God and confidence in himselfe thus briefely makes answer to what he had spoken in the 23. Chapter 2. God rules with Majesty in heaven and gives lawes to his Angells there which they must obey in which very place that there is peace it is of his goodnesse and gracious decree rather than of their merit 3. Hath hee not whole armies of Angells and other creatures in an infinite number which are ready to execute his wrath upon whomsoever dare to contest against him and doth not the Sun behold all men in all corners of the earth so that God must needs much more see them what they are 4. God then being of such perfect holinesse so terrible also and so all-seeing how dares any man living or how is it possible for him to stand it out with God as thou boastest in his owne justification or for him that is naturally corrupt begotten and borne of sinfull parents to appeare pure in the eyes of such a God 5. Consider that by reason of the fall of man the very creatures that in themselves are sinlesse yea the very Moone and Stars that are so far from earth and so neer to heaven have contracted defilement and are blemished so that with God for mans sake and by mans sin even they are not accounted free from pollution in his sight 6. How much lesse man himselfe whence they have taken infection and all that come of him who both father and sonne are all alike earthly creatures made subject to corruption by sinne CHAP. XXVI 1. JOB being angry at Bildads impertinencies thus answers him 2. What am I the better for this thou hast said how hast thou herein discharged thine office to me either as a friend or comforter what helpe hereby hast thou administred to my helplesse state or how hast thou herewith yeelded me any aid or support in this my weake condition 3. What friendly advice or usefull counsell hast thou ministred to me by it which yet thou takest mee to stand in need of and what adoe hast thou kept to tell me what I know 4. Who dost thou utter these overplus needlesse speeches to that is ever the better for them For my part I am not and whose spirit is any whit refreshed or ever the better for what thou hast said not mine one jot 5. Thinkest thou I know not all this yea I can tell thee as much and more than thou hast said to set forth God withall whereby thou mayest see that I am not to learne of thee touching him I can tell thee that hee is not onely admirable above in the heavens but beneath also in so much as nothing is bred or brought forth whether animate or inanimate fish or other things in all the vast and deepe Ocean but it is by his decree and power 6. The hiddenest and lowest parts of all the earth the Grave and Hell are open before his all-seeing eyes so that hee sees what becomes of man and every part of himafter that death hath dissolved him and the grave consumed him 7. His eyes of providence and arme of power extends to the most remote and uninhabited places of all the earth hee over-spreads those as these with the heavens and disposeth things there as here and hee wonderfully upholds this heavie fabricke and huge ball of the earth pendant in the middest of the heavens without any other support than his mighty power 8. He bottells up the abundance of raine which falls upon the ground in clouds made for that purpose great and thick which notwithstanding the weight of those waters he hath made able to keepe and containe them so that they let fall none but when hee pleaseth 9. Hee when hee pleaseth withholdeth the Sunne from us that glorious light and beauty of the face of heaven and causeth it at pleasure to suspend its power and vertue of light and heat by overclouding the heavens and masking it as with a vaile 10. Hee hath confined the raging and unruly seas with bounds and limits which doe they what they can they shall never passe till the end of the world when all things shall be let loose to devastation 11. His terrour is formidable even to the mighty and high mountaines whereon the heavens seeme to rest as on so many pillars which tremble and shake with his thunder-claps and earth-quakes 12. The sea as outragious as it is subjects it selfe to his command and against nature divides it selfe so that dry land appeares in the midst of it and hee knowes how to tame it when the waves thereof are at proudest and rise highest 13. In a word by his powerfull spirit wherewith he worketh he hath both beautified and set forth the heavens in such a glorious manner as wee see yea the same powerfull hand it is which indeed onely maketh all things that hath also formed the most deformed and dreadfull creature in the earth 14. Hereby you may imagine what I know thinke and believe of God by these descriptions I have made of him which yet I know are but parts of his admirable excellencies and farre short of him for when you and I have said all wee can to set him forth how little notwithstanding will it be in comparison of him and his greatnesse as may appeare by one instance more which sets him forth most of all and that is the power and Majesty that hee utters in his thunder which who can sufficiently admire CHAP. XXVII 1. JOB having thus taken up Bildad his three friends seeing they could doe no good on him held their peace whereupon he takes occasion to speake his mind fully and thus goes on 2. As the Lord liveth who hath not cleared mee to be what I am but hath laid it upon mee to be thus misjudged and unjustly censured and condemned for a wicked man because of mine afflictions yea I protest by the Almighty who I know hath caused all these grievous vexations to befall mee 3. That whilest I breath and God lends me life 4. No respect in the world shall make me eate my words or goe against my knowledge for no mans pleasure or importunity will I do wickedly and betray the truth by saying otherwaies of my selfe than I have said although never so many should judge against mee 5. No God forbid that I should bolster you up in that sinfull â—â—isprision and uncharitablenesse of yours by yeelding it for a truth which you say that God does punish me for mine hypocrisie and wickednesse no I will never doe it whilest I live I will not belie my selfe nor relinquish mine integrity thinke how you will and say of me what you will for it 6. I am resolved to maintaine mine uprightnesse and not to part with it upon your perswasions or suspitions my heart shall never be brought by any thing you can doe to accuse mee falsely of
that humbleth himselfe and seeks to the Lord he as powerfully preserves him as he defeates them both from the bloody sword malicious mouth and destroying hand of the wicked be they never so mighty 16. So that then it is certaine that the humble man and he that seekes to the Lord with repentance and selfe-abasing be his case never so desperate may aske and waite in hope but the proud presumptuous-spoken man disables himselfe for getting any good from God 17. Behold then how ever thou thinkest and notwithstanding thy impatient outrage yet for certaine it is a happinesse to a man that takes this way to be corrected of the Lord therfore let not thy pride make thee swell against God nor beare not thy selfe so high in thine owne imaginary justification but rather improve this goodnesse of the Lord to thee by making it a meanes to bring thee to repentance and to humble thee before him in the acknowledgement of thy faults 18. Who in so doing as hee hath plagued thee for thy pride so will he upon thy humiliation take away thy smart and turne all thy wo into weale 19. Be thy troubles multiplyed to never so great a number if thou humblest thy selfe under his hand he shall deliver thee from them all and thou shalt be sure of a happy issue though for present they increase upon thee 20. For take but this course and then in the greatest mortality of famine though thou wert at deaths doore yet shall he deliver thee and in all devouring war where thousands presuming of their owne strength and courage are slaine yet by an humble dependance upon God shalt thou be preserved 21. Yea it shall shield thee from every evill even from the very reports of slanderous and back-biting tongues to which all men are obnoxious neither shalt thou feare at the reproach of the greatest destruction when every man else shall tremble 22. But in stead thereof through tranquillity of minde and security in God thou shalt set at naught the things which are most terrible to other men to wit the sword and famine neither shalt thou feare the power of any creature under heaven to doe thee harme 23. For hereby thou art reconciled to God and art at one with him and if so who dare be against thee or what can hurt thee Nay the most senselesse and unreasonable creatures whose benefit and obedience sin hath lost our right to and turned into rebellion shall then be so farre from working thee evill as that they shall become Gods instruments and joyne together for thy use and service 24. And moreover hereby thou shalt finde a wonderfull change for by taking this course thou shalt assuredly have peace and be wholly restored to thy former condition thine owne eyes shall see it and further thou shalt have this benefit which above all is most to be set by thou shalt then cease to sin and no more forget thy selfe towards God as before 25. And withall thou shalt live to see thy children which now God hath taken from thee restored to thee in a farre greater number 26. And also in so doing thou shalt prevent the Lord and not provoke him thus to cut thee off in anger but for all this shalt live to be crowned with a hoary head and shalt go downe into thy grave in a compleate age like as a shock of corne is inned into the barne in its due ripenesse 27. Be sure that this is the onely way for it hath ever beene found so by all and can be denied of none give heed to it therefore and make use of it for thy good to order and steere thy course by if ever thou wouldest land safe out of the troublesome sea of these thy miseries CHAP. VI. 1. ELiphaz having thus ended his speech to Job partly consisting of reproofe and partly of advice Job replies as followeth 2. Thou blamest me for bewailing my selfe when as wo is me my griefes are an insupportable burthen as thou wouldest soone perceive didst thou but feele the weight of them all together as I doe 3. Being for number and weight like the very sand of the sea dost thou blame mee then for bewailing seeing my affliction is so exceeding great that I want words to complaine enough 4. For the grievous paines which I endure are as so many poisoned arrowes shot into me and that by the Almighty hand of God himselfe which have diffused their venom into all the parts of my body and soule and have even spent and wasted my spirits and strength with their intolerable griefe for all the terrible afflictions and affrightments of God have joyntly in flesh and spirit combined and set themselves in battle aray against mee 5. Is it not naturall for every thing wilde or tame to lament it selfe in case of necessity and why then will not you allow me that liberty but condemne mee for that which is naturally common to all creatures especially in this my extreme misery 6. And doth not sense and experience teach you your selves that no unsavory thing can be relished without some seasoning neither can a man force his appetite to thinke that to be tastefull which is not so 7. And is not this my case for those very things which heretofore my soule durst not so much as thinke upon is it not now forced with what sorrow and griefe you may imagine continually to feed upon them And will you then be so unnaturall and unreasonable as to force me unsensibly to swallow downe these afflictions which are so painfull and not give me the liberty to season my unsavory torments with a little needfull lamentation 8. But seeing you will not grant me liberty I must be forced to take it for seeing I can have no other reliefe I must speake my minde O therefore that I might have my request and that the Lord would grant mee the thing that I long for 9. Even this That it would please him to destroy mee at once that hee would no longer restraine his hand from making an end of mee but that he would graciously dispatch me out of these torments 10. If I could but gaine this at his hands to hope to be dispatched by these tortures that I might come to be judged of God and not of men then would I even joy in them and be so farre from being discouraged as that they should animate mee in hope of mine end by them neither would I intreat the Lord to spare mee but would thinke them the worse the better for I feare not to appeare before God because I know my conscience acquits me as having been faithfull in the sincere delivery of his truth to all that I have spoken to how ever you may judge of it 11. Doe you blame me for desiring to be dissolved when as alas what is my strength compared with these insupportable
right subject but wanting Majesty to set it forth so as to take impression upon Job Hereupon God taketh the word out of his mouth and himselfe takes Job to taske for the appaling of whose high spirit and the better making way for his following discourse to take place hee makes his first onset in a whirlewind and thus bespeaks him with a terrifying voice 2. Who is this whom I have over-heard to miscarry himselfe in this manner Is it Job I had not thought it that hee had beene so unwise or durst have beene so bold as to cast aspersions upon my wise and secret proceedings with his weake reasonings which faith onely can make him understand 3. Thou that bravest it so erewhile and gavest me choise of weapon now come on let 's see thy manhood betake thy selfe to thy ward for I meane to answer thy challenge and to enter the list against thee onely I will take the liberty thou hast given mee I will oppose and thou shalt answer and judge when wee have done if man be fit to cope with God or to scan his actions 4. Where Elihu left there I 'll begin Where wast thou when I at first by my power and wisedome alone without the help of thee or any made the great vast body of the earth to hang upon it's centre If thou canst answer this doe say man hadst thou any hand in it or being at it 5. Tell mee Who hath measured it out in that circumference and diameter which it holds Didst thou or knowest thou any besides my selfe that did it or who else hath disposed it in that forme and stretched it forth to those severall quantities and proportions of sea and land which it beares 6. Or tell me if thou canst the way and manner how it is done Thou knowest how a house is built of fit materialls by laying the foundations thereof with choice stones choicely placed in the earth and artificially agglutinated one to another Now let us see if thy skill serve thee in like manner to tell how this great piece of Architecture is framed wherein or whereon are the foundations of it laid which hangs like a ball in the aire or what skilfull work-man was there to begin this worke or what materialls was there to erect it which at first was framed by the meere will and wisdom of God out of nothing 7. Before man had any being not being yet created when as at the beginning Those glorious and excelling creatures the first and best of all the workes of mine hands did so unanimously rejoyce and that all those sonnes and heires of heaven the holy Angells were so exceedingly ravished to see me about to put forth my power and manifest my wisedome in such a manner and in such workes for my glories sake 8. Or tell me What man or whose power and skill was it that brought the sea within compasse and placed it within it's bounds when as it not having the restraint which now it has so universally at the first creation of it with an unlimited violence overspread and whelmed the whole earth with such a totall inundation and circumvolution which is the naturall and proper course and motion of it and from which it was then as impossible to be restrained or circumscribed by any humane power as it is for a woman against nature to withstand her throwes and conteine the fruit of her womb when the time of her delivery is at hand 9. I meane at the very first of all when it received it's being and I had set it no other bounds as yet but only darknesse which before light was made like a cloud was upon and covered all the face of the deepe and when onely thicke darknesse there being then no manner of light surrounded it as it surrounded the earth 10. And then when I from whom it had it's being did also give it the restriction which now it has gathering it together by a perpetuall and powerfull decree into that place and pit which now containes the Ocean placing the sand and bancks for bounds and limits 11. And laid my commands upon it to abide there and not to passe it's station which restraint though it seem impatiently to bear by it's flowing yet it cannot prevaile or exceed it's boundary but ebbeth backe againe nor can it with all it's swelling and mountainous waves though they tosse themselves and roare goe onefoot further then I have set it but they vanish so soone as ever they come to their appointed period 12. If thou answerest me that these things were all before thy time then I aske thee Hast thou either lengthned or hastned the rising of the Sun at any time since thou wast borne and hast thou ever caused the morning light in any one of those daies thou hast seene to spread it selfe to it's uttermost bounds which I have appointed it 13. That so it may shine forth farre and neere to give light to the inhabitants of the earth that by that meanes those evil-doers and night-birds who hate the day light might be affrighted and driven from the face thereof by it's rising into their dens of darknesse 14. By whose light and rise the earth receives it's proper shape and impression in the sight of all men which it lost in the darke and all the severall fruits flowers and various workemanship of God in her produced creatures that grow thereupon appeare as the beautifull clothing therof 15. But the guilty consciences of the wicked shall drive them into darke corners like banished men so that they shall not enjoy the comfortable use and sight of those things which the light affordeth for this shall be the reward of them that rebelliously work wickednesse against God their lives shall be miserable and they shall be deprived of the good that others doe enjoy 16. Hast thou ever seene or beene at the bottome of the sea or hast thou with all thy skill and labour found out how deepe it is 17. Hast thou ever descended into or seene the deepe Abysse of the earth where it is darke and uncomfortable as hell and where the dead onely inhabite 18. Hast thou ever placed the breadth of the earth tell mee now thou that promisedst to reply if thou canst give an exact account thereof 19. Hast thou travelled to the places of the sunnes rising and setting so as to know the place of residence for the light and to tell where darknesse dwells 20. That when thou seest them spread so wide in the aire and wander so farre from home thou maist carry them backe and direct them into their way 21. Knowest thou the places of light and darknesse either by vertue of thy then being when they were first created by me or hast thou gained this knowledge by long experience and much study 22. Wast thou ever in my store-houses of snow and haile to see
them where they are 23. Which I create and keepe up above in my treasuries till the time come that I thinke good to send them downe to execute my will in the punishment of men and for to stand my friends in stead against their enemies and mine in the day of battell 24. Knowest thou how it comes to passe that the lightning should so forcibly break out of the cloud in a thunder storme as even to break and interrupt the course of the strongest wind and suddenly turne and scatter it all abroad into the severall corners of the world 25. Who is it thou or I that divides and sends the waterclouds those great bottells of heaven hither thither to poure out their raine and to cause inundations in this or that place or that directs the lightning which breakes forth of the thunder-cloud with such swift violence to goe that way it takes and doe the thing it effects 26. Causing it by such meanes to raine not onely in places inhabited for the use of men but even on the remotest parts of the world where no man ever came and in the vast wildernesse where no man inhabits surely then it is not thee 27. Therby to satisfie the desolate and wast places which no man makes use of and to cause the grasse and herb to grow even there as I at first decreed it for the use of the wildbeasts also that inhabite there in stead of men 28. These things are beyond thy sphere they are not ordinarily propagated according to thy understanding for what father hath the raine or who begets the drops of dew 29. Or what woman can the ice call mother and the hoary frost that comes downe from heaven upon the earth by what man and woman is it begotten and conceaved 30. The waters thou seest are covered with ice as if they were paved over with stone and the deepest rivers become passable being frozen over 31. Canst thou alter the seasons of the yeere by appointing either the Spring-time to come later by hindering the comming of the seven starres which are proper to that season and the distilling of their sweet influences or canst thou dissolve the Winter frosts accompanying the constellations of that season and so expedite and shorten that cold and comfortlesse quarter 32. Canst thou command those remote and hidden starres of the South to shew themselves in their sommer-season or direct the Northerne constellations to know their course and to appeare in Autume 33. Knowest thou the regiment which is held and exercised up above in the heavenly orbes what order and lawes God hath constituted for the motions and influences thereof canst thou who livest here below order and dispose them to execute their severall uses and operations on earth whereto I have appointed them 34. Canst thou command the clouds to doe thee service and to send downe raine enough to serve thy turne when thou hast need 35. Canst thou send the swift flying lightnings and cause them goe from one end of the heavens to another in an instant upon thy errand canst thou bring them to offer themselves to be at thy command as they are at mine 36. Who is it that hath made man a reasonable creature and given him understanding hast thou made thy selfe so 37. Who with all his wisdome can give a perfect accompt of those numberlesse clouds in the heavens but I Who both made them and disposeth of them all as many as they are to their end and uses or who but I can restraine the raine which is heavie of it selfe and intends downward from falling out of the clouds 38. When the ground hath had it's fill so that the light dust is turned into lumps of earth and that which was tost with every wind is clodded and agglutinated by water into an heavie substance 39. Or if thou canst not skill of these things because they are above thee then wilt thou undertake to provide food upon earth where thou hast thine abode for the beasts birds that live thereupon yea for the most ravenous of them which I doe as the Lyon and his hungry whelps 40. Hast thou given them the Art they use in catching their prey with couchant and covert cunning to steale upon and suddenly surprize it 41. Or is it by thy or my providence that the Ravens are provided for and that the yong ones being early forsaken of the old and wanting skill to shift for themselves wandring here and there yet have their cries heard which nature hath taught them to put up to God in their necessity and answered with supply of food CHAP. XXXIX 1. DOth thine eye of providence over-looke and take care for the maintenance of each creature in it's kinde and species reacheth it even to wild Goats which are out of any mans dominion dwelling in unaccessible rockes so that is it thou that makest them conceive and bring forth in their season or doe the Hindes either doe the like by thine ordination and vigilancy 2. Hast thou appointed them the time they shall goe with young before they bring them forth and when the time is fulfilled is it by or of thee they doe it 3. Is it thou that hast given them the instinct to know the instant of production and as wilde as they are consideratly to goe about it in such a manner as may be most easefull to themselves and least hurtfull to their off-spring by bowing their bodies the better to straine themselves and dilate the passage so they doe and thereby deliver themselves of their young by this their naturall midwifery and cast out that in a moment which hath been so long time burthensome to them 4. And when their young ones are brought forth they appeare in good plight by natures nourishing and caring for them in the mothers belly and after that they thrive and come on as well as if they were fed with corne They leave their dams betime and yet by natures instinct shift well enough for themselves 5. Who is it that hath ordained creatures as well wilde as tame who but I have naturally set the wilde Asse at liberty and made him untameable to any mans yoake 6. Appointing him the vast and desart wildernesse to inhabit in where he rangeth without subjection or controll of any and by my constitution chooseth of his owne instinct to abide and feed most upon the very worst soile whereas other creatures desire the best 7. He knowes no obedience to any but setteth light by all men scorning to be subjected by how many or whomsoever neither will hee be ruled as other beasts to goe and come at the command and voice of the driver 8. He is not inclosed within hedges and pales like other cattell but rangeth at large upon the high and great mountaines where he feeds and takes his liberty without
brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and as the streame of brookes they passe away 16. Which are blackish by reason of the yce and wherein the snow is hid 17. What time they wax warme they vanish when it is hot they are consumed out of their place 18. The paths of their way are turned aside they goe to nothing and perish 19. The troupes of Tema looked the companies of Sheba waited for them 20. They were confounded because they had hoped they came thither and were ashamed 21. For now ye are nothing yee see my casting downe and are afraid 22. Did I say Bring unto mee or give a reward for me of your substance 23. Or deliver mee from the enemies hand or redeeme mee from the hand of the mighty 24. Teach me and I wil hold my tongue and cause mee to understand wherein I have erred 25. How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove 26. Doe yee imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate which are as wind 27. Yea yee overwhelme the fatherlesse and you digge a pit for your friend 28. Now therefore be content looke upon me for it is evident unto you if I lie 29. Returne I pray you let it not be iniquity yea returne againe my righteousnesse is in it 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue cannot my taste discerne perverse things 1. Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth are not his daies also like the daies of an hireling 2. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his worke 3. So am I made to possesse moneths of vanity and wearisome nights are appointed to me 4. When I lie downe I say when shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day 5. My flesh is clothed with wormes and clods of dust my skin is broken and become loathsome 6. My daies are swifter than a weavers shuttle and are spent without hope 7. O remember that my life is wind mine eye shall no more see good 8. The eye of him that hath seene mee shall see me no more thine eyes are upon mee and I am not 9. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so hee that goeth downe to the grave shall come up no more 10. Hee shall returne no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more 11. Therefore I will not refraine my mouth I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule 12. Am I a Sea or a Whale that thou settest a watch over me 13. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint 14. Then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest mee through visions 15. So that my soule chooseth strangling and death rather than my life 16. I loath it I would not live alwaies let me alone for my daies are vanity 17. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him 18. And that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment 19. How long wilt thou not depart from mee nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle 20. I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee O thou Preserver of men why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am a burthen to my selfe 21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleepe in the dust and thou shalt seeke mee in the morning but I shall not be 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said 2. How long wilt thou speake these things and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind 3. Doth God pervert judgements or doth the Almighty pervert Justice 4. If thy children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression 5. If thou wouldest seeke unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty 6. If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous 7. Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end shall greatly increase 8. For enquire I pray thee of the former age and prepare thy selfe to search of their fathers 9. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing because our daies upon earth are a shadow 10. Shall not they teach thee and tell thee and utter words out of their heart 11. Can the rush grow without mire can the flag gâ—ow without water 12. Whilest it is yet in his greennesse and not cut downe it withereth before any other herb 13. So are the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrites hope shal perish 14. Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spiders web 15. He shall leane up on his house but it sha not stand hee shall hold it fast but it shall not endure 16. He is green before the Sun and his branch shooteth forth in his garden 17. His roots are wrapped about the heape and seeth the place of stones 18. If he destroy him from his place then it shall deny him saying I have not seene thee 19. Behold this is the joy of his way and out of the earth shall others grow 20. Behold God will not cast away a perfect man neither will he help the evill doers 21. Till hee fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with rejoycing 22. They that hate thee shall be cloathed with shame the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought 1. Then Job answered and said 2. I know it is so of a truth but how should man be just with God 3. If hee will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himselfe against him and hath prospered 5. Which removeth the mountaines and they know not which overturneth them in his anger 6. Which shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble 7. Which commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth up the stars 8. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea 9. Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South 10. Which doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number 11. Lo he goeth by me and I see him not hee passeth on also but I perceive him not 12. Behold he taketh away who can hinder him who will say unto him what dost thou 13. If God will not withdraw his anger the proud helpers doe stoupe under him 14. How much lesse shall I answer him and choose out my words to reason with him 15. Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Judge 16. If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not
is not in us 10. With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men much elder than thy father 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee Is there any secret thing with thee 12. Why doth thine heart carry thee away and what doe thine eyes winke at 13. That thou turnest thy spirit against God and lettest such words go out of thy mouth 14. What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that hee should be righteous 15. Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight 16. How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water 17. I will shew thee heare me and that which I have seene I will declare 18. Which wise men have told me from their fathers and have not hid it 19. Unto whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed among them 20. The wicked man travelleth with paine all his daies and the number of yeares is hidden to the oppressour 21. A dreadfull sound is in his eares in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him 22. Hee believeth not that hee shall returne out of darkenesse and hee is waited for of the sword 23. He wandereth abroad for bread saying Where is it ke knoweth that the day of darknesse is ready at his hand 24. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevaile against him as a King ready to the battle 25. For he stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himselfe against the Allmighty 26. He runneth upon him even on his necke upon the thick bosses of his bucklers 27. Because hee covereth his face with his fatnesse and maketh collops of fat on his flanckes 28. And he dwelleth in desolate cities and in houses which no man inhabiteth which are ready to become heaps 29. Hee shall not be rich neither shall his substance continue neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth 30. Hee shall not depart out of darknesse the flame shall dry up his branches and by the breath of his mouth shall he goe away 31. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence 32. It shall be accomplished before his time and his branch shall not be greene 33. He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine and shall cast off his flower as the Olive 34. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the tabernacles of briberie 35. They conceive mischiefe and bring forth vanity and their belly prepareth deceit 1. Then Iob answered and said 2. I have heard many such things miserable comforters are yee all 3. Shall vaine words have an end or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest 4. I also could speake as you doe if your soule were in my soules stead I could heape up words against you and shake mine head at you 5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your griefe 6. Though I speake my griefe is not asswaged and though I forbeare what am I eased 7. But now hee hath made mee weary thou hast made desolate all my company 8. And thou hast filled mee with wrinckles which is a witnesse against me and my leannesse rising up in me beareth witnesse to my face 9. He teareth mee in his wrath who hateth mee hee gnasheth upon me with his teeth mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me 10. They have gaped upon mee with their mouth they have smitten mee upon the cheeke reproachfully they have gathered themselves together against me 11. God hath delivered mee to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked 12. I was at ease but he hath broken me asunder hee hath also taken me by the necke and shaken me to pieces and set me up for his marke 13. His archers compasse me round about he cleaveth my reines asunder and doth not spare he poureth out my gall upon the ground 14. Hee breaketh me with breach upon breach he runneth upon me like a Giant 15. I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin and defiled my horne in the dust 16. My face is foule with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death 17. Not for any injustice in mine hands also my prayer is pure 18. O earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place 19. Also now behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high 20. My friends scorne me but mine eye poureth out teares unto God 21. O that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleadeth for his neighbour 22. When a few yeeres are come then I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne 1. My breath is corrupt my daies are extinct the graves are ready for me 2. Are there not mockers with mee and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation 3. Lay down now put me in a 〈◊〉 with thee who is he that will strike hands with me 4. For thou hast hid their heart from understanding therefore shalt thou not exalt them 5. Hee that speaketh flattery to his friends even the eyes of his children shall faile 6. He hath made mee also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was as a tabret 7. Mine eye also is dimme by reason of sorrow and all my members are as a shadow 8. Upright men shall be astonied at this and the innocent shall stir up himselfe against the hypocrite 9. The righteous also shall hold on his way and hee that hath cleane hands shall be stronger and stronger 10. But as for you all doe you returne and come now for I cannot finde one wise man among you 11. My daies are past my purposes are broken off even the thoughts of my heart 12. They change the night into day the light is short because of darkenesse 13. If I wait the grave is mine house I have made my bed in the darknesse 14. I have said to corruption thou art my father to the worme thou art my mother and my sister 15. And where is now my hope as for my hope who shall see it 16. They shall goe downe to the bars of the pit when our rest together is in the grave 1. Then answerd Bildad the Shuhite and said 2. How long will it be ere thou make an end of thy words marke and afterwards wee will speake 3. Wherefore are wee counted as beasts and reputed vile in your sight 4. He teareth himselfe in his anger shall the earth be forsaken for thee and shall the rocke he removed out of his place 5. Yea the light of the wicked shall be put out and the sparke of his fire shall not shine 6. The light shall be darke in his tabernacle and his candle shall be put out with him 7. The steps of his strength shall be straitned and his owne counsell shall cast him downe 8. For hee is cast into a net by his owne
feet and hee walketh upon a snare 9. The grin shall take him by the heele and the robber shall prevaile against him 10. The snare is laid for him in the ground and a trap for him in the way 11. Terrors shall make him afraid on every fide and shall drive him to his feet 12. His strength shall be hunger-bitten and destruction shall be ready at his side 13. It shall devour the strength of his skin even the first borne of death shall devour his strength 14. His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle and it shall bring him to the King of terrours 15. It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation 16. His roots shall be dried up beneath and above shall his branch be cut off 17. His remembrance shall perish from the earth and hee shall have no name in the street 18. He shall be driven from light into darkenesse and chased out of the world 19. Hee shall neither have sonne nor nephew among his people nor any remaining in his dwellings 20. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day as they that went before were affrighted 21. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and this is the place of him that knowes not God 1. Then Iob answered and said 2. How long will you vex my soule and breake mee in pieces with words 3. These tenne times have yee reproached me you are not ashamed that you make your selves strange to me 4. And be it indeed that I have erred mine errour remaineth with my selfe 5. If indeed you will magnifie your selves against mee and plead against me my reproach 6. Know now that God hath overthrowne mee and hath compassed me with his net 7. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard I cry aloud but there is no judgement 8. He hath senced up my way that I cannot passe and hee hath set darknesse in my paths 9. He hath stript mee of my glory and taken the crowne from my head 10. He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone and mine hope hath hee removed like a tree 11. He hath also kindled his wrath against me and he counteth mee unto him as one of his enemies 12. His troupes come together and raise up their way against me and encamp round about my tabernacle 13 Hee hath put my brethren farre from mee and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from mee 14. My kinsfolke have failed and my familiar friends have forgotten me 15. They that dwell in mine house and my maids count mee for a stranger I am an aliant in their sight 16. I called my servant and he gave mee no answer I intreated him with my mouth 17. My breath is strange to my wife though I intreated for the childrens sake of mine owne body 18. Yea yong 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 bone cleaveth to my skin and or as in the margin as to my flesh and I am escaped with the skinne of my teeth 21. Have pity upon mee have pity upon me O yee my friends for the hand of God hath touched me 22. Why doe yee persecute mee as God and are not satisfied with my flesh 23. O that my words were now written ô that they were printed in a booke 24. That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rocke for ever 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand at the later day upon the earth 26. And though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God 27. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines be consumed within mee 28. But yee should say why persecute wee him seeing the roote of the matter is found in me 29. Be yee afraid of the sword for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword that yee may know there is a judgement 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said 2. Therefore doe my thoughts cause me to answer and for this I make haste 3. I have heard the checke of my reproach and the spirit of my understanding causeth mee to answer 4. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon earth 5. That the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment 6. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds 7. Yet he shall perish for ever like his owne dung they which have seen him shal say Where is hee 8. Hee shall flie away as a dreame and shall not be found yea hee shall be chased away as a vision of the night 9. The eye also which saw him shall see him no more neither shall his place any more behold him 10. His children shall seeke to please the poore and his hands shall restore their goods 11. His bones are full of the sin of his youth which shall lie downe with him in the dust 12. Though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth though he hides it under his tongue 13. Though hee spare it and forsake it not but keepe it still within his mouth 1. 4 Yet his meat in his bowells is turned it is the gall of Aspes within him 15. Hee hath swallowed downe riches and hee shall vomit them up againe God shall cast them out of his belly 16. He shall sucke the poison of Aspes the Vipers tong shall slay him 17. He shall not see the rivers the flouds the brookes of honey and butter 18. That which hee laboured for shall he restore and shall not swallow it downe according to his substance shall the restitution be and hee shall not rejoyce therein 19. Because hee hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poore because hee hath violently taken away an house which he builded not 20. Surely hee shall not feele quietnesse 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 looke for his goods 22. In the fulnesse 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 fury of his wrath upon him and shall raine it upon him while hee is eating 24. He shall flie from the iron weapon and the bow of steele shall strike him through 25. It is drawne and commeth out of the body yea the glistering sword commeth out of his gall terrours are upon him 26. All darknesse shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blowne shall consume him it shall goe ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle 27. The heavens shall reveale his iniquity and the earth shall rise up against him 28. The increase of his house shall depart and his goods
shall not be gathered he openeth his eyes and hee is not 20. Terrours take hold on him as waters a tempest stealeth him away in the night 21. The East-winde carrieth him away and he departeth and a storm hurleth him out of his place 22. For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would faine flie out of his hand 23. Men shall clap their hands at him and shall hisse him out of his place 1. Surely there is a veine for the silver and a place for gold where they fine it 2. Iron is taken out of the earth and brasse is molten out of the stone 3. He setteth an end to darknesse and searcheth out all perfection the stones of darkenesse and the shadow of death 4. The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant even the waters forgotten of the foot they are dried up they are gone away from men 5. As for the earth out of it cometh bread and under it is turned up as it were fire 6. The stones of it are the place of Saphires and it hath dust of gold 7. There is a path which no fowle knoweth and which the Vultures eye hath not seene 8. The Lions whelpes have not troden it nor the fierce Lyon passed by it 9. He putteth forth his hand upon the rocke he overturneth the mountaines by the roots 10. He cutteth out rivers among the rockes and his eye seeth every precious thing 11. Hee bindeth the floods from overflowing and the thing that is hid bringeth hee forth to light 12. But where shall wisedome be found and where is the place of understanding 13. Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living 14. The depth saith It is not in me and the sea saith It is not with me 15. It cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof 16. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphire 17. The Gold and the Chrystall cannot equall it and the exchange of it shall not be for jewells of fine gold 18. No mention shall be made of Corall or of Pearles for the price of wisedome is above Rubies 19. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equall it neither shall it be valued with pure gold 20. Whence then commeth wisedome and where is the place of understanding 21. Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the fowles of the aire 22. Destruction and death say We have heard the fame thereof with our eares 23. God understandeth the way thereof and hee knoweth the place thereof 24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth and seeth under the whole heaven 25. To make the weight for the winds and hee weigheth the waters by measure 26. When hee made a decree for the raine and a way for the lightning of the thunder 27. Then did hee see it and declare it he prepared it yea and searched it out 28. And unto man he said Behold the feare of the Lord that is wisedome and to depart from evill is understanding 1. Moreover Job continued his parable and said 2. Oh that I were as in moneths past as in the daies when God preserved mee 3. When his candle shined upon my head and when by his light I walked through darkenesse 4. As I was in the daies of my youth when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle 5. When the Almighty was yet with mee when my children were about me 6. When I washed my steps with butter and the rocke powred me out rivers of oile 7. When I went out to the gate through the city when I prepared my seat in the street 8. The young men saw me and hid themselves and the aged arose and stood up 9. The Princes refrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth 10. The Nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved to the roofe of their mouth 11. When the eare heard me then it blessed me and when the eye saw me it gave witnesse to mee 12. Because I delivered the poore that cried and the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him 13. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon mee and I caused the widowes heart to sing for joy 14. I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me my judgement was as a robe and a diadem 15. I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame 16. I was a father to the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out 17. And I brake the jawes of the wicked and plucked the spoile out of his teeth 18. Then I said I shall die in my nest and I shall multiply my daies as the sand 19. My root was spread out by the waters and the dew lay all night upon my branch 20. My glory was fresh in me and my bow was renued in my hand 21. Unto me men gave eare and waited and kept silence at my counsell 22. After my words they spake not againe and my speech dropped upon them 23. And they waited for mee as for the raine and they opened their mouth wide as for the later raine 24. If I laughed on them they believed it not and the light of my countenance they cast not downe 25. I chose out their way and sate chiefe and dwelt as a King in the army as one that comforteth the mourners 1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogges of my flocke 2. Yea whereto might the strength of their hands profit mee in whom old age was perished 3. For want and famine they were solitary flying into the wildernesse in former time desolate and waste 4. Who cut up Mallowes by the bushes and Juniper roots for their meat 5. They were driven forth from among men they cried after them as after a thiefe 6. To dwell in the clifts of the valleys in caves of the earth and in the rockes 7. Among the bushes they brayed under the nettles they were gathered together 8. They were children of fooles yea child en of base men they were viler than the earth 9. And now am I their song yea I am their by-word 10. They abhorre me they flie farre from mee and spare not to spit in my face 11. Because hee hath loosed my cord and afflicted me they have also let loose the bridle before me 12. Upon my right hand rise the youth they push away my feet and they raise up against mee the waies of their destruction 13. They marre my path they set forward my calamity they have no helper 14. They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me 15. Terrours are turned upon me they pursue my soule as the wind and my welfare passeth away as a cloud 16. And now my soule is poured out upon mee the daies of affliction have taken hold upon mee 17.
Let men of understanding tell mee and let a wiseman hearken unto mee 35. Iob hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisedome 36. My desire is that Iob may be or as in the margin my father let Iob be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men 37. For he addeth rebellion unto his sinne he clappeth his hands amongst us and multiplieth his words against God 1. Elihu spake moreover and said 2. Thinkest thou this to be right that thou saidest My righteousnesse is more than Gods 3. For thou saidest What advantage will it be unto thee and What profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sinne 4. I will answer thee and thy companions with thee 5. Looke unto the heavens and see and behold the clouds which are higher than 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 or what receiveth he of thine hand 8. Thy wickednes may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profit the sonne of man 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry they cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty 10. But none saith Where is God my Maker who giveth songs in the night 11. Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser than the fowles of heaven 12. There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of evill men 13. Surely God will not heare vanity neither will the Almighty regard it 14. Although thou saiest thou shalt not see him yet judgement is before him therefore trust thou in him 15. But now because it is not so he hath visited in his anger yet hee knoweth it not in great extremity 16. Therefore doth Iob open his mouth in vaine hee multiplieth words without knowledge 1. Elihu also proceeded and said 2. Suffer mee a little and I will shew thee that I have yet to speake on Gods behalfe 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afarre and will ascribe righteousnesse 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 wisdome 6. Hee preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poore 7. Hee withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with kings are they on the throne yea hee doth establish them for ever and they are exalted 8. And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction 9. Then hee sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they have exceeded 10. Hee openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquity 11. If they obey and serve him they shall spend their daies in prosperity and their yeeres in pleasures 12. But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge 13. But the Hypocrites in heart heape up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them 14. They die in youth and their life is among the uncleane 15. He delivereth the poore in his affliction and openeth their eares in oppression 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitnes and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatnesse 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked judgement and justice take hold on thee 18. Because there is wrath beware lest hee take thee away with his stroke then a great ransome cannot deliver thee 19. Will hee esteeme thy riches no no 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 this hast thou chosen rather than affliction 22. Behold God exalteth by his power who teacheth like him 23. Who hath enjoyned him his way or who can say Thou hast wrought iniquity 24. Remember that thou magnifie his worke which men behold 25. Every man may see it man may behold it a farre off 26. Behold God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his yeeres be searched out 27. For hee maketh small the drops of water they poure downe raine according to the vapour thereof 28. Which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly 29. Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds or the noise of his tabernacle 30. Behold he spreadeth his light upon it and covereth the bottom of the sea 31. For by them judgeth he the people hee giveth meate in abundance 32. With clouds hee covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that commeth betwixt 33. The noise thereof sheweth concerning it the cattell also concerning the vapour 1. At this also my heart trembleth and is moved out of his place 2. Heare attentively the noise of his voyce and the sound that goeth out of his mouth 3. He directeth it under the whole heaven and his lightening unto the ends of the earth 4. After it a voyce roareth hee thundereth with the voyce of his excellencie and he will not stay them when his voice is heard 5. God thundereth marvellously with his voyce great things doth hee which wee cannot comprehend 6. For he saith to the snow Be thou on the earth likewise to the small raine and to the great rain of his strength 7. Hee sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his worke 8. Then the beasts go into dens and remaine in their places 9. Out of the South commeth 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 hee wearieth the thicke cloud he scattereth his bright cloud 12. And it is turned round about by his counsells that they may doe whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth 13. Hee causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy 14. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and 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 ballancings of the clouds the wonderous workes of him which is perfect in knowledge 17. How thy garments are warme when he quieteth the earth by the South-wind 18. Hast thou with him spread out the skie which is strong and as a molten looking-glasse 19. Teach us what we shall say unto him for wee cannot order our speech by reason of darknesse 20. Shall it be told him that I speake if a man speake surely hee shall be swallowed up 21. And now men see not the bright light that is in the clouds but the wind passeth and cleanseth them 22. Faire weather commeth out of the North
forget himselfe toward God as to utter a misbelieving word against him CHAP. II. 1. Againe in like manner as aforesaid there was another time wen as God summoned his ministring Spirits the Angells before him who as at the first time presented themselves to the Lord and so did Satan also 2. Of whom the Lord asked the same question Whence he came c. thereby to give a further occasion more fully to convince Satan of Iobs integrity and to perfect his owne purpose concerning him To whom Satan returned the same answer That hee came from going to and fro upon the earth to find advantages to tempt men 3. Why then saies the Lord thou canst not but have taken speciall notice of my servant Iob what manner of man he is who besides all that I told thee of him touching his faith and honesty which in despite of thee hee hath made good to the utmost thou seest still to continue in his upright-heartednesse and humble obedience towards me although thou prevailed with me thus seemingly to declare my selfe against him and that in such a manner as none but such an one as I have told thee hee is could possibly have borne it as he hath done by laying such heavie afflictions upon him and that without any provocation or cause on his part procuring it 4. 'T is true saies Satan I cannot deny it but he hath held out well and I have got no ground of him hitherto but yet for all that the reason is not as thou saiest from his uprightnesse but from the nature of his sufferings and his owne selfe-respect for hitherto thou hast only tried him with forraine afflictions and hast made him to suffer only in the suffrings of others but hast not touched him at all in his owne person and thou knowest it is naturall to every man nothing so much to lay to heart or be moved with relative as with personall afflictions as is seene by common experience for who will not if he may be his owne chooser rather suffer in any other though never so neere unto him than in himselfe and thinke it a good bargaine to lose all he has to save his life 5 And that thou maist see that this is true let mee prevaile with thee once more to try him a little further with this kind of triall which I have spoken of lay but thine afflicting hand upon his owne person by some bodily pressure and then tell me whether hee retaine his uprightnesse nay then see if my words prove not true that hee will cast off all respect of thee and blaspheme thee to thy face 6. Well saies God seeing thou art not yet convinced goe on I grant thee thy desire doe thy worst to his person also but as before I restrained thee from harming his body so doe I now forbid thee to take away his life 7. Satan glad hee had sped so well quickly left cōmuning with God and went streightway while the anguish of Iobs other afflictions were fresh upon him to put his commission in execution for the trying of him by bodily pressures which hee fulfilled to the uttermost by over-running him in every part from head to foot with a painfull disease strangely breaking out all over his body in grievous and noysome boyles 8. In so much that every one lothed him nor would any endure to lend him their helping hand wherefore being destitute of all other meanes hee himselfe was forced being driven to that poverty and enduring that misery to take for want of better a piece of a broken pot from off the dunghill and there as unfit for any other place to sit downe and scrape the abundant filth from off his body 9. Satan seeing all these temptations would not make Job blaspheme puts him at last directly upon the very point it selfe by the desperat counsell and provoking suggestion of his bosome-friend his wife who in stead of administring conjugall helpe to him by the Divells instigation she takes the opportunity of this his deep dejection to spur him on to a further evill under the plausible pretence of remedy by tempting him no longer to feare and adhere to such a God in dependance and reverence nor any longer to beare his afflicting hand with patience that had thus unmercifully and without cause tormented him but being that he sped no better by his integrity rather to spite God as God had spited him by easting off his fruitlesse faith and patience and turning it into blasphemy for so should he get more from God by provoking him therewith to destroy him out and out than hee had done by blessing him which all this while had gained him no good but procured God to sustaine him alive under insupportable miseries and so was like to doe still 10. But herein also Satan came short of his hopes as we see by Jobs smart reproofe together with his faithfull and humble answer For saies hee to his wife How darest thou utter these words that hast beene brought up in the knowledge of God it were a speech fitter to have come out of the mouth of one of those ignorant heathenish women that have no knowledge of the true God than from thee who hast beene otherwaies instructed and oughtest to know that all the good that wee or any injoy is of his free gift without our procuring or deserving and how comes it to passe then that thou art so farre devoid of godlinesse and reason as not to know it is but equity in God when his good pleasure is to take that from us which of his onely good pleasure hee freely gave unto us In all which triall of Job though in spirit he was sore troubled yet could not Satan get one misbeseeming word from him against God 11 Now when Eliphas the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite which were all godly men and the three speciall friends of Job had heard of all Iobs miseries they came all of them together by joynt appointment from the places where they lived with intent to testifie themselves his true and faithfull friends in a voluntary sympathising his afflictions and so to mitigate his sorrowes by their friendly condolings and to support his spirit by their godly advise 12. But as they drew towards the end of their journey they cast their eyes toward Iobs house and of a sudden seeing him in his owne person in that manner and estate to sit upon the dunghill and his distresse to goe so far beyond report and their owne imaginations of him they through amazement could not believe their own eyes for a while that it was hee whom before they had never seene but in a splendidous fashion but by beholding him being at length assured that pitifull spectacle wa their very friend Iob they could not but through amazement and affectionate sympathy break out into a transported manifestation of their abundant sorrow both in words and
gained and laid up for himselfe and his and of all the great revenew and goodly houses that he and they by wicked meanes had compassed and built to wicked ends and purposes 29. Is it not notorious what he was and cannot every man point him out now for wicked and naught that seeth these markes and judgements upon him will any man say that ever any had the like but such an one 30. Doe not all men know that the time will come that God will certainly reckon with a wicked man for his wickednesse and at last without faile bring ruine upon his head and will make him an example of his justice to all the world in the day that he chooseth to execute his wrath upon him 31. Although no man dare reprove him and tell him he doth wrong nor right himselfe upon him or attempt to punish him because of his imperiousnesse and oppressing might 32. Yet shall God bring him low his judgements shall bring him to his grave even to an everlasting farewell to his former estate 33. God shall so afflict him that he shall desire death as the only way that remaines to give him ease and this say you shall be and ever hath beene the case of every wicked man as well as his 34. Now how vainly may any one judge doe you goe about to comfort me which yet you would be thought to doe when as you apply nothing rightly to mee nor affirme nothing rightly of mee and seeing all your discourses are composed of nothing but mistakes and errors touching God and mee affirming that hee afflicts none but wicked men and that I am and must needs be wicked because I am afflicted both which are false CHAP. XXII 1. ELiphaz the Temanite being now to speake according to course falleth the third time upon Job and saith 2. Granting that thou art righteous as thou saiest yet thou takest a wonderfull fond course thus to glory in it and plead it unto God thereby to bind him to thee seeing a mans being so addes nothing to him it profits him nothing though it doe the owner who in godly wisedome hath obtained to be so 3. Not a jot of benefit God reaps by it nay hee is so farre from being a gainer by thy pleading the perfection of thy waies as that thou makest him thereby suffer in his justice and by pleading thy righteousnesse makest him unrighteous 4. If hee punish thee not for sinne what then doth he plague thee for Is it for feare that in time thou mayest grow so over good that he cannot reward thee or so over great that hee cannot command thee thinkest thou he hath need to take such course with thee for any such cause 5. Man never speake more of it God is just and so are his waies and therefore as thy punishments are great and extraordinary so certainly are thy sinnes 6. For it must needs be that however thou hast carried things cunningly and wee cannot so easily detect thy faults yet doubtlesse thou hast beene extremely too blame and thy waies very wicked wouldst thou but consider and confesse them For no doubt what ever thou saiest to the contrary but thou hast been a great oppressour of the poore and a greedy griper thou hast questionlesse uncharitably taken and unjustly detained thy poore brothers pledge to his great damage and by thy cruell usage hast extremely impoverished them 7. And as thou hast beene an evill-doer in the waies of injury and violence so also doubtlesse thou hast been backeward to doe any good or charitable worke thou hast not relieved the needy 8. But all thy aime and care was to make thy selfe mighty rich and honourable here on earth and therefore all thy labour was to ingrosse it to thy selfe from others 9. Thou hast disappointed the poore widowes hope and hast not righted her upon her wrong-doers and thou hast suffered the fatherlesse to be crushed and hast not afforded them succour when they relied upon and trusted to thee for it 10. Therefore it is and for no other cause that thou art thus plagued on all hands these workes and waies of thine are they that have brought thee into this condition thus to be captivated and all at once suddenly surprized with such fearefull miseries 11. Yea into worse than the plagues themselves even into blindnesse and confusion of minde so as that thou canst neither see what brought thee into them nor how to finde the way out but art as a man under water amuzed in these thy afflictions not knowing which way to take nor what to doe to helpe thy selfe 12. Is not God infinitely higher and more full of light to see and discerne than any of his creatures consider how high the starres are and how far distant from thee and yet they shine downe to thee 13. Much more does God see thee and know thy waies and workes yet such is thy hypocrisie and security that because we who are but men cannot easily detect thee therefore thou thinkest and thy behaviour speakes as much that God can see no evill neither by thee and because thou canst not see him through the clouds that are over thy head therefore thou thinkest hee cannot see nor take notice of thee through them 14. And that his sight is not cleare enough to see through such a medium but that thou art safe enough from his eyes who hath so many thicke and darke clouds betweene thee and him and who dwells at such a distance from thee as is heaven from earth where it seemes thou thinkest he only manages matters and beares rule and not here 15. Hast thou observed the waies of the wicked and the course that God hath of old wont to take with them 16. Dost thou confesse how they have been cut short of their aimes and hopes by an untimely end and how the foundations which they have laid of riches and honour have beene at last wasted away with sudden destruction and ruine as of old by the floud 17. Even such as thou sayest say to God keepe thy Lawes to thy selfe for we 'll not obey them and what care we for what he can doe to us that expect no good from him nor feare no hurt 18. And thou knowest its true too that once hee filled their houses with good things and plenty of them and now how canst thou so confidently and securely exempt thy selfe from their condition and thy waies from theirs seeing thou sharest in their plagues 19. For the righteous are free from such things what ever thou sayest to the contrary they live to see the justice of God executed upon the wicked and rejoyce therein laughing at their folly for taking such waies which they knew long before would have such an end and issue 20. Whereas wee that have beene content with a little got in an honest godly way enjoy
me afraid of him 16. For in this respect God melteth and weakeneth my heart and spirit with feare and astonishment as the wax before the fire and I confesse the thoughts of his Almightinesse is no little trouble to me 17. For because I see he useth it altogether against me and not for mee for by an Almighty power it is that he hath brought mee into this extremity and therewith still continues me under it and hath not rather prevented these intolerable evills by it through death CHAP. XXIV 1. IF God be bound by his justice to punish evill-doers in this life why then is it that he who knows the length of their life and the time of their departure hence yet suffers them to die unpunished and why then doe not the godly and they that serve him alwaies see it so but oft-times the contrary 2. Yea to instance in all sorts of wicked men some goe point-blancke against Gods Commandement and privately doe injury to their neighbour for their owne advantage robbing him of his right by removing his land-marke and others with strong hand take away other mens goods and cattell and securely feed thereon 3. They cruelly oppresse the fatherlesse and mercilessely exact upon the widow 4. They put poore folke to extreme shifts so as they know not how to live and drive them to so narrow a scantling by inlarging their territories that they are faine to croud together like Bees in a hive and for cruelty and oppression dare not shew their faces 5. See if they rather like beasts than men doe not rove and ramble up and downe the earth for booty for them and theirs and care for no body else nor how they come by that they have 6. There is nothing scapes them but other mens both corne and wine by oppression they wickedly usurp and swallow all 7. They are utterly mercilesse having no charity nor pity but destitute the poore of their very bed-clothes inhumanely exposing them to the extremity of cold without clothing 8. Driving them to endure most miserable hardship even to lie out of doores in vehement stormes and tempestuous weather and to take up with the holes of the rockes for houses to dwell in 9. They cruelly extort even the very necessary food that should maintaine and keepe alive the widow and the childe and contrary to all law of God and nature unmercifully take and detaine the poore bodies pledge to his utter undoing 10. Not sticking to strip him starke naked of all both clothing and food that should either cover his nakednesse or satisfie his hunger 11. These oppressors make the poore labouring man to toile hard and to scruze out for them their oile and their wine in the places where they themselves dwell safe and at ease and yet compell him to suffer thirst the while being by their cruelty abridged of his wages and livelyhood dearely earned and not suffered so much as to taste of his owne labours 12. In so much that the miserable grones and outcries of the oppressed that can have no justice done them are vehemently breathed forth to heaven even as a man that lieth mortally wounded at the point of death which one would thinke were an apt occasion and a fit season for God to shew himself in to right the poore innocent and to punish the wicked oppressour and yet for all this we see he keeps silence and doth not plague them 13. Yea is not this true even of such men whose lives are so notorious that they hate the very light which reproves and discovers their evill doings does not I say God spare even them whose owne consciences condemne themselves driving them to act their deeds of darknesse by night and not by day secretly and not openly 14. As for instance the murtherous and cruell-minded man he early executes his mischievous designes with all speed and diligence upon the poore and needy soule that can make no resistance and then obscures himselfe in the night as a thiefe 15. And so againe the adulterous Whoremonger he contrives and longs to fulfill his sinne which hee also effects in the darke by close and cunning carriage 16. The thiefe in the like manner 〈◊〉 the night-bird making use of the day to plot and of the night to exâ—â—â—re his villany not loving the light as inconvenient for his purpose and vexatious to his mind 17. For when the morning comes hee is strucke with feare like a man ready to die he is in miserable dread lest hee should be knowne or found of any 18. He staies not long in a place he flieth all company his conscientiousnesse makes him lead a most miserably solitary and base life not daring to come nere any high way or place of concourse 19. And so they spend their daies and will never leave sinning till death but like as the snow remaines unwasted till the Summer sunne comes and melts it into the ground so doe the wicked subsist and goe on some in one way of wickednesse some in another till the period of death finish their course 20. Then indeed he shall be extinct and be as if he had never been returned shall he be to the dust againe and his memory shall perish and his flourishing in wickednesse shall then have an end as a tree that is broken or blowne downe with the wind 21. But yet in the meane time God may let him live long to doe much mischiefe and to act many injuries unpunished both evill intreating the solitary barren woman who hath none to pity her or take her part as others have and to offer violence in stead of yeelding succour to the friendlesse widdow 22. Yea not onely oppressing the poore thus but also bringing the rich to poverty by his overtopping might dominering and tyrannizing over all sorts of men and making them live in perpetuall feare of him and bondage to him 23. But though he live never so long in safety and prosperity exercising these courses and rest never so confidently on it yet I know he shall certainly be plagued at last though not here for the eyes of God marke him and hee will be sure to reward him with just punishment 24. Though God do which no man can deny exalt them here for a while yet I acknowledge that in justice hee must and will give an end to their waies and by death cut them off but yet oft-times no otherwaies than other men not by any notorious judgement but by a common and naturall death without making difference like corne in harvest 25. And if this be not true that God doth many things above and contrary to mans reason and that hee lets wicked men spend their daies in wickednesse and reserves their judgement till death let any disprove mee that can CHAP. XXV 1. BIldad the Shuhite being moved at Jobs boldnesse toward
punish wrong-doers and wilt thou dare to condemne and taxe him thus of injustice that is even righteousnesse it selfe and the fountaine whence all floweth 18. Thou knowest both how undecent and dangerous it is to taxe an earthly King and to say to him Thou art unrighteous though hee be so or to say to Princes that yet are but mortall men yee are unjust though it be true 19. How much more both dangerous and undecent must it needs be wrongfully to accuse God hereof who abhorres injustice and partiality himselfe not accepting of any whomsoever for personall respects not the Prince above the Peasant nor the rich more than the poore for it is his power that made them equall in nature and his providence that made them differ in condition 20. God brings his plagues oft-times and in many places suddenly and never expostulates the matter but in a trice executes judgement upon all and makes no difference but sweepes away the ignorant common people at a time when they are most secure and least feare it and the great ones also that was fearelesse of any humane strength by a way they never dreamed of 21. For he is both able and exceeding carefull to doe justice to that end diligently beholding every mans waies so that he cannot be mistaken in the execution of judgement who overseeth and knoweth all their courses better than themselves 22. Yea hee sees them all and that most clearely for there is nothing can hide the most secretst sinnes of a wicked man from the sight of God 23. So that however it may seeme to us God hath justice on his side for he will punish no men wrongfully nor by any unjust dealing will he give him just cause to complaine 24. He punisheth all sorts of men not sparing those of the highest ranke who yet are his Vicegerents on earth but proceeds against them and that without any legall processe and examination of witnesses but of his owne accord displaceth them and placeth others in their steads 25. Wherefore we may be sure he hath just cause for what he does and that it is for their deservings that on a sudden unlooked for hee comes so fiercely upon them without warning or discussion of the cause and quite destroyes them 26. Though as I say they be his Vicegerents and next to himselfe yet he spares them not but being wicked they fare alike with others that are so his justice impartially plaguing them in an exemplary manner 27. And the cause no doubt is this for that in the pride of their hearts which great men are subject to they refused obedience and would not learne his waies to walke in them 28. So that by their insolencies they have caused the poore mans cry to come up to God and he shewes it upon them that he hath heard the cry of the oppressed against them 29. God is he that blesseth and afflicteth as he sees good which no man is able by any reason or allegation to prevent or alter and therefore should not dare to quarrell or question him for when he in grace giveth happines who is there that can make unhappy And on the contrary if he in his just displeasure withhold his favour who then can change his minde and countenance when hee frownes whether it be against more or lesse a single man or a whole commonwealth 30. Thus does hee with great and absolute power and in much justice over-rule and order things that so he may controll the insolent wicked man and hinder his tyrannifing and prevent the peoples oppressing which themselves cannot 31. Surely then if God be so just and so powerfull it is a thing meet when we are under his afflicting hand not proudly to expostulate the matter with him upon our owne innocency but to acknowledge him just however absolute hee seemes in laying his chastisement upon us and our selves to have deserved it so as humbly to beg for pardon and promise amendment 32. And if we know not our fault yet assuredly to believe we are in fault and therefore to intreat the Lord to open our eyes that wee may see and know that by our selves which hath offended him and which hee would have amended with humble and hearty promise of it 33. Thinkst thou it fit that the great God of heaven should be counselled by thee in what measure he should correct or in what way hee should amend sinne no hee 'll goe his owne way and doe as hee sees good say thou what thou canst or however it please or displease thee and for mine owne part I dare not entertaine a thought of prescribing any manner of course to him in his proceedings nor censure any of his doings therefore if thou canst acquit thy selfe of this crime and accusation which I have laid to thy charge as thou didst of theirs why speake for thy selfe what thou canst say 34. Nay I appeale to any man of understanding if I speake not truth and justly taxe thee yea let any man that heares me without prejudice and is able to judge taxe mee if I say amisse 35. When as I blame thee for thy pride which is undeniable in thy behaviour and carriage towards God which hath beene very foolish and provoking as thy speeches can witnesse 36. My desire of God is that Job may be throughly convinced of his fault and at last be brought upon his knees and made to eate his words and to glorifie the justice of God by humbly confessing his sinne that so the mouths of wicked men may be stopped to whom he hath given great advantage to blaspheme by his accusing God of hard and unrighteous dealing 37. For in stead of humbling himselfe and confessing his sin for which he suffers and asking pardon for it he hath added rebellion thereunto not sticking as it were to cry victoria against God himselfe in his owne justification even to all our faces and with strange pertinacie to quarrell and upbraid God CHAP. XXXV 1. ELihu yet prosecuted his reproofe of Job to procure his conviction thus 2. Hast thou any plea for thy selfe or thinkest thou that thou art not blame-worthy in uttering as aforesaid such a blasphemous speech as in effect thou hast spoken to wit That thou art more righteous than God 3. For thou hast said that thou art righteous and that thou sufferest undeservedly being thy selfe uublameable and innocent of any offence against God that might justly cause his displeasure and that it availeth thee no more to be righteous than if thou wert the greatest sinner in the world 4. I tremble to heare such audaciousnesse but I will answer thee and all such men as dare in the pride of their hearts venture to stout it thus and argue the matter so with God in stead of humbling themselves and seeking to him in their afflictions 5. Looke thou up unto the heavens
otherwaies with them if they be afflicted and that pressures be upon them yet it is not for want of power wisdome and justice in God 9. But he shewes them cause for it some one sinne or more wherein they have broken their bounds and beene too blame for which he justly afflicts them 10. And as by his rod he teacheth them to know their sin and his justice so also by it he warneth them of and learneth them their duty which is not to cample but humbly to yeeld obedience to his command of turning from the iniquity for which they suffer 11. And then if they take out this lesson and become obedient to him the fruit of it will be That they through the mercy of God shall be eased of their punishment and shall spend the remainder of their life as their hearts can wish in prosperity and pleasure 12. But on the contrary if they stubbornely refuse obedience then Gods anger shall slay them and they shall miserably perish through their owne folly and ignorant presumption 13. So that those that are thus disposed and will not convert but goe on to act the Hypocrites part and affect pride and perversnesse their portion is thereby to adde wrath to wrath for because in humble penitency they sue not to him when hee afflicts them 14. Therefore they come to an hasty and untimely end whereas else they might prolong their daies their life perisheth in his anger and they make without any difference a like end as doth the most foule and filthy Sodomite God esteeming no better of them than equall with the worst of sinners 15. But on the other hand the poore in spirit that cries to him in affliction them he delivers out of it and shewes them the cause of their oppression that they may remedy it and be restored 16. Even thus would he have done by thee hadst thou done thus to him ere this thou hadst beene let out of the stocks thou complainest so of and enjoyed thy liberty to thy hearts desire and as much if not more prosperity and wealth than ever heretofore 17. But thou hast neglected to doe wisely and gone a foolish way to worke as wicked men are wont to doe repining and not humbling thy selfe and now see what comes of it thou hast multiplied thy sorrowes and heaped Gods just indignation upon thee by it 18. Now therefore because God is a wrathfull God feare to persist lest in his just anger hee take thee quite away and then it will be too late to doe what now thou maist doe for nothing can redeeme thee out of that condition or make thee alive againe when thou art dead 19. If thou couldest bid never somuch for it it would be in vaine no riches could purchase or procure it nor could any power or strength enforce it 20. Doe not thou peevishly desire death lest it come too soone and it doe by thee as it does by many an one whom it cuts off in judgement 21. Take heed betime affect not to goe on in sinfull impatiencie wherein thou hast hitherto beene too blame choosing rather to persevere in that sinne then to submit to the will of God in bearing thy affliction humbly 22. But consider well with thy selfe who must restore thee if ever thou beest restored Is it not God onely that by his power can doe it and who can teach thee this better than himselfe hath done by keeping thee all this while that thou hast continued impatient in an helplesse condition for want of humbling thy selfe to him hadst thou eyes to see it 23. Thinke but how unwise thou art in thy reasonings against him For who hath or can prescribe God his way that he should be questionable for erring out of it or what is he that can say if he speake understandingly that any thing the Lord does is sinfull and unjust 24. O remember that another part would better become thee to act then this and that is to have him in reverence and feare for his workes sake that glorious structure of the heavens which all men every where behold and see 25. For it is hid from no mans eyes but all may behold it and should doe well to consider the height and vast distance of it from us 26. O consider that God is infinite in greatnesse and that wee cannot fathome him nor the wisedome and power that is in his works neither can we mortalls that measure time by daies and yeeres conceive the dimensions of eternity which belongeth onely to him 27. We I say cannot comprehend his power and wisdome for he makes we know not how the drops of water which fall from above to be such as they are round and small and causeth the heavens to send downe raine in that manner according to the proportion of exaled vapours 28. Which the clouds sucke in and resolving them into water they send it forth in drops distilling them usefully in that manner and not hurtfully by eruption upon the earth in a sufficient plentifull measure for mans sake 29. Againe as thus we cannot conceive the workmanship that is in ingendring raine in the cloud and the emission thereof in drops so neither can any under the skill that he shewes in spreading forth the clouds to that large extent and disposing them so universally throughout the whole heavens as wee see they are which he does by the winds which hee causeth to blow above among them whereof also we have but little skill to judge 30. Consider how hee spreads his light upon the face of the whole heavens and also how in like manner he spreads the waters in the vast and deep Ocean so that no bottome can be seen or felt 31. I say consider thou these and feare for by these he judgeth the heathen folke that have no other knowledge of him but by the workes of his hands and condemneth them for not improving these to his glory and much more will hee doe so by thee He furthermore gives us all the good creatures which we enjoy for our food and delight in that wonderfull plenty as wee see 32. By assembling the clouds when he pleaseth he darkneth the skie and obscures the sunne keeping away the bright shining thereof from us by his interpofing some one or more gloomie clouds betweene us and it 33. As often experience manifests and more especially is then to be expected when as a raine-aboding wind gives fore-knowledge of it or when as the cattell doe give their naturall presages of an approching raine which they know by instinct being first exhaled in a vapour from the earth their proper Element CHAP. XXXVII 1. BEsides these foresaid works of God which wee come short of in our understanding and capacitie there is yet one speciall one that sets him forth extraordinarily which I never heare nor can so
much as thinke of but my heart trembleth and is put out of it's bias at the consideration of the wonderousnesse and terrour of it 2. Namely the thunder which I would have thee considerately to weigh and hearken to which is as it were the very voice and speech of God speaking his power and Majesty to man and commanding feare and reverence from him 3. How wonderfull is the noise thereof which by his powerfull dispensation is heard both farre and neere and in like manner doth he send forth his terrible lightenings farre beyond our discerning even as it were from one end of the earth to the other 4. And wee see how that so soone as ever the lightening is over presently the thunderclap ensueth and then immediately upon the cracke he powreth forth the aforesaid drops of raine in a most vehement and impetuous manner not gently distilling them as at other times all which together wonderfully set forth God to our amazement 5. I cannot enough make mention of this terrible voyce of God which he so marvellously uttereth in the thunder besides which other great and wonderfull things he doth which wee are no more able to judge of and understand than this 6. For it is onely his power that causeth the snow to fall upon the earth in that quantity which it doth and onely by his appointment is it that it lies there till the time come that it melt away likewise by the same power and appointment it is that we have sometimes the small distilling Aprill-showers and other sometimes the tempestuous stormes of raine throwne out of a mighty hand so differently befall us 7. By the snow lying upon the earth and by the rainie weather he hinders all men from going abroad about their occasions as at other times and makes them keepe house that so he may give every man occasion to see and consider his all-disposing hand and providence in things who forceth them from their imploiments and on whom they are compelled to wait till they be set at liberty to goe about their businesses 8. Thereby also hee compells the wilde beasts to lie dormant in their dens till hee let them loose and give them a fit season to hunt their prey 9. Out of the South-parts of the world he hath ordained the strongest winds to blow and out of the North the coldest 10. By which winds sent of God to that end it is that the frost befalls us whereby the broad waters are contracted and condensated into a lesser roome 11. Also by squeezing the raine out of the cloud upon the earth he utterly drawes it dry and consumes it quite away to nothing be it or seeme it never so thicke and large and with the wind he blowes the bright empty lightsome cloud to pieces which hee brought together and scattereth it by piece-male hither and thither in the aire 12. And all that motion of the clouds which we see passe and repasse over our heads is ordered his wisdome so that they are thereby directed to the end and use whereunto he hath ordained them yea wheresoever they are disposed throughout the whole heavens it is in relation to the earth beneath 13. Hee sends them on his errand whithersoever they goe and wheresoever they settle for either they are sent for correction and punishment to carry unseasonable and superfluous raine or else they are sent to fat and fruiten the land which hee meanes well unto or else in time of drought they are sent in mercy to relieve them that cry unto him 14. Marke well these things O Job let them not passe carelessely out of thy minde but weight and consider all and every the wonderous workes of God 15. And for thy humbling call to minde thy inequality and distance with so great a God Dost thou know the time which was from eternity or wast thou called to counsell when hee thus decreed and disposed all things and made the transparant clouds which doe not darken the light as others doe but serve to reflect it upon us the brighter 16. Dost thou know how the great and ponderous clouds come to hang in the aire Canst thou fathome the depth of that power and wisdome that is in these wonderous workes of God who is onely wise yea perfect in wisdome 17. Canst thou comprehend the power which he shewes in heating the aire so that thou canst not endure thy clothes on thy backe when the season is that he refresheth the earth with the summers sunne and the warme Southerne winds in stead of the cold nipping Northerne blasts 18. Wast thou with him or hadst thou any hand in spreading out the heaven over our heads which is round of forme and consequently of a most strong and perfect frame and for it's matter cleare and transparent like a polished brasen looking-glasse 19. Now thou hast heard this of him I appeale to thee if any man know how to dispute or fault the actions of such a God for we cannot tell what to allege against him because we cannot see the depth of his reach and wisdome in things 20. Methinks a man as I am should feare to have it come to the eares of such a God that hee hath beene so foole-hardy as to open his mouth in such a way for if hee should be disposed to answer him whatsoever hee is that speakes he would certainly be confounded and be made to sit downe with sinne and shame 21. And now the very true reason of mens over-daring in this kinde is because they take no notice of these wonderfull workes of God as of the shining and transparant substance whereof he hath framed some clouds and made them helpfull to the light nor of his skill in causing this which is by ordaining the winds to refine them from their black and watry mixture and causing them to blow for that purpose 22. And how hee sends dry and frostie weather by the winds which blow out of the North which scatter the clouds and purge the aire Did they they would then understand that God is of awfull and terrible Majesty not to be dealt withall in such a manner 23. And indeed he that is Almighty which God is we must need thinke is too deepe for us to fathome and too high for us to reach for hee is every way transcendent excelling in power and in wisedome and abounding in justice in all that ever hee does Hee will not causelessely afflict nor unjustly punish any man 24. Therefore he lookes that men should feare his rod and be humbled under it and not dispute his blowes this is not the way to come off well with him who will never shew favour to any man that through the overweening pride of his owne wisedome affects a way of reasoning the matter with God as thou dost Take heed therefore CHAP. XXXVIII 1. ELihu being fallen upon the
went and feasted in their houses every one his day and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them 5. And it was so when the daies of their feasting were gone about that Iob sent and sanctified them and rose up earely in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for Job said It may be that my sonnes have sinned and cursed God in their hearts Thus did Iob continually 6. Now there was a day when the sonnes of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them 7. And the Lord said unto Satan Whence comest thou Then Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and downe in it 8. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Iob that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill 9. Then Satan answered the Lord and said Doth Iob feare God for nought 10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side thou hast blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is increased in the land 11. But put forth thine hand now and touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy face 12. And the Lord said unto Satan Behold all that hee hath is in thy power onely upon himselfe put not forth thine hand So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. 13. And there was a day when his Sons and his Daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house 14. And there came a messenger unto Iob and said The Oxen were plowing and the Asses feeding beside them 15. And the Sabeans fell upon them and took them away yea they have slaine the servants with the edge of the sword and I only am escaped alone to tell thee 16. While he was yet speaking there came also another and said The fire of God is falne from heaven and hath burnd up the sheepe and the servants and consumed them and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee 17. While he was yet speaking there came also another and said The Caldeans made out three bands and fell upon the Camells and have carried them away yea and slaine the servants with the edge of the sword and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee 18. While he was yet speaking there came also another and said Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eating drinking wine in their eldest brothers house 19. And behold there came a great wind from the wildernes and smote the foure corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee 20. Then Iob arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped 21. And said naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. 22. In all this Iob sinned not nor charged God foolishly 1. Againe there was a day when the sonnes of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them to present himselfe before the Lord. 2. And the Lord said unto Sathan From whence commest thou And Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and downe in it 3. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Iob that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause 4. And Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin yea all that a man hath will hee give for his life 5. But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face 6. And the Lord said unto Satan Behold hee is in thine hand but save his life 7. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord and smote Iob with sore boyles from the sole of his foote unto his crowne 8. And he tooke him a potsheard to scrape himselfe withall and he sate downe among the ashes 9. Then said his wife unto him Dost thou still retaine thine integrity Curse God and die 10 But hee said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh What shall wee receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evill In all this did not Iob sinne with his lips 11. Now when Jobs three friends heard of all this evill that was come upon him they came every one from his owne place Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite for they had made an appointment together to come to mourne with him and to comfort him 12. And when they lift up their eyes a far of and knew him not they lifted up their voyce and wept and they rent every one his mantle and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven 13. So they sate down with him upon the ground seven daies and seven nights and none spake a word unto him for they saw that his griefe was very great 1. After this opened Iob his mouth and cursed his day 2. And Iob spake said 3. Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night in which it was said There is a man-child conceived 4. Let that day bee darknesse let not God regard it from above neither let the light shine upon it 5. Let darknesse and the shaddow of death staine it let a cloud dwell upon it let the blackenesse of the day terrifie it 6. As for that night let darkenesse seize upon it let it not be joyned unto the daies of the yeere let it not come into the number of the moneths 7. Lo let that night be solitary let no joyfull voice come therein 8. Let them curse it that curse the day who are ready to raise up their mourning 9. Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark let it looke for light but have none neither let it see the dawning of the day 10. Because it shut not up the doores of my mothers wombe nor hid sorrow from mine eyes 11. Why died I not from the wombe why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly 12. Why did the knees prevent me or why the the breasts that I should sucke 13. For now should I have lien still and beene quiet I should have slept then had I beene at rest 14. With Kings and Counsellers of the earth which built desolate places for themselves 15. Or with Princes that had gold who filled their houses with silver 16. Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not beene as infants which never saw
believe that he had hearkened unto my voyce 17. For he breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without cause 18. Hee will not suffer me to take my breath but filleth mee with bitternesse 19. If I speake of strength lo he is strong and if of judgement who shall set mee a time to plead 20. If I justifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soule I would despise my life 22. This is one thing therefore I said it he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked 23. If the scourge slay suddenly he will laugh at the triall of the innocent 24. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked he covereth the faces of the Judges thereof if not where and who is he 25. Now my daies are swifter than a post they flie away they see no good 26. They are passed away as the swift ships as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey 27. If I say I will forget my complaint I will leave off my heavinesse and comfort my selfe 28. I am afraid of all my sorrowes I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent 29. If I be wicked why then labour I in vaine 30. If I wash my selfe with snow-water and make my hands never so cleane 31. Yet shalt thou plunge me into the ditch and mine owne clothes shall abhorre me 32. For hee is not a man as I am that I should answer him and wee should come together in judgement 33. Neither is there any daies-man betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both 34. Let him take his rod away from mee and let not his feare terrifie mee 35. Then would I speak and not feare him but it is not so with me 1. My soule is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my selfe I will speake in the bitternesse of my soule 2. I will say unto God Doe not condemne me shew me wherefore thou contendest with me 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the worke of thine hands and shine upon the counsell of the wicked 4. Hast thou eyes of flesh or seest thou as man seeth 5. Are thy daies as the daies of man are thy yeeres as mans daies 6. That thou inquirest after mine iniquity and searchest after my sin 7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand 8. Thine hands have made me and fashioned mee together round about yet thou dost destroy me 9. Remember I beseech thee that thou hast made me as the clay and wilt thou bring me into dust againe 10. Hast thou not powred me out as milke and cruddled mee like cheese 11. Thou hast clothed mee with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones and sinewes 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit 13. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart I know that this is with thee 14. If I sinne then thou markest mee and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity 15. If I be wicked wo unto mee and if I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head I am full of confusion therefore see thou mine affliction 16. For it increaseth thou huntest mee as ' a fircce Lion and againe thou shewest thy selfe marvellous upon me 17. Thou renewest thy witnesses againd me and increasest thine indignation upon me changes and war are against me 18. Wherefore then hast thou brought mee forth out of the wombe Oh that I had given up the Ghost and no eye had seene me 19. I should have been as though I had not been I should have been carried from the wombe to the grave 20. Are not my daies few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little 21. Before I go whence I shall not returne even to the land of darknesse and the shadow of death 22. A land of darkenesse as darknesse it selfe and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknesse 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said 2. Should not the multitude of words be answered and should a man full of talke be justified 3. Should thy lies make men hold their peaces and when thou mockest should no man make thee ashamed 4. For thou hast said My doctrine is pure and I am cleane in thine eyes 5. But oh that God would speake and open his lips against thee 6. And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdome that they are double to that which is know therfore that God exacteth of thee lesse than thine iniquity deserveth 7. Canst thou by searching finde out God canst thou finde out the All-mighty unto perfection 8. It is as high as heaven what canst thou doe deeper than hell what canst thou know 9. The measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea 10. If hee cut off and shut up or gather together then who can hinder him 11. For he knoweth vaine men he seeth wickednesse also will hee not then consider it 12. For vain man would be wise though man be borne like a wilde Asses colt 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him 14. If iniquity be in thine hand put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles 15. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not feare 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery and remember it as waters that passe away 17. And thine age shall be clearer than the noon-day thou shalt shine forth thou shalt be as the morning 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety 19. Also thou shalt lie downe and none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make sute unto thee 20. But the eyes of the wicked shal faile and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost 1. And Iob answered and said 2. No doubt but yee are the people and wisdome shall die with you 3. But I have understanding as well as you I am not inferiour to you yea who knoweth not such things as these 4. I am as one mocked of his neighbour who calleth upon God and hee answereth him the just upright man is laughed to scorne 5. He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lampe despised in the thought of him that is at ease 6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly 7. But aske now the beasts they shall teach thee and the fowles of the aire and they shall tell thee 8. Or speake to the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the sea shal declare unto thee 9.
shall flow away in the day of his wrath 29. This is the portion of a wicked man from God and the heritage appointed unto him by God 1. But Iob answered and said 2. Heare diligently my speech and let this be your consolations 3. Suffer mee that I may speake and after that I have spoken mock on 4. As for mee is my complaint to man and if it were so why should not my spirit be troubled 5. Marke mee and be astonished and lay your hand upon your mouth 6. Even when I remember I am afraid and trembling taketh hold on my flesh 7. Wherefore doe the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power 8. Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from feare neither is the rod of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her calfe 11. They send forth their little ones like a flocke and their children dance 12. They take the timbrell and harpe and rejoyce at the sound of the organ 13. They spend their daies in wealth and in a moment goe downe to the grave 14. Therefore they say unto God depart from us for wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies 15. What is the Allmighty that wee should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him 16. Lo their good is not in their hand the counsell of the wicked is farre from me 17. How oft is the candle of the wicked put out and how out commeth their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrowes in his anger 18. They are as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children he rewardeth him and he shall know it 20. His eyes shall see his destruction and hee shall drinke of the wrath of the Almighty 21. For what pleasure hath hee in his house after him when the number of his moneths is cut off in the midst 22. Shall any teach God knowledge seeing he judgeth those that are high 23. One dieth in his ful strength being wholly at ease and quiet 24. His breasts are full of milke and his bones are moistened with marrow 25. And another dieth in the bitternesse of his soule and never eateth with pleasure 26. They shall lie downe in the dust and the wormes shall cover them 27. Behold I know your thoughts the devices which you wrongfully imagine against me 28. For ye say Where is the house of the prince and where are the dwelling places of the wicked 29. Have yee not asked them that goe by the way and doe yee not know their tokens 30. That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath 31. Who shall declare his way to his face and who shall repay him what he hath done 32. Yet shall hee be brought to the grave and shall remaine in the tombe 33. The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him and every man shall draw after him as there are innumerable before him 34. How then comfort ye me in vain seeing in your answers there remaineth falshood 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. Can a man be profitable unto God as hee that is wise may be profitable unto himselfe 3. Is it any pleasure to the Allmighty that thou art righteous or is it gaine to him that thou makest thy waies perfect 4. Will hee reprove thee for feare of thee Will hee enter with thee into judgement 5. Is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquities infinite 6. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought and stripped the naked of their clothing 7. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drinke and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry 8. But as for the mighty man he had the earth and the honourable man dwelt in it 9. Thou hast sent widdowes away empty and the armes of the fatherlesse have been broken 10. Therefore snares are round about thee and sudden feare troubleth thee 11. Or darknesse that thou canst not see and abundance of waters cover thee 12. Is not God in the height of heavens and behold the height of the stars how high they are 13 And thou sayest How doth God know can hee judge through the darke cloud 14. Thicke clouds are a covering to him that hee seeth not and hee walketh in the circuit of heaven 15. Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have troden 16. Which were cut down out of time whose foundation was overflowne with a flood 17. Which said unto God Depart from us and what can the Allmighty doe for them 18. Yet he silled their houses with good things but the counsell of the wicked is farre from me 19. The righteous see it and are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorne 20. Whereas our substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumeth 21. Acquaint now thy selfe with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee 22. Receive I pray thee the law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart 23. If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles 24. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brookes 25. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence or as in the margin thy gold and thou shalt have plenty of silver 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God 27. Thou shalt make thy praier unto him and he shall heare thee and thou shalt pay thy vows 28. Thou shalt also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon thy waies 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say There is lifting up and hee shall save the humble person 30. Hee shall deliver the Island of the innocent and it is delivered by the purenesse of thine hands 1. Then Iob answered and said 2. Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroke is heavier than my groning 3. O that I knew where I might find him and that I might come even to his seat 4. I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments 5. I would know the words which hee would answer me and understand what he would say unto me 6. Will he plead against me with his great power No but hee would put strength in me 7. There the righteous might dispute with him so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge 8. Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him 9. On the left hand where hee doth worke but I cannot behold him he hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him 10. But hee knoweth the way that I take