thou thus wonder at Gods proceedings towards Job and secretly in thine heart question his Justice because of Jobs innocent life canst thou with any reason or equity conceive mortall man to be righteous and the eternall God to be unrighteous or the creature to be pure and innocent and yet his Creator to be culpable and blame worthy in what hee shall doe 18. Alas how art thou deceived as thou maiest easily see if thou doest but consider that those glorious Angells which are now his speciall domesticke sevants in heaven stand not in that estate by their owne power and worth but by the mere support and firme decree of God which in grace hee passed upon them knowing that else they would have fallen as well as other their fellowes did who though they were Angells and so the best of all his creatures farre surpassing man yet hee found fault enough in them to condemne them everlastingly 19. If this be so of the Angels which are in their natures such excellent spirituall and immortall creatures so far exceeding man and which were so neere to God in heavenly mansions How much more then is man what ever he thinke of himselfe sinfull before God and unfit to be justified against God being nothing else but infirmity and sinne and justly liable to confusion who comes so farre short of Angelicall perfection For his soule whereby hee comes the neerest them that dwells farre from God officiating here below on earth in a body composed of nothing but corruptible clay and then in respect of his nature he has no better a foundation to trust to than the dust whereof he is made and who by reason of sinne is so subjected to mortality as that through inward diseases and outward casualties hee is become as fraile and transitory as the weakest creature living 20. His whole life is nothing but a lingring death the one shortening the other hastening every moment and his departure hence though it be everlasting and never to returne againe yet it is so ordinary that therefore it is made no matter of but accounted as a thing of course even among men themselves 21. And what are they when they are dead Why they turne to clay from whence they were taken for then their soule quite leaves them wherein all their excellency consisted and they die even as brute creatures without any power or skill to helpe themselves and hinder it CHAP. V. 1. SO that as I said before bring forth the man if thou canst that ever did or could say of himselfe that God punished him being righteous see if among all the holy worthies of former times there was ever any such president that God plagued the innocent 2. Nay from the difference of thy carriage to them that are godly righteous it is evident that thou hast but flattered thy selfe all this while and what ever thou hast thought of thy selfe thou art but a wicked man and hast not the knowledge of God in thee as appeares plainly now it comes to triall For diddest thou know him aright thou wouldst never have suffered thy pettish frowardnesse so to have transported thee against God to the aggravating thine owne ruine nor thine envious quarrellings through thy conceited righteousnesse above others and the opinion therefore of thine undue sufferings so to have increased thy torment and robbed thee of that comfort and content thou mightest have taken in God in the middest of all thy misery through an humble patience 3. No but as I know thou canst not instance any that ever were punished but for sinne or that perished being innocent So on the contrary I can assure thee that I have observed divers who like thee have made a faire shew and withall have exceedingly prospered in all outward felicity but I have withall quickly seene an end of it for God hath made them manifest and with evident judgements most remarkeably accursed them and theirs 4. For he has brought unavoidable ruine upon their posterity and that in such an exemplary manner as that he has exposed them openly to the condemning censure of all men without pitie or part-taking of any 5. And just as he hath done to thee so hath hee raised up against them a rout of needy wretches that have dispoiled them of the very bread wherewith they should subsist violently taking away the very uttermost eare of corne and has brought it so to passe upon them that thieves have even swept away al that ever they have had 6. It is not the creature nor naturall causes here below that of themselves bring forth these afflictions which men suffer 7. And yet there is no propertie more naturall to his subject than trouble is to men The very sparks of fire ascend not more ordinarily than men suffer afflictions which then must needs be inflicted from above by the divine hand of supreme and infinite justice because of sinne 8. Therefore were thy cause mine I would not in the vaine opinion of mine owne innocency afflict my selfe by exclaiming on my birth-day or complaining on the creature as the cause of my calamities but I would humble my selfe and confesse my sins and goe directly to God seeing him the author and seeking to him for redresse of these punishments committing my selfe wholly and onely to his mercy 9. And the rather because thy sufferings are extraordinary and thou canst not finde the reason of them be perswaded to thinke them to be of God and therefore humble thy selfe and seeke unto him And then thinke not thy case remedilesse or that it is beyond the power of God to relieve thee for who knowes but God may have brought thee into this estate of purpose upon thy humiliation to glorifie his power and goodnesse in thy restauration For it is ordinary with God to doe extraordinary things and such as are beyond our imagination 10. Have we not daily experience of it in this very kinde as when the earth wanteth raine and the fields are scorched with drought how does hee in such a straite and forlorne hope send seasonable showers and plenty of them 11 To supply those that in their want and necessity humbly depend on him and to cheare up those which mourne under the sense of Gods just displeasure with an assured hope of plenty 12. Whereas also on the contrary how doe wee see him defeate by his powerfull wisedome the subtile devices of those that in their owne conceite are able to support themselves so that what they enterprize they faile to effect 13. And every foot he intraps the wise of this world in their owne gins and the proud politicians hee brings to ruine by their owne counsells 14. In the midst of all their hopes he frustrates their designes and makes their wisedome faile them sending them events crosse to what they confidently promised themselves leaving them utterly to seeke of their expectation 15 But he
carnall confidence how that all his outward hopes shall be turned upside downe and nothing shall be left for him to lay hold upon Yea destruction shall pursue him to utter ruine not onely of all that is his but also of himselfe too for it shall never leave him til it have brought him through a multitude of horrors to that which is worst of all even to death it selfe 15. Destruction shall put him quite out of all and shall take possession of all which he hath so unjustly come by nothing of all he hath shall escape the consuming fire of the Lords indignation 16. God will make a cleane riddance of him and all his whole house hee will quite cut him off root and branch father and sonne even he and all his posterity from off the face of the earth 17. And let him have beene of never so great note yet as he so his memory and reputation shall perish with him and hee shall be quite forgotten and had in no esteeme even in that very place where hee once lived in so much glory 18. Hee shall first have all things clouded upon him his glory and prosperity shall become ignominy and adversity and they shall make him weary of his life never ceasing to vex him and to increase upon him till they have hunted him to death 19. There shall none of his off-spring remaine to uphold his house or name and the place of his abode shall become quite desolate 20. God shall make him notorious to all for the very report of what fearefull things befell him when God executed his severe judgements upon him in the day of his visitation shall beget amazement in men of after ages when they heare of it though they never saw it even as it did in them who were eye-witnesses of the vengeance which was inflicted on him 21. Be not thou so wilfull to oppose a knowne and undeniable truth for as sure as God is just so sure it is That these things do befall the wicked man and onely him in his family and habitation And such as this which I have said hath ever been knowne and observed to be the lot and portion only of him that is an hypocrite and feares not God aright in the place where he liveth CHAP. XIX 1. TO this speech of Bildads Job made answer and said 2. How long will you persevere thus impiously and uncharitably to endeavour my vexation and to torment me as upon a racke with multiplying unjust and uncomfortable language against me 3. You have I know not how often unjustly upbraided me and which is strange you that are mine old acquaintance and which make shew to be my friends never blush to consider in what an unfriendly and strange manner you behave your selves toward mee as if you neither bare any love to mee nor had any knowledge of mee 4. But be it granted that I and my waies have beene t oo-blame yet you have not at all convinced mee of any errour that I might know what to amend in all this time and talke and till you can doe that which I know you can never doe all that you say is but mere surmises and serves me to no use but that still I am the same I was never better 5. But if your flourishing estate do make you value your selves above me and that you will needs insultingly reproach me with mine afflictions 6. Then know and consider that it is God that hath thus cast mee downe and if I be caught it is he that hath ensnared mee with that you call his net who can for all your high conceits as justly when hee pleaseth doe as much for you 7. O that the Lord would hearken to mine out-cry which I am forced to make by reason of the unjust calumnies that these men lay on me but he is pleased not to grant me audience yea though mine injuries compell mee to make earnest and vehement praier yet can I find no reliefe nor have any right done me on these my false accusers 8. He hath every way hedged mee out of happinesse and content so that though I seeke it never so I cannot finde it yea hee hath so eclipsed mee that I cannot see which way to take to administer the least comfort to my selfe 9. The good report and esteeme wherewith once I was dignified hee hath quite stript me of in the hearts of all men and turned it into disgrace 10. He hath indeed every way and in every thing destroyed mine hope and happinesse and I am quite out at all yea there is no more hope of me for hereafter than of a tree that is plucked up by the roots 11. Hee hath mightily opposed himselfe against me and seemes to account no better of me than an utter enemy that hee meanes to pursue to death 12. He hath mustered his forces together against me even a whole army of plagues which have blocked mee up and shut mee out of all hope and have besieged me so straightly that I can no way in all the world find reliefe 13. He hath not left me a friend to helpe or comsort me but those which were as neere and deare to me as brethren and which should have been so to me he hath quite turned their hearts from mee my very bosome-friends and acquaintance will not now owne me for any friend of theirs but behave themselves as strangers toward mee 14. Those of mine owne blood and kindred from whom I expected other have refused to doe the offices of of love and kindnesse to me in this my misery and those that daily frequented me and were intimately acquainted with me make now as if they never knew me 15. Those that should owe me speciall respect who have lived under me in mine owne house yea and my maids which by their sexe should be of a more tender and pitifull disposition and more dutifull carriage notwithstanding all decorums and obligations to the contrary shew mee no respect but now by reason of this condition which they see me in they cast me off as if they never had had any relation to mee 16. I called my servant as I was wont to doe and in a regardlesse manner he turned his backe upon mee yea I intreated him with this same mouth that was wont to command him but all would not doe 17. My very wife thinkes much to come neere mee that was wont to lie in my bosome yea although I prayed and importuned her with the strongest and endearingest perswasions I could use and that which I thought likeliest to prevaile even for the conjugall bond sake that was between us and the motherly respect shee bare to the children that in it she hath had by me yet I could not prevaile 18. Yea to make up my misery that which I little expected even yong children that should be better
should proceed not onely to lay upon me the extremity of affliction but should also thereby bring me to deaths doore yet I would continue to relie upon his mercy and withall I would defend mine honest sincerity before him to the last 16. For I am sure notwithstanding my extreme affliction the Lord both is and will be my salvation pardoning my sinne and accepting my person in confidence whereof I dare put my selfe into the presence of God which no hypocrite dare doe 17. Therefore doe not rashly censure me but give good heed to that which I speake and to the profession of my faith which I make 18. For though you through ignorance and prejudice know not how to judge of mee yet be sure I have examined my selfe and maturely considered mine own case my faith and good conscience and therefore whatsoever you think I know upon good grounds that for all mine affliction God doth not punish mee for my sinnes but that still hee accounts mee innocent and righteous 19. Whereof I am so confident as that I dare encounter any upon this point and indeed you have so tormented me by your reasonings as that if I have not liberty granted me to justifie mine owne innocency my heart will burst within me 20. And if it shall please the Lord himselfe to argue this case with me I will but desire two conditions of him and then I will not feare even to appeare before him 21. One is that he would take off from mee this heavie hand of his present affliction which overwhelmeth me with the violence of it till my matter be heard the other is that hee would give mee courage to beare out this my humble contestation so as I may not be confounded with the terrour of his dreadfull greatnesse so far surpassing mee 22. Then oppose thou and I will answer or let mee speake and answer thou me 23. Therefore I humbly aske of thee is it for any such greatnesse and multitude of iniquities and sinnes as these men would beare mee in hand that thou thus afflictest me Then I beseech thee make me to know that great transgression and sinne that hath so enraged thee against me for I am not conscious to my selfe of any such nor can I make it sinke into my mind that thou thus afflictest me upon any such ground 24. And if not then wherefore dost thou thus terribly frowne upon me so as to give the world cause to thinke thou hatest me Alas am I fit to be esteemed an enemy worthy thy contesting with 25. Or dost thou thinke it will be any glory to thee to try thy strength and to fight hand to hand with mee who am a weake and feeble creature not able to stand against thee no more than a leafe before the winde or stubble before the fire 26. For thou arrestest me with manifold bitter plagues and seemest as if thou couldest not be severe enough against mee and makest mee oft-times to remember my former sinnes of old with fresh feare as if they were unpardoned and as if thou didst lay the punishment of them all on mee now at once 27. For thou proceedest with all severity against me as against a grand malefactor laying mee fast in afflictions as in stocks so that I can move no way to finde ease and hast set as it were a watch over me surrounding me with plagues lest any way I should get liberty and followest mee with continuall pursuit as a prisoner that is dog'd at heeles by his keeper from place to place lest he should escape 28. And now alas what glory will all this be to thee at last seeing I a man am not able to stand against thee but rot and consume away under thy plagues which wasteth me as a moth wasteth a garment CHAP. XIV 1. THou knowst also that if thou didst not use extraordinary meanes against me yet by my very nature and kind coming of mortall parents I like other men should in a short time consume and die and this life as short as it is is also of it selfe full of troubles 2. We thou knowest bring mortality and transitorinesse into the world with us and that little temporall felicity which wee enjoy is quickly at an end for as the flowers so we have no more than a spring and a fall or as the shadow of a diall our lives are continually hasting to their period and never make stop 3. And dost thou set thy selfe strictly to view the imperfections of such a creature and to question mee in the rigour of thy righteous judgement 4. Why thou knowest if thou proceed in that way I must needs be cast that am even borne a sinner as every man else is for must not a corrupt tree needs bring forth corrupt fruit 5. But seeing that as we are sinners by nature so by sinne we are mortall and that thou hast determined death as a condigne punishment unto man and so to me so that he must certainly undergoe it at the time appointed by thee nor is he able to lengthen his life a minute further than thy decree 6. O then in mercy let that suffice thee and make not his whole life a death but take thy heavie hand off him that hee may be able to fulfill his appointed time in thy service here which is but short 7. 8. 9. For what will it availe thee to destroy man seeing it is not with him as it is with other of thy creatures for let a tree be felled and though the root thereof lie in the earth as a dead man does in the grave yet there is a great deale of difference for there is hope to him that owneth it that it will spring againe and be profitable to him by reason of some sap and moisture that it will draw out of the earth whence it hath his vegetative life and being 10. But it is quite otherwaies with man for when hee dieth the earth nor nothing else can contribute any thing to him to make him live againe or in the least measure be serviceable to his owner here but on the contrary he consumeth to dust and becommeth utterly uselesse for when man once gives up the ghost there is no further hope of him 11. For as the waters which after some exundation of the Sea or some great river are separated and left upon the refluxe thereof behind the rest upon the land which cannot returne nor continue but therefore utterly drieth up and evaporate 12. So man having once given up the ghost is quite separated from the source of life never to be united nor to live againe till the day of the utter dissolution of all things 13. O that this were my lot and that thou wouldest grant me the grave for my portion so to escape the horrours that are upon me and that so doing thou wouldest set
remember the time they saw him thus and so shall never live to see the like againe neither shall the place where he lived so splendidously ever enjoy him so any more 10. His children to stop the clamorous mouths of the oppressed poore shal be forced to stoope to observe and intreat them with good words and fair promises whom once their father and they insulted over with proud oppression and had them for their observers and suppliants yea the heavie wrath of God upon him shall make him with his owne hands restore to the poore what by oppression he had unjustly taken from them and glad he may 11. Hee shall be made to feele the weight of his former sinnes by the tormenting plagues that God shall heape upon him which shall pursue him to the death 12. Though his sins have been never so pleasing to him in their acting and though that still his mind stands that way being loth to forgoe them 13. Although he be exceeding loth to leave them and hardly brought to repent of them but with close hypocriticall dissembling would faine excuse them that so hee may retaine them still 14. Yet as well as hee loves them and as sweet as they have beene in acting in the end they will prove of a quite contrary effect bringing deadly plagues upon him and filling him with inward bitternesse 15. Hee hath by ravenous oppression gotten abundance but what though hee shall never be able to keepe them but shall be compelled to part with them againe God shall so torment and fill him with anguish and trouble of minde that hee shall be sicke of them and wish with all his heart to be rid of them to purchase his ease and quiet 16. He shall be for all his seeming happinesse in his ill gotten goods but as a man that by mistake hath sucked the most deadly poison in stead of honey in the just wrath of God he shall be tormented to death as if hee were stung with Vipers 17. Though hee hath promised himselfe large contentment and felicity by his lawlesse and sinfull courses yet hee shall find himselfe quite mistaken and his expectation utterly frustrated neither enjoying lesse nor more of all that happinesse hee hoped for 18. Hee shall be quite stript of all that which with carefull thought taking hee hath gained and shall part with it to others himselfe shall have no good by it how happy soever hee promised himselfe to be yea to the utmost farthing shall he be disseized of all that ever hee has for in retaliating justice God shall begger him take it from him and distribute it to other men hee shall take but little joy and finde but small benefit in that he hath gathered together for hee shall lose it every jot 20. Because he hath come naughtily by it oppressing the poore and to enrich himselfe by bribery and subornation hath refused to doe him right and also by injustice and violence unlawfully possessed himselfe of other mens estates which he had no manner of right unto 20. Hee shall be incessantly pursued with vexations and shall enjoy no hearts-ease hee shall keepe nothing of that which hee hath got but shall part with all that whereon he had set his heart and built his felicity 21. God shall never cease taking from him and giving it to others whilst hee hath any thing left and till folke see that hee hath not wherewith to sustaine himselfe they shall not give over to rob and spoile and to take from him what he has 22. Then when he takes himselfe to be in his prime and hight of happinesse shall hee be brought to the greatest indigency and want God shall let loose every wicked unconscionable man to molest and impoverish him like as aforetime hee himselfe hath done to others 23. When he hath satisfied his desires to the full and hath gotten every thing that his heart could wish to make him happy so soone as ever hee beginneth to joy himselfe in them God whom he least lookes for it shall blast his hopes and disturb his security by executing a furious and wrathfull judgement upon him in great abundance very then when he bids his heart make merry and assures himselfe unchangeable happinesse 24. The Lord shall wrathfully fight against him as a man of warre with sharp and strong weapons such as hee shall desire and endeavour to avoid and flie from but shall by no meanes escape nor be able to withstand or to stand under but what one failes to do another shall certainly bring to passe so that one way or other hee shall be sure to receive his deaths wound by a fierce discharge of Gods wrathfull plagues upon him 25. God will be sure to shoot home so that his arrow shall pierce through and through he shall make it appeare that it was shot in anger and that it is his powerfull hand that doth it yea hee shall make his most formidable plagues to appeare upon him they shall pierce his very intralls so that with bitternesse of spirit hee shall be forced to lament himselfe his inward terrours shall so affright and perplex him 26. All manner of dismall feares surmising thoughts and misgiving despaire shall enter and take possession of his soule and no comfortable hope shall appeare in him Hee and all his substance shall by the wrath of God hastily consume to nothing as the stubble by the fire yea so incensed is God against him as that for his oppression and hypocrisie sake such a curse shall cleave to him and to all that comes of him yea to the very place of his abode as that whosoever remaines in it shall partake it 27. God by punishments from heaven shall lay him open sufficiently to all the world to be a grievous sinner and a notorious hypocrite whatsoever he saith to the contrary yea hee shall make the very creatures to abhorre him for it and utterly to deny their comfort and service to him to signifie what he is 28. All his posterity shall be destroyed and so shall his prosperity too even all at once with a sudden ebbe in the day that God visits him with his wrath and righteous judgements 29. This that I have told thee is the portion that a wicked hypocriticall oppressour must looke for and shall certainly receive from God and none but such God in his just purpose hath set it a part and assigned it for him and will when his sins are ripe and the time fit most certainely execute it upon him as his works have ever declared CHAP. XXI 1. BUt Job being no whit more convinced or confuted by Zophans foregoing discourse thus againe replies upon him 2. Doe mee that favour as to give mee also leave to speake and to lend me your eares which seeing you have no other comforts for me shall be in stead of comfort to me 3. Have but
God and confidence in himselfe thus briefely makes answer to what he had spoken in the 23. Chapter 2. God rules with Majesty in heaven and gives lawes to his Angells there which they must obey in which very place that there is peace it is of his goodnesse and gracious decree rather than of their merit 3. Hath hee not whole armies of Angells and other creatures in an infinite number which are ready to execute his wrath upon whomsoever dare to contest against him and doth not the Sun behold all men in all corners of the earth so that God must needs much more see them what they are 4. God then being of such perfect holinesse so terrible also and so all-seeing how dares any man living or how is it possible for him to stand it out with God as thou boastest in his owne justification or for him that is naturally corrupt begotten and borne of sinfull parents to appeare pure in the eyes of such a God 5. Consider that by reason of the fall of man the very creatures that in themselves are sinlesse yea the very Moone and Stars that are so far from earth and so neer to heaven have contracted defilement and are blemished so that with God for mans sake and by mans sin even they are not accounted free from pollution in his sight 6. How much lesse man himselfe whence they have taken infection and all that come of him who both father and sonne are all alike earthly creatures made subject to corruption by sinne CHAP. XXVI 1. JOB being angry at Bildads impertinencies thus answers him 2. What am I the better for this thou hast said how hast thou herein discharged thine office to me either as a friend or comforter what helpe hereby hast thou administred to my helplesse state or how hast thou herewith yeelded me any aid or support in this my weake condition 3. What friendly advice or usefull counsell hast thou ministred to me by it which yet thou takest mee to stand in need of and what adoe hast thou kept to tell me what I know 4. Who dost thou utter these overplus needlesse speeches to that is ever the better for them For my part I am not and whose spirit is any whit refreshed or ever the better for what thou hast said not mine one jot 5. Thinkest thou I know not all this yea I can tell thee as much and more than thou hast said to set forth God withall whereby thou mayest see that I am not to learne of thee touching him I can tell thee that hee is not onely admirable above in the heavens but beneath also in so much as nothing is bred or brought forth whether animate or inanimate fish or other things in all the vast and deepe Ocean but it is by his decree and power 6. The hiddenest and lowest parts of all the earth the Grave and Hell are open before his all-seeing eyes so that hee sees what becomes of man and every part of himafter that death hath dissolved him and the grave consumed him 7. His eyes of providence and arme of power extends to the most remote and uninhabited places of all the earth hee over-spreads those as these with the heavens and disposeth things there as here and hee wonderfully upholds this heavie fabricke and huge ball of the earth pendant in the middest of the heavens without any other support than his mighty power 8. He bottells up the abundance of raine which falls upon the ground in clouds made for that purpose great and thick which notwithstanding the weight of those waters he hath made able to keepe and containe them so that they let fall none but when hee pleaseth 9. Hee when hee pleaseth withholdeth the Sunne from us that glorious light and beauty of the face of heaven and causeth it at pleasure to suspend its power and vertue of light and heat by overclouding the heavens and masking it as with a vaile 10. Hee hath confined the raging and unruly seas with bounds and limits which doe they what they can they shall never passe till the end of the world when all things shall be let loose to devastation 11. His terrour is formidable even to the mighty and high mountaines whereon the heavens seeme to rest as on so many pillars which tremble and shake with his thunder-claps and earth-quakes 12. The sea as outragious as it is subjects it selfe to his command and against nature divides it selfe so that dry land appeares in the midst of it and hee knowes how to tame it when the waves thereof are at proudest and rise highest 13. In a word by his powerfull spirit wherewith he worketh he hath both beautified and set forth the heavens in such a glorious manner as wee see yea the same powerfull hand it is which indeed onely maketh all things that hath also formed the most deformed and dreadfull creature in the earth 14. Hereby you may imagine what I know thinke and believe of God by these descriptions I have made of him which yet I know are but parts of his admirable excellencies and farre short of him for when you and I have said all wee can to set him forth how little notwithstanding will it be in comparison of him and his greatnesse as may appeare by one instance more which sets him forth most of all and that is the power and Majesty that hee utters in his thunder which who can sufficiently admire CHAP. XXVII 1. JOB having thus taken up Bildad his three friends seeing they could doe no good on him held their peace whereupon he takes occasion to speake his mind fully and thus goes on 2. As the Lord liveth who hath not cleared mee to be what I am but hath laid it upon mee to be thus misjudged and unjustly censured and condemned for a wicked man because of mine afflictions yea I protest by the Almighty who I know hath caused all these grievous vexations to befall mee 3. That whilest I breath and God lends me life 4. No respect in the world shall make me eate my words or goe against my knowledge for no mans pleasure or importunity will I do wickedly and betray the truth by saying otherwaies of my selfe than I have said although never so many should judge against mee 5. No God forbid that I should bolster you up in that sinfull â—â—isprision and uncharitablenesse of yours by yeelding it for a truth which you say that God does punish me for mine hypocrisie and wickednesse no I will never doe it whilest I live I will not belie my selfe nor relinquish mine integrity thinke how you will and say of me what you will for it 6. I am resolved to maintaine mine uprightnesse and not to part with it upon your perswasions or suspitions my heart shall never be brought by any thing you can doe to accuse mee falsely of
hypocrisie 7. For my part I am sure I am no such man as you conceit me to be nor doe I account my selfe ever the lesse righteous or the lesse favoured of God for these my sufferings but it is mine enemy and hee that hath done mee wrong that is both the unrighteous and the unhappy man it is the wicked and not the afflicted that is out of favour with God 8. As may appeare by the hopelesse and comfortlesse state which the wicked oppressour is in though he be never so prosperous and hath gained never so much when God once summons him by death 9. For how in vaine doth God let him cry for comfort not giving him any when the conscience of his sins torment him and the feare of death approaching seiseth on him 10. And what little joy he hath to thinke of God and how unable hee is to sustaine or comfort himselfe with faithfull and constant seeking and praying to the Lord. 11. I will shew you by mine owne observation of Gods usuall proceedings toward wicked men what hee hath in store if that he pleaseth to execute it for such wicked wretches as have done me this wrong thus unjustly to oppresse and rob mee being innocent for what I know to be a truth touching the Almighty I will neither deny nor conceale it though I thereby oppose your false conclusions and collections touching your prescribing God and wronging me 12. Nor is it any other than what your selves have confessed and affirmed to have noted as well as I onely by the way tell me then how you can be so inconsiderate in what you say as to affirme outward prosperity and wealth to be the signe of Gods favour and the contrary a signe of his disfavour 13. Seeing as I say you know that this is the portion that God hath allotted to wicked men and that which is due to them from the Almighty and which they often actually receive 14. That is that they shall be accursed both they and theirs and shall be unhappy in their happinesse for though their children multiply never so it shall be but the more to serve and satisfie Gods revengefull displeasure against them who will wrathfully devour and cut them off with the sword of his Justice and though they multiply and lay up never so much for their children yet God will bring them to want and penury 15. Both themselves and all that come of them shall be hated so that no man shall speak well of them when they are dead but their name shall be buried and shall rot with them yea they shall die undesired and unlamented of their owne very wives which they leave behinde them and of those funerall-women which are wont to bewaile the deaths of the well-deserving and to weepe over their graves 16. How ever they abound in all kinde of worldly wealth 17. Which I confesse for present God may permit them to doe but they nor theirs shall be never the better for it it shall come againe to the just and innocent from whom they had it 18. They may lay up and build but to little purpose for all shall b◠lost and puld downe againe in a very little time even as the moth is brushed out of the garment where shee had made her nest or as the shepheard removes his Cabin 19. The rich oppressour for all his riches shall one day die as other men doe but he shall not be brought to his grave as others are with sorrow for his death upon his death-bed hee shall looke about for comfort and recovery but in stead thereof shall see himselfe departing from all his former happinesse and death at hand 20. And then shall an infinit weight of terrors oppresse him and the wrath of the Lord shall take him away when he expected it least 21. The fierce anger of the Lord shall force him hence full sore against his will never to returne againe which shall with irresistable strength thrust him out of his Paradise 22. For God shall heape afflictions on him as thicke as hailestones without shewing him any mercy at all and in vaine shall he seeke to escape him 23. Nor shall any man be sorry for his death but hee shall depart hence with the reproach and obloquie of all men CHAP. XXVIII 1. THe secrets of nature though they be hid and very obscure yet they are found out and knowne both where they are placed by nature and how they are to be used by Art through the naturall wisdome that God hath given to man as we see in the most hiddenest mysteries of nature such as is the silver veine which though deepe in the earth and farre out of sight yet is found out and knowne as also is the Art of fining it and gold from their drosse to make them usefull 2. So also it is knowne how Iron and Brasse comes out of the earth though it be a notable secret in nature and the art of melting it out of the stone is found out and practised 3. By the skill that God hath given to man he is able to bring to light and gaine the knowledge of the most remote unknowne things and by searching to finde out all the perfection of nature the pretiousest stones and things that are ingendred and bred in the darkesome and deadly vaults of the earth 4. He knowes how to divert great rivers out of their channell and for his use to turne their course from those that dwelt upon them so that he leaves them dry-foot and they wonder what is become of them 5. He knowes how to put the earth to all uses for the superficies of it that yeelds him bread and lower downe out of the inwards of it he digges the materialls of fire as coles c. or finds out bright shining metalls and sparkling stones created of a sulphurous matter 6. Hee knowes where the riches thereof are as pretious stones and gold how to come by them and where to finde them the one among the quarries the other among the dust and mold of the earth 7. Hee by his skill and industry goes as low under ground for these things as the fowles flie high hee makes and findes out such waies in the earth as the most piercing sighted or most prey-seeking bird in all the aire never found nor saw 8. Neither did the most ranging or fierce prey-seeking beast ever tread 9. He attempts and effects the hardest matters and doth difficult things for the very rocks escape not his hand neither can the mountaines withstand him but by art and industry hee mineth them and works his will on both to find the things he seekes for 10. By his labour and skill he cuts out passages soughs in the hard and stony rocks to cōvey away the subterranean torrents that would hinder his mining No rich commodity that
very point of death ready to breath out his soule and his life in continuall jeopardy by his deadly plagues 23. Now when God hath brought him to this passe and he still continues blind and none of all this will make him perceive his errour and Gods intention if then besides this God so order the matter as that in his gracious providence he further provide for his instruction and send as a speciall messenger as hee does mee to thee a man faithfull and able which is a singular gift of God and very rare to bring him to a sight of his sinne and to set him upright in the sight of God by repentance 24. This soone altereth the case for hereupon God is presently appeased toward him and graciously accepts him comfortably cheering his heart with an assured freedome from death and hell his sinne upon his repentance being done away in the sight of God by the blood of his Son which he sees accepted in his behalfe 25. And then as before through anguish of his spirit his body was consumed so now through the abundant consolation thereof he grows revived and becomes as fat and faire-liking as ever he was in his life 26. And whereas before all his complainings and out-cries stood him in no stead now he shall humbly put up his suit to God for favour and shall finde it and whereas if hee did but thinke of God he was troubled now being justified from his sinne he shall have abundance of joy and peace in his soule toward God 27. For God longs to be gracious to mee and waites that hee may be so looking when a man will see his sinne and confesse it how that he hath gone out of the way and justly suffers by it 28. Such a man shall soone have his pardon sealed his feare banished and his soule comforted so that for afterwards he shall lead a happy life 29. Lo I have told thee what varieties of waies and diversity of meanes God is oftentimes faine to use toward such a man as he meanes well to 30. Aiming onely at his good that his sin unrepented of be not his death and destruction but that in the sight and feeling of Gods grace and favour towards him hee may lead a comfortable and happy life 31. Iob I pray thee consider well what I say as that which neerely concernes thy good let mee yet further have thine attention without interruption for I have more to speake 32. Not that I desire to stop thy mouth if thou questionest any thing that I have said and hast any just exception against it in thine owne defence if thou hast speake freely for I desire not to condemne thee in any thing wherein thou art justifiable only thy pride I tax which is apparant 33. But if so be thou canst take no just exception then doe not needlessely interrupt me but let me goe on and I make no question but before I have done I shall make thee understand thine errour and Gods just dealing and shall shew thee the way to finde mercy CHAP. XXXIV 1. WHereupon Elihu goes on further to question Iob of and to give answer to the words he spake against God and appealing to his friends touching them hee said 2. I pray you listen well to what I say and according to your wisdomes judge of it give eare to what I speake and let your understandings censure if it be not right 3. For a judicious and considerate eare can as aptly judge of things that are spoken as the palate of a man can naturally distinguish and relish meats that are eaten 4. Let us not plead against Iob by ungrounded conjectures but let us state the controversie against him so as it is that it may hold water let us goe knowingly to worke according to apparant truth which is the likely way to prevaile with him 5. For Jobs miscarriage of himselfe is evident and how presumptuously he hath justified himselfe and accused God is knowne to us all saying I am righteous and God doth not doe me right accordingly but dealeth too rigorously with mee 6. I should lie and wrong my selfe if I should not justifie my righteousnesse and maintaine it that this my so grievous affliction is without just cause 7. Did we ever heare the like or was there ever any man that durst in this manner as he hath done so mightily upbraid and reproach God as if hee thirsted to despite him in the way of revenge 8. Who hath so farre forgot himselfe as that his carriage under his afflictions is equall and makes him like to those that never had knowledge of God but have ever lived in sinne and prophanenesse yea hee walks just in their steps and doth as the wicked do when God afflicts them 9. Uttering impatient presumptuous speeches for upon the matter he hath said That a man is never the better for loving God and walking with him the whilest hee justifies his owne righteousnesse and taxeth God of cruelty 10. Therefore hearken to what I plead against him and in your wisedoms judge if he be not to be blamed for it for is it not a monstrous thing to fasten injustice upon God and to dare to lay iniquity to the charge of the Almighty which is so utterly contrary to his nature and can by no meanes belong to him but to us 11. For it is both his covenant and custome to render to men according to their works and to judge them according to their waies 12. Which he is well able to make appeare whatsoever we thinke to the contrary for there is nothing more certaine and sure than that God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty who is Judge of all the earth deale unjustly 13. Who hath put him in office or charged him with the supervisourship of the earth that he should be questioned by him and account to him or who but himselfe thinke we is fit to dispose of the world and all things in it in wisdome and justice 14. If God set his heart against man and resolve ether in his absolute soveraignty or for punishment of his sinne to unmake him againe by taking from him that which at first hee gave him to live and subsist by that is his soule and spirit 15. Then of necessity man-kinde must all at once perish and be annihilated or turned into the matter hee made him of that is to dust and this may he most justly doe 16. Now then Job if thou hast understanding as I know thou hast consider with thy selfe how justly he may doe thus by thee who art but one seeing that of his good pleasure onely it is that all subsist And now yet further hearken to what I shall say for thy confuting 17. Shall he whom thou wouldest make to delight in doing wrong be fit to governe and
otherwaies with them if they be afflicted and that pressures be upon them yet it is not for want of power wisdome and justice in God 9. But he shewes them cause for it some one sinne or more wherein they have broken their bounds and beene too blame for which he justly afflicts them 10. And as by his rod he teacheth them to know their sin and his justice so also by it he warneth them of and learneth them their duty which is not to cample but humbly to yeeld obedience to his command of turning from the iniquity for which they suffer 11. And then if they take out this lesson and become obedient to him the fruit of it will be That they through the mercy of God shall be eased of their punishment and shall spend the remainder of their life as their hearts can wish in prosperity and pleasure 12. But on the contrary if they stubbornely refuse obedience then Gods anger shall slay them and they shall miserably perish through their owne folly and ignorant presumption 13. So that those that are thus disposed and will not convert but goe on to act the Hypocrites part and affect pride and perversnesse their portion is thereby to adde wrath to wrath for because in humble penitency they sue not to him when hee afflicts them 14. Therefore they come to an hasty and untimely end whereas else they might prolong their daies their life perisheth in his anger and they make without any difference a like end as doth the most foule and filthy Sodomite God esteeming no better of them than equall with the worst of sinners 15. But on the other hand the poore in spirit that cries to him in affliction them he delivers out of it and shewes them the cause of their oppression that they may remedy it and be restored 16. Even thus would he have done by thee hadst thou done thus to him ere this thou hadst beene let out of the stocks thou complainest so of and enjoyed thy liberty to thy hearts desire and as much if not more prosperity and wealth than ever heretofore 17. But thou hast neglected to doe wisely and gone a foolish way to worke as wicked men are wont to doe repining and not humbling thy selfe and now see what comes of it thou hast multiplied thy sorrowes and heaped Gods just indignation upon thee by it 18. Now therefore because God is a wrathfull God feare to persist lest in his just anger hee take thee quite away and then it will be too late to doe what now thou maist doe for nothing can redeeme thee out of that condition or make thee alive againe when thou art dead 19. If thou couldest bid never somuch for it it would be in vaine no riches could purchase or procure it nor could any power or strength enforce it 20. Doe not thou peevishly desire death lest it come too soone and it doe by thee as it does by many an one whom it cuts off in judgement 21. Take heed betime affect not to goe on in sinfull impatiencie wherein thou hast hitherto beene too blame choosing rather to persevere in that sinne then to submit to the will of God in bearing thy affliction humbly 22. But consider well with thy selfe who must restore thee if ever thou beest restored Is it not God onely that by his power can doe it and who can teach thee this better than himselfe hath done by keeping thee all this while that thou hast continued impatient in an helplesse condition for want of humbling thy selfe to him hadst thou eyes to see it 23. Thinke but how unwise thou art in thy reasonings against him For who hath or can prescribe God his way that he should be questionable for erring out of it or what is he that can say if he speake understandingly that any thing the Lord does is sinfull and unjust 24. O remember that another part would better become thee to act then this and that is to have him in reverence and feare for his workes sake that glorious structure of the heavens which all men every where behold and see 25. For it is hid from no mans eyes but all may behold it and should doe well to consider the height and vast distance of it from us 26. O consider that God is infinite in greatnesse and that wee cannot fathome him nor the wisedome and power that is in his works neither can we mortalls that measure time by daies and yeeres conceive the dimensions of eternity which belongeth onely to him 27. We I say cannot comprehend his power and wisdome for he makes we know not how the drops of water which fall from above to be such as they are round and small and causeth the heavens to send downe raine in that manner according to the proportion of exaled vapours 28. Which the clouds sucke in and resolving them into water they send it forth in drops distilling them usefully in that manner and not hurtfully by eruption upon the earth in a sufficient plentifull measure for mans sake 29. Againe as thus we cannot conceive the workmanship that is in ingendring raine in the cloud and the emission thereof in drops so neither can any under the skill that he shewes in spreading forth the clouds to that large extent and disposing them so universally throughout the whole heavens as wee see they are which he does by the winds which hee causeth to blow above among them whereof also we have but little skill to judge 30. Consider how hee spreads his light upon the face of the whole heavens and also how in like manner he spreads the waters in the vast and deep Ocean so that no bottome can be seen or felt 31. I say consider thou these and feare for by these he judgeth the heathen folke that have no other knowledge of him but by the workes of his hands and condemneth them for not improving these to his glory and much more will hee doe so by thee He furthermore gives us all the good creatures which we enjoy for our food and delight in that wonderfull plenty as wee see 32. By assembling the clouds when he pleaseth he darkneth the skie and obscures the sunne keeping away the bright shining thereof from us by his interpofing some one or more gloomie clouds betweene us and it 33. As often experience manifests and more especially is then to be expected when as a raine-aboding wind gives fore-knowledge of it or when as the cattell doe give their naturall presages of an approching raine which they know by instinct being first exhaled in a vapour from the earth their proper Element CHAP. XXXVII 1. BEsides these foresaid works of God which wee come short of in our understanding and capacitie there is yet one speciall one that sets him forth extraordinarily which I never heare nor can so
My bones are pierced in me in the night-season and my finewes take no rest 18. By the great force of my disease is my garment changed it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat 19. He hath cast me into the mire and I am become like dust ashes 20. I cry unto thee and thou dost not heare me I stand up and thou regardest me not 21. Thou art become cruell to mee with thy strong hand thou opposest thy selfe against me 22. Thou liftest mee up to the wind thou causest mee to ride upon it and dissolvest my substance 23. For I know that thou wilt bring mee to death and to the house appointed for all living 24. How be it he will not stretch out his hand to the grave though they cry in his destruction 25. Did not I weepe for him that was in trouble was not my soule grieved for the poore 26. When I looked for good then evill came unto mee and when I waited for light there came darknesse 27. My bowels boiled and rested not the daies of affliction prevented mee 28. I went mourning without the Sun I stood up and I cried in the congregation 29. I am a brother to Dragons and a companion to Owles 30. My skin is blacke upon me and my bones are burnt with heat 31. My harpe also is turned to mourning and my organ into the voice of them that weepe 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke upon a maid 2. For what portion of God is there from above and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high 3 Is not destruction to the wicked and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity 4. Doth not he see my waies and count all my steps 5. If I have walked with vanity or if my foot hath hasted to deceit 6. Let me be weighed in an even ballance that God may know mine integrity 7. If my step hath turned out of the way and mine heart walked after mine eyes and if any blot hath cleaved to my hands 8. Then let mee sow and let another eat yea let my off-spring be rooted out 9. If mine heart hath beene deceived by a woman or if I have laid wait at my neighbours doore 10. Then let my wife grinde unto another and let others bow downe upon her 11. For this is an hainous crime yea it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges 12. For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction and would root out all mine increase 13. If I did despise the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant when they contended with me 14. What then shall I do when God riseth up and when hee visiteth what shall I answer him 15. Did not hee that made mee in the wombe make him and did not one fashion us in the wombe 16. If I have withheld the poore from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widdow to faile 17. Or have eaten my morsell my selfe alone and the fatherlesse hath not eaten thereof 18. For from my youth hee was brought up with mee as with a father and I have guided her from my mothers wombe 19. If I have seen any perish for want of clothing or any poore without covering 20. If his loynes have not blessed me and if hee were not warmed with the fleece of my sheepe 21 If I have lift up my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my helpe in the gate 22. Then let mine arme fall from my shoulder-blade and mine arme be broken from the bone 23. For destruction from God was a terrour to me and by reason of his highnesse I could not endure 24. If I have made gold my hope or have said to the fine gold Thou art my confidence 25. If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because mine hand had gotten much 26. If I beheld the Sunne when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse 27. And my heart hath beene secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand 28. This also were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge for I should have denied the God that is above 29. If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me or lift up my selfe when evil found him 30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soule 31. If the men of my tabernacle said not Oh that we had of his flesh I we cannot be satisfied 32. The stranger did not lodge in the street but I opened my doores to the traveller 33. If I covered my transgression as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome 34. Did I feare a great multitude or did the contempt of families terrifie mee that I kept silence and went not out of the doore 35. O that one would heare mee behold my desi e is that the Almighty would answer me and that mine adversary had written a book 36. Surely I would take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a crowne to me 37. I would declare unto him the number of my steps as a Prince would I goe neere unto him 38. If my land cry against me or that the furrowes likewise thereof complaine 39. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life 40. Let thistles grow in stead of Wheat and cockle in stead of Barley The words of Job are ended 1. So these three men ceased to answer Iob because he was righteous in his owne eyes 2. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the sonne of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of of Ram against Iob was his wrath kindled because hee justified himselfe rather than God 3. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Iob. 4. How Elihu had waited till Iob had spoken because they were elder than hee 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these threemen then his wrath was kindled 6. And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said I am young and yee are very old wherefore I was afraid and durst not shew you mine opinion 7. I said daies should speake and multitude of yeeres should teach wisedome 8. But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding 9. Great men are not alwaies wise neither doe the aged understand judgement 10. Therefore I said hearken to me I also will shew mine opinion 11. Behold I waited for your words I gave eare to your reasons whilest you searched out what to say 12. Yea I attended unto you and behold there was none of you that convinced Iob or that answered his words 13. Lest yee should say Wee have found out Wisedome God thrusteth him downe not man 14. Now hee hath not directed his words against me neither will I answer him with your speeches 15. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking 16. When I had