shall be the first shall run away When action comes their Troops shall be defeat And stand in fear of every one they meet Their broken Squadrons squandring in their way Through all the Countrey shall become a prey To Boyes and Peasants Hills and Dales to boot Shall not secure them from the hot pursuit Three of 'm in a body shan't remain Most of 'm being captivat or slain Without all hopes of Rallying again But as men in the dark do feel and grope So shall those scattered Forces without hope Benumm'd with fear in lamentable case Whilst the feirce Conquerors closs pursue the Chase Through Ditches Pools and Quag-mires here and there Woods Mountains Corn-fields Pastures every where Run to preserve their Lifes but all in vain Staggering like so many Drunken Men. Cap. XIII ALL this mine ears have heard mine eyes have seen And to my knowledge some such things have been In my own time I have observ'd with care What Changes Turns and Revolutions are In all Conditions of this Life I know There 's nothing fix'd and solid here below All this I know my friends to show you how I 'm not inferiour to the best of you And were 't not for the present wo and pain I do endure I think I could explain My self in manner as methodical And as good Words as any of you all But I intend my Language to direct Onlie to God only to God I 'le speak With the Almighty I 'le expostulate I do desire to enter in debate With him alone for though I understand What has befall'n me is by Gods command And his pure Justice because while such time As God has found and try'd and prov'd the crime Of him he means to punish he will never Send out his Vengeance for what suit soever Our Enemies make to him in a word In Justice only he doth draw the Sword Against poor sinners yet I fain would know For what black crimes I am tormented so I know from God I may such answer have As may hereafter all your labour save I know he will me fully satisfy And tell me plainly where the cause doth lye Of my disease and so proceed to cure By Principles and Medicines more sure Then what you can afford I may expect From him true comfort but what you direct Is but like Oyl pour'd on the Flames alace You talk but do not understand my case Only you boldly vent some foolish lies Which to condemn your friend you do devise But you 're Physitians of no worth or price Indeed my friends I am asham'd to hear Such idle talking and I cann't forbear At length to tell you in plain terms that you Might truly to your selves great kindness doe If you would hold your peace and speak no more Of my concerns and what you 've spoke before I shall excuse then once my friends again I must beseech you free me of the pain Of your discourse and to your selves allow By holding of your peace some favour too For foolish talkers all men do despise But such when silent are esteemed wise This granted I desire the liberty To argue with you for some time that I May show you in your reas'ning where you err And so convince you that what you aver Is not agreeable with Piety And tell you where the fallacy doth ly For here 's your error now upon pretence That you forsooth appear in Gods defence You talk at random your disord'red zeal Over your wit and reason doth prevail I thought in you some comfort to have found But ' stead of that your bitter speeches wound My poor afflicted Soul for you still beat Upon one string and frequently repeat That God doth send afflictions on none But those whose sins do merit them alone From whence subsuming I have merited You do conclude I 'm justly punished This is your constant doctrine this is all The argument on which by turns you fall Though truth it is but what Logicians call A begging of the question for I Your major proposition still deny And for your minor that I 'm such a man As you assert endeavour what you can To make it out I still deny that too So that I only make this answer now Of what you charge me I am innocent And therefore merit no such punishment As I endure Whence all this noise my friends then to what end This tumult of Discourse if you intend Still to oppose why I must still Defend Or if you do intend to personate Your glorious Maker and for him debate Then will I make no answer I 'l not speak Nor Harangues in Gods vindication make As you have done for why my friends would you Have me to bluster out my folly too And treat th' Almighty with such liberty Only forsooth to bear you company Indeed your carriage is unwarrantable Your proud demeanour is intolerable I know my God will no such thing allow That such presumptous Orators as you Should undertake his Interest to plead Gainst any here on Earth he has no need Of your assistance nor will he demand Advice of you pray' therefore understand Your pregnant folly and in common sense Reflect upon your impious insolence You undertake to plead for God will you As for their Clients some crack'd Lawyers do Give to your passions foolish liberty And with great art set out a speciously To gain your point This method some indeed Do use for men but if for God you plead You must be solid sure and circumspect In everything you counsel act or speak Observe then pray our God will not permit Such pleadings for him for when he thinks fit To show the Justice of his actings when He would convince the stolid race of men Of their gross sins and openly detect Their hidden faults then he himself will speak Yes he will speak and strongly plead his cause By quoting his own equitable Laws He 'l speak he 'l speak and show what difference Is betwixt his and humane Eloquence The King of Heavens will speak and show you how His cause is mangled by such things as you Our God himself will make it evident You cannot mannage such an argument And when he speaks why at his very Breath His Orators will look as pale as Death In great disorder betwixt shame and fear When they see God in his own cause appear That mighty God for whom in pur-blind Zeal They thought they had both plead and preached well Whilst mean time all their Eloquence at best Did only serve some Paltry interest Which they 'd glaze over with the Name of God As if his Glory were their period Though in their hearts those men who preach too much Upon that Subject are not alwayes such As they pretend howe're they would deceive The credulous vulgar and make all believe That what they spoke were upright and sincere Whilst really their Eloquence I fear Is but like that at Bar even so
judgements sends To keep the great-men of the Earth his friends So thou didst think when thou didst live in state God thought it fit thou shouldst be alwayes great As being one so justly qualifi d For Government as there were none beside In all the Countrey to supply thy place Wer 't thou undone and therefore if in peace His Majesty would govern all above He thought it not his interest to remove From Government so great a Minister As thou wer 't hence thou vainly didst infer That having left all to thy management Reward thou might but never punishment Expect from God O principles most Atheistical Opinions to be abhorr'd by all Dost think that God who all things did create Who plac'd us all in every rank and state That he whose eye views all things should not know What all of us think speak or act below His Heavenly Throne dost think the thickest cloud From him who holds them in his hands can shroud Our actings here on Earth dost think but he Whose eyes see clearly through the thickest Sea And through the body of the Earth can tell What all those things do act who live in Hell Dost think but he with far more ease doth see Through all those rouling orbs and clouds what we Act here on Earth dost think that he 'll permit The sons of men to live as they think fit Whilst as a meer spectator he looks on Indifferent and concerns himself with none No sure thou thinkst not as thou speakst for so Thou mightst as well pretend thou didst not know Whether there were a God in Heavens or no. For to conclude with thee that Providence Doth rule the World with such indifference As sometimes here it strikes and sometimes there Sending out plagues or blessings everie where As th' fatal Dye doth turn upon the square As points out each mans Destiny were even To fancie a grand Lottery in Heaven Or think that God who all men fullie knows Should by mistake at anie time send blows Where blessings should be sent allow me then To tell thee that none but the worst of men Should vent such errors in which thou appears To be involved over head and ears For thou thinkst not enough thus to denie That providence doth rule with equitie But dost thy error proudlie justifie Thou argu'st too by reason as do all Those whom the knowing world do Athiests call But were there no more arguments to confute Thee and those prating Fellows who dispute The actions of their Maker this alone May teach you all God will be fool'd by none That though those wretches firmlie do believe There is no God yet still they do conceive There 's some such thing for in their mind they doubt Although they are asham'd to speak it out Whether what they believe be reallie true Or not for to give providence its due They find all 's ordered by some supream hand Though whose it is they will not understand So though in their opinions positive Yet by their doubtings we may well perceive That they with contrare thoughts are still opprest And maugre all their braving cannot rest On such opinions but still apprehend God out of Heav'ns will view them in the end And on their old-age heavy judgements send Take heed I do beseech thee then from hence My friend how thou dost talk of Providence And ask no questions pray why wicked men To great enjoyments in this life attain Whilst pious men are strictly punished As if here Providence did erre take heed And do not think such things for if thou dost Assure thy self thou art for ever lost Then use no more that trivial defence So oft repeated of thy innocence For we are all perswaded that our God Without just cause doth never use the Rod. Remark but th' History of former times Thou 'lt see how men have suffered for crimes Hast thou not heard how men before the Flood Behav'd themselves as if they had withstood The power of Providence and would not bow To the great Prince of princes or allow That homage to him which the Creature owes To its Creator he did so dispose Those Clouds in which thou think'st he 's wrapp'd a round As in a few dayes all those men were drown'd He who by power of his Almighty Hand Clear'd all the Marches betwixt Sea and Land And by the same power doth restrain the Floods Above us in Borrachios of Clouds Was pleas'd then in his wrath t' unty them all Which caus'd a Deluge Epidemical That race of Creatures which not long before He had created he did then abhore Because they had his Government disclaim'd And all his reverend Orators contemn'd Whom he had sent with open mouths to tell 'em Of those sad things which afterwards befel 'em But they with open mouthes those men did mock And told them that they knew not what they spoke Nay when the Good-man whom the Lord design'd To be the great Restorer of Man-kind By special Direction did begin In view of all to build an Ark wherein The Seeds o' the World might be preserv'd entire Whilst all the rest did in the Flouds expire Those silly Fools did laugh at his intent And oft would ask what the old Fellow mean't So in their errors these men did proceed Still living as they were accustomed In wanton pleasures regulating still Their Lives by order of their foolish will Hence when the Cataracts of Heaven did swell And Floods out of the Skies upon them fell They were catch'd napping in their Festivals And minding nothing but their Bacchanals Were in that universal Deluge drown'd With all their sins about ' em But O the man who as they thought had rav'd Was in that Ark which they derided sav'd With all his Family he safety found Amidst those rowling Waves in which they drown'd And the Good-Master of Heavens only Barque With all his Passengers did in his Ark O'r'e-top the Flouds Then on might see when that Spring-tide was full The Stock of Mankind floating in a Hull The hopes o' th' world the Origination Of every future Kingdom State and Nation Shut up below Decks under Boards and Dails Without the help of Masts Ropes Oars or Sails Rudder or Compass Steer they knew not whither Upon the Waters many days together And yet at length as well as any now Who with great Art and Skill the Ocean plow Arrive at their wish'd Port of Ararat From whence they quickly did Disseminat In fruitful Colonies giving Birth to all Who now do scramble 'bout this Earthen-ball Such wicked men then did not dy in peace Nor did they step into their Graves with ease Who said to God depart from us good Lord What more than we enjoy can'st thou afford And generally were so insolent In sin as they disdained to repent As thou affirm'st no they were visibly While living punish'd for Impiety Yet after all with thee I must confess 'T is strange to think how our good God did bless
Monarchs can be bought Make such a strange appearance as the eyes Are dazled with the sight and do surpize Th' uncurious home-bred unexpecting mind When they present it Idea's of that kind Nay those who 've seen those glorious passages When they relate such goodlie sights as these They 're not believ'd and every one who hears Their Stories think them lying Travellers Then O if these so glorious do appear Which if with Heavens rich pallace we compare Are but as Cottages what must that be Which none but with the eye of Faith can see Yes with the piercing eye of Faith alone Must we discover the coelestial Throne Which when we see our minds shall then abhore All other sights and wish to see no more The Sun and Moon who in their Orbs appear Most necessarie for his Glorie here Are there of no more use than Candles be After the Day is broke for then wee see These little Raies which sparkled in the night Are fullie swallowed in the greater light So where God in his Majestie doth shine These most resplendent Beames those Raies Divine Do so much light afford as there 's no need Of Sun and Moon this light it self doth spread So brightlie and so fullie over all That other Lights we may but Tapers call But hear my friends pray even admire with me Heavens outward Fabrick which we dailie see Let us with admiration cast our eyes Upon those verie Heavens and view the skies How Glorious how Beautiful and Fair When Sun at Noon-tide shines they do appear When nothing in our Horizon we view But a Sun Radient in a Field of Blew Which like a spacious Arch appears to th' eye Whilst we as sitting under Canopie Do eat in state anone when he inclines To rest and takes good-night in Oblique-lines How sweetlie on the Mountain tops he shines Whilst round his squinting beames the skies appear In such bright various Colours here and there So curiouslie damask'd at that rate As Artists yet but faintlie imitat That evening Picture and at length confess No Pencil can such glorious showes express Whilst most part of that Field which now we view Is shadowed Scarlet which before was Blew At length when after all the Sun is gone And Darkness doth invade our Horizon Then of what colour is this Canopie How do the Heav'ns appear then to the eye Why then we see the Moon and Stars do yield A comelie Figure in a Russet Field Under which spacious covering we sleep Till from the Seas the Sun again doth peep And then what Russet was before we view Now of a mixt Pearl Orient Gray and Blew Then if these outward Heavens themselves display In changes of attire four times a day And with such rare and goodlie Variation Affords us so much cause of admiration Ah! how much more should we admire if we The Inner-court of the third Heavens could see The Heavens of Heavens where in Magnificence The Great Creator keeps his Residence How should we be surpriz'd if we could see What glorious sights in these Apartments be Where he who fram'd all things doth sit in state When we so much admire the utter Gate Now as those curious Heavens his Hands did frame Which everie hour his Greatness do proclaim So as a Limner when to show his skill He makes his Pensil draw what shapes he will The Great Creator to express his art That from the highest to the lowest part This Universe might be replenished With these so various works his hands had made The Insects too which on the Earth do crawl He fram'd to show his Glorie shines in all What we can see or fathom in our mind And writes his name on things of everie kind Then to conclude since those few passages Do so much of his Glorious Pow'r express Since what with our dull eyes of flesh we see Which may by Computation hardlie be The hundred thousand part of that great whole Of which the Great Creator is the soul Affords such grounds of serious contemplation How should it far exceed all admiration Were I my friends but able to relate His Glorie in its true and real state But ah there 's no man able to do that And thus I hope I have demonstrate now I understand these things as well as you Let these suffice then let these things my friends Of which I 've spoke fullie possess your minds Debate no more I pray but let us all Upon this subject to admiring fall That Great Creator at whose verie name We mortals should our faces vail for shame And prostrat on the ground in ashes ly When we consider that great Deity That chief and supream Beeing that so vast Extent of Power that glorious first and last Compar'd with whom man is a cheaper thing Then is a Beggar ballanc'd with a King Ten thousand times Then O let these suffice And let us no more in contention rise Concerning things we cannot comprehend Which all our art and reason do transcend In painting out of which there is no end Cap. XXVII THus having reply'd to what Bildad said Expecting some should have an answer made Job paus'd a while but then perceiving how Those learned men had all concluded now That he was so perversly obstinate As not to be reclaim'd at any rate And therefore seeing what they spoke before Prevail'd so little mean't to speak no more Lest he might seem t' approve what they decreed He still in his defence did thus proceed Why now my friends says he at length I see You think 't lost labour to dispute with me You think all you have spoke has been in vain And so from speaking more you 'll now abstain Why you do well indeed I 'me glad 't is so But should I hold my peace I firmly know You would undoubtedlie conclude from thence That I pass'd from my plea of innocence Therefore I still must speak in my defence As the Lord lives then as our mighty God Eternal in the Heavens keeps his abode As he has heard and seen all that has past Amongst us and will judgment give at last Against those of us who have err'd I here Before you all most solemnlie do swear I 'me wholly innocent of all these crimes Of which you 've me accus'd so many times I know not why my Maker thus has vex't My soul with troubles why I 'me thus perplex't With griefs and Sorrows which I ne're did merit At his so gracious hands or why my spirit Should thus be crush'd with misery and woe Of no crimes yet convict I do not know For I protest my friends I firmly still Assert let God do with me what he will I know no cause for my sad punishment For to this hour I 'me wholly innocent Of what th' injurious world lay to my charge And which in your discourse you have at large To my own hearing told Nay whilest Gods spirit moves within my breast And whilst I breath I solemnlie
give me strength to bear My Losses so as all men may confess Who see me in this miserable case That thou hast not depriv'd yet of Grace Lord theâ— what shall I say thou giv'st thou tak'st Thou raises thou throws down again thou mak'st And thou unmak'st O let thy glorious Name Sound in the Trumpet of eternal Fame For all thy Actings are both just and fair And well thou know'st what Criminals men are And what they do deserve O make me then Highest of late but lowest now of men O make 〈◊〉 wiâ—â— a 〈◊〉 patience Endure what thou art pleased to dispense Thus though we see Jobs Grief was answerable To his Condition which was lamentable Yet in his greatest paroxism of woe He did not sin nor treat his Maker so As if he would accuse him foolishly For th' only author of his Misery Then happy he who can his loss sustain With patience and not of God complain For when Afflictions Storms from Heavens do fall We ought to suffer and not cry at all Because we know that God affliction sends Upon a many whom he least intends â— extirpate in his anger for we shall See this good mans afflictions after all Converted to a fair and pleasant Scaene Of Wealth and Honours and a most serene Aspect of Favour when our God doth show To Job his Face ex Postliminio Cap. II. HEre 's a Grand-Tryal then awake all you Who ever in your lives Affliction knew Sum up your Sorrows reckon all your Woes And all your wreaking Miseries unclose Your Crosses and your Losses all declare See who with Jobs afflictions can compare Or with his Patience For now his Issue Wealth and Honours gone His Body must be sadly rack'd anon And put to horrid torture as if what He yet had lost were not proportionate To th' merits of so great a Criminal He must endure the question after all See here then God again in Judgment set Environed with Majesty and State Before whom numerous Angels do appear As if for jury they impannelled were He who by Virtue of his late permission Had to a most deplorable condition Reduc'd this pious man appears there too To see if there was more mischief to do Satan from whence says God from compassing The Earth and there securely travelling In every corner doing all I can Says he to dissappoint the Hopes of Man I 've done what thou allowd says he and â—ow I ask if thou hast any more to do For me on earth is there another there Whom thou thinkst just and upright let me hear Is there a man for whom thou hast esteem Under the Heavens pray let me know his name And by thy good permission I shall try The utmost Force of his Integrity I 'le soon reduce him to the same estate As I have done thy other man of late And then thou 'lt see that all those upright men Are but thy Servants for their privat gain Not so says Heavens King for yet I see My faithful Servant Job doth honour me The Man whom thou so falsly didst accuse As though he like a Hireling would refuse To serve me were his wages taken from him See now thy malice cannot overcome him Th' hast cut off all his Family and tane His means from him yet he doth not complain He thou didst move me without cause t' oppress See he continues firm in uprightness True says the Enemy of Man 't is true To give thy faithful Servant Job his due He bears his Losses yet with that Submission As I expected none in his condition Could well ha' done for by this time I thought The Bitter Potion would a shreudly wrought But yet when I consider these mean Creatures Whom thou call'st men I do observe their Natures To be above all things most prone to live For Skin for Skin all they possess they 'll give For one hours breath so yet thy Servant Job Because as of his goods I cannot robb Him of his life truly he doth dispense With loss of these since the convenience Of breathing is allow'd him still I know The man is in great misery and wo. His Losses do oppress his Spirits sore Yet as a Ship-wrack'd-man when got a-shore Glad to have ' scap'd with life doth soon forget His losses and though wearyed faint and wet To the next Village hee 'll a begging go For men will rather beg than dye we know So Job though stripp'd of all yet still in health Already has forgot his former wealth So glad hee 's yet alive he has forgot The loss of Children Honours Fame what not He with Contentment begs and eats his bread And only sighs for those are lately dead Nay now he with some ease doth spend his years Because hee 's free of all his former cares But pâ—â—â—â—â—â— now great God stretch out thy Hand And touch his Body let me but demand This favour of the once for all and then I 'le make this Job of all the Race of Men The most impatient then thou 'st quickly see What is his true Opinion of thee For with his paines I 'le alter soon the case And make him curse thee to thy very face Then says the Lord his Person 's in thy hand But save his Life I strictly do command And thou shalt surely see all thy designs Soon disappointed by his countermines Of Piety and Patience Out flies the Devil and instantly doth fall On Job by Execution Personal He baits his Body with a thousand sores And makes an humour issue from its pores So pestilentious hot and purulent So foul so loathsome and so virulent As soon his Body doth appear all o're To be but one continued scabby sore Merciful Heavens What a sad sight is here Pouldred with Ulcers Job doth now appear All Comforts and Subsistence from him taken His Body with a scorching Feaver shaken Of loathsome sores what shall this poor man doe Thus cruciat in Mind and Body too Why patiently he sits on Dung and Asâ—â—s Not bursting out in angry fits and flashes As in like case a many sure would doe But with a peice of broken pitcher now He scrapes the putrid matter from his sores And silently his sad Estate deplores But all th' efforts of cruel Poverty With Heavenly thoughts and smiles of Piety One of undaunted spirit will make sweet Though he can neither have to drink nor eat Diseases of the Body often too Afford such thoughts as Health will scarce allow Our Entertainment for when free of pains And in the ouzy channels of our Veins Our Blood flows smoothly then we think on pleasures On Honours and in hoording foolish Treasures And on these things we rest like silly â—ops Feeding our Minds with vain fantastick hopes But when Diseases on our Bodies seize And in our Veins our Blood begins to freeze When th' motion of our Pulse seems at a stand Scarce to be felt â—y the Physicians hand When with excessive pains our
Life a Life so poor and mean A Life so larded with sad grief and pain As if his mortal foe a man would curse All his invention could not wish him worse Then I am now then I am I sad I Who that I may be sadder must not dye Lord how my Sighs with force ingeminate Pump up whole floods of Tears which when I eat Are now the only Sawces to my Meat For from my Eyes these as from Water-spout Like Rain swoln Torrents issue always out Then let me dye O let me quickly dye As others do and not so cruelly Be forc'd thus to survive my Losse and see Under the Heavens no sinful man like me No sinful man no none of all that Race So much opprest as I am none alace Of Heavens foes suffering so much as I Who liv'd by th' Laws and Rules of Piety As I who always studied to shun Those Courses which a many Mortals run As I who always shunn'd to give occasion To my indeed kind God of provocation But now I plainly see my former Zeal And Piety could not with him prevail T' avert this blow no no my clouds of Prayers Are now dissolv'd in deluges of Tears And I must suffer now what never man Endur'd before me since the world began Indeed in th' affluence of my former bless I still would fear this sad Catastasis And these same thoughts did so my Spirit seize As in the night time my o're wearied eyes Had little sleep for I could ne're endure In all my prosp'rous time to live secure As some who on their earthly Blessings rest Which makes me so uneasily dâ—gest My present troubles O then let me dye For since alace my â—eal and Piety My Prayers my Tears my daily Offerings Could not prevent my present Sufferings How should I think they can me extricate Out of this sad and miscrable state Then let me dye O let me dye again I beg it Lord let me be out of pain At any rate let not thy dreadful wrath Deprive me of the benefit of death As it has done of all things here below Nâ— my good God permit it not for so I shall in horrour live and possibly After long sufferings in despair shall dye O let me dye then for thy mercies sake Lord let me dye and force me not to take Those resolutions which some other men Would take if in such misery and pain Burst then poor heart O split burst speedily That I may have the happiness to dye To dye and then I know my Makers wrath For all this will be by my single death Quickly appeas'd and in the grave I shall Rest sweetly free of troubles after all O death what mortal can thy worth esteem Who 's he can thy intrinsick value name All states of life are daily to be sold But thou death art not to be had for gold Though th' world of life but one great mercat be Yet all 's bought up and there 's none left for me But that which even mad men would abhor Then why should I this life keep any more This life this hellish life O now kind death Ease me of this and take my parting Breath Then burst sad heart what cannot all my Art Be able yet to burst one broken heart Yes sure burst quickly let me quickly dye And in this ugly â—â—unghill where I lye Let me be buryed but my Friends take heed My Body with much earth be covered Under a heap of stones lest Labouring Men Digging this Dung hill in the Season when They dung their grounds should find my Carcass here For if uncovered will infect the Air. PART II. Cap. IV. JOB having thus attempted to express That inward grief which did his Soul oppress One of his three Friends Eliphaz by name Did him thus tartly for his passion blame Should we says he with thee expostulate And on the matter enter in debate We see the heat of thy impatience Is such as our discourse may give offâ—nce Yet though thou should st be vext and curse us all As thou hast done thy birth-day nothing shall Make us forget our duty for reprove The errors of a man we so much love We must indeed then pray who can forbear To answer thee when such discourse we hear Of thy great zeal and piety of late Thy grace thy virtue and I know not what By which thou'd make us think forsooth that he Who cannot act unjusâ—ly punish'd thee Without a fault preceeding very fair Pray who with patience can such language hear Should in our hearing one of God complain Unjustly and from answerâ—ng we abstain No no my friend we came not here indeed To hear thee in thy Passions exceed The rage of mad-men or allow thee so To cry and overact a man of woe For shame how mean a thing it is to see Thy mind thus discompos'd that such as thee Whose eminent prudence virtue piety And long experience o' th' worlds vanity We thought had taught thee to know better things That such as thee in foolish murmurings Should bluster thus Thou who didst others in affliction teach How to behave would to them patience preach And how with crosses they should be content Thy self to become thus impatient Thou who in troubles others hast restor'd Canst thou no comfort to thy self afford Others thou'd check when in Adversity As thou dost now they 'd passionately cry And curse their Birth-day as thou now hast done Afflictions at length are come upon Thy self and thou art griev'd it toucheth thee I' th' quick and thou art all in flames we see Where 's now thy fear of God thy confidence In him thy Uprightness thy Patience Where are those Virtues now what are they fled At such time as thou most of them hast need Why should'st my friend like mad-man then cry out In view of all thy Neighbours round about And set out thy condition with such Art As if without cause thou afflicted wer 't Have not thy sins call'd for thy punishment Prethee forbear then this thy vain Complaint Who ever perish'd being Innocent Pray call to mind how thou hast liv'd before As other sinners and complain no more Revise the Annals of thy former time And thou wilt surely find the hidden Crime For which we all of us perceive indeed Thou now art most severely punished Consider this pray and without debate Thou 'lt not so with thy God expostulate He acts according to most upright Laws And punishes no man without a Cause But I 've observ'd that Antecedent sin How slow soever still doth usher in Punishment to it self proportionate Which still attends the sinner soon or late So in his Judgement on his sins may read And see the Cause from whence his woes proceed For I have often seen that such as Plow Your heathy Ground and corrupt Seed do Sow For all their Labours when their Harvest came They'd Reap no other but the very same Vain men who
proclaim Can in his judgements err can any thing Invert the firm Decrees of Heavens King He who himself is Justice can he do What is unjust dost ' think that he 'l allow Vain man t' imagine that he can dispense With what injustice is in any Sense Dost think he can be Brib'd as dayly here Our Judges are either by Hope or Fear With all th' efforts of humane Art and Skill T' alter th' Eternal Purpose of his Will Why if thy Children did their God offend And for their sins were brought t' untimely end Why dost ' regrate the loss so bitterly Of those who for their Crimes deserv'd to dye No sure thou shouldst not such thy Children call But rather take example by their Fall T' abstain from sin and not provoke the Wrath Of him who in his Hand has Life and Death Yet if thou 'lt call on God and earnestlie Implore assistance from his Majesty If with a heart and hands uplifted thou Humbly before thy great Creator bow If with a cordial true sincerity Thou to thy Maker dost thy self apply Then will he hear thy Pray'r and after all What now thou dost most grievous Torments call He 'l re-establish thee and make thee see How much for all thy Plagues he valueth thee He 'l blesse thy dwelling House with Righteousness And ' crown thy Life with Honour Wealth and Peace Nay tho thou now dost in affliction lye Complaining of thy Pains and Agony Although thy present Case seems to declare No Remedy is left thee but despare Yet shall thy latter end with joyes be bless't And thou of great abundance be possest Now if thou wilt not credit what we say Go too enquire search all Records I pray Dig in the bowels of Antiquity Where Times immense spare-treasury doth ly Where our Creators Glorious Works of old Are to be read in Characters of Gold There shalt thou see what mercies God hath shown To those he loves how much he for his own At all times hath appear'd enquire now pray For truth is we are but of Yesterday Just drop't into the World meer Novices Have no deep thoughts and can at best but guess Men of no reach nor is there time allow'd For us to learn on earth although we wou'd For as a shadow so our years do pass Our Days by time are eaten up like Grass But O let Venerable Antiquity Inform thee plainly how the case doth ly Ask Councel of dead Wise Men in a word Let what those Father 's left upon Record Teach thee let their Authority prevail For what we speak perhaps thou think'st a Tale. Inform thy self then and thou'lt surely find We are thy real Friends and are more kind Than thou imagin'st for we do not mean To flatter thee but hearing thee complain Of thy sad usage as if thou wert one Void of all sin and it could not be known What mov'd our God so sore to punish thee We tell thee we the reason plainly see Sins usher Judgments as the Flames do heat And as when Serpents Mouth and Tail doth meet It makes a Circle so the sin goes round Then meeting with the Judgment doth confound It self with th' substance of that pois'nous thing And so the Sin and Plague make up one Ring In which Ingraven we may plainly read The cause from whence the judgment doth proceed For Sin and Judgment are so link'd together As he who sees the one may see the other Let 's argue then my Friend I do desire Can a Rush grow up where there is no Mire Can Grass unless by water moistened Grow up and with fair Coverlet o're spread Both Hills and Valleys as is daily seen The Grass which withers whilst is yet green It doth require no toil to cut it down For it doth fade before it can be mown Before all other Herbs it withereth For all its Beauty quickly perisheth Such is the case of those who do forget Their God and on vain things their minds do set Of whom I look upon the Hypocrite A creature who it self a Saint doth write Pretending to a singular Purity And gulls the World with show of Piety To be the chief this wretch I do esteem The worst of men not meriting the Name Even of a Moral Man so base a Creature So supercilious of so false a Nature As no man can his word or promise trust An â—bject sinner nothing fram'd of Dust God hates so much and therefore let him Treat His Conscience as he will and basely cheat The credulous World with a Formality God will not suffer such Hypocrisie To flourish long but in a moments space This painted Flower shall wither like the Grass For God shall soon for all his lofty top Dash him to thousand pieces with his hope He 'l disappoint his hateful confidence And cut him off for all his formal sense Those earthly things in which he put his trust Shall in an instant be transform'd to dust Of no more value than a Spiders house To every besome so obnoxious As what appears most neatly wrought to day To morrow is most neatly sweep't away Shall soon perceive the flattering vanity Of such as think t' erect a family On villany and fraud for desolation Is only built on such a weak foundation His out-side piety shall no more prevail For all those cunning Tricks and Arts shall fail By which he did the World abuse his name Shall not be mention'd but with scorn and shame Let him do what he can to magnify The reputation of his Family Let him hoord up his Means in Chests of Iron And round the same with Grats of Brass environ Let him grasp close the things he loves so well And 'mongst his quickly purchas'd Treasures dwell Watching them with great trouble night and day Yet shall those darling Riches fly away But as in view o' th' Sun a tender Tree Still verdant flourisheth although it be Transplanted from one place t' another yet It growes apace and nothing doth abate Of its most pleasant shape and former strength Till it become a lofty pine at length Although its Roots in Earth do scattered lye Like Mettals in the Veins so as no eye Can trace them some about the Fountain wrap't Some close to th' Arbours and the stone-house clap't Yet pluck it up and to another Ground Transplant it as no vestige can be found Of its first seat so that no eye can know Whether a Tree did e're grow there or no. T' will soon shoot up amain and flourish more In that new soile than ere it did before Even so the Godly though it be their case To be transplanted here from place to place Toss'd with afflictions and with sorrows vex't With grief overwhelm'd with poverty perplex't Yet shall they laugh at length whilst others mourn And all their woes shall to their profit turn For God an upright man will not neglect
Justice will proclaim My misdemeanors and make evident How I in courting sin my time have spent Nay though I were upright yet would I not Desire to live my Soul hath quite forgot Its former kindness to that piece of clay It lov'd so much before and every day Longs to be from its consort separate Whom it doth now with so much reason hate Yet here 's my comfort that I understand My God will punish with impartial hand Both just and unjust and will evidence That 'twixt them both he makes no difference Has no respect for persons no regard For one or other but gives out award In every point as he finds just and layes Every mans Cause in equal ballances In unjust Causes he will none maintain So of Gods Justice no man should complain If in his wrath God should the wicked slay And root them out what could those wretches say Against Gods Justice when their Conscience Assures them he has done them no offence Because Gods Judgements do their sins pursue And punishment t' offenders is as due As Wages to the Labourer for each sin First acts its part then Judgement does begin Where it leaves of and so pursues the Chace Until the breathless sinner end his Race This is his Justice but his Mercie sure Eternal to all ages doth endure Must not our God be full of Clemency When on the wicked even unwillingly He executes his Justice punishment Is long delay'd and vengeance seldom sent 'Gainst any but the stiff impenitent Who at his Judgement doth repine and cry Out upon Gods too great severity Sure that unhappy Creature doth mistake Gods Bounty and his own Condition make Worse than it was intended for we know In Mercy God is quick in anger slow A God of Mercy he himself doth write And so in sinners death takes no delite Far lesse than should the just and innocent Think God takes pleasure in their punishment Nor ought we to repine when we reflect How God the wicked Lords o' th' earth doth make How he puts Pastures Vineyards Houses Lands Power Jurisdiction Honours in their hands By which puff'd up a wanton life they lead Whilst godly men do toil for daily bread Nor how the Judges of the earth abuse Their Sacred Function and their Power do use T' oppress the Just whose eyes with avarice Are sealed up who boldly set a price On Justice and employ their utmost Art To sell the same as in a publick Mart. Who by their Friends use to negotiat For Quotes of Pleas and closely stipulat For so much at the Issue of the cause T' attain which point they cruciat the Laws And make them serve their ends so forcibly As all the world may see their Bribery If we consider how God doth permit Those men to live on earth as they think fit Because they 're none of his and have no share I' th'land of Promise whilst the upright are In sad afflictions toss'd and seem to be O're whelmed by a most impetuous Sea Of miseries wee 'l find these walk i' th'Road Of black Damnation of such Creatures God Doth take no care but le ts them all run wild Like Herds of Asses in the open field But his own Children he doth exercise In a continual tract of miseries That being keep'd in such strict Discipline In a full body they may mount the Line I' th' daily Seige of Heaven and in the end Possess the same only to be attain'd By Sighs and Tears whilst wicked men do run Without all order and so are undone Amidst their pleasures for they do compell Their Souls instead of Heaven to march to Hell Now were it lawful to repine did God Allow to any that do feel the Rod To say that his condition were sad Sure never any Mortal Creature had More cause than I poor wretch have to complain Who 've lost my years and spent my days in vain Swifter than Post my days their course have run That I might be more speedily undone My days are gone my time is vanished My hours are fled my life is finished My wretched life a Scene of woes has been Under the Sun I have small pleasure seen Whilst others of obscure and mean estate To Wealth and Honours have been elevate Their modest parts buoyd up by Friends and Fame Purchassing quickly to those Fools a Name Which impudently they would attribute To their abilities I destitute Of every thing that 's good do silently Spin out my days in grief and penury And as the south wind with a gentle breese Breaths on the verdant Plain and skims the Seas With little noise so I my days have spent My view o' th' world was meerly transient Have you not seen a Vessel under sail Swoln with a stiff but favourable gale Post through the stubborn Seas and make a Line Upon its surface in a foaming brine Or with what wonderful celerity The ravenous Eagle to her prey doth flye So have my days run out so have my years Plough'd through a sea of foaming brinish tears Now should I say I will complain no more But here my exclamations give o're Here to my querullous Notes I 'le put a stop And from this minute I 'le begin to hope Then all my sorrows all my woes and fears Would suddainly appear about my ears With ghastly looks they 'd stare me in the face And in their silence publish my disgrace Because however I my self do vent I know God will not hold me innocent If horrid sins then do my Soul distain Why do I thus excuse my self in vain If to my Maker I have given offence Why should I all this while plead Innocence No sure if things be so all I can say Is to no purpose only I betray My weakness in endeavouring to maintain My just demeanour where my guilt is plain For certainly however I pretend To Piety and Grace yet in the end The great Heart-searcher will make evident That to this minute I my days have spent In wickedness and sin in villany Not to be nam'd in stead of purity And thou O Lord in just conceived rage will Sentence such a Scandal of his age To utmost torment that the world may see How much thou hatest such a one as me Whilst all the Fig-leav'd arguments I use To palliate my sins and make excuse For my false dealings and unrighteousness ' Stead of concealing shall my guilt express For God Almighty's not a man as I'm That I should set my face to 't and defye him When he to Justice doth himself betake That I before my God should answer make An what am I a moulded piece of Dust Consigned to a few years breath in trust Awalking ghost a meer night wanderer Like th' empty figment of some Conjurer That such as I forsooth should undertake Harangues befor the King of Heavens to make And argue for my self whilst tacitely My Conscience tells me I deserve
and not I Thy conscious lips against the testify Thou talks't thou talks't and like a foolish wretch Wouldst fain discourse of things above thy reach And seem'st to question in thy frantick sense The soveraign power of Divine Providence Thou talkst with God as wouldst with one of us Why thus oppress'd why am I punish'd thus Sayst thou why are my steps thus calculat And all my errors so enumerat As if forsooth he who commands on high Should find himself oblig'd to satisfy Thy rude demands as if forsooth that he Should stoop so low as answer such as thee In all thy School-boyes questions and assign A reason for his actings Dost think that he who did us all Create And with his own Breath did us animate From whence this reason of which were so proud Flows in a channel can be understood To act by other rules than only those Of undisturbed reason dost suppose That he who governs all by upright Laws Would punish such as the without a cause Prethee my friend then let me understand Why so presumptuous as to demand A reason why thou art thus punished Dost think such language can be suffered A reason from the God of reason sure No pious ears such pratting can endure Dost ' think he 'll give account to every fool On whom he uses justice by what rule He doth proceed no sure he will not do it The Majesty of his Laws will not allow it But if thou wilt from men a reason know 'T is only this our God will have it so That he may keep aspiring spirits low This is the reason prethee rest content With this then and no more thy self torment With asking questions why thus punished Why thus afflicted why thus buffetted We 've heard too much of such unwarrantable And shrewd discourse discourse unsufferable Forbear then pray for all those sad complaints Are to no purpose but weak arguments Of innocence and rather do imply A heart replenish'd with impiety Which now thou labour'st to conceal in vain And so bewrayst thy Conscience by thy pain Whence all this arguing then this violence On reason to maintain thy innocence What need of all this reasoning what need Of words if thou be innocent indeed For innocence still for it self will plead Then by thy favour friend I must demand What in a word wouldst have us understand By all those brisque expressions dost conceive Thy hollow talking will make us believe That what thou in thy passion dost expresse Must be receiv'd as learned sentences And so admir'd in future ages look Like the dark Riddles in some ancient Book Art thou of men most aged grave and wise Hadst thou a Beeing ere the Hills did rise Art thou of Council to th' Almighty Lord Who fram'd and ordred all things by his word Dost thou advise him dost thou influence His Spirit in his Works of Providence Art thou the only wise man now alive Hast thou attain'd what all in vain do strive To purchase wisdom in perfection can Thy Parts advance thee 'bove the reach of man Prethee le ts hear now what thou furder knowst Than we do of what learning canst thou boast Unknown to us what Arts or Sciences For all thy blustring words dost thou professe To understand of which we 're ignorant Then what 's this knowledge of which thou dost vaunt This extraordinar wisdom prethee show What are the things thou knowest we do not know With us are men both ancient and sage Men that do far exceed thy Fathers age Men learn'd and knowing men of lives upright Men truly sober men whose piercing sight None can escape men who distinctly know The causes whence all things in course do flow For every triffle can assign a reason And show that all things have their proper season In which they shut up flourish and decay And with submissive reverence obey The orders of the first and mightie Cause To whose perpetual Edicts Rules and Laws All other causes do subjection own And can do nothing by themselves alone In short there 's nothing to those men unknown Yet thou forsooth dost undervalue such As all men do who think they know too much Thy self-conceited pride will not permit Thee to believe that any has more wit Then thou hast hence thou dost all men despise And we 're but very dunces in thy eyes But be assur'd 't is no small thing my friend That God to thee should consolation send By such as us men who exactly know Thy weaknesse and most readily can show The cause of thy disease and plainly tell The proper remedy men who wish thee well Who pity thee but on no terms will ly Who know all Arts but that of flattery And therefore what we speak thou mayst believe Is for thy good for though we truly grieve To see thee in such sad calamity Yet of a truth we cannot justify Those rash expressions which we hear thee use But as thy friends we fain would dis-abuse Thy wavering mind and make thee fully know What in affliction Man to God doth owe. 'T is not that one should thus complain or that He with his Maker should expostulat As thou hast done or by his looks expresse What inward sorrow doth his mind oppresse Or with such self-conceited impudence Upbraid th' Almighty with his innocence Or in his language thus prevaricat And with th' All-knowing-God at random prat As if with his familiars he did speak And in his passion show himself so weak As to repine and bitterly exclaim Against Gods Justice and so rashly blame That ne re too much to be admired God Who though in anger he doth use the Rod Yet in that anger mercy doth abound As in afflictions it is always found By those to whom our God allows the grace Of its right use for still in such a case As from most bitter Herbs and acid Plants Menuse t'extract wholsome Medicaments So from afflictions Limbeck gently flows True Piety O then my friend for thy own sake forbear Those rankling words pray let me no more hear Such dangerous Thunder-claps of fiery passion By which thou tempst thy Maker in that fashion As 't is a wonder he has all this time Heard thee with patience for a smaller Crime Many have by his justice been destroy'd But thou my friend hast all this while enjoy'd Thy Breath at least and if thou understood How much our converse serves to do thee good Thou art so far from those extremities Of misery which from afflictions rise That I should rather think in sober sense Thou might'st with all those triffling ills dispense Assisted by such comforters indeed Thou merits't further to be punished If in these mad expressions thou proceed Thou just thou clean from sin thou innocent What sober person thus himself would vent Can any man be clean can man be just Can any thing that has its rise from dust Be without blemish can a silly creature That sucks Corruption
these I do Converse all day long and all night we keep A doleful consort whilst all others sleep 'T is so indeed for who but such as these Would converse with a Creature in my case With me a thing so fullie miserable As all that I can speak is hardly able To prove I 'me living man for who alace Would think me such by looking on my face Am not I black deform'd and withered And save that I am not yet fully dead From those below Ground nothing differing But suitable to them in every thing Hence all my mirth is gone my former joys Are now extinguish'd and there is no noise Of Musick in my House as formerly Was heard i' th' days of my prosperity My Harp doth now in a dead Gamut sound And there 's no other Musick to be found Within my Walls but howling night and day For all my smiling days are shrunk away Cap. XXXI ANd now my friends you see you plainly see What formerly you only heard of me You see a sad change of my former state You see me now on Dunghill who of late On the chief Bench most highly honoured sate This is my case then here you see me ly An evidence o' th' instability Of Humane Grandeur a sad precedent Of Gods displeasure hither I am sent By his appointment that the World may see His love and hate alternative in me One whom his bountie formerlie did raise And blest with a long tract of golden days Free of all Sorrow Poverty and Pain And now his wrath has taken down again Why this is all my friends 't is all you see This is the sum of what you read in me Now therefore as a man about to die Allow me pray my friends the libertie In a few words to make a short relation Of my short life and show how in my station I laboured still to live without offence To God and Man so that when I am hence You may bear witness to the World what were My dying words and from this time forbear To call me guilty of what all of you Make it your work to fix upon me now Then hear me pray for after this I shall Use no more words First then my friends I 'de have you know that I Have always studied since my Infancy The Art of Continence for in the least An unclean thought never possess 't my breast I always hated wanton Company And still dislik'd that Foolish Railery In which young men their time do poorly waste Making their sin the Subject of their Jest. Nor did I ere desire to be acquaint With those whose eyes do make our blood ferment No in such Intrigues I would ne're engage Lest I might perish by Loves cousenage And like the foolish young men of our time To purchase pleasure think no sin a crime For this cause knowing that such Fooleries Do steal in at the Wicket of the Eyes With these I quickly did confederate And in my Treaty firmly stipulate They should not see a Maid at any rate They should not on that pleasant Object look Because the Bait did usher in the Hook But shun to see that curious piece of Nature Lest I were tempted with its lovely feature For with my self I still considered This was a sin by Law prohibited A crying sin and therefore to be fear'd In Heavens Court it would be sooner heard Then I my self and make the Divine wrath Pursue me and my Familie to death I thought too with my self should those who claim An Interest in Heaven be barr'd with shame From Gods good presence by the hateful means Of a poor nasty sin hence I took pains So to secure my heart that at no time The thoughts of this abominable crime Might slip into it and for one short pleasure I came to forfault an eternal Treasure Yes an eternal Store a Happiness No Humane Art or Language can express For one poor Moments pleasure Lord how sad To think that any man should be so mad As for a triffle think on 't what he list Which rather in the Fancy doth subsist Then in Fruition he should willfully Quit all his interest in Eternity For sure those men whom God doth wicked call In his good time shall be destroyed all Destroy'd yes and that by singular And unknown methods not as others are But my remarkable calamities Upon their Persons and their Families They shall be rooted out and men shall know That God is just Besides I know that his all-seeing eye Was not to be deceiv'd by secrecy Nor could my sin so cunninglie be hatch't But in the very thought I should be catch't My heart should be exposed to his sight And all my hidden councils brought to light Now as I liv'd in spotless continence So further to improve my innocence In all my dealings I was just and square With every man my actions were fair Sincere ingenuous honest regular For proof of which I wish my God would try The value of my lifes integrity And all my actions as in ballance poize Then 't would be fullie seen what was my choice Yes 't would be seen and that so clearlie too As from that weighing without more adoe The world might see how much I took delite In God and that I am no hypocrite For if I ever have endeavoured To cozen mortal man or studied How to compel a man o're-grown with debt To let me have his Lands below the rate Or in my bargains such advantage tane As would ha' been perhaps by other men On such occasions where necessity Oblig'd th' unwilling Borrower to comply With th' avarice o' th' Lender nay if e're I in a durty action did appear Then of afflictions would I not complain Nor thus with sighs resent my present pain Nor would I think it strange at all to see How others feed on what was sown by me How others now my Lands and Means possesse And worse then any Beggar here alace I who was Lord of all you see around Deform'd and dying grovel on the ground Nor How my goodly Family of late Now either is in grave or dissipate Like Chaff before the Wind and I alone Survive these losses only to bemoan What cannot be recovered and stead Of living only do envy the dead No I would not think all these judgements strange Nor in that case would I deplore my change But O such things I never would practise O no I never would permit my eyes To look upon an object how so e're I' th' eyes o' world beautiful and fair That might occasion sin no at no rate But all those things I did abominate I did abhor those hateful practices And all the names of Whores and Mistrisses I 'de stop my ears I never had design Upon my Neighbours Wife or Concubine For if at any time a Female eye Hath rais'd and swol'n my passion so hie As I should venture on Adultery If I have been enticed
how I am pure and innocent And so deserve not this great punishment But O where is he to be found ah where Doth he reside shall I search here or there North South East West why all is but in vain For after all I never can obtain A sight of him from whence I plainly see There 's nothing left but black despair for me So that my soul of life is wearied And would choose even strangling to be freed From its sad pains O how I life abhorre I hate it and desire to live no more O let me die then for I know his wrath Will never cease so long as I do breath For 't is in vain to think that ever I Can be on this side of mortality Restored to my late prosperity Why truly friend 't is no small provocation For one to use such terms of desperation Under sad woes 't is true men without hope Will think upon a Dagger or a Rope Not knowing God but for those men who fear This God in saddest trials to despair Is a great sin a fault intollerable A foul offence a crime unpardonable What to despair to give all o're for lost When in the Ocean of afflictions toss't To let our spirits fail and weakly faint Like Female souls in such an exigent When we have most need to be confident To show some courage in prosperity And in the Battel of adversity When we have most use for it to have none Is truly what I cannot think upon Without disdain to sink when we should swim To lye flat on the ground when we should climb To th'mountain tops so cowardly to shrink VVhen we should stand to 't bravely is I think A quality which he who valueth Hath neither courage prudence grace nor faith Thus to despair alace how meanly base And unbecoming one of Abrams race Of Abraham that supereminent Undaunted constant and believing Saint VVho in his God such confidence did place As he could not despair in any case And for that reason was of all esteem'd The father of the faithful Shouldst thou despair then one who art descended O' th' house of faith one who hath still depended Upon the promise to thy Fathers made And as I see dost yet thy self perswade That thy Redeemer lives whom no man hath Seen ever yet but with the eyes of faith What one of so much faith thus to despair 'T is truly friend a thing not ordinar Yes one of his integrity so fond Which should support his faith thus to despond Like those who conscious of some horrid crimes Spin out their days in melancholly Chines What to despair let 's hear no more for shame Of this despair I hate its very name Despair I know indeed some impious men Who thinking death will ease them of their pain Which here they suffer for their sins and that By it their crimes will be obliterat Like mad-men at such time for death do baul Supposing the kind grave will cover all Their lewd offences but I hope my friend Thou' rt none of those who think death puts an end To all our pains nay surely thou dost know And firmly dost believe things are not so For then the fiery trial but begins And after death we 're punish'd for our sins More then in life now we are but arraign'd And may plead mercy then we are constrain'd T' endure those torments which God has ordain d For unrepenting sinners and must ly Under his wrath to all eternity Rouz up thy self then and despair no more But trust in God for he will yet restore Thee to thy former state and let thee see He doth retain more kindness yet for thee Then thou dost either merit or expect Trust in him then let faith thy heart direct In this sad tryal do no more despair For he 's a loving God and will take care Of thee and thy concerns and after all When he has try'd thee fully he 'll let fall His wrath against thee and in pure compassion Deliver thee out of this sad temptation He will restore thee to thy former state For all that thou hast seen or suffered yet And now my friends I must again to you Address my self once more you see then how This good man is not so much punished For former sins as he is visited In wrath for his despondency and passion Though yet our God has us'd such moderation In trying of him as he has no cause T' exclaim against the rigor of his Laws For yet he lives and may yet live to see Himself from all his present sorrows free Judge then if he has reason constantly Thus to complain and foolishly to cry When he has suffered no extremity I therefore do conclude that Job has spoke Such language in his pains as might provoke The wrath of God and make him yet to pour Worse judgements on him then he to this hour Has ever felt and it were equity That he with whom he has so tenderly Dealt all this while for his despondency Should yet be further punish'd but I hope He 'll have compassion on him now and stop The current of his Wrath which for my part I wish he may do quickly from my heart Lest if his torments be continued He may in his extravagance proceed And so his Heavenly Father irritate As he for ever may exheridate This ungrate wretch and never owne him more To be his Child as he has done before This winnowing tryal and may do again Could he from his unjust complaints abstain Cap. XXXVI BReathing a while till he might recollect His spirits he begun again to speak As formerly and with a judgment stayd The zealous young man thus continued Suffer me yet a little while said he To speak my friend and I 'll impart to thee What further I have yet to plead and say On Gods behalf suffer me now I pray To speak but yet a little in defence Of my great Master that I may from thence Inform thee of his Power and Majesty And thy own dulnesse and stupidity Who all this while hast boldly argued 'Gainst his procedure in thy case and said 'T was hard to send so great a punishment Upon a man so just and innocent As thou art I shall therefore freely show How much thou to this mighty God dost owe Who hath been pleas'd with so much patience To hear thee talk so on thy innocence And even attempt t'arraign his Providence Without inflicting yet some harder things Upon thee for thy sinfull murmurings Allow me then to speak for I intend 'Gainst all opponents stoutly to defend The honour of my Maker and maintain Against all mortals who of him complain That he 's all justice mercy and compassion And uses in his wrath great moderation That he 's all virtue truth and righteousness And more then I am able to express Allow me then to speak allow me pray And seriously advert to what I say Upon the subject for though my intent
just man one that feareth God and escheweth evil 9. Then Satan answered the Lord and said doth Iob serve God for nought 10. Hast thou not made anâ— hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is increased in the land 11. But stretch now out thine hand and touch all that he hath and see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face 12. Then said the Lord unto Satan loe all that he hath is in thine hand only upon himself shalt thou not stretch out thy hand so Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. 13. And on a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house 14. Then came a messenger unto Iob and said the oxen were plowing and the asses feeding in their places 15. And the Sabeans came violently and took them yea they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword but I only am escaped alone to tell thee 16. And whilst he was yet speaking another came and said the fire of God is fallen from heaven and hath burn't up the sheep and the servants and devoured them and I only am escaped to tell thee 17. And whilst he was yet speaking another came and said the Chaldeans set out three bands and fell upon the camels and have taken them and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword but I only am escaped to tell thee 18. And whilst he was yet speaking came another and said thy sons and thy daughters were eating drinking wine in their eldest brothers house 19. Behold there came a great whirlewind from beyond the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house which fell upon the children and they are dead and I only am escaped to tell thee 20. Then Iob arose and rent his garment and shav'd his head fell down upon the ground and worshipped 21. And said naked came I out of my mothers womb naked shall I return thither the Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. â—2 In all this did not Iob sin nor charge God feolishly 1. And on a day the children of God came and stood before the Lord Satan came also among them stood before the Lord. 2. Then saidthe Lord unto Satan whence comest thou and Satan answered from compassing the earth to and fro and from walking in it 3. And the Lord said unto Satan hast not considered my servant Iob how none is like him in the earth an upright and just man one that feareth God and escheweth evil for he yet continueth in his uprightness although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause 4. And Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin all that a man has he will give for his life 5. But stretch now out thine hand and touch his bones and his flesh to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face 6. Then the Lord said unto Satan he is in thy hand but save his life 7. So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and smote Iob with fore boyls from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot 8. And Iob took a potsherd to scrape him and he sat down among the ashes 9. Then said his wise unto him dost thou continue yet in thy uprightness blaspheme God and die 10. But he said unto her thou speakest like a foolish woman what shall we receive good at the hands of God and not receive evil in all this Iob did not sin with his lips 11 Now when Iobs three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him they came every one from his own place Eliphaz the Temanite Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him 12 And when they lift up their eyes afar off and knew him not they lift up their voice and wept and they rent every one his mantle and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven dayes and seven nights and none spoke a word to him for they saw that his grief was very great 1. After this Iob opened his mouth and cursed his day 2. And Iob spake and said 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said there is a man child conceived 4. Let that day be darkness let not God regard it from above neither let the light shine upon it 5. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it let a cloud dwell upon it let the blackness of the day terrify it 6. As for that night let darkness seize upon it let it not be joyned to the dayes of the year let it not â—â—me into the numâ—â—â— of the months 7. Let that night be solitary let no joyful noise be heard therein 8. Let them curse it that curse their day being ready to renew their mourning 9. Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark let it look for light but have none neither let it see the dawning of the day 10. Because it shut noâ—â—p the doors of mâ— mothers womb 〈◊〉 hid sorrow from nâ—â—e eyes 11. Why did I not dye from the womb why did I not give up the ghost when I came from the belly 12. Why did the knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should suck 13. For now I should have layn still and been quiet should have slept then had I been at rest 14. With Kings and Counsellors of the earth who built desolate places for themselves 15. Or with Princes that had gold who filled their houses with silver 16. Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been as infants who never see the light 17. There the wicked cease from troubling there the weary be at rest 18 There the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor 19. The small and great are there and the servant is free from his master 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul 21. Who long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures 22. Who rejoyee exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave 23. Why is light given to a man who is hid and whom God hath hedged in 24. For my sighing cometh before I eat and my roarings are poured out like the waters 25. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. If we essay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved but who can withhold himself from speaking 3. Behold thou hast taught many and hast strengthenâ—d the wearied hands 4. Thy words have confirmed him who was falling and thou hast strengthened the weâ—k