what he can grant me out of hand Though more than I deserve or dare demand Fools with their Maker do expostulat And think by words themselves to liberat But pious men who better things do know Upon Gods Mercy still themselves do throw For when th' Almighty doth in Judgement sit All that are knowing will to him submit He who to search the Records is inclin'd Of that high Court of Justice soon will find No formal pleadings there no exculpations But only prayers and humble supplications These are the most prevailing arguments With the great Judge o'th'World the glorious Saints When them for Crimes th' Almighty would accuse In all their tryals ne're did other use Now though I know that God doth hear the cry Of those who from the pit of misery Do make address to him and that our Lord In his good time to such will help afford Yet in my present pain and agony I do believe with some difficulty That God will hear my prayer or if he do That he to me such favour will allow As he to others grants since only I Condemned to perpetual misery Can hope for no relief then pray excuse These hot expressions which you hear me use For I 'me undone with grief my case is sad And still oppression makes a wise man mad Like a strong tempest God his wrath lets out Which will at length destroy me without doubt The torrent of his anger swells so high And rushes on my Soul so furiously As all the art of humane patience Cannot resist its force and violence I 'm wounded by the order of his Laws Most justly though as yet I know no cause My plagues and torments sensibly I feel And know the measure of my woes full well But such my dulness is I cannot yet Perceive those ugly sins which did beget Those monstruous Evils of which I complain And call for reparation but in vain For I 'm so 〈◊〉 by that Heavenly wrath As I can find no time to take my breath Continued sorrows do my Soul oppress My Heart is brim-full of sad bitterness But what doth yet encreass my misery To th' utmost is the vast disparity 'Twixt him who doth these ills inflict and me He 's great and I as mean as mean can be And if we speak of strength why th' Lord of Hosts Is strength it self in abstract he who boasts Of any strength valour or gallantry Compar'd with God is but a butter-fly Compar'd with Eagle or a silly Ant In scales with a huge big-bon'd Elephant Talk we of Judgement who shall make address For me and bring me in to plead my case When I appear before his Majesty What shall I say how shall I justifie My actings in this Earth how shall I frame Excuse for what to mention is my shame For if with God I 'd enter in debate And justifie my self at any rate If I desert or innocence would plead Then words which from my own mouth do proceed would prove me guilty and if I but name My uprightness his
innocent on trust Should men with silence hear thy precious lyes Or when thou dost make faces shut their eyes As if forsooth 't were finful to behold Such a sad Object Dost think but we all with compassion see Thy case although we cann't comply with thee In all thy doleful foolish exclamations Nor second thee in thy expostulations Thou who so often hast thy Neighbours blam'd For such vain talk shouldst thou not be asham'd To prate so idly Shouldst thou not be asham'd thus to assert Thy uprightness when he who knows the heart Doth laugh at thee pray' with what impudence Dost thou upbraid us with thy innocence Thinkst thou that we believe that all is true Which now thou speaks't no if thou hadst thy due And all thy words were well considered ' Stead of being pitied shoulds't be punished Thou blameless in thy Life thou innocent Thou one of whom no man can make complaint Thou in the sight of God upright and clear Bless us what foolish arrogance is here Was ever wise man in discourse so weak Did ever man so like a mad man speak Was e're such talking heard wouldst thou lay claim To what no Mortal can attain for shame Forbear such words forbear this canting strain And of thy Maker do no more complain For all thy exclamations are in vain But since we cann't prevail with thee and since I see we are not able to convince The of thy Errors O that he would speak Who fram'd the Tongue that for his Justice sake Since what we argue is but lame and faint Himself would please to take up th argument And lay thy sins before thee all a row That so we might by demonstration show How much thou' rt in the wrong and let thee see In short how like for all the world to thee The fool doth prate who when in humour cross't And overpower'd with judgements thinks all 's lost O that our God himself would take in hand To answer thee and make thee understand Wisdom's true value which if thou didst know Thou wouldst not through impatience bluster so As now thou dost nor clamour at this rate For were thy punishment proportionat With thy foul sins as thou hast merited Thou shouldst indeed be doubly punished Know therefore that because of thy offence God hath forgot thee and will not from hence Acknowledge thee as he has done before And in his presence shall 't appear no more But say now thou who dost to Wit lay claim And thy own Knowledge dost so much esteem Thou who thy friends and neighbours fools do'st call And think'st thou knowest much more than we do all Vexing us with a pitiful relation Of all thy former Life and Conversation With Tales of thy pretended patience And formal Stories of thy Innocence Cans't thou my friend conclude with all thy art What trulie God is cans't thou for thy heart Reduce thy Maker to his proper kind Or thy Creator in perfection find Say canst thou do this wilt thou take in hand To answer me the question I 'l demand In the first place then I desire to know How high the Heavens are say now canst thou show What bounds that spacious Vault doth comprehend How far it doth from East to West extend On what foundations the proud Pillars stand Which that vast arch support what mighty hand Did found them in each of 'em how much space Doth lye betwixt the Chapter and the Base No 't is in vain thou mayst thy labour spare Such things beyond thy scantling knowledge are For as Heavens are immeasurably high So the Foundations of those Pillars lye Deeper then Hell it self thou canst not reach Their true dimensions which no art can teach Nor can the same by Theorems express For all your Artists do but faintly guess What really and truly these things are For O how mean and low they do appear Demonstrat in a Map a Globe or Sphere By our vain plodding Charlatans of Art Who cannot comprehend the smallest part Of the Creation and yet soar so high As nought below th' Empyrean Canopy Can satisfie their curiosity Nay even those who pretend by art to know The measure of the Heavens and boldly show Their Longitude by Lines imaginary Even those same fools in their opinions vary And cann't agree what bounds they should allow For that capacious Fabrick far less thou Void of all art canst make us understand How far that Powerful All-creating Hand The wings of Heaven beyond the Earth has spread How much in breadth they do the Seas exceed Yet if our God at any time intend To pull down all this Pile and make an end Of what with admiration we behold And so esteem its worth cannot be told If God intend to cut the Heavens assunder And blast the universal Globe with Thunder Pray who can stop him who can turn him back Or to desist from his intentions make If once he thus intend he 'l surely do it And see what any Mortal dares say to it For O he knows vain men he knows us all Full well and what we Wit and Parts do call He names meer folly and can clearly show The wisest man on Earth doth nothing know He knows our private Cabin-thoughts full well In vain from him our sins we do conceal He knows them all no winged thought can flye From Pole to Pole so soon but instantly Our God discovers from whose Breast it came And in that instant can its owner name He sits in all the Councils of the Heart And undiscovered laughs at all our Art By which we mannage every close design So covertly as those who dig a Mine Unseen by any yet he plainly sees What we intend by all such thoughts as these Yet would vain man fain be esteemed wise And think each one injures him who denys To him that goodlie Epithet although This self conceited fool doth nothing know Stupid insipid ignorant and dull Rude as a Boobie of a thick hard scull Is this same man at best a very brute And while refin'd by art without dispute Like a wild Asses Colt so dull a Creature As he appears no more oblig'd to Nature Then rugged Flints untill by Artists hand Polish'd and cut But after all though mankind in hIs eyes Be of no value yet he still will prize Religious thoughts and quickly understand True sighs and pious motions of the hand If evil from thy heart thou'lt banish far And against fin declare a formal War If thou in thy own house as Judge wilt sit Acting in all things what is just and fit Suff'ring no Crime within thy walls to sleep But in a most assiduous method keep Strict watch upon thy actions and practise Good things and use Religious exercise When thou art private with thy Family As an instructer in true Piety Then shalt thou glory in thy Innocence And in thy well Reformed Conscience Enjoy a sweet serene tranquility Beyond
preach What the Creation every hour doth teach Must we esteem you wise because that you Know as much as the Brutal Creatures do Or shall we think that you deserve esteem Because you can descantupon a Theme Well known to all men for who 's ignorant Of what you speak though you do proudly vaunt You are the only knowing men alace How much do I commiserate your case For ah who knows not how Gods mighty hand Hath all things fram'd in Heavens Air Sea and Land That mighty hand that hand which doth contain The precious Soul of every living man That hand which grasps at once both Life and Death That hand which stops and le ts out every Breath That mighty hand we know hath formed all Without the help of what you wisdom call That powerful hand that right hand which alone Acts by true wisdom is most surely known Beyond what all your wisdom can rehearse To be the Author of the Universe For lets observe but who did frame the Ear And for what use why it will soon appear If once we speak for then articulate And distinct words entring that narrow Gate Through the Ears winding Turnpikes progress make And are conducted to the Intellect In decent order have quick audience And from the council of the common Sense As quick returns for words are instantly Dispatch'd in answer twinkling of an eye Th' earsof both speakers do these words convey T' each others judgements i'th'same form and way Let us observe then how this useful sense By special licence from high providence Enjoys its place and faculty nor are Those many towrs and windings in the ear There to no purpose since experience Demonstrats every day their excellence For as we see in Princes Pallaces How all the avenues and passages Are strictly guarded to oppose the rude Tumultuous entries of the Multitude Whilst civil persons who have business Pass through the Guards and dayly make address To th' Princes ear so all the Guarde o' th' brain To civil courteous words do make a Lane Which passing forward to the Intellect Are there receiv'd with kindness and respect But if in throngs and with a hideous shout They chance to make approach to keep such out The Drum o' th' Ear doth quickly beat to Arms Yet by the frequent use of such allarms Those Guards are oft-times overcome and thence Men lose the use of that most useful sense That useful sense to which indeed we owe The greatest part of what we learn or know So that were 't even but in that curious sense We may admire the work of Providence Observe the Mouth too how it tastes the Meat To try if it be wholesome sowr or sweet Ere to the Stomach whether it doth tend It can have access that it may defend The Body from all Food that 's destructive To health and make its charge securely live Now from such topicks though there were no moe Who may not soon th' Almighties Glory know Forbear then all your arguing pray forbear And let 's no more of your vain Lectures hear Upon this subject since no art can show The full extent of what we only know From such external signs for what indeed The Power of God is whence all things proceed Which here we see how things are regulate In Heavens and Earth how he did Fabricate This vast stupendious Globe which still the more We view the more the Framer we adore Is what exceeds our reach 'T is true indeed and I do not deny But even on this side of Mortality There is a wisdom which one may attain By serious thoughts and labour of the Brain There is a thing I know which in some sense May be thought wisdom call'd experience Which mongst ag'd persons keeps its Residence Seldom in other company we see This grave Instructer whom I take to be A thing made up of many passages Of foolish Life by which it seems to guess At future Events and would wisely cast By th'vanity of things already past The issues of new Counsels but alace When we perceive how still new passages Occur which we have never known before Then we admire and can presage no more And then when we reflect what vast Expence Acquaintance with this same Experience Doth cost ' us daily and how ere we can Improve to its full height the wit of man The life of man runs out who 'd not assert That all the knowledge all the wit the art And all the cunning which we can attain Below the Heavens is absolutely vain Vain and inconstant frail and perishing A very inconsiderable thing Not worth our pains to know for don't we see Mongst all alive on earth how few there be Can teach us which obliges us to crave Instructions from the Records of the Grave Their sayings we esteem their Works we read And borrow all our Knowledge from the Dead But O how mean how poor and despicable This Wisdom looks how like a very bable A thing of no esteem compar'd with that Which did this Glorious Universe creat That that 's true Wisdom that O that indeed Doth all your Human Wisdom far exceed For with our God Wisdom and Strength doth dwell In understanding he doth ail excel No more than of that thing you Wisdom call Here 's Wisdom that gives silence to you all A Divine Wisdom which no art can teach A perfect Wisdom far above our reach A Wisdom infinit incomparable Vastly profound simply inimitable By us poor Mortals O the Excellence Of this eternal pure intelligence This uncreated Wisdom this so fair Unspotted Knowledge this so singular And precious Wisdom this so eminent And glorious Prescience which did all invent This solid Understanding this so clear And pointed Wisdom which should only bear The name of Wisdom this doth plainly show We have no Wisdom we do nothing know But all the Wisdom we can here attain Is without question evident and plain Though on it we bestow a goodly name But like the sparks that issue from the flame Or as we see in a contracted Ray O'th'Sun how Atoms wantonly do play Which were but â—ust while by that glorious Beam Rais'd from the Dung-hill then to men they seem To be some things of moment and become The subject of grave arguing to some More curious Brains as they 're of admiration To duller judgments and of meditation To pious Breasts yet let the Sun recall His Animating Ray and after all Those things appear but transient and vain And soon incorporat with the dust again Just so all Humane Knowledge animat By wisdom from above we estimat For some small time so long as so inspir'd But when the Divine Rayes are once retir'd Then we perceive what we did late esteem Was but a Shadow or an empty Dream O the great Power of God! who can express His admirable Strength we must confess 'T is he alone that rules 't is he alone That orders all accountable to
lye Am I not punish'd yet sufficiently Not yet not yet O may it not suffice That I am wrap'd in such calamities As hardly any one has suffered But I must yet be further punished Shall there be no end of my Miserie May not I now have libertie to die For thou hast fill'd my bodie with such pain As in me there doth no more life remain Than what doth serve to make me sensible Of what I fuffer O most terrible Consuming Wrath now let me die good Lord I can endure no more pray now afford This favour to a man in dying case That like Moth-eaten Garment rots apace Then since I cannot live O let me die Since Life it self is but Mortality For mortal man at best I do conceive To be a thing that like a Floating-wave Swells in the Cradle breaks upon the Grave Cap. XIV MAN of a Woman born in cares and teares Enjoyes a few but miserable Years He sucks in sorrow with his infant Breath And. in his husk he bears the seeds of death In his short life he nothing doth perceive But Seas of troubls Wave succeeding Wave He knows no pleasure nor contentment he Nor is he ever from some passion free Yet must this wretch be born Though it were better for him certainly He were not born than thus be born to dye 'T were better for him he lay buried With all his hopes about him covered With the thin notion of an entity Under the arch of possibility Then that he should exist But O he must be born he must appear On Earths wide and capacious Theater To act with mighty pomp and vanity His part o' th' fable of mortality Though 't were but fool o' th' play For whilst i' th' womb he safely lyes immur'd Free of all woe of aliment secur'd By others labour yet he thinks he 's there At best but a well treated prisoner Hence in the belly languishing he lyes And fain would make escape to feed his eyes On things abroad and fully satiate His Virgin-longing with he knows not what At length impatient of this kind restraint He 'l be no longer in this Cloyster pent But with his fellow-mortals he 'l b'acquaint At any rate what e're the event be And in this humour justles out to see This foolish world This world of which he fancies some such things As Beggars when they dream they 're mightie kings And yet no sooner into it he peeps Then instantly the changeling cryes and weeps Appearing in some inward perturbation As disappointed of his expectation In it he wastes his time in fear and pain And oft of being born he doth complain Yet when he goes out of it weeps again As if unwilling after all to part Sad as it is from what his soul and heart Doth truly love which that he might possess He could dispense with all its painfulness Inconstant Creature whom no state can please To whom nor life nor death can purchase ease Whose humorous fancy nought can satisfy Who knows not whether he should live or dye Yet is this man of so much worth and fame Whom all the Creatures have in great esteem This this is he who is so vainly proud Of the three souls which God has him allow'd Whilst those who do his actions strictly view Hardly believe that he has more than two For of the third he takes so little care As one would say his reason lay not there So that of all endu'd with growth and sense He least deserves that heavenlie influence This this is man who doth no sooner come A native naked Beggar from the womb Then assoon Food and Rayment God provides For him with every other thing besides Of which he stands in need ordering all The other Creatures to attend his call Yet after all when he 's accommodat By Providence at such a princelie rate The wretch becomes to him the most ungrate Of any thing that lives For as we know Beggars can bear no wealth So now endu'd with riches health and strength In these external things he puts his trust And quite forgets who rais'd him from the dust This is that formal piece of dâ—llest clay That moulded and unmoulded every day A thing from Heavens only with breath inspir'd That he who gave this breath might be admir'd And not the thing that breaths yet on this breath The Grashoper himself â—o valueth As he with lofty pride and arrogance Above his fellow creatures doth advance And thinks the world his sole inheritance Whilst many Brutes as we may daily see Both longer time and with more peace than he Possesse the same for he poor soul alace Can scarce enjoy but for one half hours space The full possession of what Life and breath Affords him when an enemy call'd Death Doth turn him out of all and then annon Ere he can view it well he must be gone This is the Source from which by progresse springs The Stream of all our Emperours and Kings Those men who with an armed foppery Blow up the pipes of vain Chronology Those men who when in their carreer withstood Will make the world swim around in blood Only to purchase to themselves a name And never think to have their fill of fame Whilst mean time ah poor souls how Iregrate There as ridiculous as illustrious state With all their glorious power they but appear To us like squibs that squandring here and there Put the admiring rabble in a fear Who know not what they are but men of sense Are not afraid of of their imperâ—nence For in an instant as with crackling noise Affording only sport to wanton Boyes These fly in smoak so these men in a tryce After they 've damp'd us with their cruelties Afford us sport in their own Tragedies This then is Man who rambles every where To catch a name who doth no labour spare T' attain his point running he cares not whether Killing and spoiling mixing all together In his hot fury sparing no expence To show the world his great magnificence Whilst really he 's but like one of those Who at our Fairs do set up publick Shows And with his Drums and Trumpets makes a noise In Streets and Lanes assembling all the Boyes And Girles about the Town but by and by His Licence now run out he silently Packs up his Trinkets and by break of day Out of the Town he meanly sneaks away So man on Earth for a small term of years Makes no small noise and then he disappears Have you not seen a silly Butter-flee Attacque the flaming light and wantonly Hover about it for some little space Until its wings begin to burn apace And then the helpless Creature in a tryce Sticks to the Candle spurns a while and dyes So on this dangerous Earth Stuck full of all the species of death Th' adventuring mortal arm'd with single breath Boldlie appears what next why in he flies Buzzes a while about the world and dies Is this the thing then
we call Man alace This the Heir Male of the first mortals race This Man of Woman born whose foolish years Are wasted in a tract of cares and tears If this be he that proud and lofty creature Who calls himself the Master-peece of Nature Why sure he seems to me so mean a thing As he is hardly worth our mentioning Strange then kind Females should be at such pain In bringing to the world a thing so mean A thing which valued by just Estimation Is scarcely worth the pains of Procreation Yet after all say of him what we can This empty thing is all we have for Man Yes in this very piece of miniature So long indeed as Heavens and Earth endure We see the Image Glory Wit and Power Of him who fram'd him so that to this hour In this same Man with no small admiration We read th' Abridgment of the whole creation This is the Lord of Earth yes this is he Who holds o' th' King of Heaven in capite This goodly Mannor and that as appears In Mort main too to him and all his Heirs For payment only of some Tears and Pray'rs I this same fair and fruitful Seigniory Was once indeed his settled Property For ever in his Person to endure Full and in peace before the forfeiture But O thâ—u man to whom in Paradise This fair Appanage God did first demise Man not of Woman â—orn thou poorly sold What was not to be purchassed for Gold Both thine alace and our felicity For a mean toy and for thy fault we dye Ah! hadst not thou with dull indifference Exchang'd thy opulent state of Innocence For this poor mortal state which we possess What Art could have express'd man's happiness He could for ever have retain'd his breath And bid defyance to the force of death He had with great convenience eat his Bread And call'd himself the Lord of Earth indeed But now that in continued miseries He lives a while then miserably dies He owes to thee and for thy curious Crime He and his Race are eaten up by time As Oxen eat up Grass Then what are all these things we pleasures call Wealth Honours Issue Fame What are they all When man must dye when he must formally Abandon all these pleasant things and dye Yes dy e and as into the world he came Naked and poor go out of it the same For as a flower its beauty doth display And suddainly doth moulder and decay So man in gâ—y and verdant youth appears Most glorious in the Summer of his years Void of all sorrow and anxiety Spread like a Garden-flower but by and by When he is cross'd with thoughts and businesse His Tulip-colours disappear apace And as a shadow when the Sun is gone Appears no more but vanisheth annon So all his beauty vanisheth and now Wrinkles succeed it and with much ado His face is known to those who formerly Knew him i' th' days of adolescency At length Time fairly turns his Glass and now The Fable's done and there 's no more to do But that Wrapp'd up in Home-spun Winding-sheet O brave The Lord of Earth be thrown into his Grave Almighty God! what fluctuating thing Is this same Man how frail and perishing How subject to himself how much a slave To passion from the Belly to the Grave Nay such a piece of meer formality Though Mantled with a glorious vanity Of Wit Birth Riches Learning Honours all Which he doth his appurtenances call That even himself when with impartial eye In Reasons Looking glass he doth survey His worldly state perceives that all he can Pretend at most to is to be a Man A man of woes and sorrows cares and fears A poor retainer to some painful years A short-liâ—d man who rarely doth attain To th' age of sixty and doth still complain Either of pains of Body or of Mind So long as within bounds of Life confin'd So that if th' hadst not let him understand He 's chief of all the Labours of thy Hand He 'd think himself in this same contemplation The very meanest part of the Creation Yet dost thou Lord thou high and Heavenly King Take special notice of this foolish thing Thou look'st upon him with a careful eye And tak'st the pains for his security T' enclose him with a wall of Providence And keeps't a constant Watch for his Defence Both day and night so that the power of Hell Cannot against him with their Plots prevail Whilst guarded thus and so well for tifi'd By his Creators Art on every side Yes and of late too I was one of those Whom thou with a strong Rampart did'st enclose But now thou'hast deserted me and I Unfenc'd lye open to the Enemy Now my accusers in great throngs do bring Their several Charges before thee my King Before thee I as Criminal appear At Bar and am environed with fear Now thou dost try me now thou dost intend To bring me quickly to a shameful end Lord what am I a wretched dying thing Not worth thy wrath not worth thy noticing Why try'st ' me then with such severity And of my actings maks't such scrutiny As if of all men I had most transgress'd Thy Divine Laws thou hear'st I have confess'd I am a sinner dost thou Lord expect That mortal man can other answer make When thou dost charge him with impiety Then I do now I do not Lord deny That all the Judgements I do now endure Were merit long ago for I am sure That man was never born since Adams Fall That can affirm he never sinn'd at all What then wouldst ' have me say I do confess I am all sin I am all guiltiness Can any thing that 's good from me proceed No sure then judge me for I cannot plead Not guilty I 'm unclean and who can bring That which is clean out of an unclean thing Then since it is so since I cann't deny I have abounded in iniquity Since I 'm found guilty and condemn'd why then I ask but what is granted amongst men On such occasions to a Criminal Who freely at the Bar confesses all Of what he hears himself accus'd and so Himself on mercy of the Court doth throw Then what I beg great Judge what I demand Is not to live because I understand As I am sadly circumstantiat now Death will oblige me more than Life can do But only since I have confess'd my Crime I may be but reprived for some time That I may have some leasure to repent And not at least out of the World be sent With all my sins about me Remember Lord how man is in his prime But a poor Gleaner of a scattered time A calculator of some triffling years An Almanack of sorrows woes and tears Are not his days and months determined His bounds design'd which he cannot exceed Let then his bitter persecution cease That for some time this Creature may have peace That he at least may be allow'd to live Until
the time appointed shall arrive When he must die the day wherein he must Quite this vain world and return to Dust. For as a Hireling labourer doth attend The hour which to his Work may put an end That he may have his Wages and some rest From his hard labour so with cares oppress 't Poor Man for his appointed time doth wait Wherein his foolish labours soon or late May have an end that so the wearied slave May quietly lyedown and sleep in Grave That he may sleep in Grave and be no more A slave to sorrow as he was before Though he should there without all hopes remain Of ever seeing his dear World again His darling World which he so much esteem'd Of which scarce more than Embryo he dream'd But when in Grave he thinks no more upon His World for all these notions then are gone Those thoughts do with the Carrion buried lye And for his Soul ' t is all Eternity Thus then alace ah thus we plainly see Man's in a worse condition than a Tree For of a Tree cut down there 's still some hope It yet may sprout and spread its lofty top Although its scattered roots now old and dry Sapless and barren under Ground may dye And what of Trunk remains may every day In Dust and Pouder moulder and decay Yet sucking moisture from some Rivolet Whose frugal Streams doth scarce its Channel wet It quickly will revive and bud again And in short time spread out its Boughs amain As formerly and so arrive at length Unto its wonted comliness and strength But ah poor man upon his Sick-bed lyes Sighs out his Breath and like a Candle dyes Drown'd in its Socket without hopes alace Of ever living in his former case Without all hopes not sprouting like a Tree Only falls sick and dyes and where is he Ah where is he he who did once appear And thought of nothing less than death while here Where is he now where is this rambler gone What 's become of him pray' what has he done What has Earths darling done that he should dye And slip out of the World so shamefully Why Man is gone he 's now no more he 's dead He 's now in deep oblivion burried There 's no more of him For as Floods and Seas Are dryed up when Waters from them pass To other Channels so man vanisheth And is an empty nothing after death A nothing nay hold here I must correct My error and in this my passion check For though to outward view and reasoning Man in his Grave appears to be a thing Useless trod under foot esteem'd by none But hurryed in supine oblivion Yet this same Trunk which under ground doth lie Wants not its hope of Immortality For after many years it may revive Shake off its Circumambient Dust and live More firm and solid than it did before In a continued peace and die no more Yes as the waters from the Ocean flow Through Subterraneous Passages that so They in Earths Bowels may be purifi'd And free ' of former saltness gently slide Through clifts of rocks and unknown passages Into some thirsty Channel and encrease Its dwindling Streams then by degrees amain Return to their own Oceâ—n again So from the Sea of Life man sofâ—lie flowes Into the Grave where he doth onlie loss His former saltnesse and aciditie And there in closs Repositure doth lie While he be fitted for Eternity 'T is true he sleeps and shall not rise before Th' appointed time that Heavens shall be no more But when that time shall come that blessed time No new-blowen Rose no Lilly in its prime Shall smell so fragrant and appear so fair So livelie so in beautie singular So fresh so gay so bright so purifi'd As this same man who we suppos'd had die'd Shrunk into dust and in cold earth engross't This man whom we had given o're for lost When that bless'd time arrives shall re-appear More pure and act in a most glorious Sphere Than ere the Scenick Creature could do here Thrice happy those then who in grave do rest Whom no sad crosses of this life infest How much I envy their Felicity How fain would I enjoy their company Lord then that thou wouldst hide me in this grave Good Lord that such a wretch as I might have The benefit of that closs Sanctuary In which I might but for a season tarry Until thy wrath were past thy anger gone And those had storms of Judgments overblown Then of thy goodnesse please to let me know How long I must those Torments undergo How long my sufferings must endure and then Remember me in mercy once again O let me find thy kindnesse once before I drop out of this World and be no more But O I see my torments do encreasse And whilst I live shall enjoy no peace I therefore wish to dye as thâ—se oppress 't With toile and labour wish to be at rest Now if a man once in this Gulf of Death Be drown'd pray shall he re-assume his Breath Shall he revive yes yes he shall indeed And never more again be buried I 'l therefore wait I 'l therefore patiently Attend th' arrival of Eternity At least I 'l wait until the hour shall come That must restore me which although to some It be a question it to me is none For with assurance I relye upon My Makers goodnesse and believe that God Will to my sufferings set a period Then shall my God me once again embrace And to me every hour extend his Grace Then shall I Make addresse to him in prayer And shall no sooner speak then he shall hear ' Shall answer every thing I can demand And make me with great pleasure understand The language of the Saints But now alace Lord thou dost calculat My very thoughts thou dost enumerat My errors one by one and by and by In order they appear before thy eye There 's no concealing of the smallest sin Though in the breast yet when thou dost begin To reckon with us neither hope nor fear Can shelter them from eyes so sharp and clear But streightways all above board must appear When thou dost call Then all must be reveal'd And on the square be summ'd ty'd up and seal'd Like Money in a Bag that thou mayst know What each mans judgements ' to his sins do owe. Nay with so strict a survey not content Thy anger doth my wickednesse augment For even my moral sins are mustered Before thee strictly view'd and numbered And I alace am shrewdly punished For sins which in some others virtues are And in the Worlds eyes lawful do appear Then must I thus be punished good Lord Thus without pity wilt thou not afford But some small respite to my wearied Soul That I may have some leasure to condole My sad disasters Lord have pity then On me the most disconsolat of men Some respite I beseech some interval Some breathing
all kind of ill Let them Hood-wink their conscience as they will After great labour and perplexity Are all delivered of meer vanity Of all their stale devices here 's the end what ere they plot doth to their ruin tend PART III. Cap. XVI TH' afflicted man whom all this while we must Suppose on Dung-hill parch'd with blowing dust His Body all with grievous sores o're spread With Blood and Ulcerous runnings pargetted Such as would make a man in health forbear To sit by such a Carrion through fear He might b'infected putrify'd unclean Shrunk into bones all withered and lean with Boiles and Scabs so loathsome and so foul So noisesome to inhabit as his soul Can scarce have Lodging yet the loving thing For all his Sores for all his suffering Will not forsake him and for all that 's past Resolves by shifts to hold it out to th'last For as when Floods in Winter suddainly Break into lower Rooms men use to fly Up to their Garrets to preserve their Lives So to his head his soul doth fly and strives Whilst all below with sores are overflown And there 's no room undrown'd but that alone There to reside though in a doubtful case Until the Waters violence decrease Amidst these storms there it resolves to dwell And fortifie that goodly Cittadel Which if by strength of Art it can hold out Against those numerous foes it doth not doubt But though it gives the Body now as lost As but a breathing Skeleton at most Yet after all these woes by art and pain It may be soon recovered again Job then all soul with reason yet supply'd Doth think himself still so well fortify'd As he 'l not yeeld such courage this affords As all these furious batteries of words Us'd by his friends against his innocence Cannot prevail but still to his defence He means to stand and though he 's now so weak So fully spent as he can hardly speak Yet answers though he rather seems to squeak Job then I say we must imagine now To this so learn'd discourse has much adoe To make an answer for we must suppose This Eliphaz to be as one of those Who to a Castle by long Siege become At length esteem'd untenable by some With Forts on every side environed And to meer rubbish almost battered Is peremptorly with last summons sent And Job as speaking from the battlement Alace my friends said he what comfort brings This long discourse I 've often heard such things As you have spoke and I perceive you trace All the same steps and from one common place Draw all your arguments and still repeat As if in speech you were confederat Each one anothers words so palpably As though almost here without sense Ilye Yet seriously I am asham'd to hear Men of your parts men who to all appear Of a deep reach with so much toil and pain Speak the same lesson o're and o're again If this be that which comforting you call Most miserable comforters you 're all Still to repeat this harangue o're and o're And tell me nought but what I knew before Is very hard pray what d' ye take me for D' ye think for all the torments sores and pains Which I endure but that there still remains Some small reserve of reason not yet spent By which I may withstand your argument Yet for some time I am not yet o'recome So much with sorrow as I should be dumb Hearing of such discourse my conscience Doth still assure me of my innocence And therefore I must let you know that I Do still all your insulting words defy My God in whose Name you so much accuse Your miserable friend knows you abuse His Majesty whilst you would seem to be Of council to him as if all you three Were blamelesse without sin beyond the reach Of Laws and only I a sinful wretch Shall there be no end of such aery prating And what makes thee friend in expostulating So violent so bitter so severe In words so piquant as you 'd hardly bear From one another yet must I sustain All these reproachful words and not complain This 't is to be aflicted this to lye Under the mercy of sad penury This to be poor this to be miserable When words by me before intolerable Words which incensing Choller in my breast In the same heat I had return'd at least I 'm now compell'd with patience to digest D' ye think but I could speak as well as you And use the same unkind expressions too Nay more severe and pique you to the bones Were we in equal terms but for the nonce All you can say with patience I must bear For now it seems I am condemn'd to hear All you can speak But would that any of you Felt but the twentieth part of what I do Would that but for a week a day an hour You had some feeling of what I endure That for my satisfaction I might see In such a case what might your carriage be Should I but rate you thus as you do me In such a case I would indeed assert Though you set up for Saints yet in your heart You were all sinners men who take delite To counterfeit the puling hypocrite Men who deserv'd what ever you endur'd And therefore plead that you might be assur'd God had rejected you as all of you Affirm he has done me and argue too 'Gainst your impatience in your agony And by harsh words augment your misery I could insult I could your woes deride And jestingly passe by and shake my head When I might see you thus on Dung-hill sit As I do now and puzle all your wit Though in the eyes o' th' world pretended saints To make an answer to my arguments All this I could perform were I inclin'd On such occasions to be so unkind To you as you are all of you to me And try your patience to that same degree As you do mine I could indeed expresse My thoughts of you with as much bitternesse As you do now of me But God forbid were your estate so sad I should affliction to affliction add Or convocat my wits and rack my brain For shrewd inventions to augment your pain And smartly tax you when you did complain No no but on the contrair from my soul I would your sad affliction condole I 'd cherish you with soft and cordial words Such as true friendship at such times affords I 'd tell you that afflictions are sent From Heaven upon us with no ill intent But all our woes if rightly understood Do rain upon us only for our good I 'd tell you too that Wheat the best of Grain Doth in Earths surface almost dead remain All the long Winter buried in Snow Yet maugre all those Storms it still doth grow And in the Summer when the Sun draws nigh Makes an appearance with more bravery More Weight and Substance than all other Graines Which in Green Liveries do adorn the
they did before Because the hand of God hath made me poor Since thou hast made me odious to all And none do pity or lament my fall But even my friends men who I thought had known My temper and at such time would ha' shown Their kindness to me in my sad distresse By their proud words afford me nothing lesse Nay those whom blood to me had rendred dear Insult upon my woes and now appear More fierce more cruel more in Rancour di'd Than all my prating Enimies beside Then let me die at length Lord let me die That I may here shut up the History Of a most miserable Life and close In my last Groan the Fable of my woes For why Lord should I any longer see The light of Heaven who am condemn'd by thee No with my Mantle wrapp'd about my head Let me be to the place of dying led Where I may quicklie find what I desire And in the twinkling of an eye expire Expire O happie word to ease my pain Let me but once repeat that word again Expire alace I fear that favour yet Will not be granted I must longer wait For that last blow and in this panting breath Still live yet feel the horrid pains of Death A thing that should not live yet cannot die Lord what a goodly spectacle am I Poor Lean Diseas'd Sun-dry'd and Withered My Face with Wrinkles deeply furrowed All these do shew it is not fit that I Should live and yet I 'm not allow'd to die Was ever man in such a dismal case Was ever mortal tortured thus alace I 'm torn to pieces by the Divine Wrath And yet deny'd the Liberty of Death I 'm become odious in Gods sight he hates The verie thoughts of me he meanlie rates All my Pretensions nay he frowns upon me Denies his presence will hear no more on me As a notorious Traitor I am us'd The priviledge of council is refus'd To me and which is worse oblig'd down right To answer my Inditement without sight And 'cause th' Almighty doth me thus despise My Enemies in wrath against me rise They rise against me with great Violence And with sharp words assault my innocence With grinding teeth and eyes all in a flame They stare about them when they hear my name With such disdain they do upon me smile As if forsooth it were not worth their while To notice such as I appear to be Or eye such a poor wretched soul as me With mouths wide open they upon me gape As if they 'd me devour and seem to ape The Hectors of the Ocean when they chase With open mouths before them through the seas Shoals of small Fishes and most bitterly With Tongues like Scorpions they continually Do whip my Soul they whisper to each other They go aside and there consult together How they may vex me further they devise With all their force and art that in them lies How to undo me and bring evidence T' invalidat my Plea of Innocence Now it appears alace that God indeed Has me rejected and delivered Me as a slave into the hands of those Who are both his and my declared foes I was in Wealth and Honour and Esteem In great respect of all who heard my name I knew what plentie was I liv'd at ease And no cross-dealings did disturb my peace Now I am poor now I am desolate And forfeit both of Honour and Estate Now I am pinch'd and in great Penury Now I am poor and on the Dung-hill lie Like an old useless Jade expos'd to die The Wrath of God has shattered me to pieces And yet that wrath against me still encreaies As Grim-fac'd Archers Executioners Of earthlie justice do themselves disperse In quest of Malefactors beat the Woods Willowes and Reeds that grow among the Floods Survey the Mountains and the Champaign Ground And give not over while their prey be found So have Gods Archers compass'd me around I 'm now their Captive by those I am led Whether they list pinion'd and fettered They spare me not their fury knows no bounds They 've made me all a Masse of Blood and Wounds With heavy stroaks and blows ingeminat I 'm broke to pieces I 'm excoriat By Furrowing Stripes such cruel usage sure Never yet breathing Mortal did endure As a fierce Giant with his monstrous Spear Banded and pointed beyond ordinar With violence upon his foe doth run So by the strength of God I am undone For this cause I upon my Skin have sow'd A doleful Sack-cloath and my head have bow'd Low to the ground for this cause I lament For this cause I my cloaths have torn and rent My head have shav'd and in this sad Estate Each minut I my Threnody repeat My face with weeping is all withered Death o're my eyes its coverlet hath spread The pretty guardians which did formerly Protect my wearied eyes from injury Now weak and sore with watching overspent And by uninterrupted weeping faint Have quite their stations and take no more care Of their poor charge but now quite uselesse are O let me once again then but demand Of my great God that I may understand From him what is the cause of all my woe Just King of Heavens why am I punish'd so I am not conscious of such horrid guilt As may deserve this do then what thou wilt Cut me to pieces let my flesh be thrown To Dogs for food my bones dispers'd and sow'n Upon the highwayes that each Passenger Who travels on the Road may without care Trample upon them yet I still must cry O my good God with thy good liberty I bear a heart that doth entirely love Its great Creator and each hour doth prove By fervent prayer with what alacrity It doth perform all works of piety And is not guilty of hypocrisie O Earth to Mortals common Source and Grave Who kindly dost all breathless dust receive If I be such as men would have me be Let my foul blood no shelter find from thee But let my Corps expos'd upon the place Be to Spectators shown with open face That if I dy fo great a Criminal As men would have me I may by all Voted unworthy of a burial Why be it so then let me be condemn'd By man on Earth let me be thus esteem'd A lying Rogue a Hypocrite a Cheat Of Principles false and adulterat Yet the great Judge o' th' World doth know my cause And well I hope by tryal of his Laws To be acquit my witnesse is on high My Records in the Heavens securely ly By those one day I hope to make appear How from those Crimes I 'm innocent and clear Then to my unkind friends who on pretence Of consolation vent their eloquence Against the most unpitied of men Accusing me poor wretch once and again Present I shall no other answer make Then that my God I hope at length will speak And from his mouth resolve
timorous insipid things those be Which we so much admire for in a tryce Those men with all their glorious qualities At first approach of woes begin to shrink And then their Bladders-bursting down-right sink Down to the bottom of the Pit they fall Where in a moment they are hudled all In one great masse of Dust no difference 'Twixt a poor Beggar and a splendid Prince There to be seen but all in heapes do ly In the large Garner of Mortality As all were but one Grain and there 's an end Of all we speak act fancy or intend All the proud Boasters of the World at length For all their Riches Honour Wit and Strength In which they plac'd their confidence and trust Assemble all together in the Dust. O then let no man put his confidence In earthlie blessings nor permit his sense To have command where reason should preside But let it with Religion for its guide Order his march of life so prudently As he may still look to Mortality As the last stage of humane vanity Cap. XVIII THus having long discours'd and become faint With speaking much Job would have been content T' have had some respite for a while but that His friends had still resolved to debate Upon the subject and still mean't t'evince That he was only punish'd for his sins Then Zophar now and learned Eliphaz Supposing they had argued the case So fully as that no more could be said Thinking it needlesse any more to plead Bildad a man who had not spoke much yet But listned most o' th' time to their debate Resolves now with his friend to argue too And try what his brisque Rhetorick can do When says he will thy flamming passions cool When wilt thou cease to act the angry fool Why so enrag'd why with such bitternesse Against thy friends dost thou thy self expresse What have we done that thou shouldst thus accuse Thy best of friends in this thou dost abuse Our gentle nature I would then advise Thee in thy language to become more wise And not upbraid us thus as if thou thought We were all Iâ—eots Dunces men of nought Thou treat'st us with expressions of scorn Words of contempt words hardly to be born By men of worth and ingenuity Men who do live by rules of piety As well as ever thou didst hitherto And in the fear of God exceed thee now For thou dost rave and somtimes wilt direct Thy speech to God in such a Dialect In such expostulating words as though For all the torture thou dost undergo Thou'd challenge him as Author him who sends Judgments where he thinks fit what he intends None can oppose him who on high doth sit And judges all the World as he thinks fit Yet with this God forsooth thou darst debate And with thy Maker thus expostulat And that in words too so impertinent As none that fear'd that Majesty would vent Words so imperious words so arrogant Words so unusual and extravagant Words so approaching open Blasphemy That wee 're affraid to bear thee company Thou talks't with God as if thou didst not know 'T is he that made the Heavens thou blustrest so As if thou talk'd with men and dost so shake In fits of passion in discourse so weak As one should say I know not what I speak Consider well now pray if thou wouldst dare Address in language so familiar Thy self to any Prince on earth as now Thou dost to th' King of Kings Consider too How much already thou hast rouz'd his wrath And make him not pursue thee to the Death Thus dost thou speak to God and then anon Like one in frantick Fits thou fall'st upon Thy honest Friends men who do pity thee And are indeed much troubled thus to see One whom they always lov'd one they esteem'd One whom they never but with honour nam'd One whose-afflictions from their very soul They 're now come hither meerly to condole In such disorder But proceed my friend Only let 's know when thou wilt put an end To thy Discourse pray let us understand For all the ills we merit at thy hand Only when thou hast done we ask no more But teach us when thy speech thou wilt give ore When thou'lt an end of all this language make That we may know when it is time to speak Pray what dost mean my friend that thou shouldst treat Men of our Reputation at this rate Pray' what dost take us for dost think but we Can all express our minds as well as thee Were we inclin'd with as much foolish heat Thy rude expressions to retaliat Compar'd with thee forsooth it seems we 're all But very beasts or what thou' rt pleas'd to call In thy sharp passion men esteem'd by none To be such bruites but by thy self alone We 're all forsooth but Boobies in thy eyes How long is 't friend since thou became so wise Sure it must be of late for formerly When thou didst flourish in prosperity We knew thee at the best but even such As we 're our selves but now thou talk'st as much As though thy Wit were more than natural And thou of late knew more than we do all Pray let us know from whence this Wisdom then Proceeds in which beyond all other men Thou dost excell pray let us know my friend By what unheard of means thou hast attain'd To so much Wisdom in so short a space For since we see thee in thy prosp'rous case Not many months are past and truely then We thought thee no more wise then other men Then cannot I conjecture whence indeed This so transcendent wisdom doth proceed Nor from what source it has its derivation Unless it flow frim suddain inspiration But seriously my friend when I reflect On what I 've heard what I did not expect From such a man as Job and when I see How most unjustly we 're accus'd by thee As men come hither without all intent Of comforting but meerly to torment Thy soul with bitter words and multiply Thy sorrows by our unkind company Whilst with debates we make thy pains encrease When God knows we endeavour nothing lesse When thus I say in sadnesse I reflect On the rash words which I have heard thee speak As if thou were 't in pure vindictive rage Resolv'd for lewd and horrid crimes to stage Not only us who are but silly men Such as thy self but even to arraign The Government of Heavens as if that God Did upon thee unjustly use his Rod On thee a creature just and innocent Who never yet knew what transgression mean't And on that ground thou dost conclude that he Must be unjust who thus tormenteth thee When I reflect on this and seriously Observe thy carriage in this misery I think thou art so far from being more Prudent and knowing then thou wert before That thou art down-right mad For who but one that 's rap't out of his wits Whose mind is troubled by invading fits Would make so great a
noise thus cry and howl And in his anger tear his very Soul As thou dost now thy self in wrath expresse As though thou were 't first Martyr in the case How from my Soul do I commiserat A man in such a sad distracted state Why dost thou think but other men as well As thou my friend the same afflictions feel Thy case indeed is no ways singular Nor are thy sufferings extraordinar Then why my friend art thou become so vain To think thou shouldst not feel what other men As good as thee do dayly undergo And make not half this noise of it if so I do with sorrow look upon thy state And think indeed it is more desperate Then that of those shut up in Hospitals For most of these have lucid intervals But thou hast none their fury may be tam'd By strength of Medicine and they reclaim'd By time to their own wits thine doth encrease And seems to be a madness in excess Thy fury seizes on thee more and more Beyond the approved cure of Hallâ—bore For thou dost think that God to favour thee Should alter his established decree And even be pleas'd on thy account to change The so well ordred course of Nature strange That any mortal man endu'd with reason Should dar to hatch within his breast such treason Against Heavens King dost think that God will make The lofty Rocks within their Sockets shake Or mash the Frame of Nature for thy sake Dost think he 'll make the Earth turn desolate To complement thee in thy sad estate Or make Men Beasts Birds Fishes in the Sea Endure the same afflictions with thee That the whole Universe from Pole to Pole Might with one voice thy miseries condole Alace my friend thou rav'st thou rav'st indeed If thou foment such fancies pray take heed What thou dost think at least what thou dost speak For thy expressions show thy judgement weak And which is yet a sign more evident Of thy distemper and an argument Of thy disordred mind with confidence Because we seem to doubt thy innocence Thou calls't us fools and dunces which implyes As much as thou think'st thou art hugely wise Whilst all wise men conclude without debate That every man wise in his own conceit Iâ— but a fool of which alace I see A too true demonstration in thee And therefore with more reason I 'd request Then thou hast us thou would not speak at least For in this troubled state I 'd thee advise To hold thy peace and we shall think thee wise At least as we have heard with patience All thy discourse and taken no offence At thy injurious words so thou wouldst hear What I intend to speak which though I fear Will quadrat too much with thy case yet I With all discretion shall forbear t' apply But only shall endeavour to expresse In a few words wy judgement on the case I see my friend then though thou still dost plead Not guilty yet a man may plainly read In thy afflictions what 's the cause of all Thy miseries which I do freely call Thy crying sins thy unjust dealings hence Those woes from these thy sufferings commence Thy judgements clearly do thy sins expresse To all of us though thou wilt not confesse But cunningly wouldst still plead innocent And truly there 's no greater argument Of guilt then still denying when impeach'd But for all thy defences God has reach'd Thee in his justice and has punish'd thee For thy foul sins in manner as we see Now as in wrath our God is formidable So all his orders are inviolable He lets the wicked man in villany Proceed and flourish undisturbedly For a long time until he doth attain To the full Zenith of his joyes and then He draws the Reins and doth his pride compesce In the bright noon-tide of his happinesse So from his earthly glory in a tryce He tumbles down as from a precipice His radiant lustre shall be no more seen But his great name as though he ne'er had been Shall be raz'd out of the Records of Fame And none shall know he was or whence he came Nay those who knew him in prosperity Shall now abhor his very memory His wealth and power in which he did confide Shall fail him all his arts and tricks beside By which he us'd to couzen other men Shall be most quaintly disappointed then His council shall be overturned all And by his own devices he shall fall The course of life he in this Earth doth steer Shall be like Ships 'mongst shelves in constant fear With dreadful thoughts he shall be overlaid Of his own shadow he shall be afraid Sad apprehensions shall upon him seize And in his spirits he shall find no ease For when he means by pleasures to divert His sorrows and alleviate his heart By serene thoughts his conscience by and by Shall lay before him his impiety Which shall him also in his sleep affright And steal upon him like a Thief by night Shall apprehend that plots are every where Laid for his life and that men do prepare Actions Indytements Jurors evidence Against him and his frighted conscience Makes him believe that men do ly in wait To catch him and that every man doth hate Both him and all his execrable race And that he 's the discourse of every place When on his pillow he shall lay his head Thinking by sleep from terrors to be freed Then shall fresh terrors like a rapid stream Break in upon his fancy in a dream Then shall he start out of his sleep and call For Sword for Helmet Corslet Shield for all Then sleep again but in a tryce awake And nimbly to his feet himself betake So sleep and wake and wake and sleep by fits All the long night like one out of his wits His Creditors on all his Means shall seize Turn out his Family bring him by degrees To such a sad penurious exigent As he and his shall have no aliment Then wasting sorrow want of sleep and food With all things that to nature are allow'd Shall in his Loines his Body and his Head A complication of diseases breed By which the hateful wretch shall every day In some dark corner rot and pine away Then all his hopes by which he formerly In th' hottest fits of his adversity Would cheer his drooping spirits and recall His almost parting soul then shall they all Abandon him and he shall then appear Upon all hands environed with fear Like a poor Malefactor who has tane His leave of all his friends and with some pain Mounted the Ladder when he looks about Of deaths approach he makes no longer doubt Concluding 'cause attended now by none But th' horrid Executioner alone Sure he must dy for all his hopes are gone Fear while he lives shall dwell within those walls Which his indeed he most unjustly calls Because by fraud and rapine purchased In his own Chamber fear
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
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
for the love we bear to thee would fain Reclaim thee from thy errors but alace I fear 't is all in vain we do expresse Our selves as men that really do fear Their God in all our words and do appear To be thy friends but hitherto we see There 's no convincing such a man as thee For it appears that thou art obstinate In error and with all thy soul dost hate To be reformed esteeming none thy friend Who in discourse will be so free and kind As tell thee of thy faults and let thee see How many men have been as well as thee Oppress'd in spirit and in body too And yet have never kep't so much adoe As thou hast done in all their sufferings Nor us'd so many sinful murmurings Against their Maker not to speak of us Thy friends whom thou dost openly abuse For I 've observ'd friend that when Eliphaz Did learn'dly speak thou told him in his face He did not understand so much as thou Did know of Gods great works when Bildad too Express'd his mind in golden Eloquence And truly spoke with as much deference To thy condition as men did of late When thou didst triumph in thy prosprous state Thou said his tale had formerly been told And so on what he spoke thou laid no hold For he knew nothing but to rail and scold As for my self however I did speak Thou told me all my arguments were weak For my part therefore seing 't was in vain To speak I was resolved to abstain From further talking but that now I see Thou' rt pleas'd of late forsooth to challenge me As one who has injur'd thee hence I find My self oblig'd again to speak my mind My thoughts are numerous and my brimful heart Will burst if I the same do not impart In words for which those numerous thoughts do call And therefore I 'm constrain'd to utter all I think with freedom and I must make haste To speak too for this speech shall be the last That I shall use to thee hear me and then Thou shalt have no more reason to complain Of my discourse let thy two other friends As they most learn'dly can expresse their minds Continue to expostulate with thee Thou shalt hear no more arguing from me Allow me then my friend to vindicat My self from those aspersions of late Thou' rt pleas'd to throw upon me for I 'm touch'd To hear my self so frequently reproach'd Even in my face what man will be so us'd And hold his peace I must then be excus'd If I make answer to thy late Oration Reflecting so much on my reputation Why then my friend were I as much a slave To passion as alace I do perceive Thou art should I give vent to wrath as thou Hast all this time done without more adoe I 'd fall a railing on thee all my words Should be like pointed knives or shearing swords My Tongue I 'd with such acrimony whet Stare with my Eyes and in such order set My Teeth against thee and with clutched Fist Whilst in my burning fury I persist To menace thee so thunder out my wrath As should make thee I doubt wish more for Death Than yet th' hast done I 'd so belabour thee With whips of speech as thou shouldst quicklie see Thy foolish error in provoking me I would so threaten terror and revenge As I suppose would make thy colours change For all thy courage I 'd so tartly speak As would make all thy joints and sinews quake But God forbid that I should be so mad As to practise such an unlawful trade That I should to my passion give such vent Of which hereafter I 'd no doubt repent No my good friend indeed thou dost mistake If thou believe that yet I am so weak No thou shalt hear me with great calmness speak For since thou hast reproach'd me to my face I cannot sure in honour hold my peace But must make answer to what thou hast said Though after all indeed I am afraid I 'le have not better success than before Only since I intend to speak no more Hear me but for some time with patience And then descant upon thy innocence Even as thou wilt for seriouslie I shall In a few mild Expressions sum up all What I intend to speak so I have done And then if thou think'st fit I shall be gone I doubt not friend but thou art fully read In Naturals and hast much laboured To know the real true Origination Of all the glorious work of the Creation I also know by reading History Thou hast great knowledge of antiquity Whence I conclude sure thou dost understand How that since with a high and mighty hand The King of Heavens did first the Earth Create And in its full possession enstate That ungrate thing call'd Man Since that time sure thou can'st not chuse but know How God Almighty brings the wicked low For that accursed man who doth despise His great Creator though in wealth he rise Above his neighbours and in honours sphere A Star o' th' greatest magnitude appear Though like a tall Oak he doth overtop The lower shrubs o' th' World and in his hope Devours whole Kingdoms Cities Common-weals States Empires Districts or what ever else May bring him profit honour and delite And answer his voracious appetite Although he triumphs in the spoiles of those Whose riches only make great men their foes And seizes on all that unhappy ground Belong to whom it will where can be found That Idol of the World which men call Gold To purchase which that Creature will make bold To swim through seas of blood and venture all For what wars Nerves and Sinews he doth call Yet are his triumphs all but empty shows And all his bloody purchases God knows Of which that Heavens-contemning fool doth boast Are scarce well setled when they 're wholly lost His joys do only for a moment last And when his glorious days are overpast And troubles to his former joys succeed What miserable life shall that man lead Each moment haunted by the memory Of his few years spent in prosperity Which galls him more then he had never seen Those whiffling days nor in his life had been Above the rank of those who meanly beg Along the high ways and will make a leg For a poor farthing for its own'd by all That he who for his pride of old did fall From that great share of heavenly happinesse Which whilst he fear'd his God he did possesse Is now more tortur d by the memory Of his so poorly loâ—t felicity Then he had ne'r those higher Regions known Or seen the splendour of the heavenly Throne But had been still in horrid darknesse bred And from his first Creation Billâ—ted I' th' Bowels of the Earth where for his pride He 's now condemn'd for ever to reside That man I say then who doth God despise Although in wealth and honour he Should rise Above all others and
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
all the world may see What mean esteem he has of mortal race View me I pray look but upon my face And there behold a sad Epitome Of Heavens displeasure O were there no more worth your noticing Then this alone 't is such a dismal thing As if you take it in consideration Affords a subject of sad contemplation Such as might make you all asham'd to speak As you have done and I 'm convinc'd would check The heat of your discourse give ear then pray As you would be inform'd to what I say For when I think upon my former state How in the World I flourished of late How all my wishes did attain their aim And I no sooner could a blessing name But assoon God would send it to my door And blesse me so till I could ask no more And now how wretch'd how poor and miserable In yours and all mens eyes how despicable And quite undone I here on Dung-hill ly Th' hyperbole of pain and misery When I amidst my groans and lamentations Reflect upon the various Dispensations Of our great God and weigh them seriouslie I quake I sweat I tremble by and by I shake all over I am dampt with fear Like one out of his wits I do appear Infernal horror on my Soul doth seize And I become all stupid by degrees When I consider on this sad occasion What unexpected fearful alteration I 've seen of late Oh I am all confounded My Soul with fear and terror is surrounded When I consider how th' Almighty raises This or that man and throws down whom he pleases Without regard to all these mean Defences Which mortals use these pitiful Pretences Of Piety and Virtues by which some Would plead forsooth Exemption from his Doom Whilst he with great indifference on all Sends out his plagues then I a-trembling fall Then I perceive that what you all assert And labour to evince with so much art Concluding firmly God doth punish none Nor sends afflictions but on those alone Whose Sins do call for Judgments and from thence By an unquestionable consequence Infer that I am such then then I see What ever errors you would fix on me That your Position is both false and vain Below such men as you are to maintain Since then my friends by sad experience I know what you who never yet had sense Of such afflictions cannot understand Me thinks I may with reason now demand Your firm atention to what I shall speak Upon the subject which you may expect Shall be sincere for who can so express The Justice of th Almighty in the case As he who feels it as the man God knows Who 's tasted both Prosperitie and Woes If it be true then what you all assert That sin is only punish'd for my part I 'de gladlie know why Heavens King doth give Blessings to those who merit not to live Why doth the race of sin the earth possess Why thus in Issue Honor Wealth encrease Do we not dailie see how sinful men Do in their several stations attain To all that in this life can be desir'd Wish'd or projected Nor doth the Tide of prosprous daies encrease To its full height but for a season last No as their sins so do their blessings grow The current of Gods mercies still doth flow In those mens lives whatever they demand To feed the sense is granted out of hand In a most smooth uninterrupted stream Of earthly blessings like a pleasant dream They 're gently wafted without Wind or Wave Into the spacious Ocean of the Grave Thus live and dy they but this is not all For were these blessings meerly personal And perish'd with themselves we might suppose That their poor issue who their eyes did close Shut up with these all their felicity And became heirs to utmost misery No no these outward blessings are so far From dying with themselves as they appear Entail'd upon their Family and Race And settled so on their appanages As if inherent in the several fees Nay which is more those men whom you do call The worst of sinners do perceive this all In their own time they see their Families Flourish like verdant plants before their eyes They see the hopes of numerous Generations And view the rise of many famous Nations In their fair Off-spring they perceive their seed In peace and plenty fully established Their Childrens Children grow up in their sight As Heirs apparent to their Fathers Right In fine those wretches see their memory Run on the lines of perpetuity These sinful men within doors live at ease Free from all jars bless'd with domestick peace They know no discords no nor quarrels they No picques or humours ly a-crosse their way But all the day they plentifully feed With pleasant converse and at night to bed They drill encircled in each others arms Free from all passions clamours fears allarums And as in plenty within doors they dwell So with these men all without doors goes well Their Cattle thrive their Grounds are well manur'd Their beasts are from ill accidents secur'd Their Revenues are punctually pay'd Their Acts of Court-leet faithfully obey'd Their Tennents too do live in wealth and peace Enjoying each an undisturbed lease For many years and richly cultivat Each one his parcel of his Lords Estate In short these men are fully bless'd in all They can desire their Vassals at a call Attend their motions every one contends Who most shall serve them and be most their friends Around the neighbouring fields their wings they spread And all the Campaign soil is overlaid With numerous Branches of their Families Which soon dilate themselves in Colonies And People Countreys far remote from these Which first their Predecessors did possesse Amongst themselves they make firm allyance And when they meet they revel sport and dance They Correspond in mutual harmony And spend their time in mirth and jollity For when they meet at their grand Festivals They eat and drink and then with Masques and Balls They entertain themselves the Harp and Lute The Viol Organ Timbrel contribute T' encrease their jovialty and all their care Is only for their sports and daily fare In peace and plenty with great affluence Of worldly blessings and convenience Of every thing that humane life requires They waste their days and when their lease expires And sullen death commands them to remove And quite those fields which with their souls they love Then do not these men dy as others do In pain and torment But as soft slumber on the eyes doth creep And gently moves when men would fall asleep Or as a Candle burning nigh the end Its light in twinkling by degrees doth spend So in the Grave those men do gently roul Not troubled with the progress of the soul Not anxious whither it should take its course After this life for better or for worse They care not whether all is one to them For they think Soul and Body
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
we did mean But since thou put'st me to ' t I shall be plain For thus I argue He whose wickedness Caus'd many cry to Heaven for redress He who was not asham'd to make profession Of that foul sin which men do call Oppression That man I say 't is plain and evident Deserves from God severest punishment This I have still esteemed from my youth A proposition of eternal truth But so it is thou in thy life hast been As is but too well known the worst of men In sin thou didst thy Neighbours all exceed And therefore thou art justly punished But here because I know thou wilt deny What I subsume I 'le prove it instantly Here is my charge then stand to thy defence For thus I do impeach thy innocence Who 's he of us that cannot say his ears Have been infested now these many years With th'horrid noise of thy lewd practices Whilst thou without distinction didst oppress Each living Soul that came within thy reach And seiz'd on all as far as thou couldst stretch Thy grasping Talons may as we have heard Thy avarice so palpably appear'd And thy â—oul dealings were so understood By all the people of thy Neighbourhood As no men durst with thee negotiat Save those who better understood to cheat Then thou didst and we hear they were but few Besides thy self my friend who so well knew The art of Couz'ning nay besides we hear Thy crueltie was such thou wouldst not spare Thy nearest Kins-men but at all occasions Wouldst justle them out of their just Possessions When having lent them money in their need Upon a Mortgage by some Counter-deed After true payment of the Principal Just Interest Expences Costs and all Under the Title of some scurvy lease After Redemption thou wouldst still possess And lest thy Title should be quarrelled Thou'd quicklie purchase in some Latent-deed Which carry'd the reversion and then Th' extinguish'd Mortgage openlie retain Nay more thou didst not onlie strangers use After this fashion but wouldst even abuse Thy very Brother if necessitie Oblig'd him to demand from thee supplie For thou wert rigid cruel and severe In all thy dealings as most rich men are And for thy Soul alace thou took'st no care Interest allow'd by Law would not content Thy covetous mind but even cent per cent Thou'd take from some and Pledges to the boot Worth thrice the money which thou didst lend out Then lest the Statutes might thy dealings reach And thee for bloody usury impeach Thou'd licitat the Goods and for the fashion Cause a led Jury put a Valuation Upon them far below the sum thou lent And then wouldst sell them to the full extent Nay which is strange as we 're inform'd the poor Who daily begg'd their alms from door to door Thou sometimes with provisions wouldst supplie And make the gleanings of thy Usâ—rie In publick pass for acts of Charitie But how pray didst thou order thy affair With those poor Souls say now didst thou forbear To take a Pledge from such for what thou lent Nay my good friend 't was never thy intent For e're thou'd wanted all thou even wouldst seize On their poor rags and make such things as these Yield thee some profit Whilst overcome with cold and penurie Those naked creatures in the streets would die In fine both rich and poor thou us'd to rob For no such famous Usurer as Job Did in these Countries live this was thy Trade By this a great Estate th'hadst latelie made And for this now on Dung hill thou art laid Then as thou did in avarice abounds So in thy petriâ—yed heart was found No room at all for love and charity For thou the thirsty never would supply With one cold cup of water or in need Afford the hungry one poor loaf of bread But O in these days there was no complaining On such as thee as there was no regaining Of what thou took'st thou then didst rule the land And hadst both power and statutes in thy hand Men knew no other laws but thy command And though thou wouldst unmercifully treat The poor yet thou wouldst fawn upon the great And rich men of the land and countenance Them in their law-suits that thou might'st advance The interest of thy self and family And raise thy brats by open bribery Lastly which is the greatest of oppressions When some poor widows would at general Sessions Implore for justice where thou didst preside Protesting they did starve for want of bread And therefore beg'd their suits might come to tryal To this thy answer was a flat denyal Either because some great men were concern'd In these same actions or that thou hadst learn'd It was the interest of some puny friend Those peoples tryals should not have an end The orphans too when thou in Judgement sat And acted as a bribing Magistrat Did starve for want of sustenance and cry'd Aloud when dying Justice was deny'd Hence 't is that woes environ thee around And sudden fears thy spirits do confound Hence 't is that thou art levell'd with the Dust 'Cause whilst thou wert a Judge thou wast unjust Hence 't is that thou art every way undone And with a flood of sorrows over-run Hence 't is that spoil'd of goods health family In an abysse of troubles thou dost ly But O whilst thy proud honours did endure Thou thought'st thou were from punishment secure For God saidst thou who lives above the skie And has his habitation more high Then that of fixed stars can never know What we do act who live so far below The pavement of his Heavenly Residence Will he be at the pains to view from hence The base and silly actions of men No 't is below him sure to entertain Such worldly thoughts sure he has no regard To our mean actings but as we 're debarr'd From seeing of him so his Majesty Employ'd in thoughts more elevate and high Disdains to keep intelligence with such Whose practises he doth not value much Thick vapours saidst thou all our actions shroud From him can he perceive through darkest cloud What we do here on Earth pray can he see What daily passes betwixt thee and me Can 't be imagin'd that he doth perceive What here we act or shall a man believe That through so many Orbs as roul between The Heavens and Earth our actions can be seen No no wrapp'd up in coverlets of clouds He sees us no more then in thickest woods We can perceive the Sun he knows no more How we do live then men upon the shore Can tell us what the several motions be Of Fishes in the bortom of the Sea Noâ— he knows neither what we act or talk But undisturb'd in Heavens large Court doth walk Further my friend I tremble to repeat What were thy thoughts of God whilst thou were great For as most men in grandeur vainly think That at their splendid errors God doth wink And on the rabble only
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
bright and fair Highly esteem'd because it is so rare With this in value never can compare The finest Gold which we poor Mortals hugg Compar'd with this is but a very Drugg From whence this wisdome then from whence from whence This sacred wit this high intelligence Which doth all humane knowledge far exceed Whence doth it spring in what place doth it breed Where doth it breed pray where is 't to be found In Fire or Air above or under ground What shall we do then shall we yet enquire What thing it is or our invention tyre In finding out its place which yet no eye Ev'n the most piercing ever did espy A thing which still the more we strive to know The less we in its knowledge forward go A thing as not conspicuous to our eyes So far exceeding the abilities Of our created Souls to comprehend A thing in search whereof there is no end 'T is true we may by long experience Attain some knowledge of its excellence We may indeed by daily observations Upon Gods great and various dispensations Attain some random-notions of the thing Especially when by canvassing Th' affairs o' th' world and viewing carefully VVith serious eyes the instability Of humane state we see what shines to day Most brightly and is gloriously gay To morrow is obscur'd what now is high Beat down annon in lowest dust doth ly Thence in some measure we may learn to know What is this Wisdom For when we do observe how Providence 'Mongst mortal things doth make no difference But sometimes here and sometimes there le ts fall Blessings or Plagues without regard at all To this mans well improven Piety Or ' t'others gross habitual villany Yes when we see how all our art and care In guarding of our Souls by daily prayer In thinking speaking doing what is good Though of our claim to Heaven we are not proud Nay even our pure and Dove-like innocence Can not prevent a blow when Providence Thinks fit t' afflict us and on th' other hand How wanton sinners do securely stand Rooted in their Possessions and appear As safe from danger as they are from fear Then sure in some proportion we may guess What is this Wisdom by such acts as these For God with good intention beats his own That he from thence may make their virtue known Which in the Sun-shine of Prosperity Even in the best of men but soberly Makes an appearance like a Candles-light Which only shines i' th' dark or in the Night And for those others who their God do hate And yet their Bread in peace and plenty eat Nay to our outward senses do appear Not ordinarly to their Maker dear Why if wee look aright upon their case We 'll find God only suffers such as these To live in plenty 'cause he doth not care What becomes of 'em and doth only spare Those slaughter-fed Bread eaters for some space That they their little short liv'd Happiness All they desire may peaceably possess But of destruction certain they at last When all their days of jollity are past Perceive there is a Divine Wisdom too As well as Earthly which they never knew Till now and find that by its ordinance Hell and Damnation's their Inheritance But O to our great God to him alone This Divine Wisdom is exactly known To him to him it is appropriat And no man with him can participat In that high Knowledge for by that alone He gives directions from his lofty Throne For th'Government o' th' World for well he knows He knows exactly what we but suppose Or faintlie guess although indeed we find No little satisfaction to our mind When having in our recess meditat By what strange means what hidden Rules of state This World is govern'd whilst by what we here Observe in earthlie courts these do appear To counter-act all wise proceedings there When we I say with contemplations eyes Have view'd at random what beyond the skies Is the procedure in the Government Of this vast Fabrick and how evident In it that Divine Wisdom doth appear Which is not to be learn'd or valued here Then finding how our curious Thoughts have reacht Their ne pâ—â—s ultra From Heavens high Court we modestlie retire And with great pleasure do these things admire We cannot learn since to our God alone The Government o' th' world is only known For who can manage this vast Government But he alone who is Omniscient Who everie moment views with searching eye All that lies under Heavens Canopie Who onlie knows who onlie understands How this great bodie which his mightie hands Have fram'd and moulded must be governed Who by his wisdom has so ordered And all affaires dispos'd so prudentlie As far exceeds all Human Policie For not one puff of wind i' th' air doth blow Nor from the clouds do anie waters flow Without his special Tolerance for when By his Decree some quantitie of rain Is on the earth let out or when from high Out of his Cage swift Lightning is let flie When all these for their sudden march are clear Ere they dare move before him they appear Where with a serious and perpending eye He takes review of them and carefullie These fierce Invaders strength doth estimat And sees it onlie be proportionat For his Design whether for Punishment A second Deluge lies in his intent Or that he means by lightning to destroy Men Beasts and Fruits o' th' earth and thence annoy Some sinning Nations whose lewd practices Have call'd to Heavens for such returns as these That they may not be able to offend The passive World more than he doth intend From whence my friends 't is plain and evident That the eternal solid Government Of all things which his mighty hands have made Is by this Divine Wisdom managed Then to conclude my friends from henceforth pray Let us forbear let us forbear I say To argue on the Rules of Providence For sure we cannot well without offence Make enquiry in things which certainlie The King of Heavens from all Eternitie Resolv'd should from his Creature be conceal'd And to himself belong No more debating then but let us here Content our selves with things that do appear Obvious to our reason and enquire No further in Gods secrets but admire His Government o' th' world for after all To know this thing we Divine Wisdom call Is not our business but if we would learn To know what our Salvation doth concern Of all that Knowledge here 's th' abreviat Let us fear God all sinful courses hate Our Neighbours love to each his right allow And in this world we have no more adoe This this is all the Knowledge this is that We ought to study without more debate For this alone for this we should implore For who endeavours to know any more Will find i' th' end he spends his time in vain In searching what he never can obtain But this by
Garments are so stiff with bile and gore That though as formerly I now could say I might change my Apparrel every day Yet would I by that shifting find no ease Nor would the torrent of my Ulcers cease But in their course run most impetuously Upon my Cloaths and never let them dry But make them so fast to my Body stick Th' express on makes me both asham'd and sick And now like Sow in puddle I appear Wallowing in my own sores and mired here As one in marish stranded all o're run With loathsome Ulcers totally undone With putrid scabs which from my Skin do fall When dry and make me look as I were all A heap of Dust and Ashes Boils and Sores With all that 's ugly Nay I am now so low so mean and base No language my condition can expresse But O what 's worst of all and doth exceed All torments I as yet have suffered My great Creator to whom I do pray And cry aloud a hundred times a day Seems unconcern'd no notice of me takes But 'fore my eyes his flaming Sword he shakes In token of his Wrath and now appears To second all my jealousies and fears By this bâ—d usage Lord how frequently As a poor Beggar at thy gates do I Implore for thy own sake some Charity How oft have I good Lord to thee complain'd But have as yet no grace from thee obtain'd Wilt thou not help me Lord wilt thou not hear Me when I pray ah wilt thou not give ear To my sad crys good Lord what shall I say Shall I at all times to no purpose pray Wilt not concern thy self O mighty Lord With my afflictions wilt thou not afford One gracious answer wilt thou still stand by A meer spectator of my misery And make no help to me but in this case Suffer me to expire in great disgrace Alace good Lord I find thy wrath so hot That I had rather die upon the spot Then live in thy displeasure for I now Perceive there 's nothing I can ever doe Can purchase so much as a short Cessation From Persecution for thy indignation Against me doth with cruelty increase And there 's no means left to procure my peace For in Afflictions Ocean I 'me so toss't 'Twixt Wind and Wave beyond all sight of Coast Beyond all hopes of Calm now rais'd aloft Each Minut by the Surge and then as oft Amongst the gaping Waves precipitate As I 'me no better then ingurgitate In this Abyss of Troubles Now all this Tempest by thy mighty hand Is rais'd against me Lord at thy command All thâ—se Infernal Woes assembled are By which I see O Lord thou dost appear My open Enemy and in thy wrath Resolv'st even to pursue me to the death I know thou dost nay I am very sure My Wounds are mortal past all hopes of cure And I must quickly die good Lord I know There is no remedy but I must go To th' House appointed for all here below To the cold Grave where huddled up do ly The mouldy Records of Mortality Where all the pride of Earth its pomp and glory Are to be found in a large Repertory Of Dust and Ashes thither Lord I know Thither annon O thither I must go Where enter'd in Deaths Book my life I fear Shall a more famous Precedent appear Of Humane Frailty and the vanity Of this poor World then a whole Century Before my time can show whilst all in me May a most evident example see Both of thy Goodness and thy sad displeasure Dispens'd in an extr'ordinary measure Yet here 's my comfort that when I descend To Earth my Troubles shall be at an end The War of my Afflictions shall cease And in the Grave at least I shall have peace For sure my God will not pursue me there Or make me in worse state then others are Who in that melancholly Cloyster dwell But will permit me there to rest as well As all my Predecessors in that place And when I come that length give o're the chase For whilst I live I never do expect T' have any rest what ere I may suspect Shall be my state of life when life is gone For on the matress of the Grave alone I may have ease but here I shall have none Strange that with grief I should be thus oppress 't Why had I ever lodg'd within my breast A heart of Flint that never could comply With others woes by rules of Sympathy Or had I been so cruelly severe As in my life I never would give ear To th' crys of those who did sad troubles feel And 'mongst the billows of Afflictions reel But unconcern'd at all their misery Had suffered them unpityed to die Then had I merit all those griefs and woes I now endure but on the contrare those Who were in trouble I did pity so As oftentimes tears from my eyes would flow When any I beheld in sad estate Though far from being tortur'd at this rate As I am yet my kind and tender soul Would these mens troubles heartily condole Nay when I 'de hear th' afflicted wretches groan I 'de look on their condition as my own Yet ah when I expected better things For this complyance with sad Sufferings I only meet all the reward alace Of all my sighs and pious tenderness Is nothing but the utmost of distress Barbarous usage Cruelty Oppression Blows Unkind dealings Pains beyond expression Ingratitude Horrour and Poverty Are all the product of my Charity For even now whilst I speak I find such pain As I 'me not able longer to sustain The weight of my Afflictions Oh I faint I faint indeed now all my strength is spent Nay in my bowels only I do find Such pain as would distract a constant mind For this cause I go mourning all the day And in dark Holes and Corners take my way To Caverns where the Sun beams are unknown And find some comfort to be there alone Where I my woes with freedom may bemoan For when at any time I do appear In publick O how I 'me asham'd to hear My own sad exclamations alace Now every day I see my own disgrace And O my friends d' ye think but such as I Who but of late liv'd in Authority Amongst those people do now think it sad To be thus gaz'd on as if I were mad To be thus gaz'd on thus constrain'd by pain To cry aloud before these very men Who but of late did see me in this place In great respect but now in sad disgrace They see me here for this cause do I fly To Woods and Desarts where no Humane eye May in the least perceive me there I howl And screigh like Dragon there the dismal Owl I in my nightly crying imitate And these and I are now associat For we are all wild sad and desolate These are my brethren these and I are now Well known t' each other for with
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
What leagues what armies can prevent the blow And now my friend by all that I have said I have no other aim but to perswade Both thee and these who hear me to forbear Such language as I am asham'd to hear On this occasion and in stead of crys Complaints rash questions and apologys To use another method and expresse Thy self in terms more moderat then these Which I have heard For thus I think indeed At such a time as this thou shouldst proceed In thy expressions and no otherwise If thou 'lt be pleas'd to follow my advice Lord I have sinn'd and given provocation For which I have sustain'd thy indignation Pardon me Lord and teach me to abhore My former ways that I may sin no more If all this while Lord I have not perceiv'd My errors but have foolishly believ'd That I was free of sin Lord teach thou me And now at length be pleas'd to let me see In what good Lord I have offended thee And I 'll do so no more Now choose thee then my friend such things are so Whether thou 'lt follow my advice or no For pray consider seriously my friend Is 't fit that God according to thy mind Should now dispose of thee or rather do What he thinks proper which of these thinks't thou Doth most agree with him who certainly Knows better what is fit then thou or I For any man t' endure he does indeed And will in his own methods still proceed Whether thou wilt or no go to then speak See what defence thou for thy self canst make If thou 'lt not follow my advice speak on And I shall hold my tongue while thou hast done Speak out thy mind but pray remember now It is with God not me thou hast to doe For if thou in the least canst make appear That I have err'd henceforth I shall forbear To speak upon the subject but give o're All my discoursing here and speak no more But only this my friend I 'll boldly say That men of understanding who to day Have heard me speak will fully testify That what I 've said is naked verity And that what thou hast spoke since thou began T' open thy cafe is much below a man Of underctanding and doth savour so Of one that his Creator doth not know That I 'm afraid they 'll think what thou hast said In thy defence rather appears to add To thy offence and so will find the Bill Against thee say or argue what thou will But after all my friends I think it yet Proper to speak on this mans present state Because I think he 's not yet humbled so As I would have him I 'de therefore wish his tryal might endure Yet for some longer time until his cure Were perfect and I might perceive my friend Converted from his Errors in the end For by what yet I in his carriage see Without dissembling truth I must be free To tell you all that I perceive no less Then that his sins do with his pains increase So that if I my speaking should give o're And to his passion make an open door I fear he will miscarry as before ' Has done in his Discourse I 'le therefore speak And to himself my speech I will direct Cap. XXXV UPon the Question in hand intent Thus then he prosecutes his Argument Dost think says he my friend thou' rt in the right Or rather dost not sin against thy light When in thy raving thou art pleas'd to express Thy thoughts so much of thy own Righteousness As if thou'd seem to argue all along That God both just and good had done thee wrong For thou hast said 't is very strange to see That God has no regard to such as thee Who hast observ'd his will and piously Demean'd thy self even from thy Infancy And therefore think'st Piety is a thing Of no advantage not worth studying But to be guilty or be innocent Are in themselves but things indifferent Well I shall answer quickly all these questions And easily refute those mean suggestions Of a disordered spirit and assert 'Gainst thee and all those Fools who take thy part That thus for one though just and innocent Upon whom God has sent a punishment To argue that it is a vanity For any man to study Piety As thou hast done since God alike regards The just and unjust and so ill rewards His faithful Servants as thy case doth show That therefore to be guilty yea or no Is all one thing since Judgements thus are sent Both on the guilty and the innocent Is no less error than if one should say As many do come let us pass away Our time in sin and not so foolishly Study the useless art of Piety As this good man has done and after all Like him in saddest of afflictions fall Are these thy thoughts then has afflictions force Driven thy Spirit to such weak Discourse Have sorrows so distracted thee my friend That in such terms thou shouldst express thy mind Why if thou be with grief so overcome 'T were good in my opinion thou wert dumb That whatso'er thou thinkest might at least Be keep 't within the kennel of thy breast And not break out in such rude eloquence As to all pious ears doth give offence For if thou wouldst but for a moment check The fury of thy passion and direct Thy eyes to Heaven then wouldst thou plainly see The difference betwixt thy God and thee Then wouldst thou see how high and excellent Besides what all on earth do represent That Mighty God whom we both love and fear Above all things created doth appear For but observe the clouds see how they fly Hither and thither through the spacious sky And often do themselves conglomerate In a thick body which to dissipate The Sun attempts in vain For with a dark line of Circumvallation They so surround us that with Consternation We 're oftentimes for many days together Lock'd up in Prison of bad soultry weather Whilst all the while the Sun his Chamber keeps But now and then that through the chinks he peeps For at Noon-tide he dares no more appear Than one at Change-time who a Writ doth fear Yet after all themselves they rarifie Into a pleasant calm serenitie Who is 't do'st think that makes these Vapours march In so good order through the spacious arch That makes these clouds condense and then dilate Sure this no humane art can operate What need I tell thee 't is our God alone Who on these clouds doth sometimes place his Throne That Monarch who eternally doth live To question whose Supream Prerogative Is a great madness without all debate In any thing that e're he did create Since then he is so high and we so low As hardly we by Contemplation know What these things are which o're our heads do fly And make such preety figures in the sky Since all the Wit that God has to us
given Can hardly seann that Portcullice of Heaven Since we know no more what the rambling means I' th' air of all those glorious Machines And can the nature of these clouds express No better than by art we faintly guess What must we think of him pray what must he Who form'd these rowling clouds what must he be What must he be when even we do admire The least part of his Glory I desire To know of thee my friend if ever thou Didst so much spare time to thy self allow As to contemplate even such things as these For if thou hadst thou never wouldst express Thy self so foolishlie as thou hast done Of him to whom both Clouds Stars Moon and Sun Are but mean Servants and his Errands run Considering this why shouldst so sillily Value thy self on thy integrity Why brag'st thou so much of thy uprightness And keep'st such coyl about thy righteousness As if all thou couldst do with all thy art Though to him thou wouldst offer up thy heart Could add to that bright Glory in the least Of which already hee 's so much possest Then if thou sin'st thy self thou dost injure Not him who is so glorious and pure As all the clouds of thine iniquity Cannot offuscate his bright Majesty If righteous what dost thou on him bestow What doth he to thee for thy virtue owe Is 't not thy duty pray now let me hear How wouldst thou from a hired Servant bear Such saucy Language as if hee 'd profess He honour'd thee and for his services Expected of thee mutual kindnesses Because he had oblig'd thee sure anone Thou'd tell him all that he had said or done Was but his duty Pray consider then What are the actions of the best of men What are their virtues what their services What all their vows what their performances What all their prayers what their pious tears What their good works why truly it appears Though they should oft repeat them o're and o're To be their duty only and no more Like those who for their services are paid For to his glory these can nothing add Or if thy sins should multiplied be What does he value either them or thee 'T is true by sin thou may'st perhaps devise To such as thou art hurt and prejudice And by well-doing too thou may'st perchance Thy Neighbours interest or thy own advance But what 's all this to God thou can'st not stretch Thy hand out upon him nor canst thou reach Him by thy actings whether bad or good For all thy ways are fully understood By him and as thy sins he doth deride So trust me friend for all thy zealous pride Without thy concurse he 'll be glorifi'd I must confess 't is usual with men When under sad Oppressions to complain 'T is usual to cry out 't is customary For men at such occasions to miscarry As thou of late hast done in their expressions Because o' th' multitude of their Oppressions I know indeed by Nature men are prone With bitter exclamations to bemoan The sad Disasters which they undergo By reason of Oppression I know Oppression truely in its full carreer Is hard for any mortal Man to bear Hence some think they may be allow'd to cry When under such a bitter Agony 'T is true indeed this is the usual way Of many godly persons in the day Of their affliction this is that indeed Which most of men do for their Errors plead But this is not the method men should use Under Oppression hence I don't excuse Those usual complaints and exclamations In which men vent themselves at such occasions For O if they considered things aright They would not thus with their afflictions fight Nor vex at their oppressions like Fools Or cry aloud and weep like Boys at Schools No no they should to God themselves address To him alone they should in their distress Apply themselves with zeal and fervency For he can only send them remedy In time of Troubles he alone can give True comfort to them he can make them live When they 're about to die when help from men Has fail'd and for supply they look in vain From th' arm of Flesh he unexpectedly Doth bring them out of all their Misery He makes them change their notes and gladly sing Amidst their greatest pain and suffering Nay we should even in gratitude apply Our selves to God in time of Misery Because he Reason on us has bestow'd And us with many Qualities endow'd Beyond all beasts o'th'Field or birds o'th'Air None of which can i'th'least with Man compare And therefore we 're oblig'd on all occasions Of such sad Woes to make our applications To him alone as we would wish to be In his good time from our afflictions free 'T is true some men do in affliction cry To God and seem with servour to apply Themselves to him in prayer but after all Th' Almighty doth not hear them when they call Because they are not yet sufficiently Humbled for their offences Besides Faith of all prayer is the ground And without that 't is but an empty sound Such as do not by faith themselves address He will not hear faith doth his ear possess Great Master of Requests chief favourite I' th' Court of Heaven Protector of the right Of all true Supplicants this this alone Makes all addresses to the Heavenly Throne No formal faithless prayer th' Almighty hears Nor doth he value mercenary tears No though all these whom we on Earth admire The glorious Chanters of the Heavenly Quire And all the Saints and Martyrs with a shout Should usher in our prayers and to boot Good works with all their meritorious sense Should seem to make a Lane by violence Yet without faith all these attempts are vain For after all this courtly toile and pain Such prayers will drop down in our mouths again As then my friend I judge it is a crime For men oppress 't with grief at any time As thou dost of their Maker to complain So I esteem it absolutely vain Because I do assert God is so high And we so low as to his Majesty We Should our selves in humble terms apply And not in proud and rash expostulations Bitter complaints and tragical expressions Of our distress'd conditions as if none Had suffered e're the like as we had done So I esteem it likewise labour lost Thus oft of thy integrity to boast As I have heard thee Then I yet do see Another fault which I must taxe in thee And that is great despondency indeed In that thou dost most palpably exceed For I 've observ'd in all thy frequent fits Of passion like one out of his wits Thou us'd in such expressions to rave Why am I tortur'd thus can I not have Accesse to God himself can I not see That mighty Judge who doth so punish me To him I would with confidence addresse To him I 'de speak to him lay out my case And show
Death be a thing I must confess Which we ought all to meet with cheerfulness And every man who doth th' Almighty fear Should surely at all times himself prepare To welcome Death yet thus before the time Design'd by God to wish it is is a crime And is as if one in a raging fit Should head-long throw himself into a Pit We must not wish for death nor foolishly When winds of troubles blow desire to dye No we must leave the rules of life and death To God alone and whilst he gives us breath We ought to live content with every state Which he is pleas'd for us to allocate From time to time and when he thinks it fit That we should die why let us then submit All our concerns with patience to the blow And not down to the grave in anger go As if wee 'd die whether he would or no. Take heed then pray lest through impatience Of thy afflictions thou give God offence For men should rather choose to undergo Even the extremity of pain and wo Then by complaining in some sullen fit As thou alace hast often done commit The least of sin Nay if thou dost expect That such complaints as these at length may break The stream of thy afflictions and so Thou through the River of thy woes may'st go With ease and safety and be thence reliev'd From misery trust me thou art deceiv'd For as young Children vex't with their disease Of Itch by scratching think to find some ease But after they have scratch'd their skin to pieces In stead of finding ease their pain encreases So thou my friend by such complaints as these May'st well augment the force of thy disease But thou canst not allay it trust me then 'T is a great folly for thee to complain For what 's complaining else but quarrelling Of Gods procedure What but murmuring Against his justice What but ignorance Of what God is and foolish arrogance Which thence proceeds allow me then again Allow me pray a little to explain The Power Dominion Wisdom Majesty And Equity of him who sits on high All which I do intend to evidence Even from the common works of Providence That I may show thee all thy weaknesses For hadst thou understood such things as these Which are so obvious and at all occasions Afford us subject of high Contemplations Under thy Tryal thou hadst not behav'd So sinfully th' hadst not so madly rav'd In thy expressions nor with so much spleen Quarrell'd thy Maker over and again Know then my friend whatever be our state We must not quarrel God at any rate Or if we do we 'll find our labour vain And we had better suffer then complain For as he is himself exalted far Above all Powers that e're created were So whom he pleases he doth quickly raise And others he as quickly doth debase As he thinks fit in all which he 's so wise As he from none on Earth doth need advice And as his Supream Power doth not allow That any man should teach him what to do So we to what he does should all submit For he will do whatever he thinks fit Remember then he is thy God and know How much the whole Creation doth show His Power and Glory for by what we see In all his works we know that none but he Doth rule the World and by computation Of what we do admire in the Creation We may attempt to take his elevation For even from these common Phoenomena Some little Maps we may with safety draw Of the vast Region of his Providence And through the very Microscope of sense Perceive so much as we may learn from thence How great he is Yet after all the best of us I doubt Cannot with all his curious Wit find out His true Perfection which no Mortal sure Can further see then in the Miniature Of his external works for he is great Beyond what all our Art can calculate He govern'd all before what now we see Appear'd to us 't was God 't was only he That rul'd all before Infant Time did fly Out of the belly of Eternity To which though we on Earth would fain restrain Its rapide flight it hastes with speed again Before it in the World set up a Shop And sold that necessary Toy call'd Hope Which every day we buy at any rate The Pedling Churle is pleas'd to estimate Before this Time appear'd e're it was known He ordered all things from his heavenly Throne And will so do when Time is broke and gone Let none attempt then by Philosophy T'unriddle this great divine mystery Of Providence but rest content with what May with their reason be proportionat For even the knowledge of those common things Which we by art can fathom surely brings No little satisfaction to our mind For as in Copper Ore we sometimes find Some grains of Gold ly hidden in the Vein So without doubt Gods outward works contain Some scattered grains of his Excellency Perceptible by a just serious eye Though after all the knowledge we attain By all these outward signs do not explain What God is fully no that is indeed A knowledge which doth all our art exceed For God's a thing incomprehensible Infinit boundless and invisible And by no rules of art definible Then let us view the Heavens and see what there Doth worth our admiration appear And first we may discern with little pain Even in that small phenomenon of rain No small appearance no small demonstration O' th God of Natures powerful operation In ord'ring on 't for he commands the Sun As in his dayly progress he doth run About the Earth to suck up here and there What vapours moist and unctuous do appear Upon its surface which he gathereth In several Clouds and these distributeth In all the quarters of the spacious Air Whilst out o' th' vapours he doth rain prepare That finish'd and those clouds all mustered Before him ready if so ordered With their whole force upon the Earth to fall And in a general Deluge drown us all As once they did loos'd by his mighty hand And would do yet if he should so command He kindly doth their violence restrain And makes them only squirt themselves in rain So that as through a Seive in little drops Those waters now do fall and feed the hopes O' th' Labourer when he perceives his Grain Spread out its ears by th' influence of rain And every drop which on the Earth doth fall In its due season prove spermatical But O what art what language can declare The motions of these Clouds whilst here and there In troops they ramble and to us appear T' observe no order but so scattering Themselves as if they went a forraging Through all the spacious Sky would make us stand Amaz'd if so we did not understand Th' Almighty is their Captain General That he commands in chief and gives out all The orders for these
motions so that we Even in those ramblings do his glory see For when by their great Master ordered I' th' twinkling of an eye they 'll over spread The face of Heav'ns and make all darkness there Where late the Sun most brightly did appear There in Battalia for some time they stand Expecting further orders when at hand Another Body of hot Clouds he makes Fall on that Host which with great fury breaks That mighty Squadron yet it doth not yeeld At first nor in disorder quit the Field For all the others fury but doth make A strong resistance to their fierce attaque Long time they fight whilst we with fear and wonder Expect they 'll tear the Universe assunder For Lightnings in small Parties furiously Burst through the thickest Clouds and in the Sky Make a strange Figure and not only there But ev'n on Earth their fury doth appear When now and then beasts buildings men what not Are burnt and wounded by their randome shot Nay Fishes in the Sea when they do hear Such rumbling in the Firmament do fear A general Conflagration and run Down to the bottom of the Seas to shun The fury of those Combatants but there They hardly safety find for every where Those Warring Clouds do make a mighty sound And fright all both above and under ground Yet after all when we do still expect Those Clouds of Water will in pieces break By this so strong collision when we Confounded quite by what we hear and see Do think those Clouds will let their Liquor out Not as through Sieve but as through Water-spout And in great horrour and sad consternation Expect a full and general inundation Why then we see how gracious Providence Doth order that for our convenience Which we suspected had been ordered For our destruction and imagined VVe were all lost For when those Warriours have their fury spent And with their mutual force each other rent The event of this Battel doth produce No more than what is proper for the use Of every thing that lives for by and by Those Clouds do only drop as formerly In showres of Rain as they 're accustomed By which the earth is kindly moistened Rewarding all the labourers toyl and sweat And by fair Harvest doth afford us meat Then if at any time to evidence The vast extent o' th' power of Providence He should command the Sun to hide his face Which so much of his glory doth express And gathering in his scattered rayes to shroud Himself within the mantle of a cloud Why he 's obey'd and we for many dayes Condole the absence of those glorious rayes Whilst Clouds Foggs Rain are th' only things which now We see about us and with much ado Deprived of that comfortable light We faintly do distinguish day from night Yet must we not despair but still expect That when our God thinks fit the Sun will take That covering from his face and by and by Appear as bright as he did formerly And now again I must with no small wonder Speak of this great Phoenomenon of Thunder This dreadful subject this stupendious thing That only should attend so great a King And in its high commanding Dialect The pomp and grandeur of its Master speak A thing whose horrid noise doth so confound The race of Creatures all the world around That those that live on Earth in Sea and Air At noise of Thunder tremble all for fear Cap. XXXVII AT this I also quake my heart doth beat Frighted almost out of its proper seat For when on this great work of God I think The very name of Thunder makes me shrink Heark how th' Almighty doth his speech direct To us in this same thundring Dialect Heark even at this time whilst I yet do speak Heark how the noise increases more and more Whilst all Heav'ns great Artilery do roar Heark how his words do sound from North to South In flames and lightning issuing from his mouth All under Heav'ns do hear them and adm The voice of God amidst those clouds of fire Not that this Thunder is of such extent As all that breath below the Firmament Hear it at once as if 't were general No at one time he doth not speak to all But to what ever people he would speak Thither assoon he doth himself direct In this same dreadful language for he will Be heard by all yes he will thunder still Until the deafest and most hardned ear Do all the words of that loud message hear For first before we hear this dreadful voice Before our â—lower sense can hear the noise Which when the mighty Prince of Princes speaks Amidst that heap of ratling Clouds he makes We see some Troops of Avant-Curiors fly Hither and thither lightly through the Sky Known by the name of Lightnings these appear Only to show to mankind as it were That the Almighty doth himself draw near Not but that first with reason we suppose The watry Clouds through whose Battalions those Have made their way by force are wholly broke Not able to sustain the furious shock O' th' fiery Clouds by which the noise is made But that by th' eye these are discovered Before the duller counterwinding ear The noise in its perfection can hear For the light lightning in an instant flyes Through th' Air and soon appears before our eyes Whilst th' heavier sound a slower march doth make And through the Azure by degrees doth break But in a little after these appear Then a most sense-confounding voice we hear A voice of power a voice of excellence A voice of glory and preeminence Above all voices a stupendious noise A most majestick and commanding voice Nay after in the Thunder he doth speak Yet still these Lightnings light incursions make Even to our very Gates yea furiously In at our doors and windows they do fly As if whilst the main body of this Thunder Encamp'd aloft t' augment our fear and wonder These forragers were sent to kill and plunder For these Pickeerers firing here and there Do with their small Shot raise no little fear Killing or making of such subtile wounds As even their sight the Surgeons skill confounds Whilst by a Thunder-bolt the bones within Are broke to pieces and th' outward skin Untouch'd nay sometimes these adventurers will Perform some other pranks to show their skill In shooting even on things inanimate As if with sport they would us sometimes treat And to allay our fears would play the wag Melting a sum of Money in a Bag This still ty'd seal'd and closs or emptying A Hogshead full of Wine whilst no such thing Doth to the Cooper by the Cask appear That being still untouch'd sound and intire With many such too numerous to relate Both on things living and inanimate As we may dayly see Yet God will not For all his Thunder stay those murdering shot But still permits th' allarum'd world to feell Some hurt from those small bombs
never understand obscurity A thing that 's not perceptible by th' eye Didst ever into the Seas bottom dive Or canst thou yet with all thy art contrive A way to trace and measure the extent Of that dark Land or know what Government Is us'd by th Planters of these Provinces Situate in the bottom of the Seas Dost know the Springs and Conduits that supply With fresh recruits of Water constantly The restless Ocean pray now let me hear Dost know what things the weeping sources are Dost understand these things or dost thou know How from the Seas all Springs and Rivers flow In all thy life-time hast thou ever seen Deaths gates cast open has thou never been Conversant under ground didst e're descry That dreadful prospect of mortality Of those who scattered in earths bowels ly Did e're thy curiosity lead thee there No. at the gates sure thou hadst dy'd for fear Dost know earth's true Diameter canst tell How far in breadth its Globous bulk doth swell Canst see both Poles at once by art or can Thy eye discover each Meridian Go to then canst thou point the place from whence Light doth proceed dost know its residence Dost know the Cave where darkness doth reside And closly all the day it self doth hide That thou shouldst trace the way to its abode And through the windings of that dreadful road Find a safe passage to its dwelling place And take the picture of its duskly face I think thou dost not know nor canst declare What things O man the light and darkness are Because when I created night and day Thou in the belly of first matter lay Th hadst not a beeing then thou wast not made When light and darkness I distinguished Nor canst thou know more by experience Then that both this and that affect thy sense But what they are from what hid cause they flow No art no length of dayes can make thee know Hast thou observ'd with a computing eye At any time and viewed seriously Th' innumerable stores of Snow and Hail Which I do keep in Heav'ns great Arsenal Hast view'd those inexhaustible provisions How they are stor'd in several divisions So that when I intend a war with those Who on this earth do my decrees oppose Sometimes I use the one sometimes the other As I think fit and sometimes both together By force of both or either in a trice I break the force of my proud enemies Dost understand how Lightnings separate The Clouds of Wind and quickly dissipate The strongest Bodies of these vaporous foes Which do the fury of their course oppose Dost understand this thing or dost thou know Why wind doth sometimes from one quarter blow Sometimes out of another East or West South North Nore-west South-west or South-South-east Who doth restrain the torrents of those flouds Which after Thunder break from broken Clouds In such abundant streams without cessation As men do fear a total inundation Who makes deep Canals into which convey'd Those Waters as in Levels gently slide Both above ground and under ground with ease Into the bottome of the spacious Seas Who makes the Clouds above thy head retain Great quantities of Waters and in rain As from a Sponge thus shake them out again And that not only upon fertile ground But on the Deserts where no man is found That in due season they may pasture yield To all the beasts that feed upon the field And feed those creatures too whose idleness Makes them frequent the barren wilderness As also make the Vegetables sprout And in their Leaves and Flowers shoot fairly out From the earths belly where they buried were Until the Mid-wife-Season of the year By help of rain doth bring them forth and spreads Through all the fields the product of those Seeds Now if thou think'st this rain is procreat As other creatures are who did beget This useful thing or who supposest thou Did procreat the Christal drops of dew By which the Labourer rising from his bed Perceives his grounds all kindly watered And then as if the Sun had only sent Those little cordial drops to complement The widdowed earth that doth his absence mourn And in sad veil did long for his return With warming beams he suddenly doth drain The earth and sucks up all those drops again Dost know what Ice is whence the same proceeds Who did beget it in what womb it breeds 'T is worth thy knowledge though thou knew no more To understand this costive Meteor Dost see the Rivers how they sweetly pass In gentle streams through pleasant fields of grass Whilst Trees and Shrubs which in their Banks do grow By their reflex do make a goodly show Upon the Waters so transparent clear As through the Streams the very Skyes appear These same pellucid Rivers in a trice You may see covered with a crust of Ice And what was lately soft appear annon As hard and solid as if pav'd with stone Nay even the Seas who not long time before Did break their curled Waves upon the Shore And round the Earth triumph'd with so much pride Spreading their boistrous Billows far and wide As if the power of the restraining Ice Which fetters in-land floods they did despise These very Seas at length are forc'd to bow To conquering Ice and they are frozen too So that where tallest Shâ—ps did lately steer Now Sledges Carts and Waggons do appear Nay as upon firm Land with all their force Whole armies in baitalia foot and horse Securely march along the frozen Seas Fighting retiring sâ—irmishing with ease Hast then observ'd this can'st assign a reason Why waters are bound up so in their season Or to what end I make the Rivers freeze And thus incrustate even the raging Seas Indeed vain mortals you do all pretend By philosophick rules to comprehend The nature of all Meteors and know By second causes whence they all do flow As when such constellations do appear You guesse the several seasons of the year As this the Spring that Summer Harvest that And this cold Winter doth insinuat 'Cause their appearance is habitual And custom teaches you but that is all You understand you know that such things are Because to you they frequently appear But who 's the man can tell who 's he doth know The reason why these Stars themselves do show At such set times art thou the man can'st thou With all thy curious art demonstrat how The Stars were made why some of them appear In modell'd bodies others here and there Are singly scattered in the Heavens dost know Why some are fix't some ramble to and fro In their own Orbs and why too some of these Consume as many years as others days In running out their course dost understand The reason of these things can'st thou command These Stars or make the meanest of 'em all Forbear their course or vanish at thy call Canst thou restrain the sweet influences And pleasant
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
many moe then thou Or any man can fancy I can do I can with ease oblige the whole Creation T' obey my Orders as I find occasion I can make th' Universe at my command Return to its first Chaos Sea and Land I can confound and mix them so together As th' wit of man cannot distinguish either I can do more then all you can conceive I can do what you but with pain believe Nay so much too thou know'st for frequently I 've heard thee in thy sharpest agony Express thy self with zeal and admiration Upon the copious Theme of the Creation I 've heard thee too with no small Eloquence Discourse upon my works of Providence I ask thee then who made thee understand Who made thee know that by my mighty hand All things in Heaven and Earth were fashioned And to this hour are dayly ordered Who taught thee these things who instructed thee Hadst thou this Wit from any else but me Did not I lend thee Parts and made thee know How from my Power all things created flow How all your Wisdom of which you do boast Is not your acquisition but at most A simple loan of my benevolence Which I to this or that man do dispense As I think good By rules then of your own Philosophy If from me Wisdom flows then certainly I who bestow it must be wiser far Then the accutest of you Mortals are Who all your Knowledge do derive from me Since that for which a thing is such must be More such it self I do demand thee then Thou most pretending to it of all men Is 't fit that any Mortal should be proud Of what in Loan I only have allow'd To him upon design that he should know What he 's himself and then what he doth owe To me who made him such but not to state Himself my Party or like thee debate On my Proceedings but that he should be Content to know that he knows all from me For what is all your Wit what all your Parts What all the subtile Sciences and Arts Which you do study and profess to know Nay what is all that Wisdom here below On which you men value your selves so much What is it how d' ye rate it is it such As by it you can even but calculate The number of the Clouds or estimate The value of those Magazines of Rain What quantity of Vapours they contain Under what Lock and Key they 're all secur'd How guarded by what Policy ensur'd At all Adventures from the craft and force Of th' other fiery rambling meteors Can all your wit at any time restrain The falling of the smallest drop of rain Out of those heavenly bottles which you see That both are fill'd and emptied by me For when by drouth the Earth to flying dust Appears converted then I let out just As I think fit such quantities of rain As may reduce it to soft clay again Thus much for Heavens now let 's to Earth repair And see what absolute power I have there For thou wilt say the Meteors o'th'Air Are far above thee and it is no wonder Though rain and snow hail lightning frost and thunder Be things unknown to thee I 'll lead thee then To objects that more obvious to men In the same Earth with you converse which though Thou see and hear them daily yet I 'll show For all thy wit and art thou dost not know The nature of them I will show thee then That there are many things unknown to men Even in this Earth Do then but cast thy eyes Upon my Parks my Ponds and Volaries Thou 'lt quickly see that I have creatures there Which thou know'st hardly either what they are Or how they live First then you have the Lyon such a creature As best of you do hardly know his nature A creature full of fury full of wrath That to all other creatures threatens death If once withstood but when to him they yeeld There 's no more generous beast in all the field For his opposers he in pieces tears But such as do submit to him he spares Observe this Lyon then he must be fed As well as thou he must be nourished Who therefore taught him pray' to find his prey And how to feed his young ones every day Knows then what shifts he uses for his food And makes provision for his tender brood In the wild Forrest where there is no trade Where for a price no meat is to be had Dost know how in their Dens they couchant ly To catch th'unthinking beasts that passing by Do not their cunning ambuscade espy Next there 's the Raven such a creature too As lives by prey as well as Lyons do Who doth provide its food who entertains This idle creature who is at the pains To feed its young ones when the naughty dame Unkindly in the Nest abandons them When the raw-chicks do squeek and crock aloud Half-starv'd for want of meat who gives them food Who doth with Worms those shiftless creatures feed Which 'bout the nest in Ravens dung do breed Dost understand who is it that supplyes Those small forsaken things with Dew and Flyes Or when as yet pin-feather'd they are thrust By th' cruel Dame out of the Nest and must Make shifts although not able yet to fly For their subsistence in the world or dy Who hears them pray when they for hunger cry And doth them with an Aliment supply So that for all these hardships they do grow To a great age and ramble to and fro Catching their preys and live as well as these Who from their birth enjoy'd both food and ease Cap. XXXIX NExt I demand thee know'st thou who it is That doth preserve the several species Of all those Creatures by what hidden means Are they assisted when they take their pains Dost know what art those artless Brutes do use At such occasions how they do produce Their young ones who 's their Mid-wife who takes care Of them in that estate who doth prepare All that is suitable who makes provision Of necessars for them in that condition Who layes them up who cures them of their sores Who is 't that them to perfect health restores As first for instance the wild Goat who rambles Amongst the Rocks and on sharp Briars and Brambles Doth often thrust her Belly and her Brood Whilst in the Cliffs she searches for her food So that a man would think this same unwary And climbing Creature surely would miscarry Who doth take care of her when doth she bring Her young ones forth dost know her reckoning Or know'st thou when the Hinds do calve what pain These Creatures in their labour do sustain Canst tell how long those Beasts do pregnant go Or dost the time of their delivery know The time of their delivery indeed Of all the Creatures that on earth do feed Both rational and brutal there is none Endures such torment as these Hinds
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
I will answer thee that God is greater then man 13. Why dost thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters 14. For God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not 15. In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in â—lumbrings on the bed 16. Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their Instruction 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword 19 He is chastned also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pains 20 So that his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat 21 His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones that were were not seen stick out 22 His soul draweth nigh to the grave and his life to the destroyers 23 If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one amongst a thousand to shew man his uprightness 24 Then he is gracious to him saith deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransome 25. His flesh shall be fresher then a childs he shall return to the days of his youth 16. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness 27. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not 28. He will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light 29. Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man 30. To bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living 31. Mark well O Iob hearken unto me hold thy peace and I will speak 32. If thou hast any thing to say speak for I desire to justifie thee 33. If not hearken unto me hold thy peace and I shall teach thee wisdom 1. Furthermore Elihu answered and said 2. Hear my words O ye wise men and give ear unto me ye that have knowledge 3. For the ear trveth words as the mouth tasteth meat 4. Let us choose to us judgment let us know among our selves what is good 5. For Iob hath said I am righteous and God hath taken away my judgment 6. Should I lie against my rigâ—t my wound is incurable without transgression 7. What man is like Iob who drinketh up scorning like water 8 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men 9. For he hath said it profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God 10. Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding far be it from God that he should do wickedness and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity 11. For the work of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to find according to his ways 12. Yea surely God will not do wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgement 13. Who hath given him a charge over the earth or who has disposed the whole world 14 If he set his heart upon man if he gather unto him his spirits and his breath 15 All flesh shall perish together and man shall turn again unto dust 16 If thou hast understanding hear this hearken to the voice of my words 17 Shall even he who hateth righ govern and wilt thou condemn him who is most just 18 Is it fit to say to a king thou art wicked and to princes ye are ungodly 19. How much less to him that accepteth not the person of Princes or regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands 20. In a moment shall they dâ— and the people shall be troubled at midnight paâ—s away and the mighty shall be taken away without hand 21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings 22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves 23 For he will not lay upon man more then right that he should enter into judgement with God 24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead â—5 Therefore he knoweth their works and he overturneth them in the nighe so that they are destroyed 26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open â—ight of others 27 Because they turned back from him and would not consider any of his ways 28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him and he heareth the cry of the â—â—â—â—â—ted 29 When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a nation or against a man only 30 That the hypocrite reign nor lest the people be ensnared 31. Surely it is meet to be said to God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more 32. That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more 33. Should it be according to thy mind he will recompence it whether thou refuse or whether thou chuse and â—ot I therefore speak what thou knowest 34. Let men of understanding tell me and let a wise man hearken unto me 35. Iob hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdom 36. My desire is that Iob may be tryed to the end because of his answers for wicked men 37. For he addeth rebellion to his sin he clapâ—eth his hands amongst us and mâ—ltiâ—lieth his words against God 1. Elihu spake moreover and said 2. Thinkest thou this to be right that thou saidst mâ— righteousness is more then Gods 3. For thou saidst what advantage will it be to thee and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin 4. I will answer thee and thy companions with thee 5. Look unto the heavens and see and behold the clouds which are higher then thou 6. If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplied what dost thou unto him 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou him what receiveth he of thine hand 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty 10. But none saith Where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night 11. Who teacheth 〈◊〉 more then the beaâ—â— of the earth and maketh us wiser then the fowls of heaven 12. There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of evil men 13. Surely God will not hear vanity nor will the Almighty regard it 14. Although thou sayst thou shalt not see him yet judgement is before him therefore trust thou in him 15 But now because iâ— is not 〈◊〉 he hath
vnited in his anger yet he knoweth 〈◊〉 not in great extremity 1â— Therefore doth Iob open his mouth in vain hâ—â— mulâ—â—y lyeth words without knowledge 1. Elihu also proceeded and said 2. Suffer me yet a little and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on Gods behalf 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar and I will ascribe righteousness to my maker 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee 5. Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisdom 6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor 7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them forever and they are exalted 8 And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction 9 Then he shows them their works their transgressions that they have exceeded 10 He openeth also their ears to discipline and commandâ—â—h â—hat they return 〈◊〉 iniquity 11 If they obey and serve him they shall spend their days â—n prosperity and their years in pleasure 12. But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall dy without knowledge 13. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them 14. They die in youth and their life is among the unclean 15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction and openeth their ears in oppression 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked judgment and justice take hold on thee 18. Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroak then a great ransom cannot deliver thee 19. Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength 20. Desire not the night when people are cut off in their place 21 Take heed regard not iniquity for thâ—s thou hast rather chosen then affliction 22 Behold God exalteth by his power who teacheth him 23. Who hath enjoyned him his way or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity 24. Remember that thou magnify his works which men behold 25. Every man may see it man may behold it afar off 26. Behold God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out 27. For he maketh finall the drops of water they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof 28. Which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly 29. Also can any understand he spreadings of the clouds or the noise of histabernacle 31 For by them he judgeth the people and giveth meat in abundance 32 With clouds he covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwiâ—t 33 The voice thereof sheweth concerning it the cattel also concerning the vapour 1 At this also my heart trembleth and is moved out of its place 2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice and the sound that goeth out of his mouth 3 He directeth it under the whole heaven and his lightning unto the ends of the earth 4 After it a voice roareth he thundereth with the voice of his excellency and he will not stay them when his voice is heard 5. God thundereth marvellously with his voice great things doth he which we cannot comprehend 6. For he saith to the snow be theâ— on the earth likewise to the small â—â—in and to the great â—ain of his strength 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his work 8 Then the beasts go into dens and remain in their places 9 Out of the south cometh the whirlewind and cold out of the north 10 By the breath of God frost is given and the breadth of the waters is straitned 11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud he seat tereth his bright cloud 12 And it is turned round about by his counsels that they may do what soever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth 13 He causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy 14 Hearken unto this o â—ob standfull consider the wondrous works of God 15 Dost thou know when God disposed them and caused the light of his cloud to shine 16 Dost thou know the bâ—llâ—ncing of the clouds the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge 17 How thy garments are warm when he quieteth the earth by the south-wind 18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky which is strong as a molten looking glass 19 Teach â—s what we shall say unto him for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness 20 Shall â— betold him that I speak it a man speak surely he shall be swallowed up 21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds but the wind passeth and clean set in them 22. Fair weather cometh out of the â—â—â—th with God is terrible majesty 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is excellent in power in judgement and in plenty of justice he will not afflict 24. Men do therefore fear him he respecteth not any that are wise of heart 1. Then the Lord answered Iob out of the whirlwind and said 2. Who is he that darkneth council by words without know ledge 3. Gird up now thy loyns like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth declare if thou hast understanding 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastned or who laid the corner-stone thereof 7. When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy 8. Or who shut up the sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swadling band to it 10. And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors 11. And said hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days caused the day spring to know his place 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be shaken out of it 14. It is turned as clay to the seal and they stand as a garment 15. And from the wicked their 〈◊〉 is withholden and the high aim shall be broken 16. Hast thou entred into the spring of the sea or hast thou walked in the search of the depth 17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death 18 Hast thou perceived the
breadth of the earth declare if thou knowest it all 19 Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof 20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof 21 Knowest thou it because thou wast then born or because the number of thy dayes is great 22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snowâ— or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail 23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war 24 By what way is the light parted which scattereth the east wind upon the earth 25 Who hath divided a water course for the overflowing of waters or a way for the lightning of thunder 26 To cause it to rain on the earth where no man is on the wilderness wherein there is no man 27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth 28 Hath the rain a father or who hath begotten the drops of dew 29 Out of whose womb came the ice and the hoary frost of heaven who hath gendered it 30 The waters are hid as with a stone and the face of the depth is frozen 31. Canst thou bind the sweet influence of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion 32. Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons 33. Know est thou the ordinances of heaven canst thou set the dominions thereof in the earth 34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds that abundance of waters may cover thee 35. Canst thousend lightnings that they may go and say unto thee here we are 36. Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart 37. Who can number the clouds by wisdom or who can stay the bottles of heaven 38. When the dust groweth into hardness and the clods cleave fast together 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lyon or fill the appetite of the young lyons 40. When they eouch in their dens and abide in the covert to ly in wait 41. Who provideth for the raven his food when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat 1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth or canst thou mark when the hindes do calve 2 Canst thou number the moneths that they fulfil or know est thou the time when they bring forth 3 They bow themselves they bring forth their young ones they cast out their sorrows 4 Their young ones are in good liking they grow up with corn they go forth and return not unto them 5 Who hath sent out the wild ass 〈◊〉 or who hath loosed the bonds of the wild ass 6 Whose house I have made in the wilderness and the barren land his dwelling 7 He scorneth the multitude of the city neither regardeth he the crying of the driver 8 The range of the mountains is his pasture and he searcheth after every green thing 9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy crib 10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow or will he harrow the valleys after thee 11. Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great or wilt thou leave thy labours to him 12. Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn 13. Gavest thou the goodly wings to the Peacock or wings and feathers unto the Estrich 14. Who leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust 15. And forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild beast may break them 16. She is hardned against her young ones as if they were not hers her labour is in vain without fear 17. Because God hath deprived her of wisdom neither hath he imâ—arted to her understanding 18. What time she lifeth up her self on â—ugn she scorneth the horse and his â—lder 19 Hast thou given the horse strength hast thou cloathed his neck with thunder 20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grashopper the glory of his nostrils is terrible 21 He paweth in the valley and rejoiÌ„ceth in his strength he goeth on to meet the armed man 22 He mocketh at fear and is not affrighted neither turneth he back from the sword 23 The quiver ratleth against him the glittering spear and the shield 24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage neither believeth he that it is the sound of a trumpet 25 He saith among the trumpets ha haâ— and he smelleth the battel afar off the thunder of the captains and the shouting 26. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom stretch her wings toward the south 27. Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command and make her nest on high 28. She dwelleth and abideth on the rock upon the craig of the rock and the strong place 29. From thence she seeketh her prey and her eyes behold a far off 30. Her young ones also suck up blood and where the slain is there is she 1. Moreover the Lord answered Iob and said 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Al mighty â—nstruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it 3. Then Iob answered the Lord said 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth 5. Once I have spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further 6. Then answered the Lord unto Iob out of the whirlwind and said 7. God up thy loyns now like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me 8. Wilt thou also disanul my judgment wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous 9. Hast thou an arm like God or canst thou thunder with a voice like him 10. Deck thy self now with majesty and excellency and aray thy self with glory and beauty 11. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath and behold every one that is proud and abase him 12. Look on every one that is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked in their place 13. Hide them in the dust and bind their faces in secret 14. Then will I confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee 15. Behold now Behemoth which I made with thee he eateth grass as an ox 16. Lo now his strength is in his loyns and his force is in the navel of his belly 17. He moveth his tail like a cedar the sinews of his stones are wrapped together 18. His bones are as strong pieces of brass his bones are like bars of iron 19. He is the chief of the ways of God he that made him can make his sword approach unto him 20. Surely the mountains bring him forth food where all the beasts of the field play 21 He lyeth under the shady trees in the covert of reeds and fens 22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow the willows
in hight of pride Should undervalue all the world beside Yet shall that man so high and excellent Be look'd upon but as the Excrement Of mankind all his splendid acts shall dy His Fame in dark oblivion shall ly Fetter'd and speechlesse to Eternity Those who have seen his flatt'rers to him bow Shall then demand where is this gallâ—nt now For he shall quickly vanish like a dream No Antiquary shall find out his name That Meteor shall soon pâ—sse out of sight As doth an Ignis fatuâ—s in the night The eye which see him with the morning rise Shall not perceive him when the evening skie Approach the Earth those glorious Palaces In which he thought he fully did possesse All that he could desire shall then appear As dreadful monuments serving to declare What once he was that from these topicks all May well conclude the greatnesse of his fall Now after he is fall'n pray let us see What will the state of this poor Creature be It shall be low it shall be poor indeed His Children shall from Beggars beg their Bread And from their Fathers Slaves compassion plead Then for his Person pity him who will He soon becomes a horrid spectacle His Flesh is larded with his youthful sins And in his vigrous years old age begins To seize upon him dreadful fits o' th' Stone Reliques of Pox and pains of Gout annon Begin their work and take down piece by piece That goodly Fabrick which in former days Seem'd to enjoy a lease of many years But now this stately Body soon appears Like an old tottering weather-beaten house With windows crack'd and walls so ruinous As they can scarce support the falling roof So that the boldest Artist stands aloof And e'r he to repair it doth begin He props't without and standarts it within Yet ' spite of those supporters after all This aged building to the ground doth fall So this poor wretch now paralytick grown With tottering head and joynts all overflow'n With Goutish humours teeth all hanging loose Within their sockets a distilling Nose Eyes full of brackish liquor shoulders stooping Under-lip in a constant spittle drooping Lungs with a sharp and wasting cough oppress t Which doth bereave him of his nightly rest Pump'd up the Wind-pipes with a raging froath In lobs and parcels issuing from his mouth His Skin with Boils and Ulcers diaper'd Of his lascivious sports the sad reward His Stomach uselesse and his Bowels weary With th' torture of a constant disentery His legs now rotting to the Bones apace In a consuming Eresâ—pelas Som ' doz'n issues in his Shoulders Arms And Neck appearing like so many Charms And spels upon his Body all his Veins Choak'd with a sâ—â—my pituite his Reins Buried in sand which squandring every where Along the Channels of each ureter Mix'd with some rugged peebles doth so stop Those Conduits in their Course that drop by drop The damm'd up Urine issues with such pain As he would rather wish he could retain It in his Body then thus let it go With such infernal agony although Barr'd in its Current it should upwards rise And force a passage at his very Eyes Mouth Nose or Ears rather then tolerat His Vessels to be so excoriat With those sharp stones as from that narrow spout Moe drops of blood than Urine issue out With hands by drunken excesse in his youth So trembling that they scarce can to his mouth Convey his food such swelings in his feet As when in cut out Shooes he walks in Street Amongst the busie croud he dars not go Lest some perhaps might tread upon his toe But with great leasure by shop-doors doth crawl Contemn'd abhorr'd and pointed at by all Where on he dwindles in great wrath and chaff To see how now even Boyes do at him laugh Supported by the buttresse of a staff This man I say in such a tottering state Of Means as well as Health evacuat Prop'd up by art may for some time subsist But let him use what Medicines he list His ruinous mouldy Carcasse after all Shall split and in the Grave in pieces fall And with it all those sad effects of Lust And other pleasures shall ly down in Dust These only he shall carry with him hence As dismal vouchers and sad evidence Of days ill spent these with this man shall dy These with him under the cold Turf shall ly Here here 's the end of him who takes delite In acts of sin whose curious appetite Feeds upon sin dress'd up with sauce of youth Which makes it taste like Hony in the mouth Of him who takes such pleasure in his vice As he esteems himself in Paraclise When tumbling 'mongst the downs of soft delite In the embraces of some catamite Or some rank Whore of the lewd man who swears There 's nothing to his eye so fair appears As those fine pleasures which perpetually The preaching-fools with violence decry Who hugs sin in his bosome clings about it Who cannot eat drink wake or sleep without it O thus shall end the man who in his youth As one keeps Sugar-tablet in his mouth And cause 't is sweet he will not let it o r Until it melt but sucks it more and more With great delite so sweetly sucks the juice Of sin as if it were his only choise For as a poisoned morsel to the taste By art is rendred pleasant but at last When in the Stomach it begins to boile And throws up noisome fumes like sealding Oyl Not Rhubarb gall of Asps or Hemlock root Can be more bitter so beyond all doubt Sin when the pleasure of its act is gone And mans hot blood begins to cool anon Becomes so bitter so severely tart As makes the poor deiuded sinners heart Sink in a sea of griefs and meanly faint At thoughts of sin but O how few repent At these sad doings O how few abstain For all that sorrow all that grief and pain From shrewd repeating of those sins again With the same pleasure he who swallows down Great quantity of worldly means assoon As he has got according to his mind His bargain 's clos'd the writings seal'd and sign'd The Evidents and Keys Delivered His Title fix't his Right ascertained Both of his Purchase and his Warrandice And with his own convenience pay'd the price So that he cannot fancy for his heart Where lyes th' encumbrance on which Lawyers art Can found Eviction Then God in anger on this fool doth look And as one angles Fishes by a Hook So neatly busk'd and covered with a Fly As in the Water to a vulgar eye It appears real so when wealth entices This cunning worldling by his own devices He 's quickly catch'd and hook'd all he has got His Houses Mannours Treasures and what not Are quickly taken from him and amain He vomits all he swallowed up again Like one that sucks the poison of an Asp Or Vipers Tongue who to his utmost gasp
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
in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him 22. He believeth not to return out of darkness for he seeth the sword before him 23. He wandreth to and fro for bread where he may he knoweth that the day of darkness is prepared at hand 24. Affliction and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battel 25. For he hath stretched out his hand against God and made himself strong against the Almighty 26. Therefore God shall run upon him even upon his neck against the most thick part of his shield 27. Because he hath covered his face with his fatness and has collops in his flank 28. Though he dwell in desolate cities and in houses which no man inhabite but are become heaps 29. He shall not be rich neither shall his substance continue neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof in the earth 30. He shall never depart out of darkness the flames shall dry up his branches and he shall go away with the breath of his mouth 31. He believeth not that he erreth in vanity therefore vanity shall be his change 32 His branch shall not be green but shall be cut off before his day 33 God shall destroy him as the vine her sauce-grape and shall cast him off as the olive doth her flower 34 For the congregation of the hypocrite shall be desolate and fire shall devour the houses of bribes 35 For they conceive mischief and bring forth vanity and their belly hath prepared deceit 1. And Iob answered and said 2. I have oft times heard such things miserable comforters are you all 3. Shall there be no end of words of wind or what maketh thee bold so to answer 4. I could also speak as you do but would God your soul were in my souls stead I could keep you company in speaking and could shake my head at you 5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth and the comfort of my lips should asswage your sorrow 6 But though I speak my sorrow cannot be asswaged though I cease what release have I 7. For now he maketh me weary O God thou hast made all my congregation desolate 6. And hast made me full of wrinkles which is a witnesse theirof and my leanness riseth up in me testifying the same in my face 7. His wrath hath torn me he hateth me and gnasheth upon me with his teeth mine enemy hath sharpned his eyes against me 10. They have gaped upon me with their mouth they have smirten me upon the cheek reproachfully they have gathered themselves together against me 11. God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked 12. I was at ease but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces set me up for his mark 13. His archers compass me round about he cleaveth my reir asunder doth no spare he poureth my gall upon the ground 14. He hath broken me with one breaking upon another and runneth upon me like a giant 15. I have sowed a sackeloath upon my skin have abased my horn to the dust 16. My face is withered with weeping and the shadow of death is upon my eyes 17. Though there be no wickedness in my hands and my prayer be pure 18. O earth cover not thou my blood and let my crying find no place 19. For lo now my witness is in heaven and my record is on high 20. My friends speak eloquently against me but mine eye poureth out tears to God 21. O that a man might plead with God as he doth with his neighbour 2a For the years accounted come I shall go the way whence I shall not return 1. My breath is corrupt my days are cut off the grave is ready for me 2. There are none but mockers with me and mine eyes continueth in their bitterness 3. Lay down now and put in surety for thee who is he that will touch my hand 4. For thou hast hid their heart from understanding therefore shalt thou not set them up on high 5. For the eyes of his children shal fail that speaketh flattery to his neighbour 6. He hath also made me a by-word of the people and I am a tabret before them 7. Mine eye therefore is dim with grief and all my strength is like a shadow 8. The righteous shall be astonished at this and the innocent shall be moved against the hypocrite 9. But the righteous will hold his way he whose hands are pure shall encrease his strength 10. All you therefore turn you and come noâ— and I shall not fiâ—â— one â—ise man among you 11. My days are past mine interprises are broken and the thoughts of my heart 12. They have changed the night for the day and the light that approacheth for the darkness 13. Though I hope yet the grave shall be my house and I shall make my bed in the darkness 14. I shall say to corruption thou art my father and to the worms you are my mother my sisters 15. Where is now then my hope or who shall consider the thing I hoped for 16. They that go down into the bottom of the pit surely they shall ly together in the dust 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said 2. When will you make an end of your words cause us understand and then we will speak 3. Why are we counted as beasts are vile in your sight 4. Thou art as one that teareth his soul in his anger shall the earth be forsaken for thy sake or the rock removed out of its place 5. Yea the light of of the wicked shall be quenched and the spark of his fire shall not shine 6. The light shall be dark in his dweling and his candle shall be put out with him 7. The steps of his strength shall be restâ—â—â—â—d and his own council shall cast him down 8. For he is taken-in the net by his feet and he walketh upon the snares 9. The grin shall taâ—â— him by the heel and the thief shall coâ—â— upon him 10. A snare is laid for him in the ground and a trap for him in the way 11. Fearfulnesse shall make him afraid on every side and shall drive him to his feet 12. His strength shall be famine and destruction shall be ready at his side 13. It shall devour the inner parts of his skin and the first born of death shall devour his strength 14. His hope shall be rooted out of his dwelling shall cause him to go to the king of fear 15. Fear shall dwell in his house because it is not his and brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation 16. His roots shal beâ—lvyed up beneath and above his branches shall be cut down 17. His remembrance shall perish from the earth and he shall have no name in the street 18. They shall drive him out of the light into darkness and chase him out of