the rumour run How the rich Uzzite was undone And thereupon alarumed by fame Eliphaz did from Teman town descend Bildad from Shuah Southward came Zophar from Naamah did Eastward tend These did to one another send To come and first condole and then chear up their friend 12. Who as they did before 'um look And notice of the forlorne Creature took They could him not for their acquaintance own This Job to them being quite unknown He was in such a piteous case So disfigur'd was his face That it extorted from 'um many a groan Then each man tearing his Imper'al gown Dust upon their heads they threw Having heaven in their view And on the dunghill with their friend sate down 13. Sev'n times arose the unregarded light Sev'n times it yielded to the silent night While they that silent night did imitate His grief by words not seeking to abate For they despair'd e'r to asswage His Melancholy rage It new was grown s'immeasurably great III. 1. JOb at length his silence brake 2. And thus he spake Cursing the time of his nativity 3. That day oh that unlucky day quoth he Where-in her son my mother bore Oh may it be a day no more And oh that fatal night Where-in the Plastick pow'r began To shape what I was made of into man May it for ever be forgotten quite 4. May darkness seize that day May God there-in his influ'nce stay May heaven dart there-on no ray 5. If there-in the Moon Herself with lucid azure shall adorn May her robe be torn Or stain'd with spots astonishingly dark And may Death set thereon her dismal mark If the light should dare to rise May 't all-beclowded ne'r reach humane eyes If ever day was justly call'd the Black May this of that 's unfortunateness nothing lack 6. Let that dark night be darker yet Let him which the Errata shall correct Which in the Solar year he may detect Those four and twenty hours neglect And he that shall the Lunar year new-set Oh let him that unhappy time forget 7. Let all men there-in Hermits be Let 'um take no pleasant walk Let 'um have no chearful talk But banish all Sociability 8. You who your misfortunes rue And Tragedies out of true Story frame You who gainst Time declame Here 's a fit subject a fit theme for you 9. Let that day's stars if culminant they grow Leave their shine below Or if their rays behind them will not stay Let 'um as some have fondly thought they do Beams emit of a sable hue Let heav'n that light which is my birth-day's due Bestow upon the Northern world's short day And when men think the dawn is near Sun come not nigh this Hemispshere But see thou shun From our Horizon the eighteenth degree That must a new Tropick be And thou at sight thereof must backward run 10. This I desire this I 'le have done ' Cause that day hinder'd not my fathers wife From travelling with me her son Nor me from entring into so sad a life 11. Why was I safely hither hurld Why went I not as to this world Out of the belly of my mother So out of this into another 12. Wo worth the time I had my nurses hug Wo worth the time I had my mothers dug Had one ne'r set me on her knee Or t'other never suckled me 13. I had been quiet now and found e'r this That Summum Bonum that eternal bliss Which weary Sophists seek in vain Into a sleep I had been cast I should have slept so fast As ne'r to have been wak't with any kind of pain 14. These had my compan'ons been On one side some great Potentate On that side some Chief Minister of State Here one stil'd Wise there one stil'd Great Who made the day yet car'd not to be seen But to anticipate That happiness which death would bring too late From all mankind did separate Some place of retirement got Prepar'd some Grot Some unknown cell Wherein alone to dwell And there the world forgot Bidding her when she smiled most Farewell 15. I had at rest with Princes lain Who had been each the Landlord of a Mine Whose grounds were famous for the Silver-vein Whose Courts did with that metal shine 16. I had been like that too too forward breed Whose life as 't were before begun was past Who ' nto this world made too much haste And accordingly did speed Who what Light is did never know Nor what those evils are which Light doth show 17. I should have been where Trouble ne'r appears Where no Tyrant domineers Where people cease their fears Not caring for his Instruments nor him Where 's case both for the heavy heart and weary limb 18. Who into dungeons were pris'ners cast There find their Liberty at last There they are no more opprest No ruffling Jaylor there disturbs their rest 19. There worthless Peasants be And there be men of Dignity There Servants from their Masters free Enjoy an Age of Jubilee 20. Why doth the Light arise And look at one that 's plung'd in misery Why do they breath at all With whom to sigh's to breath Who do their restless souls to heav'n bequeath Their bodies to the earth beneath Whose sp'rits have surfeited on grief are drunk with gall 21. Who earnestly do their dismiss'on crave But what they beg for cannot have They dig as if rich oar they 'd find But th' only thing design'd Is to prepare themselves a grave 22. Whose life has in 't this onely joy That death that life is coming to destroy 23. Why do'st thou shine on him imprudent day Who by thy light can't find his way But must t'eternity in prison stay I am shut in by Providence This is her Labyrinth and I shall ne'r get hence 24. With cruel groans my fast I break Tears my mornings draught I make So do I roare That with their noise to fright th' Egypt'an shore The Cataracts from me example take 25. With petty enemies I 've fought And was ' gainst them as fortunate as stout But sure Destruct'on now has found me out And where I was least able to resist At that part she has aim'd and has not mist 26. I never did presume To place my safety in a wall Or trust for rest unto my bed of plume He was my strength my rest my all And yet see into what a case he lets me fall IV V. 1 2. IF we the point should undertake If we quoth Eliphaz should answer make Would you not grieve However with or without leave Let your heart or hold or break We can't contain our selves but needs must speak 3. Thou help'dst the weaker head to understand Thou helpd'st to work the weaker hand 4. Into the dying man of soul berest Thou breath'dst a piece of thine as 't were Thou taught'st those knees their bulk to bear Which Sense and Motion had left 5. But yet what thou deserv'dst is come at last 'T is come and all the strength thou hast
his ità se habentibus de Amanuensi adhuc dubitaverit nec illi ulteriùs dubitare pet nos licebit Quamquam quid ego tibi ista memoro Tu omnia V. R. mihi enarrabis statue igitur aliquid litem dirime Haec interim sunt quae hîc loci dicta volui eo sâ— consilio ne Sacer ille Liber quem Anglicano-Meâ—icam fecimus veritate Historiae parum adstructâ Odyssei nescio cui aut Aenoicâ— cedat nimÃsque Poeticus videatur id ubi innuerim ad Arabis nostri Patientiam transeo tuam libero Dab Ox. prid Kal. Ap. An. Aerae X 1. 1661. Tibi Devotissimus ART BRETT THE PREFACE TO THE READER I Am not so sensible that these ensuing lines come short of the antiently admired and now happily reviving Pindarick strain as I am sure it must be allowed me by all serious and judicious Readers that does much more of the Original heighth of this Sacred Poem By what may be gathered from the writings of some Fathers and the ghesses of many modern calm Criticks it plainly appears let Jo. Scaliger be as angry as he will that this History fell from the holy Pen man thereof in Verse and therefore how proper 't is that it should be thus rendred I need not contend As for the kind of Verse here pitch'd upon how suitable that is in this case he who shall but consider what sort of Verse the Hebrâ—w runs in Alsted Encyclopoed l. 26. c. 13. which is Metrum solo syllabarum numero constans citrà similem Terminationem and withall the nature of this wherein there is In genere Lyrico multimoda incerta compositio respectu tum Colorum tum Stropharum Id. lib. eod cap. 14. will abundantly satisfie himself For my own particular if it be asked why I would venture upon this incomparable strain and how I dared so much as to attempt the transcribing of so Divine a Copy the same Answer will serve for both Interrogatories though I had rather it should be apply'd to the last viZ. That Imitation seems to be nothing else but Admiration so well imployed and so far improved as to deserve the epithet of Industrious Concerning the truth of this Histoâ—y of Job the Place where and Time when he lived I have spoken already in a more proper Dialect and therefore shall only adde here that if any thing in this or other Scripture-relations seem absurd or improbable the reason thereof is not because of any real absurdity or fiction in the relation it self but of our either mistaking the sense of the place or being ignorant of some material passage which we missing of may not presently perceive the consistency of the rest one with another Thus some think it ridiculously said in the 42. chap. of this book ver 10. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before because in the 13. v. his Children are found to be but just as many as he had at the first when as alas the Holy Ghost doth in those words tacitly condemn the Sadduces and Psychopannychists by esteeming the House Cattel c. which were once consumed utterly perish't but reckoning the deceased Sons and Daughters among the living and Job had at the same time twice ten Children as well as twice seven thousand Sheep twice three thousand Camels c. though not all in the same world existent Thus likewise Naamah is look't upon by some as too far from the land of Uz for Zophar to come from thence to visit Job as bâ—ing situated in the South part of the tâ—ibe of Judah whenas indeed it is not necessary that should be the town from whence Zophar came but there might have been another of that name as near Job's habitation as we have elswhere found there was a Shuah and a Teman though our Geographer has not been so kind as to direct us to it as well as to the other two The Book it self here made Verse is well known to consist partly in a brief Narrative of Job's Ruine and Restauration partly in a large discourse which the Deity enter'd into with him and a larger which he maintained with his four Friends in the latter whereof the design of his Visitants on the one side was to baffle him into a self condemnation and his on the other side to stand upon his defence and make good what he held viz. That we cannot truly judge of a man by his outward condition And in this his opinion the World has found him seconded by Heaven it self confuting his Opponents to their faces and also by all Nations in all ages as it would be easie to shew To instance only in the Romans among them Careat successibus opto c. was as good sense as Latine before their Language was corrupted and they still express themselves to the same effect in modern Italian thus Villano non è chi ni villa stà ma villano è chi villanie fà I need not with Pineda or Sanctius state the Question and formally dispute Whether Job was an Absolute Prince or no since whatsoever quality he was of whom Providence in those dayes singled out to be successively the Subject of the extremest misfortune and greatest prosperity we are sure that part hath in this Age been acted by a Mighty Monarch against whom there have risen up such as by their actions surely meant to prove the Sabaean plunderers unskilful in their own art and the Chaldaean robbers conscionable men whose stately Pallaces have been thrown down by the violence of a blasting Vote from out of a thin desolate and Desert House whose goods and every thing in which he might justly delight or glory have been destroyed by the help of that Artificial fire which though the Grand enemy of mankind were not in every piece of iron that vented it yet some are resolved to believe he first found out in the shape of a German Monk who in short has been a most notable example to demonstrate as it were that to Heaven's Favourites Loss is Gain and that Patience is a Crowning vertue for his Friends are double the number they were at the first seeing those who not many years ago were his because his Father's Enemies have kindly faced about and been successful practitioners in Loyalty how much his Treasures are increased let his Exchequer speak and how his Territories shall be more and more inlarged I leave to future Victories and the year 1666. to declare And so content my self at present with what I find written of this our famous Sufferer in the more habitable part of Arabia the Dâ—sert That never too much adored piece which sets forth his Life and Death I mean so much of either as the Sacred Records acquaint us with hath often been Translated into English but with what very great success I am not here to determine It would well become men of abilities in this way to let themselves be provoked to undertake the the task and
move And Mercy doth her miracles renew 17. Soon after up and down such Symptoms flie As too too well thy fury testifie The Spring-tide there-of rises high God fights against me with varietie 18. Was it for this that I was born Was it for this my mothers womb was torn Was it for this she underwent such pain And groan'd some hours and then rejoyc'd again That I my self all my life long might mourn Oh that I but once had cry'd Oh that I in my Nurses arms had dy'd 19. Oh that I had ne'r been seen Then I had been and yet not been I h'd found a bur'al in my mother Earth As soon as t'other e'r had gi'n me birth 20. The days which I have yet to see How scarcely worth the numbering they be Then give me room to draw my breath And sing a little just before my death 21 22. Before I go unto that boundless shade Where there 's no Mot'on Retrograde Before I go into that darksom dale Before I sink into that deadly vale Where Order is Confusion And Night eternal muffles up the Sun XI 1 2. THen up stood the Naamathite And Sha'nt we all these words with words requite Sha'nt we quoth he this prating fool indite 3. What shall your Auditors dispence With Falshood back't by Impudence Shan't we take notice of your Pride Which makes you others so deride And with a Medium from thence Make you those scornful looks in blushes hide 4. For you appear secure Both that your Doctrine's pure And that your life will Heavens test endure 5. Now oh that God his lips and heav'n would move And thee in these thy Reasonings disprove 6. Oh that he would his Wisdom show In its ev'ry mystery Whereof thou only half dost see In the mean time I 'd have you know His wrath is short of thy Impiety 7. Canst thou the full Dimensions take Of the Great All in all Canst thou of him a Definition make Which shall be Essential 8. His works as high as heaven swell What there-of canst thou tell They reach below the lowest hell What there-of canst thou spell 9. The Length thereof is more Than by Earths Axis can be measured The Breadth thereof exceeds the space that 's spread 'Twixt Ez'on-gaber and the Ophir shore 10. If he by sword or sickness Thousands slay If Myr'ads in fast hold he lay Bundles of life suppose he throw away Who can him in his fury stay 11. He knows he knows our vanity He sees how impious we be And w'ont he make use of what he doth see 12. A whimsy 't is possesses some That they will needs be thought Prudential Although into the world they come As silly Colts from the wild Asses fall 13. If thy heart upward rise Thy Index-hand still pointing to the skies 14. If what was faulty yester-night This morning's Reformat'on right And no uncleanness in thy lodging lies 15. Thou shalt shew thy honest face And challenge Physiognomy Any thing there-in to descry Which she can construe unto thy disgrace Thou shalt be nobly bold And shalt not fear to be controul'd 16. For thou shalt former miserie forget In new Joys Oc'an that absorp't shall be As any petty Rivulet Is in th'adjoyning vast Arab'an Sea 17. The glor'ous Sun when Culminant Shall much of thy splendor want And when he rises and first visits us Himself shall look like thy Parelius 18. Confidence alwaies is secure And thou shalt on just grounds be confident Walls thou shalt build but not thy self immure Building them not for Strength but Ornament They 'l onely serve thy Art or State to show For when thou go'st to sleep Providence the Guard shall keep And Safeties-self shall be thy bed-fellow Thou shalt no Alarum hear Thou shalt no Scalado fear Nothing shall disturb thy rest But some unseasonably-made request 20. While the great Patrons of Impiety They shall be blind as to prosperity That they never shall espie But Ruine they shall see too nigh And have this onely comfort left They can but dye 12 13 14. 1. YEs by all means Job replies 2. Take you away and where 's the Wise When you die Art and Knowledge dies 3. But stay I have my understanding too I have as well indu'd a soul as you Who could not tell all this you 've said was true 4. Just persons have Heav'n open to their crie Yet their bold neighbours at their prayer mock You 're some of these and one of those am I You make a holy Saint your laughing-stock 5. A man that 's under God's afflicting hand People will sleight As Seamen do th' Directing Light When in a dark tempest'ous night They find themselves arrived safe on Land 6. Thieves live in stately Palaces And those which heaven seem'd to scale God cannot chuse but bless And see that their provis'on never fail Ask now the Oxen in the stall Inquire of the inhab'tants of the Air Consult with this gross earthy Ball On the Sea 's scaly people call Beasts birds earth fishes will these things declare 9. Who of all these doth not well understand The World was made by that Almighty hand 10. Which the Repository is of Souls And all our breaths within its hollow holds 11. Han't words their Judge as well as meat Doth not the ear Try what we hear As well as th' Palate what we eat 12. In failing bodies thriving souls are found The hoary head is with Pan-laurels crown d 13. God is the Strong the Knowing one What 's to be done can best by him be shown 14. None can rebuild that Citadel Which once at his commandment fell Whom he confines unto their Cell The wall 's so high they can't get o'r So thick they cannot through it bore But must therein for ever dwell 15. He bids the waters cease to roar And they away in silence dry Out at his signe again they fly And bear along with them the shore 16. To be Wise and to be Strong Unto his nature do belong Legerdemain's chief Masters he commands And likewise those who lose by theft The gull'd the guller both are in his hands That in his right this in his left 17. He takes and rifles Counsellors of State Judges he doth infatuate 18. The reins he wresteth from the Magistrate And makes them draw who in the Royal char'ot sate 19. He seiseth on and plunders mighty Kings And o'r great Princes Epinic'ons sings 20. He strikes the confident Declamers dumb That they can't finish their Exordium Those that are wise men by their age He turns their Understanding into Rage 21. Princes into contempt he brings And makes puissant Warr'ours puny things 22. He through the Ocean of Darkness wades And fetches thence what lay hid there Thither he sends inlightned aire Where Death sits Queen in her eternal shades 23. His blessing makes the Nat'ons multiply Anon he cuts 'um off as fast He gives 'um room wherein at ease to lie And recontracts that room at last 24. That unto
act the Bear How in his fury he can tear I such an Enemy have met As doth his teeth on one another set Shewing them what with me they are to do And seems his eyes to whet Looking me therewith through and through 10. Men stretch their jaws And on me gape And against all Civility's known laws Without a box on th' ear I seldom scape Worse affronts yet I fear they coin For lo into a body now they join 11. God gives me over to such rogues as these They may do with me what they please 12. My joynts he hath asunder took Which lately had such Symmetry H' has every limb of me in pieces shook Unless my neck perchance the which he held me by And making me th' unhappy spot 13. He pours upon me show'rs of shot Whole woods of crooked yew beset me round The parts where-in my life lay bound Are loosly scatter d on the ground Here one and there another rein doth fall And yonder lies my useless gall 14. He leaves no member sound But gives me blows Not unlike those Which on his foes A Giant when inrag'd bestows And makes my body one continu'd wound 15. Sack-cloth upon my flesh I bind And ashes spread Upon that head Which with a double White of Age and Glory shin'd 16. My face was foul before And washing it with tears I foul it more While Death as one that did begin Into my house to enter in Already stands before my eye her door 17 And why all this I do no harm I never robb'd a town And having robb'd it burnt it down My hands at such a fire to warm My Orphan-gormandizing throat With an unsanctified note The holy Temple never yet profan'd With my infected sheep Offer'd because it would not keep The holy'r Altar never yet was stain'd 18. Oh earth oh earth find thou a tongue While I am silent to proclaim my wrong And do thou teach My blood the blood of Abels speech That it may cry and crying heaven reach 19. I 'm righteous in heavens eye The starrs have seen and know my purity 20. Scoff then not Enemy but Friend Of a far better friend I shall not fail My tears like water Midday-beams exhale The heav'nly towres know how to scale And in his bosom dry themselves to whom th' ascend 21. Oh might I be so bold As this pure hand up at his bar to hold And cry Not guilty there and plâ—â—d As one man for another at his need 22. Oh might I but I wish in vain I have not long to stay To morrow's Execut'on-day And when that comes I must away Ne'r to return again Unto my dungeon from whence I 'm ta'ne 1. MY breath doth stink my strength 's decay'd The Sexton also my last bed hath made 2. Death bends her bow and Jeerers too let fly Me-thinks I have them in my eye Who do my failing age upbraid 3. Give me a man that dares to stake That in the Chain of Amity A Link will make And forfeit if that Chain he break Give me the man that will in earnest be My other self to me And of my mirth and of my grief partake 4. Dull people won't this motâ—on entertain Thou wilt not let 'um be so wise Thou wilt them not such honor deigne That they should up unto true Friendship rise 5. He that himself a friend to all will make But is not that which he pretends His Children they shall seek for friends But e'r they find out one their eyes shall ake 6. Ah! He has spun me a hard destiny I 'm made the But which all men â—it The silly thing on whom all try their wit As formerly I was their melody When they their Tabrâ—t laid aside to play on me 8. What with tear and what with sigh My eye is grown so dim Such little clouds there-in do swim I cannot see my hand there-with Or if I could I have no hand to see There where my hand should be Hangs a piece of Vacuity My hand and arm and foot and thigh and knee Which while vigor through them ran Had a shadow of their own Now that that Vigor's gone Seem but the shadow of other man 9. The right'ous soul that pure and cleanly Dove On in his milky path shall move And the Arm that ne'r did wrong Shall be found truly strong And shall its strength contin'ally improve 10. But as for you I 'd have you stay Come back and take another way The road where-in so fast you ride Of that City leadeth wide Where Wisdom doth her choisest treasures hide 11. My glass is run My work not done Death my deep designes prevents And my intents prove but intents 12. I force some few half-hours out of the night And by such fires as oil and art To them that want the Sun impart Regain the time which length'ned darkness wins from light 13. If I with hopes of happiness am fed For Lodgings a cold Tomb I meet And for Tent-cloaths a Winding-sheet And go to Darkness when I should to bed 14. Rottenness I Father call If you 'd my Female-kindred have Look but about the Grave Here creeps my mother there my sisters crawl 15. And where 's my Hope now I have none Hope to Heaven back is flown See! now she lessens now she 's out of sight 16. I and my fellow-men make haste away I from my Zenith hasten so do they And though we have a diverse Day We all at length shall have in th' dust the self-same Night XVIII 1. THe Princely Shuhite then begun 2. When will this long discourse be done When will you cease to bawl Our turn is come You must be dumb 3. Why are we counted brutish things Even amidst our Reasonings Why look'st thou on us through a glass Through which our Spec'es alas While to thy eye they pass Must needs be very small So small as scarcely to be seen at all 4. The man 's outragious To tear himself in pieces thus Shall Rightousness her flight to Heaven take And leave this lower globe To pleasure Job Shall rocks be moved for thy sake 5. No no my friend Justice Divine Shall gloriously shine Whilst the Sinners day grows dark And his dead fire sends forth no glitt'ring spark 6. The light which round the Universe doth flie Shall be no light his tent about His lamp shall sink in'ts socket and go out He into 's grave shall fall and therein rotting lie 7. He into streights shall run Struggle he ne'r so strong therein to stick And most unfortunately Politick Shall be by his own wit undone 8. He shall by his own trait'rous feet be led Where snares are set A crafty net Where e'r he goeth shall be spread 9. The grin shall hold him by the heels While he the fury of the Rifler feels 10. Nimrodists along the way Here shall prepare For him a snare There they a secret trap shall lay 11. His fancy shall besiege him round And make him take
21. While he on his Death-bed lies Horrible winds arise And bear away this loathsom prize Massie trees dance about and point at him When he begins to die Oaks Elms and Pines had learnt before to swim Now they attempt the air and flie As if they did officiously desire To be fuel for his urn But they alas when kindled can expire And therefore they are useless to that fire Where-in such Malefactors burn Thus to the shades the Tyrant goes A Hurricano fetches him away Whence all see whither no man knows And his last puff makes a tempestuous day 22. For God doth lay upon him and not spare Till the wretch be quite destroy'd Fain he would but can 't avoid That mighty Arm which reaches every where 23. At him shall all 's Spectators clap their hands Not in kind applause but scoff Though now upon the Royal Stage he stands Hisses shall quickly send him off 1. THere 's in the Macro-cosme a Mine Which with its rivulets of Silver seems To ape the Micro-cosmes purple streams And somewhere Artists Gold refine 2. These force Iron from the place Where it ingend ' red was And others out of melted Oar make Brass 3. God doth the finite Darkness bound He vieweth all things that perfect on have Black Rocks and light-less quarries under ground And sees into Deaths shady cave 4. Those Miners when their Mine is made And they go down into 't Their passage by a flood is staid Through which for m'ny an age no foot Had been observ'd to wade And which dries by and by away And doth them or their work no longer stay 5. Earths surface doth recruit our Butt'ry-store Her bowels send our Chimneys coals 6. There lurk Saphyres in their holes There grows the yellow oar 7. There is a path which scapes the Vulturs eyes Which never any fowl yet saw 8. Which has no print of any Lions paw Or of a bigger or a lesser size 9. He but his hand thereto applies And up by th' roots the mountain flies 10. Among the Rocks he makes streams run And sees whatever rareness maketh good 11. He bridles up the swelling flood And things that never saw 't before he shews the Sun 12. But where is Wisdom who can tell And where does Understanding dwell 13. Men know not what its price may be ' Tent above ground 'T ent among Mortals to be found 14. 'T is not in me Cries the vast Sea I have it not answers Profundity 15. It can't be purchased for Gold Talents of Silver will in vain be told 16. Ophire ingots will not do 't Onyx and Saphyre's nothing to 't 17. Low will be Golds and Chrystals rate Chrystal will be but common glass Gold but for common dirt will pass Nay you sha'nt ha 't Though you would give for 't houses full of plate 18. Coral may blush and pearls look pale This may be vexed that asham'd Because with her not to be nam'd Rubies as worthless must to Wisdom vail 19. Th' Ethiop'an Topaz to her doth not shine Nor will she be compar'd to th' Golden mine 20. Come then Philosopher and shew me this Whence Wisdom comes and where it is 21. Alas there 's none alive can tell When she 's the thing they 'd find Eagles are blind And Vultur's know not how to smell 22. Death and Destruct'on know all things too well Yet even these declare How ignorant of her they are Only her Fame they say hath reach't their cell 23. God fully knows Whither she goes And where she grows 24. For Earth to him its secrets shows And all things under Heav'n themselves to him disclose 25. He looks about The World throughout To poise the rudely rumbling wind The Ocean in unseen scales to lay And there the Waters weigh And see 'um keep the measure he assign'd 26. And when h' ordain'd how Rain the Earth should wash How Thunder crack how Light'ning flash When he did her and all things frame 27. He looked through and through the same He pleas'd to study that which he had made And gave report there-of and said 28. Here-in Vnderstanding lies To fear thy God is to be wise And Practical Theology alone Is all the Arts and Sciences in one 1. JOb farther yet replyd 2. Oh that Times tide Might backward flow And I might no more sorrow know Than I did twelve and twelvescore moons ago When God still interpos'd 'twixt me and woe 3. When of his servant careful he Held out of heav'n a candle unto me With whose fair beams my face was ray'd And with whose aid I fear'd no shade But could through Oceans of Darkness wade 4. When yet no doun upon my chin did rise When Gods more gen'ral Providence To guard my house did not suffice But I felt too his secret Influence 5. When he brought with him Heav'n into my tent When my children round me went I being Center they Circumference 6. When I had so rich a soil I trod on butter as I went it round And as if ev'ry day I had been crown'd The very rocks were found To run continually with oil 7. When I went through the town to th' Judgment-seat And rode in state along the street 8. For then the young that did me meet Stole privately away Up also rose the gray And would not see me but upon their feet 9. To talk the Princes were afraid Upon their mouths their hands they laid 10. And men of noble blood Quite speechless stood Their tongue now fail'd As if within their mouths 't were nail'd 11. Who e'r my story heard applauded me Passengers seeing me cry'd This is he 12. For I holpe Innocency against might And righted Orphans whom none else would right 13. They whom I sav'd in their extremity Thank't God first for the life He gave And then they thank't him for creating me That their expiring life to save I taught their Widows too their melody 14. Holiness was my Royal gown I put on Justice for a crown 15. Sight to the sightless I became And Loco-mot'on to the lame 16. I study'd Father-like the poor mans cause To find what I for him might say 17. I broke the persecutors cruel jaws And snatch't from thence the bleeding prey 18. Then thus my self I blest Here in my nest Here I until my glass be done shall rest Which glass of mine will not be done Till Natures stock of sand be through it run 19. My root as by the water-side I grew I did far and wide diffuse The breath of Heav'n condensed into dew Did it self ' mongst my branches lose 20. I found my blooming Glory still renew My hand was fertile earth to th' growing crooked yew 21. All men my discourse approv'd All heard with silence whatso-e'r I mov'd 22. My words once spoke were ne'r oppos'd by theirs They dropt so sweetly from my mouth into their ears 23. They long'd for them as earnestly As the parch't fields do for rain And as when they 're again adry They long in