Why shouldst then be at so much pains good Lord To kill a thing which of its own accord Will quickly dye a thing that by thy Wrath As yet deny'd the liberty of Death Doth only some small sparks of Life retain And like a Dying Creature breaths with pain One entire Ulcer a meer lump of Boyls A heap of Sores one loaden with the Spoiles Of all Diseases one so fully spent In Body and in Mind so discontent No pleasure which the World affords can hire My Soul to Live pray let me now expire Or else I fear that through impatience Of my afflictions I may give offence For when I say my Couch shall me relieve And in my Bed I shall some comfort have When I imagine I may find some ease In-sleep to cull the edge of my Disease When I suppose I may find Consolation I' th' pleasure of a few hours Meditation And whilst on Pillow I my Head do lay To sleep away the sorrows of the day Then dost thou put my Soul all in a fright With fearful Dreams and Visions of the night In a cold sweat I lye my Flesh and Bones My Joints and Sinews tremble all at once Strugling with pain upon my Bed I rowl Whilst horrid Objects do night-mare my Soul And to my troubled fancie represent What neither Tongue can speak or hard can paint Hells Terrors plainlie are to me reveal'd Whilst with amusing sleep my Eyes are sealâ—d On which reflecting when I do awake Fear damps my Soul and makes my Body shake Hence Drowning Smothering Strangling of the Breath Or any of the numerous kinds of Death My Soul to Life prefers my generous Soul Abhorrs to live in such a lurking hole As is this body such a vile Hog-sty A Brutish Soul would even disdain to ly Within its Walls a Cottage so unclean So Cob web-furnish'd so obscure and mean As none but one of Life that 's wearyed In such a villanous Cave would lay his bed What Soul so poor and mean exceeding but The small Dimensions of a Hazel nut Would stoop so low as condescend to dwell In such an ugly smelling nasty Cell As is this body which I do call mine So thin the Sun doth clearly through it shine Is this a Lodging for a Thing Divine A tottering Fabrick which the rotten Bones Not able to support down all at once Will quickly fall is this a dwelling place For any thing come of a Heavenly Race No no fly hence my Soul fly hence make haste Why dost not fly for such a Noble Guest There 's here no room no fit Accomodation This body can afford no Habitation For such as thee Dear Soul O let me dy then let me dy good Lord O let me dy Death surely will afford Such comfort as I here expect in vain Why should I live then in such grievous pain And as a mark to all sad torments stand When pitying Death doth offer help at hand In this condition I do do life abhorr I baâ—e it and shall never love it more What should I for a few hours breathing give For 't is impossible I can longer live O spare me then for some small time at least That these o re wearyed bones may have some rest And in this life I may find ease before I take my Journey hence and be no more E're I be wrapp'd up in Eternity For all my days are but meer vanity Then what is Man that thou shouldst look upon him This wretched thing that thou shouldst so much own him Thou dost thy heart too much upon him set Which makes the silly Toad it self forget Valuing it self so much on thy esteem As it hath purchas'd to its self a name Beyond the other Creatures of thy hand Whereas if it it self did understand 'T is but as dust that 'fore the Wind doth fly A passing thought th' abstract of vanity Since thou canst then Lord by one word destroy This Creature why shouldst so much time employ In Torturing of it thus once and again And not by one blow put me out of pain One blow of favour Lord I do implore Kill me and then I shall complain no more But still I cannot fancy why shouldst thou Before whom all in Heavens and Earth do bow Have this same Creature Man in such esteem This flying Shade this passage of a Dream A thing so mean not worth thy Observation Why should'st allow it so much Reputation That thou the great Creator every day Shouldst of this pismire make so strict survey How long Lord shall I in these Torments lye â— Ah is there no end of my Misery Some respite Lord I beg I do request Some breathing time even so long time at least Free from these pains as I may swallow down My Spittle Oh good God let me alone But for a Moment that I may but try Thy goodness once again before I Dye Lord I have sinn'd 't is true I do confess My Error and my black unrighteousness What shall I do how shall I answer find To thee the great preserver of Mankind As worst of sinners Lord thou dost me treat For as my Sins so are my Judgements great Th' hast set me gainst thee as a Mark or Butt At which thy pointed Arrows thou dost shoot With Torments hast me so o'reloadened That long ago of Life I 'm wearied Why should thy wrath continually burn 'Gainst a poor sinner O let Grace return Pardon my sins wash from iniquity The Soul thou gavst me Lord before I dye Let me of Mercy hear the joyful sound For in an instant I shall not be found I dye I dye my Passing Bell doth Toul Have Mercy Lord have Mercy on my Soul Cap. VIII THus have we seen how Job with grief opprest By night and day has in his Mind no rest In this sad case with great impatience Appears to quarrel even Providence For those his Friends of whom he did expect Some Comfort rather sharplie did him check For th' Errors of his Life and openly Reprov'd him for his gross Hypocrisie We 've seen with how much Art and Eloquence One of his friends has given evidence Against him now another undertakes Th' argument and thus he answer makes How long sayes he friend wilt thou thus exclaim Against that justice which the Heavens did frame To what do all thy imprecations tend What means this clamour shall there be no end Of this thy idle talking shall we be Oblig'd to hear what none but such as thee Would stammer out what one in sober case Would be asham'd to speak such words as these Which thou in foolish passion hast us'd Against our God would hardly be excus'd Out of a mad-mans mouth but when they flow From such as thee friend whom we all do know To be of more than ordinary Sense We must condemn thy gross impatience Dost ' think that God whose great and mighty Name All things Created dayly do
we call Man alace This the Heir Male of the first mortals race This Man of Woman born whose foolish years Are wasted in a tract of cares and tears If this be he that proud and lofty creature Who calls himself the Master-peece of Nature Why sure he seems to me so mean a thing As he is hardly worth our mentioning Strange then kind Females should be at such pain In bringing to the world a thing so mean A thing which valued by just Estimation Is scarcely worth the pains of Procreation Yet after all say of him what we can This empty thing is all we have for Man Yes in this very piece of miniature So long indeed as Heavens and Earth endure We see the Image Glory Wit and Power Of him who fram'd him so that to this hour In this same Man with no small admiration We read th' Abridgment of the whole creation This is the Lord of Earth yes this is he Who holds o' th' King of Heaven in capite This goodly Mannor and that as appears In Mort main too to him and all his Heirs For payment only of some Tears and Pray'rs I this same fair and fruitful Seigniory Was once indeed his settled Property For ever in his Person to endure Full and in peace before the forfeiture But O thâ—u man to whom in Paradise This fair Appanage God did first demise Man not of Woman â—orn thou poorly sold What was not to be purchassed for Gold Both thine alace and our felicity For a mean toy and for thy fault we dye Ah! hadst not thou with dull indifference Exchang'd thy opulent state of Innocence For this poor mortal state which we possess What Art could have express'd man's happiness He could for ever have retain'd his breath And bid defyance to the force of death He had with great convenience eat his Bread And call'd himself the Lord of Earth indeed But now that in continued miseries He lives a while then miserably dies He owes to thee and for thy curious Crime He and his Race are eaten up by time As Oxen eat up Grass Then what are all these things we pleasures call Wealth Honours Issue Fame What are they all When man must dye when he must formally Abandon all these pleasant things and dye Yes dy e and as into the world he came Naked and poor go out of it the same For as a flower its beauty doth display And suddainly doth moulder and decay So man in gâ—y and verdant youth appears Most glorious in the Summer of his years Void of all sorrow and anxiety Spread like a Garden-flower but by and by When he is cross'd with thoughts and businesse His Tulip-colours disappear apace And as a shadow when the Sun is gone Appears no more but vanisheth annon So all his beauty vanisheth and now Wrinkles succeed it and with much ado His face is known to those who formerly Knew him i' th' days of adolescency At length Time fairly turns his Glass and now The Fable's done and there 's no more to do But that Wrapp'd up in Home-spun Winding-sheet O brave The Lord of Earth be thrown into his Grave Almighty God! what fluctuating thing Is this same Man how frail and perishing How subject to himself how much a slave To passion from the Belly to the Grave Nay such a piece of meer formality Though Mantled with a glorious vanity Of Wit Birth Riches Learning Honours all Which he doth his appurtenances call That even himself when with impartial eye In Reasons Looking glass he doth survey His worldly state perceives that all he can Pretend at most to is to be a Man A man of woes and sorrows cares and fears A poor retainer to some painful years A short-liâ—d man who rarely doth attain To th' age of sixty and doth still complain Either of pains of Body or of Mind So long as within bounds of Life confin'd So that if th' hadst not let him understand He 's chief of all the Labours of thy Hand He 'd think himself in this same contemplation The very meanest part of the Creation Yet dost thou Lord thou high and Heavenly King Take special notice of this foolish thing Thou look'st upon him with a careful eye And tak'st the pains for his security T' enclose him with a wall of Providence And keeps't a constant Watch for his Defence Both day and night so that the power of Hell Cannot against him with their Plots prevail Whilst guarded thus and so well for tifi'd By his Creators Art on every side Yes and of late too I was one of those Whom thou with a strong Rampart did'st enclose But now thou'hast deserted me and I Unfenc'd lye open to the Enemy Now my accusers in great throngs do bring Their several Charges before thee my King Before thee I as Criminal appear At Bar and am environed with fear Now thou dost try me now thou dost intend To bring me quickly to a shameful end Lord what am I a wretched dying thing Not worth thy wrath not worth thy noticing Why try'st ' me then with such severity And of my actings maks't such scrutiny As if of all men I had most transgress'd Thy Divine Laws thou hear'st I have confess'd I am a sinner dost thou Lord expect That mortal man can other answer make When thou dost charge him with impiety Then I do now I do not Lord deny That all the Judgements I do now endure Were merit long ago for I am sure That man was never born since Adams Fall That can affirm he never sinn'd at all What then wouldst ' have me say I do confess I am all sin I am all guiltiness Can any thing that 's good from me proceed No sure then judge me for I cannot plead Not guilty I 'm unclean and who can bring That which is clean out of an unclean thing Then since it is so since I cann't deny I have abounded in iniquity Since I 'm found guilty and condemn'd why then I ask but what is granted amongst men On such occasions to a Criminal Who freely at the Bar confesses all Of what he hears himself accus'd and so Himself on mercy of the Court doth throw Then what I beg great Judge what I demand Is not to live because I understand As I am sadly circumstantiat now Death will oblige me more than Life can do But only since I have confess'd my Crime I may be but reprived for some time That I may have some leasure to repent And not at least out of the World be sent With all my sins about me Remember Lord how man is in his prime But a poor Gleaner of a scattered time A calculator of some triffling years An Almanack of sorrows woes and tears Are not his days and months determined His bounds design'd which he cannot exceed Let then his bitter persecution cease That for some time this Creature may have peace That he at least may be allow'd to live Until
Be to pursue my former argument And show the power of him who sits on high Cloath'd with eternal Light and Majesty Yet not from reasons topicks but indeed From such as do all reason far exceed I mean to draw my mediums and prove That the first mover by whom all things move Who no beginning had and knows no end Is what our reason cannot comprehend I 'll speak of him as of that Deity Perceptible by th' spirit not by th' eye Who 's great beyond our reach who 's all in all Whose Character is supernatural Be pleas'd to hear me then for seriously I mean to speak with great sincerity Upon the matter I intend to speak Nothing but truth as God shall me direct In sober terms I shall my self expresse In what concerns thy present wretchednesse For I do fully understand thy case First then that I may speak in vindication Of my great Maker upon this occasion I 'd have thee know that even the best of men Do but with great difficulty obtain Some random knowledge of the qualities Of that great God who dwells above the Skies The language of his ways we cannot read Whence all our grosse mistakes of him proceed Our ignorance of him makes us to erre In our behaviour to him whensoe're He 's pleas'd t' afflict us and imagine that He censures none but those whom he doth hate That he has no regard to innocence When such good men are punished and thence Reflecting on our own integrity We think he does us no small injury Advert then pray and I will teach thee now By a most lively demonstration how Thou may'st hereafter know him perfectly And thence thy former errors rectify Behold then he is mighty and exceeds In power the reputation of his deeds He 's high and mighty and doth far excell All Kings and Princes that on Earth do dwell In strength he 's highly super-eminent His mighty arm doth shake the Firmament In wisdom he so fully doth abound And is in every knowledge so profound That all our knowledge all our art and wit Is but meer folly laid in scale with it Yet as he 's great so he is good and just And will do wrong to nothing made of dust Ready at all occasions he appears To do men justice and he gently hears All their Petitions he will not despise The poor man in his suit for in his eyes Both rich and poor are equal every man Who with uplifted hands but faintly can Say Lord have mercy on me he will hear And all may freely without any fear To him approach all may to him address In person and with ease lay out their case Access to him is easily obtain'd Without the introduction of a friend Without expence of waiting and delay And being shifted still from day to day As men in Courts of mortal Kings are us'd And after all either their suits refus'd Or laid aside and when their means are gone Pitied by many but supply'd by none T' endure the hateful name of hingers on No all men may from him have audience What ever be their case without expence Of any thing but Prayer and quickly find Though he is great yet he is just and kind To all that truly call upon his Name And if we have not audience we may blame None but our selves nay though we should be mute If even our hearts but speak he 'll grant our sute Now as he 's great and just so he is kind To all good men for when he calls to mind How some bad persons void of conscience Triumphing in their formal violence Taking th' advantage of the times and glad To have occasion to oppress have laid Themselves to do all mischiefs to those men Who when injur'd only to God complain Hence though these godless men have done much wrong To many and yet God has let them long Live at their ease unpunish'd after all Arm'd with pure Justice he 'll upon them fall Break them to pieces seize what they possess And spoil them of their unjust purchasses In their estates he 'll make a sudden change And all those poor mens injuries revenge Upon the Persons and the Families Of those who did commit these injuries And though he suffer those bad men to live Long time in plenty and to them doth give What e're their hearts can wish yet all the time He spares their persons he doth mind their crime He lets the righteous suffer misery And sad distress but has a watchful eye On all that do them wrong and in the end All those good men that upon him depend Not only he 'll restore to all which these Oppressours did most inhumanely seize But will bring them in favour and esteem With those that wear the Sacred Diademe Whence they shall be enabled to protect All pious men from the oppressing Sect. Nay though some time th' Almighty God permits Such ravenous men in their oppressing fits To do even what they list against his Saints As if he seem'd to slight their sad complaints Whilst in closs Prison fettered manacled Fast ty'd with cords on bread and water fed Sleeping on boards and benches at the best They in their wearied bones can have no rest Whilst thieves and drunkards Rogues and murderers Are now their only fellow-prisoners And lodg'd in the same room with them whilst none Dare pity them or but emit a groan On their behalf without a strong suspition That they are favourers of their superstition Whilst choak'd with breathing of the croud and stink Of those who void and those who smoak and drink Whereall the day is spent as it were night In a perpetual flame of Candle-light Whilst their sad ears are pestered constantly With noise of horrid oaths and ribaldry So that they find no opportunity For their devotion whilst arraign'd condemn'd And the hour of their execution nam'd So that by all appearance there is none Can think with reason but these men are gone He breaks their fetters he doth soon unty Their cords and sets them all at liberty Who were perhaps next day design'd to dy For by all these afflictions his intent Is only in great love to represent To these good men how grosly they have err'd As well as others have done and preferr'd Their own conceits to what was right and just And have not in his mercy put their trust Hence he perswades them quickly to apply Their minds to true and solidpiety With greater zeal then they did formerly By these afflictions he doth them convince Of all their failings their escapes and sins And makes them for the future live so well As they no more sad persecution feel For if such men do with unfeigned heart Return to God all blessings he 'll impart To them their dayes in pleasure they shall spend Their years in honour joy and wealth shall end But if they don't but follow foolishly The sinful methods of hypocrisy As many do
infus'd As by their Clients they are kindly as'd But when God speaks a suddain fear shall fall Upon those Preachers and confound them all For when he speaks he 'l tell you in your face You have provock'd him and abus'd his Grace He gave you Parts 't is true and Eloquence But never mean't that you in his defence Should use those Gifts or offer to debate For him unless you were commissionat By special warrant from himself for those Who in Enthusiastick fits suppose Men of all stations and degrees may preach And silly women if they please may teach Those who like you all others do despise And thinks there 's no man holy in their eyes But such as are of their opinion say They 're only perfect walk in Gods own way Sure these men grossly err for God doth own No such presumption and it is well known God in all ages doth such men select As he thinks fit should by commission speak For him to th' people and will sure destroy Those preaching fools whom he doth not employ Then you my friends must know that having spoke For him without commission you have broke His divine Statutes and in Heavens Court Incurr'd a premunire to be short For this your great presumption your name Shall be extinguish'd and your race for shame Shall shun mens converse this at length shall be The profit of such actings this the fee Of those officiously who undertake Without commission for their God to speak Then pray now from your foolish arguing cease And while I speak be pleas'd to hold your peace Forbear your talk for some time and be still For I intend to speak come out what will Come out what will I 'l speak I 'l boldly speak And to my Maker my discourse direct I 'l say Lord why am I thus punished Thus cudgell'd stead of being comforted Thus sharply tax'd by three comforting men As if without a cause I did complain Good Lord that I should be reprov'd by those Who if they felt the tenth part of my woes Would instantlie cry out and make a noise Using such faint expressions as Boys When whipp'd at Schools such as if they did feel What I endure would stagger foam and reel Like mad men such as if they knew the careâ— And grief I know would instantlie despair Yet such forsooth must censure me good Lord That those my friends who comfort should afford To me in this condition when they see What are my plagues and what my torments be By signs so manifest so plain and clear As when for pain my very flesh I tear When all o'r grown with Ulcers all o'r run With putria sores contemptible undone I here on Danghill sit and fain would crie To thee my God if I had libertie And were not interrupted by those men Who by me sit thou know'st O Lord how fain In private I 'd pour out my very Soul If those men who 've come hither to condole My sad condition as they do pretend Did not obstruct me how I fain would spend The small remainder of my troubled days In pious sighs and setting out thy praise By what I have observ'd and heard by fame From others since first to this world I came How fain I 'd pray how fain my sins bemoan If those tormenters would let me alone It seems indeed Lord thou design'st to make My case extreamlie sad for this I take As not the least part of my punishment That thou to me such comforters hath sent Yet Lord I 'l still apply to thee I know There is no other comfort here below Compassion pitie mercie there is none But what proceeds from thee good God alone I 'l therefore trust in thee in thee good Lord I 'l onlie trust I 'l hope and in a word Do with me what thou wilt let even thy wrath Be satisfi'd with no less than my death Yes kill me Lord cut me to pieces do As thou thinks't fit yet here I firmlie vow This heart this poor oppressed heart shall never Deviat from it's love to thee what ever Come of my person nay even when I die In my last gasping breath I 'l formallie Express my love to thee in thee I 'l trust My gracious Maker for as thou art just So thou art merciful besides good Lord I know thou only comfort can'st afford To men afflicted let me then be freed Of my officious friends who boldlie plead Against me ' stead of comforting for I Esteem my greatest woe their company I do indeed for I had rather choose Be plagu'd by thee then comforted by those Now Lord to them though I will not confess My sinful errors yet my wickedness Before thee I acknowledge as the cause Of all my woes Lord I have broke thy Laws And merit no less censure in thy sight Than instantly to be destroy'd down-right But after all I know O Lord that thou Wilt use me better than these talkers do Thou 'lt be more kind and whilst I am in pain For some small time allow me to complain And then restore me to my strength again For after all this trial thou shalt clear My innocence and make at length appear That I in sin have taken no delite And show these men I am no hypocrite Now then my friends observe be pleas'd to hear What I discourse For seriouslie I fear In all your talk of late you have abus'd Your selves more than the man you have accus'd For you have said because of my offence That I 'm by God rejected and from thence You did affirm I might expect no more To see his face as I had done before Ay me a sentence cruel and severe A doom in which great malice doth appear Now pray my friends by what authoritie Act you these things who gave you libertie To give out Judgment thus for to this hour I never heard that any of you had power From our Great God to excommunicat The poorest Wretch on Earth I therefore hope I quicklie shall be able To make appear how most unwarrantable Your sentence is for this I surelie know As God excels in acts of justice so In acts of mercy he doth so abound As no man needs despair he 's always found Of such as seek him and I know he 'l be As merciful as formerlie to me But were it so my friends as you have said That I 'm of God rejected then indeed Indeed in that case I should soon despair And be o' th' same opinion as you are Nor should you from my mouth hereafter hear Words of assurance words of confidence By which I do alleviat my sense Of present sufferings for I firmly know I know my God hath not determin'd so As you alledge I know he is more just Than to reject a man that puts his trust In him alone a man who never yet In all his sad and suffering estate From his first Principles has deviat For I do still believe that God
visitations For certainly if thou wilt call to mind Thy by past life I doubt not but thou'lt find Th' hast had some warnings were 't but in a dream Of thy afflictions long before they came Yes in a dream for often-times I know God is accustom'd seriously to show To men what often they conceal for shame Their future state i' th' mirrour of a dream For when the active soul outwearied With toile o' th' day at night is brought to bed Of a sound sleep then it begins to fly Then liberat from the bodies drudgery It soares aloft and in another sphere Begins to act nay then it doth appear To be what we cannot imagine here For being then as fit for contemplation Almost as 't will be after separation By vision intuitive it sees The state of things to come and by degrees Becomes so subtile and doth at that rate In contemplation then expatiate With such delight as if it did not mean By natural Organs e're to act again But when some hours it has thus wandered And in that time God has discovered What for its profit he intends at large Then he commands it to its former charge Have you not sometimes seen a General His Officers to his Pavilion call Whilst all the Army do securely sleep Save a few Companies who Guard do keep And there inform them what he would ha' done Give every one his Orders and anon Command each to his Post so let 's suppose When in profoundest sleep the eyes are close The Body one would think o're-come by death Were 't not that only it did softly breath Th' Almighty then is pleas'd as 't were to call The soul unto him and inform it all What he intends to do with it and then Commands it to the sleeping Corps again Whether when come the sad Noctambulant In a cold sweat with fear and rambling faint Rouzes the Body from its sleep and then Shows its instructions and begins t' explain What it has seen and heard and plainly shows What Miseries Calamities and Woes They may expect God will to them dispense If not prevented by true penitence Then as if God himself to them did speak When on these admonitions they reflect With fear and horrour they begin to quake For they consider that his sole intent By these night-warnings is but to prevent Their total fall and by such signs as these Divert them from those foolish purposes Which in their hearts they proudly do intend To prosecute did he not kindly send Such seasonable messages to show What will be th' event if they forward go In such mad projects and by consequence Make them to understand the difference 'Twixt humane power and his Omnipotence By Dreams and Visions then he doth allarme Th' unwary race of man and from all harm Preserve both soul and body which alace Would fall into the dreadful ambushes Of th' enemy o' th' world wer 't not that he Who fram'd both soul and body thus did free Them both from danger and did constantly Mind their concerns with a Paternal eye For else the murdered body soon would drop Into the grave the soul without all hope Of pardon in that deep abyss would fall Which God in justice has design'd for all Whom he doth hate and dolefully in Chains Compare short pleasures with eternal pains Thus then we see how much we should esteem The ordinar Phaenomenon of a dream And not contemn it because usual As if a common accident to all Occurring in their sleep ane aâ—ry thing Of which the wiser make no reckoning For sure those dreams and visions contain The mind of God and are not shown in vain Next as by dreams so by diseases too The Spirit of God is pleased to allow Kind warnings to us for if understood All sicknesses of body for our good Are sent upon us so that did we know What kindness by diseases God doth show To our poor souls we never would complain But think our selves most happy in our pain For let 's observe now don't we daily see How man in health from all diseases free Consumes his precious years so wantonly As if he never did expect to die He so imploys his time in sinful pleasure As for devotion he can find no leasure But when diseases on his body seize And conquering death approaches by degrees When th' lungs all overflow'n with constant rain Of Pituite that falls down from the Brain Afford scarce room for breathing when the Blood Is in its Circulation withstood By stagnant humours when the Bones do ake And all the Pillars of the Body shake When for his food he has no appetite And in his Table he takes no delite But every dainty Dish doth nauseate On which with pleasure he did feed of late VVhen all his flesh in health so plump and fair Now rotten and consum'd doth not appear As formerly but shrunk quite to the bone The bones which were not seen before anon Stick out i'th'figure of a Skeleton When in this sad condition on his bed Helyes and sees that all his hopes are fled And he must die when all he can perceive Is nothing but the avenue o'th'grave And with himself he now considereth There 's no avoiding of a certain death Then he begins with horrour to reflect Upon his by past actions and take Account of all his wandrings then he falls On thoughts of Heaven and for Preachers calls For pious men who in this sad occasion May by their words afford him consolation And teach him how he may attain salvation Then all his former wayes he doth abhorre Complains on sin and can endure no more To hear the voice of pleasure in his ears But buried now in sorrows pains and fears His only thought his sole consideration Is what shall become after separation Of his poor soul how that in death shall fare For which in life he took so little care And if perhaps which is rare to be found A man of God appear who can expound The matter to him and before his eyes Draw out the Map of his iniquities Speak to his soul and to his anxious heart The gracious language of the Heavens impart Then will this good man to his God address And say have pity on this sinners case Father of mercy for I 'me confident He of his sins doth seriously repent Restore him to his health and let him see How much O Lord he is oblig'd to thee Who when thou couldst have ruin'd him with ease And made him perish in this sad disease Art pleas'd to let him live that he may yet Express thy glory in his mortal state To this petition God shall lovingly Make answer well this sinner sholl not dye For I have found him in this exigent Vext at his sins and truly penitent Then let him live for I his heart have try'd And for his errors he hath satisfy'd I 'me reconcil'd and freely to him give Full liberty
Bones do ake And all the Pillars of our Bodies shake With pious thoughts then we our selves soulage And by such lenitives abate the rage Of our Distemper whilst we â—eem to be In love with sickness and would not be free From paâ—n that we may still have fair occasions To raise the value of our meditations Yes sore Diseases loss of all that 's dear An upright man will patiently bear No outward sorrow can his Mind depress Providing he enjoy domestick peace But O when one with sore Afflictions vex't In Mind and Body grievously perplex't Endures debates at home additional To all these Plagues sure this is worst of all For O how wretched must be that Mans Life That 's poor and sick and has a scolding Wife This was the posture this the present state Of this good Man who did enjoy of late All happiness on Earth and here alace To consummat the strangeness of his case He losses after all domestick peace For now his Wife who should in that sad state With all the suggred words appropriate To that kind Sex have mitigate his grief And from her very Eyes have smil'd relief To her afflicted Husband in this case The true design of Wedlock she alace Enrag'd with grief extravagantly sad And for her losses furiously mad Stead of allaying of her Husbands woe Seems to augment it Her losse she so impatiently bears So like a Woman such a flood of Tears Falls from the well-stor'd Sources of her Eyes Which with her passion constantly do rise Her Breasts she so doth beat so tears her Hair And by her gestures now doth so declare Her discontent whilst all this while she sits By him on Dung-hill That at length her Wits Appear to be disordred for she now Upbraids her Husband and demands him how He so could bear his losses Well she says And must we now in our declining days We who have liv'd in plenty formerly Become content with want and penury Must we yet live O must we thus survive The loss of all that 's dear to those alive Yet live live only that we may endure Such miseries as never Mortals sure Before this time did feell yet live to see The Vulgar gazing both on thee and me As horrid spectacles of Heavenly wrath Yet live that we may only wish for Death Yet live to swim in oceans of Tears And whine away a few unhappy years Why this is madness madness yes to me It appears madness in th' extream degree Why Husband then she says since all 's now lost How mean 〈◊〉 look in thâ—â— dear friend to boast Of a fantastick sullen patience A Virtue which no man of common sense Of Wit or Honour ever yet esteem'd A passive dulness hardly to be nam'd But with some indignation patience Why here 's a thing indeed must thou dispense With loss of all only t' obtain the name Of patient i' th Records of future Fame And this forsooth thou must call uprightness Why here 's a stubborn humour I confess A thing unworthy of a man of Wit A poor contented humour only fit For luteous Spirits still to bear respect To Heavens great Prince who doth thy crys neglect Who laughs at all thy pitiful addresses In these sad times and openly professes Himself thy enemy nor will he hear Thy most refined importuning Prayer Yet still thou'lt trouble Heavens and spend thy time In this unpleasant and ill-sounding Chyme I' th' ears of our great God from such as thee Whom he who is not blind may plainly see He doth abhor yet thou wilt still proceed And call to Heaven still as if indeed Thy bare Devotion could afford us Bread Then to conclude says she let me advise Him whom I dearly love to be more wise Then thus persisting in his uprightness To loss himself by his own wilfulness Dye rather then she says if thou'd be free From the sad pressures which now torture thee Do yes do something that deserveth death By Law and unto Justice yeeld thy Breath For rather than thou should on Dung-hill ly A Spectacle to every one goes by I 'de have thee fairly curse thy God and dye O the sad pangs of an afflicted life That one should hear such language from his wife Such language as would make this man despair But that he has a better Comforter Who bids him hope to this shreud Harangue then He thus makes answer Thou talkst like foolish Girle says he why Woman God in his mercy is oblig'd to no Man For all the kindness he did ere extend To man or will do to the worlds end Is not th' effect of merits but indeed From his own goodness solely doth proceed 'T is true dear Wife he favoured us of late With a fair Issue and a great Estate But pray' dost think because he did allow Such Favours to us then that he should now Indulge us with his former bounty too Shall we our selves no better understand Than to be taking good things from his hand Like Children with a canine Appetite And hang upon his table with delite And Complaisance while he affords us food As if he were oblig'd to do us good Perpetually and not also take Ill from him kindly for his Justice sake Then trust me Woman what our God has done In our concerns is very just and none But fools will of his Actions complain Since he who gives may freely take again For shame let us then who Prosperity Have seen now God has sent Adversity Bear all our Griefs and Losses patiently By this officious Fame had published The news of Jobs Afflictions and spread Strange stories of his losses every where Which when three worthy Gentlemen did hear His Blood-relations but what yet was more His Friends they did most heartily deplore His sad condition from their very soul And so would make a Journey to condole With him in his affliction for this end They Messengers did to each others send Appointed where their meeting place should be From whence they in a body might go see Their now distressed Friend whom formerly They had beheld in great Prosperity Their Names were Eliphaz the Temanite Bildad the Shuhite Zophar the Naamathite Men of great wit and parts and certainly In their own Countries of great quality Now we must think that Job was all alone For by this time his Wife was surely gone To shift i' th' Country for convenience Not able to subsist on patience But had good Lady now determined Not to return to what she once did wed For good and evil for her Jointure now Was gone and all the Expectation too Of her afflicted Husbands Restauration Which made her soon abandon him in passion When then his friends did to the place draw nigh Where the afflicted man did pensive ly When first they see his face they were afraid And thought their guide had possibly betray'd Them by some trick and stead of their old friend Had brought them there to see some Ghost or Fiend
forbear Thus to torment me lest in plaguing me These men conclude that all who honour thee Will be thus us'd O do not gratify Those bold professours of impiety In my so sad and grievous punishment But please good Lord to let thy wrath relent And from those cruel torments set me free That such as do contemn thy Laws may see How merciful a God thou art how just How kind to such as in thee place their trust But why should I presume thus to express What thou well know st and I at best but guess Thou who didst all things frame dost all things know Those hateful sinners will blaspheme thee so If thou continue thus to torture me Thus I suspect but thou dost plainly see Thy eyes O Lord are not of humane fashion Obnoxious in the least to fascination No no my God I know thy piercing eye Doth at one glance the whole Creation spy Its Horizon being sole ubiquity Nor are thy days O Lord like those of man So that we might thy time by numbers scane No Lord thy days surpass our admiration And scorn th' endeavours of our Computation For who will undertake to calculat That time which by no time is limitat That immense time whose vast extent doth lye Twixt the two Tropicks of Eternity Whose hours and minutes are innumerable As is its durance unimaginable I know good Lord no time can comprehend What no Beginning had and had no End Now since 't is so then let me understand What is the reason if I dare demand Why thou a God so high and excellent Dost take such pleasure in my punishment Why thou shouldst give such out let to thy wrath As to pursue thy servant to the death Why thou shouldst make such formal inquisition After my sins and call for exhibition Of all my hidden thoughts as if thou meant By such harsh dealing to make evident Thy hatred to thy Creature and proclaim To all the World what I conceal for shame Thy torturing me thus doth plainly speak The language of a hot inveterat picque From thee such usage is not ordinar For thou' rt not subject as we poor Mortals are To passion and revenge then let me know what have I done that thou shouldst bait me so What have I to thy anger contribute That with such hatred thou shouldst prosecute The reliques of a man the vanity Of Life the ruins of Mortalitie Ah Lord however I have sinn'd before Yet now thou seest I can do so no more For thou dost keep me in an Iron Cage In which I wast the gleanings of my age In sad reflections on my by past times Calling to mind a thousand horrid Crimes I have committed for which constantly I beg for mercy from thy Majesty But now although I would I cann't do ill My Soul thou so with bitterness dost fill No power of sinning doth with me remain Unless thou judge it sinful to complain And if complaints be sinful then alace No humane language can my sins expresse I am indeed most guilty of that sin For in this moment I do but begin My sore complaint Nay though I cry in vain And though I to no purpose do complain Yet can I not forbear to give some vent To that huge grief which doth my Soul torment Ah Lord didst thou not frame me didst not thou To me at Birth a humane shape allow Didst thou not mould and fashion me around Of many simples didst not me compound And wilt thou now this goodly frame destroy In whose Composing thou didst Art employ Wilt thou this thing by second operation Reduce to th' state of primitive Creation And end thy Labours in annihilation Remember Lord how thou of clay didst frame This Figure to which thou didst give the Name Of Body breath'd upon 't and made it live Then to 't a certain lease of Life didst give Thou taught it how to think to speak and act And entered with this Creature in Contract By which thou didst engage it to maintain And wilt thou now unravel all again Didst thou not pour me out like Milk and lay My first foundation in a drop of Whay Which in warm Vessels kindly entertain'd For some small time a liquid thing remain'd Then from the serous matter separate In a most ball it did coagulate of such a form as on the Cruds would squeeze Into the globous figure of a Cheese Then didst thou by an Art inimitable Translate me from a simple vegetable Into a well compacted sensitive And from that hour appointedst me to live With Bones and Sinews then thou didst me knit And wrapp'd me in a Damask Coverlet Of Nerves and Muscles and though yet a Brute Thou cloathedst me in a most goodly Sute Of Ivory Skin a Suite accommodate For every Season every Rank and State When thou had thus apparell'd me and I Now entered junior of Mortality Then I begun to rouze and stir apace And with my Sense my Hunger did increase I call'd for Food which thou didst soon prepare And furnish'd me though a close prisoner In the dark Womb yet didst thou every day By secret Canals to my mouth convey Fresh Victâ—als in good case then after all Was 't please t'infuse the spirits animal And I became a creature rational Thus having past my course of Generation Each hour I waited for a fair occasion To launch out in the Worlds great Ocean And enter my Apprentisage to Man After nine Months imprisonment at length Having obtain'd some tolerable strength At a Spring-tide of humours I set out Of th' Harbour of the Womb with such a shout With such a dreadful Peal of Groans with such Hard tugging sweating wrestling and so much Sad labour toile and crying out for all Who see me launching still more hands did call As I begun of passage to despair And hadst not thou my God of me tane care For all my strength I ne're had pass'd the Bar. But after all this labour toile and sweat By which I was almost exanimate After with main force I had wrestled out And now amaz'd begun to stare about And view this New found-world which to that hour I ne're had heard of nor e're seen before Then thou by instinct mad'st me weep amain 'Cause all I view'd was transient and vain And wish that I were in the Womb again Yet since thou hadst ordain'd that I should live Thou in thy wisdom didst think fit to give Reason and Knowledge to me whereby I Might learn to live by learning first to dye Thou didst preserve me by thy Providence Thy Grace was to my Soul a strong defence 'Gainst all temptations thy Paternal care Did for my Body daily Food prepare To thee alone Lord th' hast oblig'd me so My Birth my Being all that 's good I owe But what needs further Lord I do confess I owe more to thee then I can express For reckoning all my Life-time o're and o're I find I 'm in
thy debt still more and more So that at length I 'm broke upon the score For who so guilty of ingratitude What man so void of reason who so rude Whoso unthinking as when he begins To reckon up thy mercies and his sins But will acknowledge he 's oblig'd to thee Though punish'd tortur'd and oppress'd like me When he considers how thou formerly Hast guarded him since his Nativity From what had else besaln him hadst not thou Both own'd him kindly and supply'd him too With all things for his life convenient Since the first hour he to the world was sent And then if any man perhaps intend Some small proportion of his time to spend â—th ' serious and useful contemplation Of the so much to be admir'd Creation And view the order of thy Providence How to each living Soul thou dost dispense Thy Justice and thy mercy instantly He 'd find his Reason in an extaâ—â—e Whilst linking second causes in a chain By thumbing of 'em he 'd attempt in vain To fathom what no Art can comprehend And then at length he 'd find there is no end In searching of such things and so give o're His inquisition and will dive no more In that abyss but end his contemplation In a profound and humble admiration Acknowledging that save to thee alone Those Mysteries can not at all be known Thou Lord hast all things made dost all things spy Nothing can be concealed from thy Eye For what man labours by his foolish art To lock up in the Cabin of his Heart And thinks a secret to thee Lord is known As well as what to publicque view is shown If I have sinn'd then thou wilt instantly Look with a most sever enquiring Eye Upon my Errors and wilt not acquit Me from the Censure that is just and fit To be on man inflicted in such cases But wilt most justly as my sin encreases Add to my punishment and possibly Entail wy woes on my Posterity Why then if I have sinn'd I am undone And merit to be pitied by none Because I knew thy Justice would not spare For all excuses such as guilty are Hence if I 've sinn'd my Doom I plainly read If not I will not yet lift up my head Or sayâ— ' th' least that I am innocent Because I fear a furder punishment But still imagine that I guilty am And in thy presence hide my face for shame I 'l live in great humility and fear For no man in thy fight can just appear But how soe're the matter be good Lord Proceed thou to destroy me in a word Let loose the Reins of thy consuming Wrath And never leave me whilst the Gates of Death â—ly open to receive me Let thy Rage By close pursute abridge my lingring age Never give o're but rouze me every day With the same view as Lyons hunt their Prey Break me to pieces do and so express Thy self admir'd in my unworthiness For rather than in such sad torments lye 'T were better far I instantly should dye Let me then quickly be undone let all Thy heavie plagues at once upon me fall And not by Piece-meal every day augment The several species of my punishment And thus each hour thy dreadful Chace renue As if thou didst take pleasure to pursue My wearied Soul Armies of sorrows up against me draw With all the numerous rude Militia Of foul diseases which my Body seize Whilst I am to such Cannibals as these A daily prey my sores do still encrease And in my Spirit I can have no peace Then O why didst thou bring me from the Womb Why did I from my Native Cottage come Where I no sorrow knew no trouble felt But most secure in peace and plenty dwelt Was it for this that to the World I came For this that ever I was born for shame For this that e're my Mother should ha known The pangs of Child-birth nay one single groan In bringing forh a Creature destinate For grief and sorrow one whom God doth hate 'Gainst whom he doth his angry Sword unsheath And every day doth wound him in his Wrath. But ne're will bless him with the blow of Death Would I had perish'd in the Womb at least Would â— a still-born Embryo at best Had dropp'd into the World and instantly Had been Box'd up and Buried so no eye Had seen me this side of Mortalitie Would I had been as though I ne're had been Without existence never heard or seen Would Providence for me had never car'd Would my fond Parents had their labour spar'd And I a thing without all form and shape Had been conceal'd in Natures modest Lap When from the Womb soft hands did me receive Would I had fairly slipt into the Grave But since I am condemn'd O since I must In a few days incorporat with Dust Since thou O Lord wilt call for what is thine And I to Worms this Body must resign Some little respite for thy Mercy sake Allow me that I may some comfort take Before I to the Land of darkness go A dismal Land which never Light did know Whence I shall not return a dreadful Land Where pale-fac'd horrour doth in chief command Where Worms with Death in council sit and call For an account of every Funeral Where empty Sculls in heaps are gathered And with dry Bones the Land is overspread A Land so very dark no art can trace It s true dimensions or by Map express Its Scituation a most barbarous Land Whose Laws and Language none can understand A Land of mourning where no joy is known But Mirth and Sorrow there are both as one Cap. XI THus Job had spoke thus had himself express't Whilst his poor troubled Soul could find no rest For ' stead of sleeping he did still complain Keep 't waking by the torture of his pain But which is worse when he had made an end Of speaking and it may be did intend To take a Nap then some of those who keep 't Him company and as we fancy sleep't By turns would fall a speaking and with heat Engage him in a most unkind debate Thus when he now had spoke thus instantly Zophar his friend made him this tart reply Who can with patience thy vain humour bear Or says he so much idle talking hear From whence this torrent of discourse from whence This foolish bragging of thy innocence From whence this clamour whence this sad complaining Whence all this crying out what is the meaning Of all these blustring words whence all this noise Dos't think my friend thou hast to do with Boy 's Dos't think us fools dost think us Novices Dos't think we do not understand thy case Pray'to what purpose shouldst complain so sore Dos't think we never see such things before Then what dost mean by such a multitude Of puling words dost think we will conclude From all these fine expressions thou art just And so believe thou' rt
yet for some years to live At this his sicknesse shall decrease apace His spirits shall return and in his face The blossoms of new life shall then appear As when the Spring doth usher in the year His flesh shall be as soft and delicate As it appear'd once in his infant state But that 's not all for as to health restor'd So God to him most kindly shall afford That sweet communion with himself which all Esteem so much who on his Name do call And that bless'd comfort which afflictions cloud So long time from this poor mans soul did shrowd Shall then more bright appear and shine again As when the Sun triumphant after rain Unto the longing Earth himself displays And chears her up with warm refreshing rays Then he shall be above all calumny And shall rejoice in his integrity Shall pray to God with successe and no more Sadly suspect as he had done before That he who dwells in Heaven did disdain So much as t' hear him when he did complain And all his tears and prayers were in vain For our good God in mercy infinite Be sure my friend doth take no small delite To save a sinner that is penitent When he perceives him heartily repent For often upon men he casts his eye Where if he in a corner doth espy Some poor heart-bursting sinner on his knees Whose outrun eyes are now upon the lees Whose voice with crying to that note is shrunk As if he mutter'd through a hollow Trunk Who after many a sad and killing groan Whose heat would almost melt a heart of stone In a few words can only stammer out Lord I have sinn'd and now what doth it boot What doth it boot good Lord what after all My trade of sin can I my profit call Ay me good God to what by just account Doth th' provenue of all my sins amount What have I gain'd alace what have I gain'd To what have I by my dear sins attain'd How foolishly good Lord as now appears Have I consum'd my profitable years And spent the cream of all my youth and strength In prosecution of what now at length Affords no profit to my soul but brings The thoughts of sad and execrable things Into my mind which though I do deplore And by thy grace intend to act no more Yet the remembrance of my wanton years Present a prospect of perpetual fears Before my eyes and I still apprehend That I shall justly suffer in the end For all my sins unless that thou in Grace Wilt hear me and have pity on my Case This poor convinced sinner God will hear And to him soon most gracious appear He will not let him perish but will save His soul from Hell his body from the Grave Thus then by Dreams by Visions and Diseases And by his Preachers whensoere he pleases He warns us of our danger and commands His killing Angels oft to hold their hands For a few years at least that he may see What the effects will of these Warnings be For in mens ruine he no pleasure takes But even suspends his Justice for their sakes That they may have some leasure to repent And not be reeking in Offences sent Like Devils t' endure eternal punishment But of their foolish Errors undeceiv'd Spite of themselves they may at length be sav'd Then pray my friend remark what I have said And to what I have yet to say take heed Observe me pray and to my words give ear For it is fit thou with attention hear What God has by Commission ordered me To speak dear friend in reference to thee Yet if th' hast any thing to say my friend In thy defence I 'le not be so unkind As to command thee silence but allow Thee liberty to speak and argue too Against what I have said for my intent I' th' series of my present Argument Is if I can to prove thee Innocent If not pray hold thy peace be silent pray And with attentive mind mark what I say Mark what I say for by his Divine Grace Who ordered me to speak upon this Case I 'le teach thee Wisdom more then ever yet Thou understood'st although thou wert of late Renown'd for Wit and Literature at least In Reputation rank'd amongst the best Of those sharp Wits who live here in the East Cap. XXXIV AFter some pause as if he did expect An answer seeing Job no answer make To what he said he thus continued To speak and argue on the common Head And now says he you see how I am sent By warrand from my God to represent His judgment of the Question in hand And therefore I must let you understand As I 'me commanded with Authority Where you 've done right and where your Errors ly Shall then request you of my audience Whom I esteem men of great eminence For wit and parts to hear with patience What I am now to speak For I am not to speak before a Rabble O' th' Vulgar but before those who are able To judge of my Discourse before such men As on this Subject can themselves explain Better then I and handle with more wit The Question if their Passion would permit Let 's then impartially consider now Without all heat what 't is we have to do With moderation let 's the Question state And understand on what we 're to debate For I am not ambitious in the least Nor do I entertain within my breast Such a proud thought as that I may be said T' have had the better of you no indeed I 'me none of those that argue for applause Or love to preach for reputations cause Or in discoursing make it all my care To angle Ears and become Popular By flourishes of studied Eloquence Or gain the name of learn'd with great expence Of painted Language as too many now Of my Profession are in use to do No no my friends I hate such practices And only shall in a few passages Without all Art a short Relation make Of what my God has ord'red me to speak To come to th' point then as I 've formerly Show'n how th' Almighty by his Ministry By Dreams Diseases Visions and such means Is in his Mercy pleas'd to take much pains To show the sons of Men what he intends Before upon them he Afflictions sends That by the prospect of their Punishment He may perswade them timely to repent Especially when thus before their eyes He lays the scene of their Calamities By which you see he deals not by surprize With any man from whence I do maintain That he who of his Judgments doth complain As if such Woes without prediction were Pour'd out upon him doth extreamly err So in the next place I intend to show That when our God is pleas'd to inflict a blow On anie man I think in conscience Th' afflicted man should with great patience Endure it as a thing which suddainlie Has
who yet would be esteem'd Great saints and are such by the vulgar nam'd Whilst in their hearts they think on nothing less But entertain all sort of wickedness Which they imagine may promove i' th least The smallest part of their own interest Then shall they fall like such then shall they dy Like all the followers of hypocrisy Hypocrisy and here 's a sin indeed Which in Gods sight doth many sins exceed A complex sin made up of many parts A catalogue of all pernicious Arts A close concealer of all villany A great debaucher of integrity A guilded sin compos'd of all that 's bad A crying sin in pious masquerade A couz'ning sin a sin so intricat As all save God it easily doth cheat A sin so painted siz'd and varnished With pious Oyles and so well shaddowed As it can hardly be discovered To be a sin by any mortal eye A sin that seems t' abhor impiety And yet doth hug it such a sin indeed In my opinion doth all sins exceed And sure I know God who doth falshood hate Above all others doth abominate This cunning sin and thence we often read How this close sin God has discovered By his great art For as we dayly see How many counterfeited Coines there be By worst of villains stamp'd and fashioned Where Silver is so cunningly allay'd With courser Mettals as they will endure The Touch-stone and the File and seem so pure As one would think they of true fineness were Yet put them in a crucible and there By heat of Fire the cheat will soon appear So when the Hypocrite doth pleasantly Enjoy himself in great tranquility With such a specious but adulterat show Of piety he gulls the people so As in his Fig-leav'd Coat and zealous paint He passes current for an upright Saint But let him once be brought as others are To th' fiery tryal then he doth appear To be the person that he is indeed Then all his falshood is discovered His timerous spirit soon doth liquify His soul begins to shrink he cann't apply Himself to God but passes stupidly His time away without all meditation Or thoughts of Heaven as upon such occasion All good men do But hardned in his sins and knowing well How much his former actions merit Hell He thinks that now 't is hardly worth his pain T' apply to God for mercy or complain To him whom he has so much irritate But as contented with his present state Takes of his Masque and acts now openly What he before perform'd more cautiously Then he lets loose the reins of inclinations And runs like mad man into all temptations Then as in youthful veins his blood doth rage And he must find out pleasures to asswage The horrid torment of his melancholly And so expends some years in sin and folly For that so rude disordered fermentation O' th' mass of Blood doth quickly give occasion To sharp Diseases which do warmly fall Upon his body and e're he can call To God for mercy without more delay Do hurry him and all his sins away Thus then my friend we see Afflictions are Most necessary and we must prepare Our selves for Tryals and severe Temptations As thou dost now endure at all occasions Because by these our God is us'd to try The difference betwixt true Piety And base sophisticate Hypocrisy For as the best of Grain is pestered With the foul mixture of some specious Weed Which growing up in the same Field with it Doth the good Grain so slily counterfeit As while cut down thresh'd out and winnowed The false Grain cannot be discovered So in the Summer of Prosperity When true Religion and Hypocrisy Appear to grow up in one Field together 'T is hard for Mortals to distinguish either But in the Harvest of Adversity When cut down thresh'd and winnowed by and by We can distinguish what is bad what 's good And Hypocrites are quickly understood In time of Trouble then indeed as Wheat Is from the Chaff by winnowing separate So Hypocrites are all discovered And from just pious men distinguished But those my friend who are in heart sincere Though their ingrain'd Afflictions appear To be o' th' deepest dy and do endure For a long time yet God at length will sure Deliver them out of them all and show That neither to themselves nor friends they owe Such great deliverance but to him alone Who 's their Redeemer and forsaketh none In their Afflictions who upon him call But hears them and at length doth grant them all Their hearts can wish and doth instruct them too What for the future such good men should do T' evite such Troubles Even so my friend if thou hadst put thy trust In his great Name and not ha' been unjust In thy Complaints he had reliev'd thee too Out of thy sad Afflictions long ere now Before this time he had thee liberate From these sad pains and without all debate Restor'd thee fully to thy former state But thou in thy Afflictions hast rav'd And hast so very foolishly behav'd Th' hast so provok'd him as it would appear ' Had left thee in a Labyrinth of fear And of thy restitution took no care And now that I thy Case have opened And shown'n thee why thou art so punished In the next place I must give thee advice Not to esteem thy self too just and wise Nor think that God has done thee injury By plunging thee in so much misery When all th' hast suffered must be understood T' have been intended meerly for thy good But with great calmness humbly meditate On th' circumstances of thy present state Confess thy Errors seriously implore His pardon and resolve to do no more As thou hast done lest in his burning wrath He prosecute thee closely to thy death And then no offers of some thousand Prayers Largitions Fastings Pennances and Tears Can ransom thee for thou must quickly die Without Repentance and for ever ly In the dark Prison of Eternity Assure thy self my friend this is thy Case If thou repent not quickly this alace Will be thy final Sentence this thy Doom Which thou must suffer in all time to come And of this Sentence no Reprival can Be purchas'd by the Art or Wit of Man Nor Gold nor Friendship nor all Artifices Of Humane Labour nor the close devices Of cunning Interceeders can delay The Execution but for half a day Of this same Sentence for be confident With Gifts thou canst not bribe th' Omnipotent But O me thinks I hear thee say if Death Be all that I must suffer in his Wrath Why let him kill me I am well content And shall esteem Death a kind Punishment For I am wearied of my Life and know I never shall have rest until I go Down to the Grave Why here my friend again Is a gross error and I must complain Of thy so frequent wishing thou mightst die And in the Grave enjoy tranquillitie For though
famous President In all time coming of my Providence And an example of great patience I 'll censure you no more but for the time Let it suffice that I have touch'd your crime Only 't is fit you go to Job and make Attonement for your faults go therefore take Seven Bullocks and seven Rams and offer these As a burnt offering for your trespasses Go do what I command for you have err'd And your own knowledge to my words preferr'd But for your sins make a burnt-offering now And so my servant Job shall pray for you Him because truly pious I will hear On your behalf and for his sake forbear To punish you although what you have said Since you begun to speak has merited Much of my wrath but go do so no more And I will pardon what you 've done before Prostrat upon the ground lay Eliphaz With his two friends asham'd to show his face While God did speak because convinc'd at length That they had laboured with the utmost strength Of argument to broach a Heresie Which had descended to Posterity As a firm truth and been receiv'd of all As a position fully general That all Gods actings were determined By those of men and that none suffered But for their sins if God had not declar'd By his just Sentence that these men had err'd Without replying then to what was laid By God Almighty to their charge they pray'd Their injur'd friend for them to interceed Now all obedience they did quickly bring As God had ordered their sin-offering And with great zeal did make attonement For their unsound presumptuous argument Whilst Elihu who as appears has been A learn'd young-man pious upright and clean I' th eyes of God and had by inspiration From his great Maker spoke on this occasion Is not reprov'd and therefore we may guess He joyn'd his prayer with Job in this address For these three men which prayer God did hear And gently for their sake was pleas'd to spare Those who had err'd Thus God determined The case of Job thus he at length decreed For the afflicted man against his friends And thus in mercy the grand Tryal ends For now as when the Sun imprisoned Long time amongst thick clouds begins to spread His rays abroad and shine as formerly The proud insulting vapours by and by Dissolve themselves into a subtile air And now the Sun triumphant doth appear In his full splendour darting every where His warming beams and makes the Skys again After the storm look pleasant and serene So now th' Almighty having fully try'd The worth of Job and being satisfy'd Of his deportment in his misery Dispels the clouds of his adversity And puts an end to Jobs captivity Restores him quickly to his former state And makes him happier then he was of late For he of earthly means doth give him more By the one half then he possess'd before And now the days of mourning being gone We must suppose that Job return'd annon To his own house and in tranquility Bless't with firm health and wealth as formerly He liv'd whilst all his scattered family Did by degrees return that every where He view'd his grounds and daily did repair What by injurious times had been destroy'd And here and there his serving-men employ'd In Ditching Fencing Planting Labouring In Pits and Qâ—arries Plowing Harrowing Pasturing Draâ—ing and each other thing That might recover the sad desolation Of his affairs by th'horrible vastation Made there of late Not only by th'incursions of those Who liv'd on spoil but even of such God knows Of his own friends and unkind countrey-men Who thinking Job would ne're return again Upon his whole Estate had fairly seiz'd And 'mongst themselves divided as they pleas'd All his Effects thinking them now their own By Right since all his Race were dead and gone And he a Beggar countenanc'd by none At least they thought if e're it should fall out He should return again beyond all doubt His Spirits would be so with Sorrows spent That he 'd surrender for an Aliment During his life all what they did possess And not adventure upon tedious Pleas For the recovery of it but in peace Desire to end the residue of his years And then they would be as it were his Heirs Therefore we may not without ground suppose That seing God resolv'd to put a close To all Jobs Woes and Sorrows and restore This man ex postliminio what before His late Affliction to him did pertain Was soon by him recovered again From these Intruders by a short complaint Exhibite to those in the Government Whose hearts now God had mov'd unfeal'd their eyes And let them see what wrongs and injuries His Servant had even by their Laws sustain'd Whilst poor and friendless under Bonds restrain'd Absent and sick not able to defend His legal Title and just Interest He was by formal châ—canery oppress 't And therefore now to make full expiation For their Intrusions and their malversation In countenancing such illegal deeds The Court on his Petition proceeds To a full restitution and declares All other Titles save Job and his Heirs To that Estate to be now null and void Renvers'd rescinded cancell'd and destroy'd Orders him full Possession again And finds in Law that those intruding men Were violent Possessors and ordain These to make Compt and Payment of what Rent They had uplifted during his Restraint As violently seiz'd and fin'd beside Those men in Costs and Charges to be paid To th' injur'd Party for what Damnages He had sustain'd For so much some think humbly may be guess't Without offence from what is here express't That seing God himself did Job restore To twice as much as he possess'd before Why might he not by way of Justice so Have ordred things as that he might bestow Upon his faithful Servant the Estates Of these whom for their wickedness he hates Since that we know God is accustomed When he by rules of Justice doth proceed Against the race of Sin to overthrow Them totally and graciously bestow Their Means on good men in retalliation Of what they suffer'd by these mens oppression And though the Gift the Damnage should exceed By two parts more yet that doth nothing plead Against Gods Justice since their sins do call Aloud for extirpation general Of them and all their Race if then he may By Justice take their whole Estates away From them and theirs why may he not dispose What is his own undoubtedly to those Who merit at his hands much better things As is the custom among earthly Kings To gratify their Subjects Loyalty By Spoil and Plunder of the Enemy But howsoe're it was Jobs restauration Is truth a most conspicuous demonstration O'th'justice greatness goodness equity And gratitude of him who sits on high For it we ponder all his circumstances How in Prosperity he now advances And how his Clouds of woes now dissipate His last is better then his first estate We 'll find