that holy Patriarch it is this man Chap 1.5 1 who is of singular sincerity and soundnesse in his profession most absolute in the administration of Iustice a maÌ„ that hath exceedingly profited in the true practise of each vertue not only those of a regenerate mind as wisedome knowledge vnderstanding iudgment counsell art foresight prudence deliberation wherewith hee is aboundantly inducd but those which proceede from a sanctified will as courage loue mercy bounty humility gentlenesse meekenesse kinde-speaking vprightnesse truth patience temperance These as they are the life of religioÌ„ so haue they brought no smal grace and credit to his so honorable faith and profession being the seruice of the high God maker of Heauen and earth These ioyned with the feare of God reuerence of his name obedience to his will detestation of sinne renouncing of euill hating of couetousnesse cruelty and oppression a zeale and delight to aduance Gods glory to stand couragiously for the maintenance of the truth to stretch forth the bowels of compassion toward the afflicted of all sorts specially the most miserable and aboue all toward the distressed soules whom the Lord of his grace hath drawne out of darkenesse vnto the marueilous light of his word these I say are vndoubted and vnfallible euidences of that sure Anchor of hope and inuincible fortresse of faith to dwell in him against which all the pollicy and power of Sathan shall no more preuaile then it preuailed against Abraham himselfe the father of the faithfull Thou shalt not faile therefore doubtlesse but receiue comfort at his hands for I neuer heard of any that made their mone vnto him but he pittied their estate and yealded some help to them in their misery But hee will examine thy life and the cause of this thy necessity hee will inquire of thee and looke for some testimony of thy honest conuersation which if he finde to be answerable to that thou reportest he will out of question shew thee fauour I speake vpon mine owne knowlege and experience for trauelling into Arabia I fel into the hands of robbers wherof that country hath store who stripped me of my apparrell and left me starke naked which being done because I was ashamed to go where I was knowne in that case I spent much trauell in that pittifull plight in seeking releef at the hands of many but when I found none at length I calling to mind the great fame of Iob I thought I would see whether his goodnesse were answerable to his report And therefore I went and shewed my selfe vnto him and made knowne my estate who assoone as he saw me was so moued with compassion that he could not forbeare first to groane in spirit and aboundantly to weep ouer me afterward to breake forth into these most affectionate and louing wordes A lasse my brother my flesh bone of my bone what hath befallen thee Then taking me straight way by the hand he spared not his owne cloake though a very costly one but cast it ouer me led me in to a warme fire and prouâ—ded me of apparrell and all things necessary See what a warm and durable b chap 31 20 suite he gaue me of the sheepe of his pasture and he is full c chap 31 19 of such good workes Lame REceiuing a maim in the defence of my country Idumaea â—â—ainst the Sabaans Iob beside his owne princely beneuolence procured me a yearely pension out of the Exchequer which so reuiueth mee as if I had my lims a Chap 29 15 restored me againe The like goodnesse hee extendeth to all the impotent Blind IOb vnderstanding that I was borne blinde beside the furnishing of me with outward thinges conuenient caused me to be brought alwaies to the place of gods worship where his will is to be opened by his seruants there to bee taught what was the meaning of the sacrifices offered vpon the altar which with mine eies I could not behold That so I might see in spirit the Messiah and sauiour promised and inioy the light euerlasting in the world to come And thus he hath beene to me and many a chap 29 15 more in my case to the aged especially both men and women better then bodily eyes which onely behold these earthly riches pleasures and vanities but see not the end of their creation that is so to glorifie God with the eyes of their body here that hee may giue them to inioy the light eternall in his kingdome of glory Widdow a Chap 29 13 MY husband dyed left me seuen small Children and greatly indebted insomuch that his creditors came assoone as he was dead and seized vpon all my goods but when I complained to him desiring his ayd he called the creditours before him demaunded to see their euidences told them he would heare the matter and so stayed their course And when the matter came to hearing and their right appeared he treated with them not to bee extreame in exacting their right but to be contenâ—ed to loose if not all yet a great part of their due And what they would needs haue if they repaired vnto him at a day appointed they should receiue it Now in the meane time he sent to the wealthy of his acquaintance desiring them to ioyne with him in a work of charity and so they making a purse together yet in such sort that he himselfe bare the greatest share as euer hee doth in these gratuities the debte was discharged And this he did for me at my first motion Neither it is his manner to delay such as I am when they put vp a supplication to him but a Chap 31 13 forthwith to dispatch them as also al other suiters and the rather if they bee needy and distressed with all possible expedition Fatherlesse I Being a poore Orphan a Chap 19 12 left to the wide world destitute of a friend to bring me vp he tooke the tuition of mee placed me where I was catechised in my youth trained vp in the knowledge of the true God my patrimony b Chap 31 19 redeemed out of the handes of those vntrusty frindes to whom my father left me He hath had a care of the fatherlesse euen from his infancy Being a child he was wont to bring them home with him to be c Chap 1 18 nourished in his fathers house as his brethren and he now taketh a felicity in calling such to his table d cha 33 v 17 neither can hee cate his meate with pleasure if he haue not som of them with him to partake of it The hungry of all sortes must needs be his guests otherwise he thinketh not his meate well bestowed For these he prepareth baÌ„quets these he feasteth to prouide for these is his chiefe study and ioy of hart O therefore how would it grieue him that a fatherlesse child should any way e Chap 31 22 miscary receiue the least hurt or iniury through his default for he knoweth
of them al haue beene induced thereby to serue me but rather haue thereby taken an occasion to cast off my yoke from their shoulders and to yeeld themselues ouer to al lasciuiousnesse and wantonnes of life Though I bestow riches and rewards vpon men to make them more in loue with me yet for the most part they of all other are most vnkind vnthankful forgetful proud ambitious contemners of my worde cruell craftie and requite me with worse and harder measure then anie beside It is wonderful to see what contrarie effects riches work to those that I intend For whereas I bestovv them as comfortes and helpes to the godlie in their proceeding and growing in Religion they turne to the choking vp the good feedes of my word to the drowning of the good graces of my spirit and conuerting them whom I haue not onely indued with a reasonable soule but inspired with diuine knowledge into vnreasonable beastes And therefore Iob is an admirable man whom wealth hath not corrupted but made more dutifull forward and cheerefull in my seruice and more humble toward the poore And as for the feare of thy punishmentes it is a very idle speech and a fond thing for any one to stand in awe of ought thou canst do against them seeing thou canst not lift vp thy finger against any one no not the a Not Achab himselfe 1 Kings 22 20 22 most wicked without my speciall leaue and authority For albeit thy power is aboue theirs they are by nature vnder thy thraldome and thou leadest them for the most part as captiues and Prisoners at thy pleasure yet my hand is aboue thine I redeeme whom I will how vile sinners soeuer yea though vessels of wrath from vnder thy seruice vse toward them long patience and shew toward them my rich fauours and mercies for a time Neither canst thou hold any in perpetuall bondage vntill I giue them wholy ouer vnto thy tyrranny In that thou vauntest of thy thousands whom thou hast brought to thy seruice or rather slauishe seruitude for feare of punishment thou sayest truely because it is for feare and not for loue they doe it But what a mischieuous mind is this that nothing will content thee but the losse of al that euer he hath Which how can it be granted thee For by thine owne confession I haue set a Hedge about him for a defence against thee Wilt thou haue mee to remoue that Hedge without a cause But he feareth me not thou sayest as I suppose but whatsoeuer he doth is in Hypocrisie that so his turne may be serued wherein to omit thy impudency in controling my testimony of him and that to my face thou shalt find by wofull experience that hee is no Hypocrite neither can bee brought by the greatest affliction thou canst deuise to curse and blaspheme me Sathan Suffer me to afflict him and good enough Chap 1 v xi Lord. I assure thee thou shalt haue shame enough by it Chap 1 v xii and the infamy thou thinkest to bring vppon me by his blaspheming my name shall through his patience and constancy in glorifieng and blessing the same in his extreamest misery light vppon thine owne head And whereas thou makest account to destroy Iob thereby to insult and triumph ouer my Church so farre shalt thou bee from that that thou shalt destroy thereby thine own kingdome and doe him such honour as neuer shall be forgotten and be a meanes that my Church shall take vp the same as a song of tryumph and victory against thee in all thy tentations vnto the worldes end Wherefore to put away all doubts concerning Iobs constancy I will yeald him ouer into thy hands a verse 12 Spare not any thing he hath none of his thousands of Cattell none of his Sheep Oxen Asses Cammels none of his Corne Grasse Woodes Vines Barnes Storehouses none of all his seuen Sons or Daughters which hee valeweth aboue all the treasures in the world only meddle not I charge thee with his person Sathan The Assisses being now ended and my commission sealed it remaineth that I play the Hangman I will bee gone therefore in post a Chapter 1 Implyed in exiuit departed verse xii hast and put my commission in execution with all my skill and cunning and who can go beyond me With all my industry and diligence and I am vntireable in my indeuoures Neither will I abate him the least pinnes point of my graunt saue onely certaine messengers to bring him tydinges of his losses his Wife to vexe him and some of his Seruants to grieue and contemne †b chap 19 16 him in his misery It grieueth me to doe this but that I must needes For my desire is to lay on loade vpon all that he hath and to spare nothing vntill I haue belched out all my malice revenged my deadly and insatiable hatred vpon him to the vttermost and with the stretching out of my commission euen vpon the tainter hookes Notwithstanding if I should doe this to and sweepe away all that he hath hand smooth not leauing any thing behind me yet would not my hart for al that be satisfied For there being an vndraineable fountaine of spight there against the Lords elect it is impossible I should euer haue my fil at them as I would I hauing now sued out the lords commission I am bound to follow the matter but that is not it that I regard It is enough for the Angels that keepe their stāding to aime at obedience to the law of God when any thinge is imposed vppon them Let the Lord intend therfore what he wil here in my drift is through the greatnesse sodainesse strangenesse and diuersity of affliction proceeding by degrees and yet winding vp it selfe together at the last and comming in vpon him as it were all at a clap to bring Iob to curse and blaspheme God in his hart The Lordes purpose I know heerein is to vse mee as an instrument to procure his honor by Iobs constancy but my purpose to purchase honour to my selfe and to deface his glory all I can by the vnmasking of this mans disguised holinesse and discoureing of his dissimulation Now for a time to play this my Tragedy in I was neuer better fitted in my life For at this very instant his Sons and Daughters are all a banquetting b Verse xiii together and doe not so much as once thinke of any euill that is toward them I will fetch about for my other exploits and be vpon them in a trice before they dreame of such a matter and tumble downe the very house wher they are assembled vpon their heads Chap. i Syrraxis 5. Persons Foure Messengers Iob. Sathan Mess 1. AS we were plowing the fields Verse xiiii and attending vpon the cattell very carefully those old neighbor theeues of ours the Sabeans a people together with the rest of the Arabians famous as thou knowest for their robberies vpon
more wickedly But this is thy wisedome thou woldest not haue me blesse God What then Raile against Heauen and blaspheme the euer liuing God O miserable and exerable wisedome What a strange thing is this that receiuing so much good from the handes of the almighty wee should not be contented now with this misery which how long it shall endure we know not the Lord may remooue it to morrow next if it please him Though our goods be lost the Lord hath enough in store if we serue him and as for my trouble I being contented with it my selfe what needest thou to murmure Thou wouldest do something if it were laide vppon thine owne body I know for a truth that it shall not continue ouer long so mercyfull is the Lord that hee will remoue it in due time one way or other and wee must waite therefore his leisure a while The mighty God giue me strength to beare willingly and comfortably this his visitation and supply vnto mee by the power of his spirit that which is wanting that as my paine shall encrease so my faith and patience may be greater and as I shall be depriued stil of outward comfortes so the inward ioy of my soule fixed strongely vpon his promisses in the Messiah may abound more and more Rest satiffied here with I pray thee my Wife and disquiet me no longer and seeing I am so loathsome and vnsavory keepe thee I beseech thee farre enough from me I would be loath to infect thee and more loath that the sting of thy tongue more deadly then any Serpent shoulde poyson mee Hitherunto O Lord my God thou hast so supported me with thy grace that notwithstanding all my troubles I haue not shewed my selfe impatient Continue I pray thee thy fauor toward me still euen to the end that no assaultes of Sathan how strong soeuer may ouercome me that so at the last thou maist be glorified through my victory and receiue thankes and praise for my deliuerance Syrraxis 8. Persons Eliphaz Bildad Zophar Sathan Eliphaz MY good friendes Chap 2 xi we are met together to consult of going to see and comfort Iob who is most strangely and grieuously visited with sicknesse by the hand of God How say yee shall we goe louingly together to comfort this our old friend in his aduersity Bildad You doe well Eliphaz to admonish vs of this duty for we ought to be mindful of al men specially of the godly and more particularly of such among them as are our neighbours and acquaintance in their tribulation Zophar I like the motion well I will be ready whensoeuer you shall appoint Some comfortable doctrine in this his estate would be verie welcome it were good therefore we were prouided this waie Eliphaz Let vs goe about it cheerefully being a thing both commaunded of God and commended of Men. Many a one had beene a castaway if this duty had beene neglected the best of vs all needeth counsell in such a case for we are not easily perswaded to die wee are not easily armed against Sathans temptations whose maner is more strongly to assaile vs then at any time beside Sicknesse is trouble some bringeth forgetfulnes idlenes of braine oftentimes and therefore good admonitions are necessary to put vs in minde of God to stay vs from dispaire to advise vs in our affaires as well for the disposing of that wee haue as for the ordring of our selus in the extremity of our sicknes Concerning our behauiour speach and demeanor euery way for therein we become children againe needing no lesse guides to direct vs then Nurses to feed vs by whose exhortations we may be brought to beare patiently and with contentation of minde the Lordes visitations how tedious soeuer and vntollerable to the flesh Bildad Doubtlesse the visitation of the sick in generall is a necessary duty it were not onely a want of loue in vs but of common humanity to neglect to visit our friends those with whō we haue bin familiar chiefly such as we are wel perswaded of for their religion conuersatiō in their affliction and calamity But the speciall duty that God calleth for at our hands in this behalfe is that we ioyne with them in prayer being the onely meanes to procure vnto them sound comfort a sight sorrow for sin an assurance through faith in the Lords promises of the forgiuenes of it together with his fauour in the remouall of the guiltynes of conscience which otherwise will euer bee griping the hart and the punishment due vnto the same in a word an ease and help euery way in their distresse Zophar I a vers 12. whē they lift vppe their eies a farre off they knew him not canot saie it is he for this is such a disfigured body monstrous and terrible to looke vpon as big as two bodies couered all ouer with bloud and ilfauored matter that I haue no knowledge at all of him but by that which I haue heard it should be he yonder he lies in the middest of a heap of ashes all alone as a man forsaken and forlorn no eie pittieth him that hath bin so pittiful to all See what a solitary companion pouerty is all haue betaken them to their wings and fled from her as from a desert It is because there is no food here as in times past O this feeding of the belly is a notable load stone to draw company vnto vs. It is because there is no mirth here For mirth hath a certain hidden vertue in it to procure an appetite there where mourning marres the Market Where is his Wife with her handmaidens Where are his Seruantes that are left Is there no trusting to these in sicknesse Not to them that liue by vs nor to them that are one with vs Whom then shall we trust But what a fearefull spectacle is hee Doth not his sight affright you How is he pestered with sores are you not amazed at it Would it not make all the World to wonder at him if they saw him Can you forbeare marueling Can you forbeare weeping to see your friend thus handled Verily it would make an Adamant to shed teares Eliphaz Indeede I know not whether I may wonder Chap 2 v xii or weep most while I behold and consider him That which is aboue my vnderstanding moueth me to the one nature to the other which when I look higher I must yeald vnto For what is not the Lord able to doe Desist we therefore from the former and addresse we our selues to the latter for to make a wonderment of our friend and a man of that worth what folly ' What want of discretion knowledge and loue should we bewray Admit it were our own case would we be contented to be made a gazing stock pointed at with the finger and that all men should stand astonied at vs and there rest Such vsage would go neerer our harts out of question then all the troubles and torments in the world
to the great iudge might it please him to yeald mee a day of audience I should haue my desire howsoeuer Howsoeuer I say not that I despaire but that I would haue you see my boldnes which is euermore a companion of a good cause specially if it be in the hart as well as in the face as it is with me BVt I pray you tell me my friendes Chap. 13. you that professe so great skill in the matter of affliction woulde not this make you despaire of life if your fleshe were thus mangled throughout your whole bodye and were made fitte Morselles a Verse 14. for your teeth to teare and rent asunder as you see mine is Were your liues in your handes as it is in the Prouerbe wherein wee can account nothing safe as being subiect to marring loosing taking away and miscarrying twenty wales woulde you thinke there were any other waye but one with you I nourish in me no other kinde of despaire then this that I haue no hope to liue and for this you condemne mee as a distrustfull person and a man without al hope of saluation which you gather from my pittifull crying out by reason of the extremity of my disease concluding thereupon as if I were so inraged that I did gnawe my flesh beate my selfe with my fists knocke my head against the wall like a Bedlem or Franticke man and thus were become an executioner of my bodie and a Butcher of myne owne life and for that I cal vpon the Lord to iudge my cause a traitor to mine owne soule But I would haue you know that in the battle betweene the flesh and the spirit though the inner man bee not ouercome yet in the best of the Lordes souldiors it is soiled oftentimes by the outward man So then albeit I haue receiued many a wound by my flesh whereby I haue bin sometime brought to misdemeane my selfe in this my combat yet I haue helde mine owne still I haue reserued my heart from yeilding yea my faith is as strong stil notwithstanding so many afflictions one in the neck of another as euer it was All the miseries and torments in the world could not draw mee to despaire nor drawe mee from that trust b verse 15 and confidence I haue in my God concerning a better estate after this life and as cōcerning my recouery again here in this life I doubt not of the power of God but be cause of the weake and vnrecouerable estate of my body in the sight of flesh and blood it seemeth to me to be his decree to take me out of this vale of misery And hereevpon I perswade my selfe that it cannot be auoided but that I must needs go the way of all the liuing You further obiect that I haue no regard of my life nor of my soule when the greatest regard that I can haue concerning these is to labor for faith in the Lords promises which is my continuall practise and whereby I haue gained this fruit not onely in whatsoeuer calamitie but in death it self to trust and depend vpon him knowing c Verse 16 that it shal go wel with me as long as I hold me to this fortresse This answereth to your reprehension *d chap 4. v. 5.6 As is a mans religion and life so is his hope but my hope you see is great and therefore I conclude from your owne ground that my religion hath not bin counterfet as you immagine but sound and sincere nor my life wicked but godly and vertuous namely such as hath proceeded from a liuely faith and stedfast hope in the Lord with loue of his name and zeale of his glory which haue euer bin accounted as the onely true markes both of the one and of the other This is that which I haue stood vpon al this while that I haue sought the lord and his honour in all my actions and serued him with my whole hart and hereupon would I still stand were death to ceaze vpon me by and by and were I now to yeelde forth my last breath This is my confession no other but this shall be wrung from me My innocency in the matters whereof you accuse mee is that I striue for and were I nowe about to render my soule into the hands of my Creator this is it I would craue at his hands the arbitrating and compounding of this controuersie betweene vs. Now for the carriage of my selfe in this my present visitation thus much I may truely say for my selfe that thogh my conflict hath bin long and bitter yet the Lorde of his goodnes hath so kept me that I haue not fallen from him I haue indeed offended against his Maiesty with my toong and failed of my dutie many waies but he which is the beholder of such as trust in him hath kept my heart vpright and I doubt not but he will so keepe it to the end and place in it such a confidence in his mercies in the midst of death that Sathan whose instrumentes you now are and whose part you take in this disputation with all his policie shall not be able to surprize the iuuincible Castle of my hope Were I an Hippocrite according as you accuse ★ e chap. 8.13 me I could not bee thus confident For hee that is such a one dares not come to his tryal he had rather that all the world had his cause in handling then the Lorde for he knowes that he will lay open the Booke of his conscience which is as a filthy skie full fraught with deceit lying dissembling impiety and vngodlines and discouer with the brightnes of his presence the deeds that are done in the night the vncleannes thereof together with the detestable affections desires and cogitations of the same and with all make manifest to the eles of all men what a monster hee is become that outwardly is a louer ofreligion and vertue but inwardly a mortall hater of them both I feare none of al this which maketh me so forward and earnest with the Lord to take the cause into his own hands But what maketh you so plentiful in disswading from this course Is it not the contrary namely a distrust that you haue in your cause a guilty conscience that you haue not dealte faithfully and according to your hart in that you haue so vehemently vrged against me and a feare that you should receiue a checke for your vnkind and vndiscreet behauiour toward me as also for the application of al your doctrines true in themselues for the most part vntruely and wrongefully to my person But meethinkes I see you relent when you heare me thus confident and bolde in my cause Heare f Verse 17. me therefore diligently with your ears and consider well in your minds what I am able further to say for my selfe not against the Lord as you would haue it for his righteousnes and truth I reuerence but against your accusations and I doubt g Verse 18.
seeketh vnto him For this cause he that is godly indeed though he be stripped of al his earthly commodities and comforts yet he ceaseth not to be a suiter to the Lord for a new supply nothing doubting notwithstanding his former losses but that in his goodnesse he will releeue him Which albeit he doe not for the present accordingly as he hoped yet desisteth he not to rest vpon him yea so farre is he from being deterred from seeking vnto him because hee speedeth not at the first that he be commeth more earnest in his supply cation more humbly minded more grieued for his sins conceauing the want of these to haue withheld the Lords fauour from him that hee armeth himselfe with patience to take many denials to waite the Lordes leasure how long soeuer knowing that at the last his desire shall be granted And when the Lord layeth his chastizements vpon him the more grieuous they are the more is he pressed downe with the burden of them the more is his hart lifted vppe the more feruent is hee in spirit vnto the Lord for deliuerance or if that may not be graunted for some ease of his paine or else if he will not bee intreated to withdraw his hand strength to beare them so as he murmure not against him but may be able willingly and cheerefully to sustaine them ioyfully and thankefully to vndergoe them for hee considereth that the Lord doth this not to destroy him but to saue him not that hee should perish therein but that being tryed he should be made more perfect should haue experiēce how the Lord respecteth such as beleeue in him and can by no aduersity be drawen away from a loue and delight * In a cleane contrary course to the Hypocrite Verse 10. in the obaying of his will These things being wel layed together and examined to to the proofe there will be no pretence left you why you should account me in the number of the Hyppocrites and vngodly because that I euermore euen in any most bitter perplexitie haue vtte red forth some wordes of hope and trust in the Lord and haue carried my selfe very patient indeede as I suppose and I doubt not but they that haue beene heere with me during the whole time of my visitation will witnesse as much especially if they regard the extremity of the paine which I haue suffered But did they see that in me which I feele within my selfe to the incomprehensible ioy of my heart namely the loue that I haue to the Lorde the delight in his seruice the striuing within my selfe not to transgresse in my wordes the keeping of my hart vpright vnto him alwaies which is my triumph euen frō the beginning of my sicknes vnto this presēt time I make no question but they wold not only come forth to testify on my side but stand as strongly in my defence against you euen as I my selfe haue done Howbeit for all this you condemne mee because of my affliction for a wicked person holding it for a generall truth that all men are so who are in calamity which is such an opinion as there is no man hauing any vnderstanding at all but is able to conuince THe wicked alwaies to bee vnder the rodde of the Lordes indignation and none but they in this life Chap. 27 is too large a defence Yet this you maintaine but with what successe your silence now sheweth True it is that the Lord to declare himselfe to the World to be a iust God and to the end that others may be deterred from the like transgressions and wonne vnto vertue doth sometimes a Verse 13 punishe the wicked most fearefully euen in this life and aboundantly rewarde and blesse the Godly I deny not therefore but that sometimes bee depryueth the wicked of all thinges wherein soeuer hee placeth his hope as b Verse 14 15 Children Riches c Verse 16 Munition d Verse 18 costly faire buildinges renowne and creddite that there is no outward c v 19 20 21 22. calamity so great but he is thrown into it and that feare terror and astonishment vnspeakable doeth ouerwhelme his soule through the many Waues of troubles which go ouer his backe and this to be so euident too that al men f verse 23. that see it skip for ioy in the beholding of it clap their hands and hisse thereat This the Lord doth when it pleaseth him to the ende to manifest his iust and righteous iudgements But this is not the matter about which wee contend but our controuersie is about his taking of a contrary course as whether the cause of his suffering the godly to be vnder affliction and the vngodly to flourish be a thing which may be precisely determined of vs at all times or rather whether it be not a mistery which the Almighty oftentimes locketh vp in the closet of his Diuine brest and imparteth not to the sonnes of men Which when we haue pondered as we ought it wil appeare vnto vs very plainly that wee must leaue to busie our selues to search into it Chap 28 and when we haue thoroughly learned how to feare g verse 28 the Lorde and flie from euill that there we must rest our selues contented and goe no further For this if we well vnderstand and practise accordingly though it fareth not with vs so happily in this present life as with the wicked yet in the life to come for their momentany prosperity intermingled also with much bitternes we shal haue neuer-ending ioy freedome from all sorrow and greefe VVE may perceiue how infinite the wisdome of God is Chap 28 if we do but compare it with the wisedome of man in searching into the bowels a verse 1 2 of the earth for yron Brasse Siluer Gold and Precious stones and for his skill in the handling and vsing of these as also for the finding out of the vertues of them being digged out of the earth This knowledge man hath because the Lord hath infused it into him which had he not done he could not possibly attaine vnto it by any care or diligence In vaine then is it for him to striue for the knowledge of that which is farre greater especially when the same is denyed vnto him Such as is the cause why hee afflicteth the good and passeth ouer the bad For this wisedome is one of the Lords Counsels vnreuealed which cannot be b ver 12 13 14 digged out of the earth neither can it be found in the depth or bottome of the sea no Gold of Ophir no Iewel be it neuer of so rare and high price can purchase it You conclude therefore your arguments which you produce against mee vpon an impossibility For you taking this as graunted that the secret Wisedome of God which by no meanes can be comprehended may be knowne of vs you inferre thereupon notwithstanding you had condemned mee for the same fault before as if you had vndergone