that made much of them would not be able to endure them Since the condition of the dead hath its misfortunes as well as that of the living 11 Therefore I will not refraine my mouth I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule I will permit my mouth to speak and my heart to sigh I will vent my miseries in my complaints and giving liberty to my griefe I am resolved to speak to God whatever it shall suggest 12 Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me Doth my pride equall the seas that you should keepe me in prison as you doe it in captivity and am I as furious as those monsters which you shut up in the Abysse that you treat me with the like Rigor This restraint gives me a thousand paines a day 13 When I say My bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint and if I say when the night is come my Bed shall be my comfort I shall finde ease in relating it my displeasures and sleepe shall give some intermission to my Torments All these hopes are false 14 Then thou skarest me with dreams and terrifiest me through visions for you make Apparitions passe before my eyes which frighten me and you command dreames to put on hiddeous formes to trouble me during my repose Wherefore my soule yeelding to the assault of sorrow 15 So that my soule choseth strangling death rather than my life wisheth nothing but a gibbit and death which is the Terrour of the guilty is the desire and hope of the most unhappy and most innocent of all men And certainly I may well be pardoned if I have the sentiments 16 I loath it I would not live alway let me alone for my dayes are vanity of one that is desperate for in the force of my evils and in the weaknesse of my body it is necessary that I die if notwithstanding my conjectures are not true and after so many sorrowes I must yet live treat me more gnetly Lord and search no other motive of your mercy than the shortnesse of my dayes and the misery of my life What is man that you should undertake his ruine with so much indignation 17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him you make him insolent in declaring your self his enemy whatsoever misfortune befalls him in this combat he will have the advantage esteeme himself too glorious in having been the object of your anger As if it were very difficult to conquer him 18 And that thou shouldest visite him every morning and try him every moment you imploy at once sweetnesse severity for one while you flatter him as a childe and presently after you threaten him as a slave How long will yee deferr the pardon which an innocent man askes of you 19 How long wilt thou not depart from me nor let me alone till I swallowed down my spittle and when will the houre come that my tongue being no longer fastned to my palate I may forme words at liberty O divine protector of men I will betray my innocence 20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am a burden to my selfe and confesse that I have sinned but what shall I do to appease you since all my cares have been hitherto unprofitable and notwithstanding all I can do I can neither please you nor endure my self nor be well with my self being ill with you Rather of a guilty man make an innocent 21 And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seeke me in the morning but I shall not be deface my fin by your grace and deferre no longer to accord me this favour for considering the evils that I feele the grave will presently be my dwelling and if you retard your favours till the morning I shall be no longer capiable to receive them CHAP. VIII THE ARGUMENT BIldad one of the Princes who had left his state to come comfort Job speakes and after he had reproached him with his injustice dilates himselfe upon the miseries of the wicked and makes him hope that if he change his life he shall change his fortune WHen Job had finished this discourse 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said which he had not begun but to defend his innocence Bildad who held the second ranke amongst his friends spake and following the example of Eliphaz said to him with some heat How long will you talke indiscreetly 2 How long wilt thouspeak these things and how long shal the words of thy mouth be like a strong winde how long will ye wander in these extravagant discourses and accuse Heaven of injustice and your friends of infidelity Do you thinke that God who is the supream justice pronounceth unjust decrees 3 Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almighty pervert justice and that when he useth his power to punish men he proportions not the punishments to their sins Though your children have offended him 4 If thy children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression and that the sudden and unthought of death which they have suffered be the just punishment of their crimes You may profit by their misfortune 5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes make thy supplication to the Almighty and be made wise at their expence In a word if in your misery you implore the succors of heaven and if in the morning when the season is calme and your minde cleare you present it your prayers 6 If thou wert pure and up right surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous If you are sincere in your intentions and modest in your words God who at present seems to be asleepe will awake for to thinke upon you and after he hath restored peace to your soule he will restore its former luster to your house 7 Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase he will recompence your losses with interest and the felicity which he prepares for you shall be greater than that whose losse you regrett But since 8 For enquire I pray thee of the former age and prepare thy selfe to the search of their fathers this being no good security my promises may be suspected of you consult the times of our fathers read the histories of our Granfathers and consider what they have written in favour of the truth which I declare For we our selves are too 9 For we are but of yesterday and know nothing because our dayes upon earth are a shadow young to be beleeved our life being
not very long our experience cannot be great and we may be ignorant of many things since we know not that our dayes disperse themselves like a shadow which vanisheth at the light of the Sun Those sage old men who have had the Angells for their masters shall resolve you in your doubts 10 Shall not they teach thee and tell thee and utter words out of their heart and their discourses more eloquent than mine shall perswade you that the happinesse of the wicked cannot long endure and that the misery of the just must presently end But if nature herself be the mistresse of men and if we may draw instructions from all the creâ—tures 11 Can the rush grow up without mire can the flag grow without water do not you see that these fayre flowers which the rushes of the Marshes beare cannot live without humidity 12 Whilest it is yet in his greennesse and not cur down it withereth before any other hâ—th and that to remove them from the water is to condemne them to death that when they do but blosome before the hand of men hath defiled their beauty if only humidity be wanting there is no herbe which dyes so soone and the same day which saw them borne sees them dye It is just so with the prosperity of the wicked 13 So are the paths of all that forget God the hypocrites hope shall perish for though all things succeed â—ccording to their desices if the grace of God be wanting it is necessary that they perish 14 Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spiderâ— web and when to deceive mâ—â— they shall seeme pious in appearance God who seeth the bottome of the heart shall nor saile to punish them The designe which they have to cover their sins under the cloke of piety shall not succeede and the vaine hopes wherewith they flatter themselves shall resemble the spiders webs which have never so much artifice but they have as much weaknesse They shall relye upon the greatnesse of their house 15 He shall lean upon his house but it shal not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not endure but it shall fall like them They shall indeavour to support it by their Alliances but whatsoever cunning they use they shall have the displeasure of seeing it overthrowne but shall not have the power to raise it up Finally to keepe to the tearmes of our first comparison we must confesse that the fortune of the wicked is like to the beauty of the reeds for to see them in the morning in those moyst places where they have their birth you would judge that the spring which sees all the flowers borne and dye would never see them have an end Notwithstanding when the sun is in his Meridian 16 He is greene before the sun his branch shooteth forth in his garden and beats perpendicularly upon their heads he doth not only deface all their beauty but dryes up their roots 17 His roots are wrapped about the heap and seeth the place of stones and depriving them of that moysture which nourished them he makes them more arrid than the rocks Finally he so consumes them by his heat that there remains no rest of them and if the earth which bore them could speake it would say that it had lost the remembrance of them 'T is one of the recreations of this beautifull starre to ruine his workes for to produce new ones 18 If he destroy him from his place then it shall deny him saying I have not seen thee and to keep up the beauty of the world by the variety of his effects 19 Behold this is the joy of his way and out of the earth shall others grow And 't is one of the employments of divine Justice to chastise the wicked and to ruine their fortune and to stifle their glory in the birth Divine bounty 20 Behold God will not cast away a perfect man neither will he help the evill doers its deare companion treats not the simple so for it takes care of preserving them it imbraceth their interests and refusing its assistance to the wicked it tacitely consents to their ruine This generall rule shall have no exception for you 21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with rejoyceing and if you are faithfull to God your bad fortune shall change into a better joy shall appeare againe upon your countenance and laughter recovering its place upon your lips shall banish sadnesse and griefe And as the punishment of the wicked is a part of the happinesse of the just 22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought they who have made warre against you shall be rigorously punished and you shall have the contentment of seeing shame upon their faces and misery in their houses CHAP. IX THE ARGUMENT JOB avowes that there is none just before God and after he had established this maxime by an ample description of the soveraignty of God he againe defends his innocence and shewes that in the tearmes of Justice he ought rather to be rewarded than punished JOB 1 Then Job answered and said who saw well that his intentions were sinisterly interpreted and that they suspected him to accuse heaven of injustice to purge himselfe of this crime and reclayme his enemy from this errour said to him I agree with you that there is none innocent before God 2 I know it is so of a truth but how should man be just with God that our perfections compared with his are reall faults as our Being compared with his is nothing I know that a man being so rash as to dispute with him 3 If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand can carry nothing away in the conflict but shame and losse and that of a thousand things whereof God may accuse him he shal hardly purge himselfe of one If they make warre against him with open force 4 He is wise in heart mighty in strength who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered he is Almighty and if they thinke to surpriae him by Artifice he is Wisdome it selfe he laughs at our attempts and our subtilties and whosoever opposeth his Will it is necessary he resolve upon an eternall warre He looseneth the Mountaines from their roots 5 Which 50veth the mountains and â—â—ey know not which overturneth them in his anger he fills the Vallies with their breaches and he causeth this destruction so suddenly that those who should resent it can neither foresee nor avoid it He makes the earth tremble when he pleaseth 6 Which shaketh the earth our of her place and the pillars thereof tremble and though it be the center of the world he makes it change its place when he will and those columnes which serve it for
originall but the same blood which you have thus diversified As your divine wisedome leaves nothing imperfect in nature 12 Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit you animated this worke with the breath of your mouth and as your providence abandons not your creatures you conserved that by your care which you have produced by your mercy Although it seeme you agree not with me in all this discourse 13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart I know that this is with thee and that to conceale your sentiments from me you treat me rather as your enemy then as your creature I know that you retaine the memory of the favours which you have done me and that you cannot resolve to ruine a man whom you have so much obliged But if these conjectures are true 14 If I sin then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity why then do you punish me the sins of my youth cannot be the cause for I have repented of them and you have pardoned them why then am I not exempt from the punishment if I am absolved from the offence Whatsoever it be 15 If I be wicked wounto me and if I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head I am full of confusion therefore see thou mine affliction you ought not to punish me with so much rigour for if I am guilty I shall bee unhappy enough my sinne shall serve me for punishment and if I am just my innocence shall not cause in me any vanity for alas whence should he have it whom you make drunke with teares and whom you surfet with miseries Notwithstanding as if I were the proudest of men 16 For it increaseth thou huntest me as a fierce Lion and again thou shewest thy selfe marvellous upon me you treat me like a savage beast The huntsmen exercise not more cruelties upon a furious Lionesse then you exercise upon me and when I beleeve that my miseries are about to end you returne more animated then ever and make me suffer new ones which beget astonishment and horror in the minds of those who behold them 17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me and increasest thine indignation upon me changes and war are against me All your creatures serve for your anger your Angels and your Devils are witnesses which depose against me and the diseases which assault me are the souldiers which defend your quarrell Since you did reserve me for so many miseries 18 Wherfore then hast thou brought me forth out of the wombe Oh that I had given up the ghost and no eye had seen me why did you take me out of the womb of my mother and since you have concluded that I should be the Fable of the world and that my misery should be as shamefull as it is unjust why did you not oblige death to take away my life 19 I should have been as though I had not been I should have been carried from the wombe to the grave for to conserve my honour I should be now as if I had not been and without passing through those different degrees of a long miserable life I should have been carryed from the Cradle to the Grave and from the wombe of my proper Mother into the bosome of my common one 20 Are not my dayes few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little Shall my desires never be heard shall the yeares which seem so short to contented men and so long to the unhappy never end with me will you Lord never give me any truce to sigh forth my griefs with freedom 21 Before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darknesse and the shadow of death Grant me this favour before I leave the world and that to obey the decree which you have pronounced against all men 22 A land of darknesseÌ„ as darknesse it self and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknesse I returne to the bosome of the earth where the light never dissipates the darknesse where happinesse never succeeds misery where Death never suffers life where order raignes no more and where Confusion hath established her empire CHAP. XI The Argument ZOphar Job's third friend upbraides him with the insolence of his words and to take downe the pride of which he accuseth him he represents to him diverse perfections of God and to rayse his courage also which he conceived depressed with griefe he promiseth him a happy change in his fortune if in this disaster he hath recourse to prayer CHAP. XI WHen grief had shut up the mouth of Job 1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said Zophar his third friend who took all his words for blasphemies sayd to him with more passion then charity 2 Sould not the multitude of words be answered and should a man full of talke be justified You must needs be barren in reasons since you are so fruitfull in injuries and we may well inferre that prudence hath little part in your actions since after having spoken so long you yet make difficulty of hearing us 3 Should thy lies make men hold their peaces and when tho â—mockdst should no man make thee ashamed You have too much vanity if you beleeve that men be obliged to approve your discourses and to suffer you to be insolent because you are miserable your scurrilities would well deserve censures and t is to treat you with too much sweetnesse to confute them by our reasons and to give you good advice for injuries 4 For thou hast said my doctrine is pure and I am clean in thine eyes You have said with a high insolence that your words and actions were pure and that God himself in his tribunall where he examines all things with rigour could condemne nothing in your person You would change your language if he had conversed with you 5 But oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee and if doing you an honour whereof you are unworthy he had opened his mouth to declare to you his secrets You would see that one must be very just to observe all his lawes 6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdome that they are double to that which is knowe therefore that God exacteth of thee lesse then thine iniquity deserveth and whatsoever good opinion you have of your innocence you would acknowledge that the paines which you suffer are much lesse then your sinnes and that God never had so much rigour but that he hath more bounty Your pride is the cause of your destruction 7 Canst thou by searching finde out God canst thou finde out the Allmighty unto perfection and without considering that you cannot conceive the least workes of God you would comprehend his perfections and know why his providence permitts the
of my state 25 If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much and if I have thought that I was more puissant than my neighbours because I was more rich I oblige my self to the same punishment 26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the moon walking in brightnesse if the estate which my Predecessors have left me or that which mine own cares have acquired me have given me any vanity and if when Heaven hath blessed my lands and augmented my flocks they have seene me more joyfull or more insolent if I have superftitiously looked upon the Sun when at his rising he discovers all his beauty and when the people of the earth prostrate themselves to adore him or if with Idolatrous eyes I have looked upon the Moone when she is in the full and marcheth over our heads with so much pompe and light If the sight of those two slarres have given me sentiments either of respect or joy 27 And my heart hath bin secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand if their beauty have perswaded me that they were the Gods of the world and if lowing my head or kissing my hand I have reverenced their greatnesse and implored their assistance 28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge for I should have denyed the God that is above If I have committed this crime which surpasseth all others and which endeavours to drive God from his Throne to deface his Name out of the minds of men and to render his creatures an honour which is due onely to Him I would that Heaven might chastize this sinne with an eternity of miseries If the ruine of mine enemies hath rejoyced me 29 If I rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated me for lâ—â—t up my self when evill found him and if by a notorious basenes which cannot fall upon a great conrage their miseries have begotten my pleasures and the ill successe of their affaires hath given me contentment I will perish with them I make this imprecation so much the more boldly 30 Neither have I snffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul as I know that my tongue was never given to detraction and that my heart hath never formed any wishes which were prejudiciall to the safety of my enemies Notwithstanding I wanted neither power nor occasion to revenge my self 31 If the men of my tabernacle said not Oh that we had of his flesh we cannot be satisfied for I had not any about my house but would have cut them in peeces if I had desired it and who to repaire my honour on content my passion would noâ— have devoured them If I have kindely treated mine enemies 32 The flranger did not lodge in the street but I opened my doors to the traveller I have no lesse courteously received strangers for I never suffered them to passe the nights in the fields and without inquiring of their condition or their birth it was sufficient that they were Travellers to oblige me to open them the gates of my house If I have concealed any sin 33 If I have covered my transgression as Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosom like that unhappy man whose children we are and if I have preferred a little honour before the repose of my conscience and if I have hidden my faults and would passe for innocent though I were guilty If I have been afraid of the people 34 Did I seare a great multitude or did the contempt of families terrifie me that I kept silence went not out of the door and if their tumults have made me change my good designes if the contempt which they have had of mine Alies hath given me resentment or if rather keeping filence and staying at home I have not let their differences be determined by disinterested Judges I condemne my selfe to the punishment which this injustice may deserve But I reade in your countenances 35 Oh that one would hear me behold my desire is that the Almighty would answer me and that mine adversary had written a book that these true discourses finde no belief in your minde so that your incredulity makes me wish that God would give me more reasonable Auditors or that he himselfe who ought to judge me would write down my complaints and make a booke of them 36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder and binde it as a crown to me to the end that I might tye it upon my shoulders and that it might serve me for ornament or that I might put it upon my head and that it might serve me for a crowne that it might publish mine innocence and protect me from your calumnies Wheresoever I go it shall be mine onely comfort and to give it the more credit I will present it to some Prince which shall cause it to be read in his Dominion and make mine innocence as knowne as it is hidden But because you accuse me of tyranny 38 If my sand cry against me or that the furrows likewise thereof complain and that your discourses are all full of reproaches know that if the Lands are desert long of me and if the abandoned furrowes complaine of my violence 39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life if I have deprived the husbandmen of their hopes or if making the labours of their hands unprofitable I have afflicted their minds and drawne teares from their eyes 40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat and cockle in stead of barley The words of Job are ended I am content that heaven curse my lands that their sterility may not be conquered by those that cultivate them that for wheat they may give me but thistles and that for the barley which I shall sowe they may bring but thornes CHAP. XXXII THE ARGUMENT ELihu a young man by conditiâ—n who had assisted in the dispute which Job had with his friends demands that they would heare him and promiseth that his minde will provide him reasons for to defend the cause of God and to oppose the obstinacy of Job THose three persons broke up the conference 1 So these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes and replyed no more to Job whether perswaded by his reasons they beleeved that he was innocent or whether as it is more probable they lost all hope of making him confesse that he was guilty A young man 2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God the sonne of Barachel of the Countrey of Buz and of the family of Râ—â— who had been present at all this dispute grew angry at Job and was principally offended that he persisted in his first
give to men in my discourse those glorious gualities which belong onely to God 22 For I know not to give flattering titles in so doing my Maker would soone take me away Though reason did not oblige me to have these thoughts the feare of the future would cause them in me for I know not how long I must live the day of my death is as hidden as it is certaine and without conferring with my Creator I cannot foresee when he will take me out of the world CHAP. XXXIII THE ARGUMENT ELiku addresseeh his discourse to Job and after he had gently insinuated into his minde he sharply reproves him for the liberty of his words which he qualifies with the name of blasphemies and represents to him divers meanes wherewith God serves himself to reduce sinners to their duty ELihu 1 Wherefore Job I pray thee hear my speeches and hearken to all my words who judged that his Auditors were disposed to heare him and that there remained not any thing more to prepare the minde of Job said to him As you are most interested in the cause you are most obiged to heare me lend your eare then to my discourses and despise not reasons which as well regard the good of your soule as the honour of God 2 Behold now I have opened my mouth my tongue hath spoken in my mouth Behold then I open my mouth to speake to you with liberty and I oblige my tongue to furnish me with words which ought to be so much the lesse suspected as they are mine and as I shall imploy them for truth onely and not for the passion of your enemies 3 My words shall be of the uprightesse of my heart and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly You shall see by the sincerity of my discourse that my designe is not to confound you but to instruct you with this right intention I shall deduce my reasons so cleerely that it shall be no trouble to you to comprehend them 4 The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Those promises which I make you must not seeme impossible to you since it is the Spirit of God which makes me speake and my tongue being but the interpreter of his thoughts my eloquence is more divine than human 5 If thou canst answer me set thy words in order before me stand up But doe not beleeve that in the lists where we enter I would have all the advantage be on my side I desire that our weapons may be equall that you may fight with all your forces that you turne not away your face and that it be permitted you as well to assault me as to defend your selfe 6 Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay And certainely the match is very equall for if God be your Father he is also mine if we are his Children we are Brothers and if he hath moulded my body of dirt he hath not formed yours of a more noble matter 7 Behold my tertour shall not make thee afraid neither shall my hand be heavie upon thee I beseech you onely that the wonders which I shall tell you may not astonish you that that heat which accompanies the discourses of young men may give you no alarum and that the eloquence wherewith heaven hath favoured me may not render suspected the truth which I shall declare But for feare you should beleeve that I would make monsters to destroy them 8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing and I have heard the voice of thy words saying and put false opinions upon you to oppose them I shall faithfully relate them in the same words which you served your selfe with to make us comprehend them You have said with more insolence then truth 9 I am clean without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me that your heart was pure that sinne had never sullied it that all your intentions had been good and that youâ— actions had not been lesse innocent that heaven haâ— sought cccasions to hurt you that without having found reall sinnes which it mighâ— justly punish it had fained imaginary ones and that making your complaints passe for crimes it had treated you as rigorously as if you had been its enemy That to secure it selfe of you as they doe of Malefactors 10 Behold he findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy it was not content to put irons upon your legges but it had put salve to spy all your actions 11 He putteth my feetin the stocks he marketh all my paths and set Guards upon you to relate unto it all your words These discourses are blasphemies 12 Behold in this thou art not just I wil answer thee that God is greater then man but least you should thinke that I will sence my selfe rather with authority then reason I shall tell you that the Majesty of God obligeth us to reverence all his designes and that his greatnesse forbids us for to condemne his judgements You pretend that he doth wrong 13 Why dost thoustrive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters and that his proceeding is unjust because he despiseth your words and answers not to all the reproaches which you use in the resentment of your griefes But besides that these injurious complaints oblige not him to reply to you 14 For God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not know that his greatnesse dispenseth with him for speaking so often and that when he hath once made us to understand his will nothing obligeth him to informe us of it anew and when he hath given us any advice we ought to follow it and not to demand any other Sometimes he advertiseth men in the night 15 In a dreame in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed and when Ghosts fly through the Ayre and that all is filled with darknesse and dreames and that rest charmes the sences and that men plunged in sleep are neither in the number of the living nor the dead He speakes secretly to the eares of their heart 16 Then he openeth the ears of men sealeth their destruction whilst those of their body are shut up and in a condition where it seemes they are uncapable of apprehending any thing he declares to them his will and by imaginations which he paints in their fancies he afflicts or comforts them As he labours for their salvation as well as for his owne honour 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man he gives them this advice but to make them better for whether it be to withdraw them from their finne or for to deliver them from the pride which tyrannizes over them and make them free in making them become humble Or whether it be
to advertise them of the misfortune which threatens them 18 He keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword informe them of the bad designe of their enemies discover to them the treasons which they plot against them and preserve them from a violent and suddaine death He speakes to them also sometimes by griefes 19 He is chastened also with paine upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong paine and serves himselfe with diseases to instruct them he takes from them the power of doing evill so that he may take from them the desire of it and commands a languishing Feaver to burne their entrailes and to consume that moysture which nourisheth the bones and conserveth life You shall see them then in bed dejected and distasted 20 So that his life abhorteth bread and his soule dainty meart the best meats displease them Bread which is the most innocent of Elements and which changeth it selfe most easily into our substance â—auseth aversion in them and those delicate meats which they sought so passionately are no lesse horrid to them then poyson When the Malady contitues their colour changes 21 His flesh is consumed away that it cannot beseen and his bones that were not seen stick out their favour vanishes they become so leane that the bones pierceing the skiâ—me they seeme rather Skeletons than men Physitians give them over those which see the loathsome symptomes which accompany their disease judge it mortall and beleeve that without a Miracle they cannot escape But whilest every one despaires of their life 23 If there be a messenget with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnes that Angel which hath been chosen out of a thousand to be their Tutelar undertakes to convert them and to defend them The Majesty of God which takes pleasure in being overcome by the prayers of hiâ— people will give him charge to cure them 24 Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe to the pit I have found a ransome and his Mercy which is ingenious in obligeing them will finde something in their persons wherewith to satisfie his Justice 25 His flesh shall befresher then a childes he shall return to the days of his youth it will ordaine that their body which hath been consumed by sicknesse be established in its former vigour and that by secrets which Physick and Nature doe not know it be restored to that beauty which it possessed in its prime Then their Sicknesses 26 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he wil render unto man his righteousnesse joyning their prayers with those of their good Angels shall make heaven propitious to them and not to be ingratefull for so rare a favour they shall thanke God in his Temple with a thousand testimonies of joy which shall be followed with a perfect cure of their body and of their soule As a true repentance is alwaies accompanied with a humble confession 27 He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not they shall publish aloud the goodnesse of God and the excesse of their offence they shall say every where we have sinned against heaven and with whatsoever punishment we have been chastised we protest that it hath been lesse then our crime So by an innocent cunning they deliver themselves from the misfortune which threatned them 28 He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light preserve their body and their soule from a double death and procure themselves by their repentance a double life See the order which God observes for to convert sinners 29 Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man and the divers meanes which he uses to reduce them to their duty 30 To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living but their malice must not entertaine it selfe in a rash confidence for when he hath touched them twice or thrice without effect they must feare least his bounty grow weary and that the contempt which they make of his favours oblige him not to refuse them Learne then these secrets afflicted Prince 31 Marke well O Job hearken unto me hold thy peace and I will speak hearken peaceably to him which discovers them to you and since all this discourse is so profitable to your Soule rouse up your attention and continue your silence If notwithstanding you have any good reply to make me 32 If thou hast any thing 20 say answer me speak for I desire to juâ—â—fie thee I am ready to heare it and obliging my selfe to the same Lawes which I have prescribed you I will patienly heare all your Reasons for passion possesseth not my soule and you cannot doe me a greater pleasure then to perswade me that you are innocent But if you cannot doe it 33 If not hearken unto me hold thy peace and I shall teach thee wisdom and if you want colours to palliate so bad a cause as yours I am content to speake in your favour and to teach you true wisedome provided that on your part you also persever in the designe of hearkning to me CHAP. XXXIV THE ARGUMENT ELihu gives liberty to his eloquence imputeth new erimes to Job and by experience of the punishment wherewith Heaven punisheth bad Princes endeavours to perswade him that he is of the number of them and that his misfortune is the chastizement of his tyranny ELihu continued his discourse 1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said and accompanied it with all the exteriour graces which make an Oratour agreeable and which charme the sences of the Auditors to make his reasons passe with more delight into their mindes Wise men saith he 2 Heare my words O ye wise men and give eare unto me ye that have knowledge who have intelligence of all divine and humane things observe exactly my thoughts and you learned men whose minde knowledge and travaile polisheth hearken carefully what I have to tell you For as the taste discernes meats approves the good 3 For the eat â—â—eth words as the mouth tasteth meat and condemnes the bad so the eare judges of words rejects he false and receives the true Call then your minde to the succour of your sences 4 Let us chuse to us judgement let us know among our selves what is good for to make a judgement which is not passionate and despoyled of your in terest choose that which shall seeme to you the best and the most just Remen ber that Job hath bragged of being innocent 5 For Job hath said I am righteous and God hath taken away my judgement and that by a blasphemy which his vanity hath drawn from his mouth
it is as secure against our outrages as it is elevated above our heads If you offend him whose Throne it is 6 If thou sinnest what doest thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplied what doest thou unto him if you multiply your crimes for to satisfie the desire which you have to displease him what injury will you doe his Glory which depends not upon your opinion what wrong will you doe his State the peace or confusion whereof depends not but upon his owne will Or if out of a better designe you serve him faithfully 7 If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand what advantage shall he draw from your duty If you load his Altars with Sacrifices and if you enrich the Temples which they have erected to his honour what profit shall he receive thence who accepts not our presents but to returne them us backe with interest It is to man who is your equall that your injustice may be prejudiciall 8 Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profit the son of man and not to God who is your Soveraigne it is to man I say who hath nothing and not to God who possesseth all things that your bounty can be profitable There need no other proofs to confirme this truth 9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty than the complaints of the miserable whose reputation the calumny of detractors takes away and the teares of those poore slaves from whom the injustice and violence of Tyrants force their liberty If Heaven sometime permit this oppression they ought not blame it 10 But none saith Where is God my Maker who giveth songs in the night since they who have suffered it have well deserved it for they had forgotten God 11 Who teacheth us more then the beasts of the earth makeeth us wiser then the fowls of heaven and thought no more on him who in their first afflictions had made them taste of delicacies more agreeable than those of Poetry and Musick and who denying them none of those favours wherewith he obligeth men had given them a thousand advantages over all the visible Creatures for though Natur hath so well instructed living Creatures to seeke what is profitable for them and taught the Birds to build their Nests with so much Art and symmetry we must confesse that men excell them in addresse and know a thousand secrets whereof Beasts are ignorant If he heed not then all our vowes 12 There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of evill men we must not inferre that it is in vaine that he heares them but we must rather conclude that being just 13 Surely God will nor heare vanity neither will the Almighty regard it he examines the merit of those who make them and refuseth their sinnes what he would grant to their prayers so that if it seemes that he neglect the paines of the afflicted 14 Although thou sayest thou shast not see him yet judgement is before him therefore trust thou in him or dissemble the offences of the wicked you ought not murmure but submit your selfe to his judgement and expect with patience till he deliver the one and punish the other For at present as he raignes more like a Father than a Judge 15 But now because it is not so he hath visited in his anger yet hâ— knoweth it not in great extreamity he dischargeth not his anger upon all those who provoke him he equals not the punishment to the sins and chastiseth not a crime so soon as it is committed 16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain he multiplieth words without knowledge which makes me conclude that Job complaines without reason that he doth ill to accuse divine Providence and that he is unjust to use so many insolent words to blame a conduct which all the world reverenceth CHAP. XXXVI THE ARGUMENT ELihu makes it appeare that God hath no regard to the conditions of persons but to their merits that the great and the small are equally deare to him if they are equally just and concludes all this discourse with some advice which he gives Job for to conduct himselfe in his state when he shall be re-established ELihu 1 Elihu also proceeded and said who saw well that his tediousnes might make him troublesome and that the most part of his Auditors languished awakened them by an artificiall excuse and become more eloquent then he had been yet returnes to his discourse in this manner If the interests of God are deare to you 2 Suffer me a little and I wil shew thee that I have yet to speake on Gods behalf and if you are as jealous of his Glory as he is carefull of your salvation I conjure you to continue me yet a little that favourable silence wherewith you have hitherto obliged me for there are some reasons behinde which I cannot omit without doing injury to the cause of him of whom I have the honour to be the Aduocate Permit me then to handle this subject as it deserves 3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousnesse to my Maker and to deduce you the principles whereof you have yet seene but the conclusions I hope that your patience will not be unprofitable to you and that your minde convinced by my reasons will acknowledge that the God which we adore is not unjust I will search for no Artifices in my discourses 4 For truly my words shal not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee they shall have no other ornament then those of truth they shall be simple and solid with all these conditions I perswade my selfe that they will be agreeable to you and that you will approve what you have hitherto condemned You imagine that God loves not the great 5 Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisdome because they are oftentimes unhappy and that the highest fortunes are odious to him because they are most frequently set upon but if it be true that every one loves his like you ought to beleeve that he hates not the great since he is their Soveraigne and that he hath no aversion from Kings since they have the honour to be his Images It is true 6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poore as he preferres Piety before greatnesse and makes more esteeme of vertue than of birth he abandons Princes when they despise his Lawes and takes the part of the poore when in their oppression they implore his assistance Yet of what condition soever the just are 7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them