THE WHOLE BOOKE OF IOB PARAPHRASED OR Made easie for any to understand By GEORGE ABBOTT JAMES 5. 11. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seene the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercy LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his shop at the entrance into Popes-head-Alley out of Lumbard-street 1640. TO HIS MVCH HONOVRED Father in Law William Purefey of Calldecoate in Warwkickshire ESQUIRE SIR THat I am yours both you deserve it and I publish it and therefore for what is mine whilest I have you for my Father my thoughts shall not rove to seeke any other Patron next under God who if hee have made mee an Instrument of any good upon so good a subject I wish he may have the glory and I the prayers of all that taste it Sir I have heard you with serious desires sometimes wish that some would undertake the rendring of the Bible throughout in an easie Paraphrase after this manner And might your wishes have effect doubtlesse it would prove a usefull worke and serviceable to God and to his Church yea if my judgement faile me not in the next place to the translation of the Scripture into our mother tongue whereunto the Lord stirre up the hearts of those whom hee hath designed for so happy an imployment as is the holding forth of so great light and facilitating of Scripture studies to the filling of the earth with knowledge as waters cover the Sea Your ever obliged Sonne in Law GEORGE ABBOTT TO THE READER THis Booke of Job in respect of the dialect of those times being of quaint expressions must needs be explained by other and more familiar language and being also difficult in the coherence which is very materiall many texts or verses besides their proper senses must therefore in their explications carrie their dependant and coherent meanings in them else they cannot bee fully rendred nor the discourse by its right joints and ligaments continued and knit together but must needs be imperfect blind and lame which I have laboured the cure of by perspicuity of phrase and dependance A Paraphrase and not a commentarie is the thing that I endeavour which is a bare rendering of the sense plaine and easy the better to enable the Reader to be a commentator to himselfe And if any place seeme to beare another meaning then I have given it know that there goes more to the true stating of a text then an overly view or a present consideration of the sense it seemes to hold forth in the letter of it some places require much peasing and many candles to bee lighted at once in the minde of the expositour to give their true intended meaning else hee may erre in benè divisis ad malè conjuncta and cause a falling out of the text either with its coherence and scope or else of one text with another The story is well known to be as principall a pillar to support a Christian in strong trials by paterne and precept of faith and patience as any the whole Bible affoords and so I trust it may prove being well understood and applied to all such as read it with an heart to use it Besides which there is excellent matter for other graces to worke upon God being upon the occasion of their dispute admirably set forth with powerfull and spirituall elegancy and man abased in like manner which to a considerate humble-hearted Reader will administer sweet occasions of reducing his graces sutable to such subjects by the assistance of the spirit into fresh acts and lively motions the way to evidence his truth and to further their growth And which I also desire the Reader to take prime notice of he shal further see for his learning the strong consolation and undaunted courage that singlenesse and sincerity of heart which in a word is The animating and giving life to our dead works by doing them in conscience to God through faith and love brings with it even to the facing of God in an holy boldnesse though through temptation Iob exceeded by the faith of his Gospel when he pleads against us his greatest severity highest Majesty and to the outfacing of all besides God men or devils Other flowers there are which a spirituall quick sensed Reader will not lose the savour of as he spends his time in this garden of God whereto his spirit will guide him better then I can point him and to which end I shall pray with the spouse for the spouse Awake ô North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow forth Thine to his Talent in the service of Christ GEORGE ABBOTT THE ARGUMENT GOD for whose pleasure all things are and were created having made Job fit for use resolveth to imploy him and having first tried him in a calme sea of prosperity and not finding him to leake at last launcheth him into the deep and ingageth him in a long and dangerous voiage of adversity where hee must undergoe many a fight and storme to prove God a Master-builder Hereupon because Satan knew not Gods designe God himselfe hints it to him by commending Job which his malice not abiding to heare and desiring to contradict presently becomes a sutor to God to have the winnowing of him which God for many reasons granteth to him Partly in respect to shew him that hee is the onely discerner of the heart Partly in respect of the errour of those times wherein it was generally received that God afflicted not in soveraignty but onely for and according to the proportion of sinne Partly in respect of Job for his after-honour and preferment And lastly in respect of after-times to leave upon record a paterne of patience and a seale of Gods power and faithfulnesse in upholding the righteous and in delivering them out of all their troubles Satan having received his commission to worke he goeth and dischargeth all his Ordinance at once upon Job thinking through force and policy to wring some discontented blasphemy from him and so to disprove God but Job abid the shocke and uttered not a misbeseeming word till at last his sores began to smart and therewith also the light of Gods countenance through the thicke cloud of those many afflictions began to shine dim upon his spirit and then hee opened his mouth not as Satan hoped to blaspheme but to ease his forrwfull soule with breathing forth a dolefull wish or two as that either he had never seene life or might now see death Which impatiency of Jobs his friends standing by tooke fire at and thereupon they being ignorantly prejudiced of God that hee afflicted not but in proportionable punishment to sin committed and consequently were opinionated of Job that for all his faire shew he must needs be but a hollowhearted hypocrite they with vehement importunity pressed these sore upon him as infallible maximes thereby to
learned me more and to more purpose in a little time being an eye-witnesse of thy glory then all that ever I knew before 6. In so much that now I eate my words and abhorre my selfe for my presumptuous misbehaviour repenting it with as lowly a spirit as I sinned it with an high 7. When God had finished his busines with Iob matters were reconciled between them two having quickly brought him to see his folly and repent his pride Then God turnes himselfe to Iobs three friends to convince them also of their miscarriage and because Eliphaz was the ancientest and had first broached the errour whereof the other two were after guilty he addresses himselfe to him by name and tells him That he was justly angry with him and his two companions for because you have preached false doctrine touching me and have been too bold to limit my soveraignety by chalking me out wayes and prescribing me rules of justice in the execution of my will and dispensation of my providence as if I alwayes must and did afflict men for and according to the measure of their sins spare them for their righteousnes and innocency sake which is a grosse untruth and the contrary to which my servant Iob maintained to wit That I am free to doe my will and incomprehensible in my wayes which is right 8. Therefore to expiate your offence take with you such a sacrifice as I shall appoint that is seven Bullocks and seven Rammes and goe to my servant Iob reconcile your selves to him as touching the wrong you have done him as well as me and give them him that hee may doe the office of a Priest that is offer up sacrifice and prayers for you all joyntly who have all been guilty of the same sinne and the prayers of my servant Job who is an upright man and one whom I much respect how ever you misiudged him shall prevaile with me through the office and person of my sonne which herein he resembles to pardon you I say doe this thus and excuse not the matter by your ignorance or wel-meaning towards me nor dispute my command as loath to eate your words or to justifie Iob whom you have already condemned but dispatch and goe about this businesse least I give you your desert and make you feele the effects of your foolish presumption in that you have dared to measure me out by your meet wands and prescribe me wayes to walke in and so have falsified the truth which my servant Iob maintained against you 9. Whereupon these three aforesaid friends of Iob Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naaneathite went streightway having received so strickt a charge from God and did what the Lord commanded them for whom at their requests Job put up his petitions to God and was so accepted in his person sacrifice and prayer being a figure of Christ therein that at his intercession their offence was forgiven them 10. And as Iob in his meeknesse and charity forgave his friends their trespasses and prayed for them so God forgave him his and at that instant released him of his misery which hee had beene held in so long and turned his sorrow into joy by testifying his love to him in his acceptance of him and by vindicating his uprightnesse and innocency against his accusers moreover God recompensed the losse and sufferings which Iob sustained with double to what he had before 11. And brought him into favour againe with those parties that partly for his poverty and partly upon suspition of his hypocrisie had cast him off so that now there flocked to him from far and neere all his brethren and sisters and his old acquaintance which it seemes though they were neere to him and had beene intimate with him yet upon this occasion had beene of late estranged till now that they saw the face of things were changed and then they come themselves to visit him and to pity him for what hee had suffered and to comfort him with gratifying his deliverance and freedome from all the afflictions that God had laid upon him moreover besides their visiting him every man further congratulated his recovery God moving their hearts with a present of money and jewells in testimony of their love and respect 12. Thus the Lord humbled Job very low to be a patterne of faith and patience to his Saints in aftertimes by remembring his later end which God made farre to exceed his beginning in abundance of all good things yea double to what he had for whereas before hee had but seven thousand sheepe now he had foureteene thousand and so likewise his former three thousand Camels were now multiplied into sixe thousand and his five hundred yoke of Oxen were doubled into a thousand and his five hundred she-Asses into as many 13. And whereas all his children you heard were taken from him he had them restored him againe even their full number seven sonnes and three daughters 14. Whom hee thus named The eldest daughter hee called Iemima or long life The second he called Kezia or pleasant spice the youngest he called Keren-happuch or the horne of beauty prophesying in them the long life together with the comfortable and happy condition which by the bounteous goodnesse of God he should yet enjoy 15. Which three daughters for a further blessing unto Iob were the fairest women in all the land where hee lived and were had in greatest reputation for their beauty and as God gave them an extraordinary blessing to him so he made them an extraordinary president for out of his love to them and in reward of their vertues hee gave to every of them severally as to his sons a portion of his land in stead of money to inherit to them and to their heires for ever so that they shared proportionably with their brethren by their fathers Will and Testament and were coheires with them in his estate 16. And thus all these sorrows which Iob thought he should never have seene an end of he survived and after them lived in prosperity and plenty a hundred and forty yeeres so that he became a great Grandfather before he died 17. And so Iob ended his daies in a good old age and was carried to his grave like as a shock of corne commeth in in his season FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Wykes Iunij 14. 1638. Hab. 2. 14. Cant. 3. 16. Rev. 4. 11. heb 4. 12. Psal. 37 6. 1. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Iob and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evill 2. And there was born unto him seven Sonnes and three Daughters 3. His substance also was seven thousand Sheepe and three thousand Camells and five hundred yoke of Oxen and five hundred she-Asses and a very great houshold so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East 4. And his Sons
carnall confidence how that all his outward hopes shall be turned upside downe and nothing shall be left for him to lay hold upon Yea destruction shall pursue him to utter ruine not onely of all that is his but also of himselfe too for it shall never leave him til it have brought him through a multitude of horrors to that which is worst of all even to death it selfe 15. Destruction shall put him quite out of all and shall take possession of all which he hath so unjustly come by nothing of all he hath shall escape the consuming fire of the Lords indignation 16. God will make a cleane riddance of him and all his whole house hee will quite cut him off root and branch father and sonne even he and all his posterity from off the face of the earth 17. And let him have beene of never so great note yet as he so his memory and reputation shall perish with him and hee shall be quite forgotten and had in no esteeme even in that very place where hee once lived in so much glory 18. Hee shall first have all things clouded upon him his glory and prosperity shall become ignominy and adversity and they shall make him weary of his life never ceasing to vex him and to increase upon him till they have hunted him to death 19. There shall none of his off-spring remaine to uphold his house or name and the place of his abode shall become quite desolate 20. God shall make him notorious to all for the very report of what fearefull things befell him when God executed his severe judgements upon him in the day of his visitation shall beget amazement in men of after ages when they heare of it though they never saw it even as it did in them who were eye-witnesses of the vengeance which was inflicted on him 21. Be not thou so wilfull to oppose a knowne and undeniable truth for as sure as God is just so sure it is That these things do befall the wicked man and onely him in his family and habitation And such as this which I have said hath ever been knowne and observed to be the lot and portion only of him that is an hypocrite and feares not God aright in the place where he liveth CHAP. XIX 1. TO this speech of Bildads Job made answer and said 2. How long will you persevere thus impiously and uncharitably to endeavour my vexation and to torment me as upon a racke with multiplying unjust and uncomfortable language against me 3. You have I know not how often unjustly upbraided me and which is strange you that are mine old acquaintance and which make shew to be my friends never blush to consider in what an unfriendly and strange manner you behave your selves toward mee as if you neither bare any love to mee nor had any knowledge of mee 4. But be it granted that I and my waies have beene t oo-blame yet you have not at all convinced mee of any errour that I might know what to amend in all this time and talke and till you can doe that which I know you can never doe all that you say is but mere surmises and serves me to no use but that still I am the same I was never better 5. But if your flourishing estate do make you value your selves above me and that you will needs insultingly reproach me with mine afflictions 6. Then know and consider that it is God that hath thus cast mee downe and if I be caught it is he that hath ensnared mee with that you call his net who can for all your high conceits as justly when hee pleaseth doe as much for you 7. O that the Lord would hearken to mine out-cry which I am forced to make by reason of the unjust calumnies that these men lay on me but he is pleased not to grant me audience yea though mine injuries compell mee to make earnest and vehement praier yet can I find no reliefe nor have any right done me on these my false accusers 8. He hath every way hedged mee out of happinesse and content so that though I seeke it never so I cannot finde it yea hee hath so eclipsed mee that I cannot see which way to take to administer the least comfort to my selfe 9. The good report and esteeme wherewith once I was dignified hee hath quite stript me of in the hearts of all men and turned it into disgrace 10. He hath indeed every way and in every thing destroyed mine hope and happinesse and I am quite out at all yea there is no more hope of me for hereafter than of a tree that is plucked up by the roots 11. Hee hath mightily opposed himselfe against me and seemes to account no better of me than an utter enemy that hee meanes to pursue to death 12. He hath mustered his forces together against me even a whole army of plagues which have blocked mee up and shut mee out of all hope and have besieged me so straightly that I can no way in all the world find reliefe 13. He hath not left me a friend to helpe or comsort me but those which were as neere and deare to me as brethren and which should have been so to me he hath quite turned their hearts from mee my very bosome-friends and acquaintance will not now owne me for any friend of theirs but behave themselves as strangers toward mee 14. Those of mine owne blood and kindred from whom I expected other have refused to doe the offices of of love and kindnesse to me in this my misery and those that daily frequented me and were intimately acquainted with me make now as if they never knew me 15. Those that should owe me speciall respect who have lived under me in mine owne house yea and my maids which by their sexe should be of a more tender and pitifull disposition and more dutifull carriage notwithstanding all decorums and obligations to the contrary shew mee no respect but now by reason of this condition which they see me in they cast me off as if they never had had any relation to mee 16. I called my servant as I was wont to doe and in a regardlesse manner he turned his backe upon mee yea I intreated him with this same mouth that was wont to command him but all would not doe 17. My very wife thinkes much to come neere mee that was wont to lie in my bosome yea although I prayed and importuned her with the strongest and endearingest perswasions I could use and that which I thought likeliest to prevaile even for the conjugall bond sake that was between us and the motherly respect shee bare to the children that in it she hath had by me yet I could not prevaile 18. Yea to make up my misery that which I little expected even yong children that should be better