up the sheep the servants and consumed them I only am escaped alone to tell thee when there came in another who advertised him that lightning was fallen from heaven that ravaging the plain it had devoured all his sheep with the shepherds which kept them and that it seemed that God had not preserved him from this disaster but that he might give him notice of it Scarce had he shut his mouth 17 While he was yet speaking there came also another said The Caldeans made out 3 bands fell upon the Camels and have carried them away yea and slaine the servants with the edge of the sword and I only an escaped alone to elâ— thee but in came a third with astonishment in his Countenance and sadnesse in his heart who told him that the Caldeans divided into three bands had lead away all his camells that in cold blood they had killed the men that kept them and that he having placed his safety in his flight was alone remaining to come and make him a relation of it This news was scarce spread over the Palace 18 While he was yet speaking there came also another said Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house but a fourth messenger more tragicall then the rest came and told him that as his children were at dinner in their eldest brothers house where they were drowning their cares in wine and thought of nothing but to divert themselves 19 And behold there came a great wind from the wildernesse smote the four corners of the house and it fell upon the young men they are dead and I only am escaped alone to tell thee there arose from the coast of Arabia a furious winde whose redoubled blasts had shaken the four corners of the house which at last yeelding to the violence of the assaults fell to the ground and unhappily buried his children in its ruines and that his bad fortune had reserved him to be the messenger of so fatall news At the relation of so many disasters 20 Then Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped Job seized with a mortall sorrow tore his garments condemned his head to weare mourning shaved his haire then prostrate upon the earth for to adore the hand which struck him 21 And said Naked came I out of my mothers womb naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. said with sentiments of respect I came naked out of the wombe of my mother and shall enter naked into the bosome of the earth the bounty of God gave me riches and his justice takes them from me the losse though it be sensible is welcome to me since it is he that ordaines it by whatsoever misfortune he tryes my patience his name shall always receive prayses from my mouth In all these crosse Accidents capable to shake the constancy of the most vertuous man in the world 22 In all this Job sinn'd not nor charged God foolishly Job uttered not an insolent word and his complaints were accompanied with so much moderation that he obliged heaven to blesse him and the earth to admire him CHAP. II. CHAP. II. The Argument GOd commends the patience of Job and permitts the Divel to afflict him with sicknesse and to render him the scorne of all the world which he executes with so much rigour that his wife adviseth him to kill himself and his friends astonished at his misfortune dare not undertake to comfort him THese disasters were not yet published 1 Again there was a day whe the sonnes of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them to present himselfe before the Lord when the Angels assembled themselves before God to give him account of their commissions or to receive new ones The Divell puffed up with so great successe and proud of so many crimes fayled not to be there 2 And the Lord said unto Satan From whence comest thou And Satan answered the Lord said from going to and fro in the earth from walking up and down in it whether it were his pride that brought him thither or the order of his sovereign had obliged him to be present when every one had taken his place the rankes were distributed according to merit God willing to extort truth from the mouth of Satan asked him from whence he came what sinnes he had committed and by what artifices he had seduced men the Devill who in his misery reteins his vanity answered that being lord of the world he came from visiting his estate 3 And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without a cause and that nothing rendred him more glorious than the great number of subjects which depended upon his will God who pleaseth himself in humbling the pride of Devills and to make them feel their weaknesses in their enterprises enquired of him if he had not seen his faithfull servant Job if his constancy had not astonished him if he had not proved that all his attempts were unprofitable and that in vain he had obtained power to persecute him since after he had lost his children with his goods he had yet conserved his innocence The Devill to whom these prayses were as so many reproaches and punishments 4 And Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life replyed did the patience of Job seem so admirable to him that there needed but a common vertue to support the losse of children that that man was rich enough who was well and that there was none who to preserve his body would not willingly abandon his goods But if he would receive his counsell and know 5 But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh he will curse thee to thy face what that servant whose fidelity he praysed so much carryed in his soul he must smite his body with some violent disease take away his health which he preferred before all his goods that he assured himself that then loosing all respect and adding insolence to his impiety he would blaspheme his name before all the world God who knew well that Misery served but to elevate the vertue of Job 6 And the Lord said unto Satan Behold hee is in thine hand but save his life and confound the malice of the Devill abandoned his body to him and death excepted gave him permission to try him by all miserable diseases which may exercise the patience of men This cruell executioner of
its influences This fatall condition which frightens all the world 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave and that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be past that tiou wouldest appoint mea a fet time and remember me rejoy ceth me when I thinke on it and I should esteeme my selfe very happy if during the misfortunes which make war upon me the grave might serve me for a sanctuary and if heaven woold oblige it self to bring me thence when my miseries shall be finished and its anger passed over But as these wishes are unprofitable 14 If a man die shall he live again all the dayes of mine appointed time will I wait till my change come and as man cannot live again to dye any more since I am at warre with forrow I sigh after that blessed day where my soul united to its body shall give it part of its glory You shall call me by the voice of that horrid trumpet which must raise again all the dead 15 Thou shalt call and I will answer thee thou wilt have a desire to the worke of thine hands to obey your orders I will answer you from the grave and to draw me out of that obscure prison you shall give me your hand whereof I have the honour to be the workmanship I do not lose this hope 16 For now thou numberest my stepps dost thou not watch over my sinnes although I know that you count all my steps consider the least actions of my life for I perswade my self that your mercy will triumph over your Justice and that my prayers wil oblige you to pardon me my sinnes 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou â—owest up mine iniquity I know you weigh their quality as you count their number but I beleeve also that my paines have defaced them and that there is no sicknesse so troublesome but may be cured by so violent a remedy 18 And surely the mountaine falling commeth to nought and the rock is removed out of his place There was no need though to treat a man with so much rigour for if the assaults of the winds and the flashes of the lightning beat down the pride of the mountains and if the rocks by the violence of the rivers are unfastened from their places If the waters which have no consistence 19 The waters weare the stones thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth zhou destroyest the hope of man and which fall drop by drop hollow the stones which are so hard and if the sea unsensibly undermine its banks it will not be hard for your Omnipotence to ruine man which hath neither the steadinesse of mountaines nor the hardnesse of rocks Yet one would judge that he hath not received his strength from your hand 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him he passeth thou changest his countenance and sendest him away but to support all the changes which happen in his person during the course of his life for after sadnesse and yeares have altered his countenance you give him his discharge send him into another world nevr to returne againe He is ignorant in that of all which passeth in this 21 His sons come to honour and he knoweth it not and they are brought low but he perceiveth it not of them and having no more commerce with men he hath no part in the glory nor in the contempt of his children But as long as he is living his body is afflicted with a thousand evils 22 But his flesh upon him shal have pain and his soule within him shall mourne and though his soule by the condition of her creation be exempt from them yet she bears a part in them and becomes miserable with it The Fifteenth CHAP. The Argument REasons fayling Eliphaz he hath recourse to injuries and anger making him loose his memory as well as judgement he reproacheth Job with crimes which he pence had never committed and represents him under the person of a Tyrant which he describes with much eloquence and very little charity ELiphaz 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite and said who could not suffer the just reproaches Job of replyes in choler If you were as wise as you think you are 2 Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge and fill his belly with the East-wind you would not speak with so much vanity but you would command anger which transports you and you would not cast so many unprofitable words into the aire for to exaggerate your griefes But with a high insolence you assault your Soveraigne 3 Should hee reason with unprofirable talke or with speeches wherin he can do no and with a notable indiscretion you fly on discourses which caâ—not be followed but with punishment and repentance You have done all your endeavours 4 Yea thoâ—costest off sear and restrainest prayer before God to banish out of the world the feare of God and after these impudent words which offend hâ—aven and earth you will not have recourse to prayer which though is the sole meanes that remaines to appease God and the onely remedy which you have to sweeten your miseries For whereas your misery ought to have put regrets and fighs in your mouth 5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity and thou chooest the tongue of the crafty your iniquity hath put injuries there and in hearing you speake one may see that you use the language of blasphemers and that you have a designe to imitate them But without putting my self to the trouble to reply to you 6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee and not I yea thine own lips testifie against thee your own mouth shall condemn you and disavowing all the maximes which you have inâ—iscreetly uttered and you shall prevent our answers and change your opinion Do you think your selfe the first of men either in birth or merit 7 Art thou the first man that was born os wast thou made before the hills And would your folly have perswaded you that at your age you were formed before the mountains and that being as ancient as the world there hath nothing past in all ages whereof you have not had a perfect knowledg Have you entred into the Counsell of God for to give him advice 8 Hast thou heaâ—d the secret of God and dost thou restraine wisedome to thy selfe have you contested concerning any busines with him have you found that his wisdom was inferiour to yours and that he had need of your instructions for the conduct of the universe But without flattering your vanity with such high comparisons 9 What koowest thou that we know not What understandest thou which is not in us what do you know that we are ignorant of and what truth do you understand which are hidden from us If you thinke to prevaile with the conferences which you have had with the antients
pitty 21 Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me and you who make profession of loving me have compassion of my griefes because their excesse makes you see that it is an incensed God which is the Author of them Why doe you agree with him to persecute me 22 Why do you persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh and why imitating the cruelty of Savage Beasts which live upon mans flesh do you feed your selves with my miseries Where is the man that will lend me his hand to write the Regrets of my mouth 23 Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a book and who will be the Engravor to carve them upon lead or ingrave them in marble to informe Posterity 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever These wishes do no injury to my hopes for with whatsoever tearmes I serve my griefe 25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth I know that he from whom I expect my salvation is living and that after he hath tryed my patience he will bring me out of that miserable condition to which I am reduced And I may well believe it 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God since faith perswades me that I must rise againe after my death that my bones shall once againe be clothed with flesh that in my owne body I shall see the God which I adore and heare from his mouth a sentence favourable to my innocence With what reasons soever they combate my beliefe 27 Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shal behold and not another shough my reins be consumed within me I hold assuredly that his goodnesse having obliged him to make himself man my eyes shall finde their happinesse in his body that in spight of death which shall have destroyed me I shall live again that changed in condition only and not in nature I shall see my God in his glory And this hope which I conserve in my soule is the onely consolation which I receive in my displeasures If you are of the same opinion why doe you prosecute me 28 But ye should say Why persecute ye him seeing the root of the matter is found in me and if you believe that heaven will one day crowne my patience why doe you forge calumnies to oppresse my innocence Change your designe then 29 Be ye fraid of the sword for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword that ye may know that there is a judgment profit by the advice which I give you fly that revenging sword which leaves not sins unpunished and to entertaine your selfe in this good resolution remember that God will be our Common Judge and that our differences shall be determined in his presence CHAP. XX. THE ARGUMENT SOphar following the opiniont of those who had spoken before him concludes that punishment is a proofe of sinne and that with whatsoeuer Reasont Job endeavours to defend his innocence he is bound to confesse that he is guilty because he is afflicted SOphar 1 Then answered Zophar the Naamaâ—hite and said who would take advantage of the last words of Job sayed to him The conclusion of your discourse hath given me a thousand thoughts 2 Therefore doe my thoughts cause me to answer and for this I make haste and my soule troubled with their number knowes not which to chuse The reproaches which you use to me 3 I have heard the check of my reproach and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer will furnish me with an ample subject of discourse but as in this conference I seeke nothing but to draw you from your errour I will not reply to the injuries which my conscience and reason assure me are not true I will onely tell you then that in your disgrace there is nothing extraordinary 4 Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon earth that every one knows that the glory of a wicked man is not of continuance 5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment and that moments are not shorter than the prosperity of a sinner Though his pride should mount up to heaven 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds though he should beare his head in the clouds and that men to content his vanity should accord him divine honours Yet all his glory shall turne into smoake that deceitâ—uâ—â— lustre which dazled eyes 7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his owne dung they which have seen him shall say Where is he shall disperse like dust which the winde carryes away those who admired his greatnesse shall be amazed at his fall and not able to believe it after they have seene it shall aske what is become of him It shall be with his happinesse 8 He shall flie away as a dream and shall not bee sound yea he shall be chased away as a vision of the night as with dreames which when we awake we cannot remember and his prosperity shall passe by like Ghosts which go away with the night and of which there remaines in the morning but a confused remembrance Those who looked upon him with envy 9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more neither shall his place any more behold him shall no more looke upon him but with pitty and his Domestiques the eye-witnesses of his vanity shall see him no more but with contempt And because a father is more sensible in the person of his children 10 His children shall seek to please the poore and his hands shall restore their goods than in his own they whom he hath brought into the world shall be reduced to extremity and Divine Justice shall ruine them to revenge the Orphans which their Fathers had oppressed But the most rigorous of his punishments is 11 His bones are full of the sinne of his youth which shall lye down with him in the dust that he shall retaine his bad inclinations till death that he shall not lose the desire of doing evill when he shall have lost the power and that he shall carry away his bad habitudes with him into the grave For as those who eat any thing that is agreeable 12 Though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth though he hide it under his tongue retaine it a long time in their mouth for to taste it with more pleasure So he shall keepe his sinne as long as he can 13 Though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still withing his mouth and if sometimes he let it go in appearance he shall retaine the desire of
Gods justice 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boyls from the sole of his foot unto his crowne had no sooner received power to torment Job in his person but he descended upon earth and although he doubted that his enterprize would succeed to his shame and that the pain of Job would be his own punishment he covered his body with an odious Vlcer whose sharpe and pricking humour penetrated the very bone and left no part of him without grief This innocent Prince 8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himselfe withall and he fate down among the ashes who heretofore spake not to his subjects but in his Throne was then seated upon a dunghill and his hands accustomed to bear the Scepter were imployed to wipe the matter which distilled from his sores His wise whom the Divell spared not but to imploy in his designe 9 Then said his wife unto him Dost thou still retaine thine integrity Curse God and die seeing him in this pittifull condition mocked at his simplicity and without considering that there is nothing more glorious then to suffer advised him to blaspheme heaven and to finish his miseries by a generous death But this great man 10 But he said onto her thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh What shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evill In allthis did not Job sinne with his lips who understood well the respect that a Subject owes to his Sovereign even then when he is provoked condemned the indiscretion of his wife and by reasons which he could not learne but from Angels represented to her that all that comes from the hand of God ought to be equally esteemed that it is not more amiable when it imparts favours then when it lanceth forth thunder In fine the rigour of his torments the attempts of a devil nor the reproaches of a wife could never draw from him a guilty word When the noyse of his misfortunes was spread over the neighbouring provinces 11 Now when Jobs 3 friends heard of all this evil that was come up on him they came every one from his own place Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildod the Shuhite Zophar the Naamathite for they had appointed together to come to mouth with him and to comfort him and the Princes his Allyes knew the history of his miseries three of them departed from their estates to comfort him and arrived the same day as they had appointed it to the end that the grief of his mind might let it self be overcome by all their reasons joyned together Althoug they were come with this intention and that prepared against this misfortune they ought to have resented it the lesse 12 And when they lift up their eyes a far off and knew him not they lift up their voice wept and they rent every â—one his mantle and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven yet when they perceived him a farre off and saw his disgrace had so changed him that he was not to be known the tears fell from their eyes and their mouths not being able to form words pushed forth confused voyces the assured marks of a true grief then tearing their garments they cover'd their heads with ashes and seized with horror lifted their eyes to heaven from whence this misfortune came 13 So they sate down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights and none spake a word unto him for they saw that his grief was very great Seaven dayes and seaven nights passed away whilst they sate with him upon the ground All this while not one durst undertake to comfort him for they saw that his grief was too violent to be sweetned and that so great an evill was not capable of remedy and that there needed time to prepare his soule to receive their consolations CHAP. III. CHAP. III. The Argument Iob being forsaken of God makes imprecations against the day of his birth wisheth death and entertaines himself with the sweets that accompany it and the repose which is to be found in the grave 1 After this opened Job his mouth and cursed his day After these rude Conflicts where Job made his piety appeare as wel as courage 2 And Job spake said he broke silence to asswage his grief and made complaint to his friends to oblige them to give him comfort he cursed the day of his birth and grief which rendred him eloquent furnished him with words to complain May the day wherein I was born perish 3 Let the day perish wherein I was borne the night in which it was said There is a manchild conceived may it be defaced out of the world may men loose the remembrance of it or if they reteine it may it be but to be affraid of it may the night wherein I was conceived be buried in oblivion as well as darknesse and may it be as unhappy amongst nights as I am miserable amongst men This unfortunate day should be obscured with darknesse 4 Let that day be darknesse let not God regard it from above neither let the light shine upon it and though the Sun cannot stay his course he should at least hide his light God himself who makes the dayes and nights 5 Let darknesse and the shadow of death staine it let a cloud dshell upon it let the blackenesse of the day terrifie it and by their agreeable variety makes rest to succeed travail ought to have annihilated it and joyned two nights to gether for to suppresse a day which was to be the cause of all my evils did not the darknesses of the night and the shadowes of death meet together to make this day as horrid as it hath been fatall to me and hath it not been accompanied with all the accidents which may make a day happy Though wishes cannot change the condition of things past 6 As for that night let darknes seize upon it let it not be joyned unto the days of the yeer let it not come into the number of the months I would that shamefull night had been great with stormes that silence which makes the night so agreeable had been chased away by tempests and that separated from the day which preceded it and that which followed it it neither made a part of our months nor our years Would to heaven it were alwayes solitary 7 Lo let that night be solitary let no joyful voice come therein that men during its course might never make assemblies nor accords and that being fatal to all sorts of persons it might receive no praise but be blamed by all the world May those themselves who prefer the nights before the dayes curse it 8 Let them curse it that curse the day who are ready to raise up their mourning and those who to serve the designs of the Devill seek them and love
how much lesse ought men to hope it who are condemned to carry bodies which may well be called houses of earth since the habitation is so contagious and the Vestments of their soules fince they shall be consumed with wormes Indeed with whatsoever vaine hope the proud flatter themselves 20 They are destroyed from morning to evening they perish for ever without any regarding it and whatsoever Artifice they use to cloak their miserable conditions they know that their life is so short that the same day may see the beginning and the end of it but because they thinke not upon these truths and to give themselves liberty to sin they perswade themselves that they are immortall God will punish them eternally And if their children which survive them be not exeâ—pt from their crimes 21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away they dye even without wisdom they shall not be exempt from their punishments and death which will come and surprize them shall be a just chastilement of their foolish rashnesse CHAP. V. THE ARGUMENT ELiphaz pursueth his discourse and describing the chastisements of the wicked and the recompence of the just makes Job hope that his miseries shall end if he repent him of his sins and that he shall be re-established in his former fortune IF truth be suspected by you 1 Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne for being pronounced by the mouth of a mortall man and if revelations finde no credit in your minde 2 For wrath killeth thefoolish man envie slayeth the silly one conferre with God himselfe and see if by the assiduity of your prayers you can oblige him to answer you or if you have not credit enough to hope this grace from his bounty addresse your selfe to the Angels or to the Saints and demand by their favour what you cannot obtaine by your owne merit Or if you will beleeve me give me leave to tell you that your complaints are unjust and that the motions of your anger which transport you are misbecoming a wise man There are none but fooles who suffer themselves to be conquered by this passion as there are none but weake men and cowards which suffer themselves to be gnawed by envy and who make themselves misfortunes of the felicity of others The prosperity of the wicked ought not to trouble you in your affliction 3 I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation for it is not of continuance and for my part I have seene none whose fortune howsoever it seemed established has been able to subsist long whatever glittering it hath had I have alwaies mocked at it and presaged its end whilest others admired its greatnesse 4 His children are farre from safety and they are crushed in the gate neither is there any to deliver them His children survive him not often they accompany him in his punishment as they have followed him in his sin God permits justice to take cognizance of their actions 5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up and taketh it even out of the thornes the robber swalloweth up their substance and to finde Advocates to accuse them and there are none found for to defend them And as if all their goods were abandoned to pillage the hungry take away their coyne the Souldiers carry away their moveables and the covetous seize upon their riches which they had unjustly acquired 6 Although affliction commeth out forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground But besides this consideration that which ought to comfort you is that nothing befals man but by the permission of God For it is an abuse to beleeve that the afflictions which oppresse us draw their being from the earth God ordains them in heaven and men which we beleeve the Authors of them are but the instruments of his Justice If this reason 7 Yet man is borne unto trouble as the sparks flie upward for being too elevated should not satisfie your minde nature ought to comfort you who teaches you that flying is not more naturall to the birds than travaile is to man who hath no more mortall enemy than repose wherefore whatsoever disaster befals me I should alwayes blesse God and judging favourably of his intentions beleeve that he afflicted me to try me and that punishments being but the seeds of glory I might lawfully hope for a rich harvest Or considering well his greatnesse 8 I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause I should submit my selfe humbly to his Ordinances for it is he who doth all that is great in the Universe It is he who produceth all those effects 9 Which doth great things and unsearchable marvesâ—ous things without number of which we cannot discover the causes It is he who workes all those wonders which ravish us and as his power is not bounded the number of his miracles also is not limited 'T is he who raiseth up the vapours 10 Who giveth raine upon the earth and sendeth waters upon the fields who thickeneth them into clouds and maketh them distill in raines for to render the earth fertile 'T is he himselfe who waters it as well by those waters which fall from heaven as by those which he hath hidden in its entrailes And whose secret raines produce in a thousand places sources and rivers But that which ought principally to invite you to blesse him is 11 To set up on high those that be low that those which mourn may be exalted to safety that he takes pleasure to elevate the humble and to raise slaves upon the throne of their Masters 12 He disappointeth the devises of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise that he changeth thornes into flowers that he comforteth the afflicted and banisheth sadnesse from their hearts to make joy grow there Also it is he who makes the designes of the wicked fustrate who hinders the effects of their pernicious counsels and who to confound their foolish wisdome suffers not their hands to execute what their mindes had projected 13 He taketh the wise in their own craftinesse and the counsell of the froward is carried headlong But we must confesse that his providence never appeares more than when he surprizeth the wise of the age in their craft and giving their designes a contrary successe to what they promised themselves they receive confusion where they hoped for glory and acknowledge by experience that there is no Maxime of State so certaine which may not be overturned by his divine wisdom Is it not pleasant to observe their blindnesse in the most cleare affaires 14 They meet with darknesse in the day time and grope in the noone day as in the night to see them trip at mid-day and to make halts which are not pardonable but in those that walks
to hold my peace 27 If I say I will forget my complaint I will leave off my heavinesse comfort my self and that I forbid my eyes teares and my mouth sighs my face betrayes me and they observe there all that passeth in my soule Wherefore without any longer keeping of silence 28 I am afraid of all my sorrowes I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent which prejudiceth me I will complaine to you oh my God and tell you that I have alwayes lived in your feare That I have been scrupulous rather than a Libertine and knowing well that you spared not those who offended you I have alwayes walked in innocence But if after all my cares 29 If I be wicked why then labour I in vain you make me passe for guilty and if you pay my services as offences have not I lost my time and are not my labours being so ill acknowledged unprofitable Though I were washed in the waters 30 If I wash my selfe with snow-water make my hands never so clean and my whitenesse equalled that of the snow though my hands were cleane and the purity of my heart surpassed that of my body You would observe faults in my person 31 Yet shalt thou plurge me in the ditch mine owne clothes shall abhor me your holinesse would discover impurities in my soule your justice would finde disorders in my body and my clothes for to accommodate themselves to your inclination and serve your Justice would be afraid and would not be able to indure me For when I contest with you 32 For he is not a man as I am that I should answer him and we should come together in judgement I see that my adversary is not a man and that there is no Tribunall on earth where I may hope that your right and mine may be equally discussed There is no person which can determine our differences 33 Neither is there any daies-man betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both since you are a party I have no more Judge and in this contestation where I oppose my innocence to your Justice I finde no Arbiter who can bring us to accord If notwithstanding you sweeten a little the paines which I suffer 34 Let him take his rod away from me and let not his feare terrifie me if you disarm those hands which carry thunder and if you temper that Majesty which begets my feare I would speak with liberty 35 Then would I speak and not feare him but it is not so with me my innocence should furnish me with reasons to defend my self but in the astonishment that I am I have neither words nor thoughts and my silence which is but an effect of my feare passeth for an effect of my sinne CHAP. X. THE ARGUMENT IOB oppressed with the extreame griefes which he suffers gives himselfe up to complaints represents to God that he is his workmanship to oblige him to do him favour and passing from reasons to prayers conjures him to end his miseries before he enter into the grave I Am weary of living 1 My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speake in the bitternesse of my soul and to see the end of my miseries I wish for the end of my dayes in the griefe which presses me I cannot keepe silence and because I knew not to whom to betake me 2 I will say unto God Do not condemne me shew me wherfore thou cotendest with me I must speake against my selfe and give way to my complaints to give ease to my paines Whatever then come of it I will say to God Condemne me not without hearing me or if you are resolved upon it grant to me if you please one favour which they refuse not to the most culpable and declare to me for what sins you punish me What advantage can you draw from my losses 3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands shine upon the counsell of the wicked and what profit will come to you if calumny triumph over my innocence if my enemies ruine the worke of your hands and if to facilitate the execution of their pernicious designes you assist them with your power Are you ignorant of the estate of my life 4 Hast thou eyes of flesh or feest thou as man seeth Are your eyes like ours which see but the appearance of things and cannot penetrate the bottome of them Is your knowledge propt upon feeble conjectures like ours and can ignorance serve you for an excuse as it does us in your judgements Are your dayes numbred like ours 5 Are thy dayes as the dayes of man are thy yeers as mans dayes and are your yeares composed of those moments which follow one another and which are the cause that we possesse but the least part of our life If your knowledge be infallible 6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity and searchest after my sin and your durance eternall what need you search into my sinnes with so much earnestnesse and corture me to make my mouth speake a thing which you may read in my heart What necessity is there of so carefully clearing to you my innocence 7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand since wheresoever I am I am alwayes in your power and there is no one in the world which can take me out of your hands Change the your designe 8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about yet thou doest destroy me remember that I am your worke and that there is no part of my body which is not an effect of your power Notwithstanding as if you were but equall if seemes that you have resolved to ruine me and that you seeke for glory in my overthrow Remember that durt is the matter of which you have composed me 9 Remember I beseech thee that thou hast made me as the clay wilt thou bring me into dust again and as of so weake beginnings you cannot hope for great progresses it is necessary that I perish presently and that having been earth before my birth I become dust after my death Consider if you please that you have given me my being 10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk curdled me like cheese and as shepherds prepare milk and make it curdle into cheese so have you disposed of the blood of my mother and thickning it by the naturall heat you have formed my body of it 11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones sinewes Of the same matter Divine workeman you have made a hundred different parts for the bone which sustaines us the Nerves which give us motion and the skin which serves us for covering and Ornament are in their first
just to be unhappy How rash are your thoughts and how presumptuous is your ignorance 8 It is as high as heaven what canst thou do deeper then hell what canst thou know God is more elevated then the heavens and you thinke to know him he is more profound then the Abysses and you thinke to sound him And if it be permitted to use tearmes wherewith we describe Bodyes 9 The measure thereof is longer then the earth and broader then the sea for to describe the greatest of spirits he is longer than the earth and broader then the sea and you thinke to comprehend him The earth is very great and the vaste fields which it containes are sensible proofs of its greatnesse The sea is very large and those plaines of which our eyes cannot see the extremities give us good testimonies of it Both of them though have their bounds and the being of God being infinite can have no limits His power which is no lesse then his immensity 10 If he cut off and shut up or gather together then who can hinder him finds nothing which resists it and if he would ruine his workes or reduce them to that first confusion which he so wisely untangled at the birth of the world 11 For he knoweth vaâ—â—â— men he seeth wickednesse also will he not consider it there is none who can oppose himself to his designes But that which ought most to astonish us is that as he knows the weaknesse of men he is not ignorant of their malice and if he be good enough to execute the one he is just enough to punish the other It is injuriously then that vayne Man boasts himself 12 For vain man would be wise though man be horn like a wilde asses colt and like a young Colt which hath never beene backed he esteems himselfe born free and that without doing him violence they cannot prescribe him Lawes 13 If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him You please your selfe in these sentiments since you accuse the justice which punisheth you and your obstinate heart provokes the wrath of God when your hands lifted up to heaven implore his mercy But if reforming your actions and your words you banish Sin out of your Soule 14 If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickednes dwell in thy tabernacles and if swearing an eternall divorce with impiety you never receive it in your house Then you may lift up your eyes without confusion 15 For then shast thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not feare and as there shall be no disorder in your soul there shall be no shame seen upon your face your happinesse shal be so perfect that you shall have no more evills to feare nor good things to desire You shall be so content 16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery and remember it as waters that passe away that the pleasure which you shall taste shall deface the remembrance of your past miseries and it shall be as hard to call them againe as the waters of a river which are glided away Your glory which seems now to be darkned 17 And thine age shall be clearer then the noon-day thou shalt shine forth thou shalt be as the morning shall cleer up like the Sun in its Meridian and when you thinke your selfe to be in your setting you shall rise with as much lustre as the star which brings us back the day 18 And thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety And if it happen that any misfortune threaten you hope shall never abandon you in danger you shall sltepe with as much security as if you were in a town of warre shut up with ditches 19 Also thou shalt lie down and none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make sute unto thee and defended with Bulwarkes You shall enjoy a profound repose which your enemies shall not be able to trouble those who despise your bad fortune shall implore your favour and changing their reproaches into prayers they shal beg your succour in their need But the wicked shal lift their eyes to heaven in vaine 20 But the eyes of the wicked shall faile and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost and shall not get assistance thence the earth shall be no longer favourable to them for in their dangers they shall not finde a sanctuary to retire to and in their necessities they shall be constrained to wish what others are afraid of CHAP. XII The Argument Iob complaining of the ill dealing which he had received from his friends provs in a few words that in afflictions God hath no regard to merit and making a magnificent description of the absolute power of God in the world he constraines those who hear him to avow that he is a good Divine as well as a great Prince AS our unfortunate Prince had perceived that his sweetnesse wronged his innocence 1 And Job answered and said he replyes with a just indignation to his friends and sâ—yes to them 2 No doubt but ye are the people and wisedom shall s die with you Your Vanity then hath perswaded you that there are no men in the world but you that reason hath left us to give it self wholy to you and that wisdome is so tyed to your persons that her conservation and her ruine depends upon yours I pray you beleeve 3 But I have understanding as well as you I am not inferiour to you yea who knoweth not such things as these that she is familiar with us as well as you that when they shall examine the qualities of our minds they shall finde that mine is not lesse then yours and that all which you have said of Divine providence is so common that not to know it one must be absolutely ignorant 4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour who calleth upon God and he answereth him the just upright man is laughed to scorne I know well enough that my fortune makes my person despised and since my misery they have judged evilly of it but I am not ignorant also that God favours those who call upon him that he assists the just who are forsaken by their friends and that nothing obligeth him so much to succour them as the little esteem that is made of their innocence They are like torches whose brightnesse 5 He that is ready to flip with his feet is as a lampe despised in the thought of him that is at ease rich men dazled with the lustre of worldly things consider not but as every thing hath its revolution their contempt shall change into esteem and they shall seeke one day to be illuminated with their light Notwithstanding Abundance conspires with peace to enrich the
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