have his tabernacle amongst them Levit. 26. 10. That when the earthly house of tabernacle should be dissolued they should have a building from God not made with hands everlasting in the heavens But worldlings who all as the serpent go vpon the belly would not vnderstand this Therefore Iob is a rare example who in most high calamityes wished to be with God Prophane would scoph this pleading Therefore God penned the book in such a style as Sadducees Epicures should not care to vnderstand it And of my selfe I wil say that the tongue in proprietie and tropâ—â— and sequeles of arguments hath ben hardâ— to me then all the rest of the Bible That he may be softer to others I have made a translation with great paynes and the beâ— circumspection that I could Moreover I have brought the disputers spech in termes hard and short vnto a softer larger veine bringing the best examples at large to enlarge sentences As Targum Ierusalemy cited to generall sentences particular exaÌ„ples sometime later then Iobs time as a Paraphraâ—â— might do So when I make them Prophets to speak of lattâ— times then their owne I speak it as my owne Paraphrase The settling of arguments to what verse of the formers speach replyers do speake that I studied to expresse clearly and all harâ— Phrases My desire was to have had the Ebrew text joyned to the English with Rabbine commentary for their tongue saving Iob. 10. where the incarnation and resurrection passeth Iewâ— moderne faith for the bare tongue my desire was to force our enemies the Thalmudiques to speak for vs But I could finâ— no cunning and ready hebrew printers vnlesse I had gone to Basil To print the whole Bible in the originall and my English I would have done it vpon allowance expected recompence But I might not be at so great charges for one little book Besides this dialogue I have before added sundry helpes Short notâ—â— in the Chapters large Abridgementes and arguments of every chapter here a description of the disputers story how they belong to Abrahams kindred To a plain book I would not have done so But for this of vnspeakable difficulty it will not be tedious as the disputers themselves infinitely rowle one stone The rest all save Elihu That Iob is wicked yet by repentance may be sure of Gods grace and that still the wicked be punished and the strangely punished be so far in wikednes Iob as often defendeth his integrity and that he cannot be ever better then he was and therefore would gladly know the reason of his afflictioÌ„ As they often repeat their discourse so the coÌ„menter might When this is abroad if my readers think it not plain enough questions vpon difficulties remayning shall come forth if God will So I have made two coÌ„mentaries vpoÌ„â—poc one curt that the hearer may soon see the tenour of the â—ork the other larger shewing by what mispolicy and mistudy the City of Quirinus came to be so great When those books be printed I would bring in Dialogue some demaunding of matters which breed hardnes Dialogues haue brevity and therefore Plato the learned contrived his matters into Dialogues But now let the reader turne his mynd from me vnto Iob. THE SPEACHES IN IOB BROVGHT TO a short summe shewing at which the replyers aime Chap. 3. IOb Lost be the day wherein I was borne I had forty tounges I could not sufficienth curse it For before my meat my sighingâ— come and my roaring gush like waters â— had small ease in heart when Sheba took mâ— Oxen and asses no quietnes when Caldâ—â— ans toke my Camels and both kild my men So wheâ— fyer from heaven brent my sheepe and wind feld thâ— house vpon my children In this I had grief enough Yâ—â— all this while I blessed God that gave and took away But now that I am stroken with boyles froÌ„ the sole of my fooâ— to the top of my head I cannot sufficieÌ„tly curse my dayes Now I have in my siknes an vntolerable vexation Chap 4. and 5. Eliphaz May I speak my mind Thou hast comforted many others in sorow Thy religion knoweth the right way of hope in Gods mercy and thou knowest how to make thy ways right by seeking vnto God v. 6. But noâ— thou art thy self touched thou art most vnpatient Remâ—ber that no innocent perisheth But they that reap mâ—sery have plowed sorrow and by the blast of Gods anger they consume Mighty tyrants like lyons as Emiâ—â— and ZamzuÌ„mim are come to nothing and Ismael hatâ— had tvvelve dukedomes in Cush or Abyssinj as Thâ— ma is one our neighbour and droven out mighty Lâ—ons And Esaw my ancester hath broken lyoâ— teeth in Seyr And yee of Ketura the children of the east have drouen Cush further South have dukedomes as Madian thy ancester Medan Shuach or Sychaeus of whom Bildad cometh and Sheba that took Iobs oxen asses forgetting the kinred of Abraham and when we plow sorow we reap miserie yea the richest of Abrahams sonnes when we play the tyrants As at this time Israel in Egypt see Pharoh kill their children because none forsake Pharaohs Idols I will spare to blame Iob of TyraÌ„ny as a lyon though he be Lord chief Iustice in Aus Land yet I would desire him to consider mans common corruption and how the very Angels haue not perfection before God Much lesse our soules that dwell in this earthly tabernacle of one dayes life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Greeks beaten to powder as mothes and all their excellency of learning and eloquence cometh to nothing and their thoughts perish when they die and they perish for ever vnlesse God be their guid as the most part of Edom my father leave God though he pittied some of my fathers house MadiaÌ„ thy ancester gave goodly names to his sonns to teach them godlines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 darknes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enoch dedicate thy self to God be a new Enoch and walk vvith God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know the father which is in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know God I think he is thy father ô Iob. The first of these tell we are in darknes and be but dust and I had a dreame from God v. 12. c. which taught me the same that Madians childrens names warne them though many now worship Baal Peor These matters should humble thee from such invectives against God No holy will like of thy dealing such chasing killeth the evill fool I have seen the evill fool prosper and â—â— children come to nothing and wild Arabians rob him â—â— all Misery doth not spring from the earth but from man wickednes which as sparkles breaketh out Therefore â—â— would wish thee not to invey against God who is vnspeakable in mercy as his workes specially the raine in oâ— dry Arabia sheweth Subtile contemners as hypocrites and inventers of false religion he will defeat that in
full of dayes The Argument of the book of Iob. IOb tried of God with many and heavy sorowe 〈…〉 losse of all his cattel children health is further tried of his wife frends She greveth him with mocking and scolding as though all his religion was but hypocrisy They from God his majesti 〈…〉 and mans corruption and Iobs disturbed speac 〈…〉 would prove that eyther Iob was an evil doer or an hypocrytes otherwise the just God would never afflict him so grevously Iob defendeth his speaches Gods iustice his own sheweth th 〈…〉 commonly the godly are in this life more afflicted then the wicked and blameth his frends of impietie in handling Gods cause vniustly in false accusing of him At last Elihu maketh a 〈…〉 dest agremeÌ„t blameth both teacheth Iob of Gods highness by his workes shewing his eternall power and godhead that bas 〈…〉 blind man should not wish to plead with him At the last God confirmeth the same doctrine by examples froÌ„ al his works driveth Iob first to silence then to confession and repentance and teacheth his frends reconciliation and restoreth Iob to health and new children double wealth THE ARGVMENTS of each Chapter Chap. 1. Iob in the land of Uz Aus in old pronouncing whence Ausitae in Ptol. table 4. where Thema Saba Buz Madian and Chaldaea and Minnaej be neare where Arabie the stony held Tharahs house Ismaels Keturaes â—eare Esawes Iob being Godly is tried by Satan going about like a roaring Lion and accusing the godly by losse of catell and children and still continueth in synceritie Chap. II. Iobs body is afflicted by Satan with all greifs he is mocked of his wife visited of his frends of Esaw Ketura Buz. Chap. III. Iob wisheth he never had bene borne in merveilous vehemency of speeches and lastly that still he feared but now found extreme vexation Chap. IV. Eliphaz vpon Iobs chiding with God Ch. 3. 19. exhorteth him to patience and to consider Gods holynes before whom the angels be not perfect men in this earthly tabernacle of sorow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one dayes life and perish almost all by ignorance of the Lord whom to know they regard not Chap. V. No holy would defend Iob whose punishment ariseth from his sin and to God he should seek and so find an happyer state then his first Chap. VI. Iob defendeth his speaches Ch. 3. that they were nothing to his pangs and as the wild asse would not bray nor oxe low at fodder so would not he have done sheweth that he wisheth death and cannot hope to live and look for prosperity by repentance and hath integritie to defend himself against his frends in prosperity needles in distresse amazed and requireth disputation against his speach Chap. 3. Chap. VII All mens time is short and they naturally grone for a passage hence and flit like a Post Pinesse or Egle to prey One in pangs endlesse should desire death as Iob did Ch. 3. and now desireth pardon of trespas passage away Chap. VIII Bildad holdeth Iobs words of pleading innocencie but as a strong blast that seemed to make God vnrighteous who as he said kild not his children but for their sinne and wisheth Iob repentance so he should be happier then ever he was Ancient stories tell that as segges can not grow without moisture so man cannot without moisture of iust life But his house is made a spiders webbe or a tree over luxurious in braunches to provoke the Lord of the soile to root him out as Iobs children in their feasting by course But seeking to God would bring prosperity Chap. IX Iob acknowledgeth Gods justice and himself a sinner 〈…〉 God is onely wise and mighty He maketh seas where â—ountaines were he maketh earthquakes cloudy faire and calme weather the starres order shew his wisdome calling vs to consider how his works are vnsearcheable in election and reiection in punishing or sparing when he robbed Iob by Sheba Chaldy none could stay him or plead with him Iob if he were iust would not plead but crave mercy though for civil cariage he knoweth no grosse trespas But this is the sum Gods wrath in this world is vpon iust and vniust But commonly the wicked rule countreys who kill them that would do iustice And Iobs lyfe fled away full of heavie cares and now can hope for no quietnes nor dare plead for God would find him loth some But wisheth leave out of greif to plead with God because he knoweth not him self worthy of so heavie punishmentes Chap. X. Iob humbly pleadeth with God of his afflictions and of wicked mens prosperity and acknowledgeth Gods old mercy with petition to haue an end of this praesent sorow Chap. XI Zophar blameth Iob for long vehement speach for lying and for checking Eliphaz and Bildad and for justifying of himself deserving double punishment by Gods justice The height the depth the length the breadth of whose counsel none can see From this speach S. Paul wisheth Gods mercy in Christ knowen to vs. Ephe. 3. 18. 19. But here punishment from justice doth Zophar plead by which God would wise Adams sonns being naturally dull as beasts But Iob by repentance may come to joy otherwise while he continueth in wickednes his hope can be but panges of soule Chap. XII Iob taketh vp all his three frends at once for arrogancy in geving counsel and chalengeth equall skil and pleadeth vpon their speach that the just is a mock in affliction to the welthy And that the God of this world hath from the true God power to prosper the wicked Beasts fowles plants and fish shew God rules all and so from him wicked rule no repentance of godly can find this worlds prosperitie Chap. XIII Iob repeateth the checking of his frends as not superiours to him in wisdome and calleth them liers and foolish physicians and foolish pleaders for God and trusteth that if God would give him leave to plead without his pangs he would frame a sufficient narration Chap. XIV Iob pleadeth of mans coÌ„mon frailty as a floure from him Moyses Psal 90. and confesseth all vnclean and craveth ease of his pangs til neare death come A tree dying from by-rootes yeeldeth new but man not so As waters passe not returne so he dead ariseth not till the heauens and worlds end Rockes of mountaynes break and tumble into rivers which being soft yet consume them So would mans hope soft strokes and consume Chap. XV. Eliphaz in this second reply is vehementer then in the first wherein he blamed Iob not so as openly wicked nor justifying of himself His long speaches he counteth a wind and that he sayth perfect wicked God destroyeth so all prayer to God he holdeth also destroyed if God regard all alike And checketh him as ch 4. that miserable man would compare with God before whom the Angels be not perfect And by old testemonies he would prove that the wicked
his candle shall soone be put out Iob thou mayst hope to see the day some forty yeares hence that Moyses will come to thy nation of Madian nere Aus to Raguels house who hath a little Boy called Iethro Who can tell but vve may have affinitie vvith him And Pharaoh that shal be in tyme vvhen God vvill judge 400. yeares since vvild Ismael aged 18. vexed Isaak entring into six doubt not Iob but that thou shalt see the day about 80. y. hence to see judgments Pharaoh wil be sent â—â— his own feet into the net when he pursueth Israel wâ—â—â— God in the fourth age brings them out And so otheâ— wicked of families amongst vs shall soone have their naâ—â— put out Consider Iob these are the habitations of thâ— vnrighteous as thou art I must tell the plainely aâ—â— this plainely is thy case that knowest not the Omnipotent Chap. XIX Iob. How long will yee fret me with words Now tâ—â— times yee haue reproched me Fiue times I spake and fiue times you crossing my speaches Eliphaz twise and Bildad twise and Zophar once Suppose I have erred 〈…〉 my errour continue with me Eliphaz hath made me 〈…〉 be counted wicked over Theman because I am so greatly plagued and saith that my children were punished fâ—â— their sinnes And because God hath geven me over inâ—â— the hand of the wicked Chaldeans in my Camels and wicked Sabeans who have forgoten our kindred in Abraham Eliphaz will have me counted wicked bringing my wretched case an argument against me Bildâ—â— will make all the Land Sacchaea make me a parable and Zophar over all Minnaea The Agarey of Hagar and Châ—tramis Land of Cheturam Abrahams wife In Arab 〈…〉 we terme gladly names in the letter M these will have as ill a conceit of me Thema of wild Ismael is most quiet my next neighbour to our Aus or Uz land where mountaines of Chaldaea ly East Saba that took my Oxen Asses West and Dry Thema South When my story shal be written men will think then I am of Vz in Edom. It is much that Eliphaz commeth to grace of prophane Esavv that sold his Birthright for a messe of Pottage Iâ— him God in wrath remembreth mercy But one svvalovv maketh not a summer Of prophane Nachor Elihu is one best of all vs. But of Chetura our best and most good be Amongst all these families yee vvould have me counted one that forgetteth God Yee deale too proudly against me Knovv then that God hath dealt more strangely vvith me then ever vvith vvicked men for vvickednes Knovv then that the Puissant hath overthrovvne me and compassed his net about me As never to any man for vvickednes If I complaine I cannot be heard The common rule is call vpon me in the day of trouble and I vvill heare thee But I call as one that God should heare but no sentence is geven Therefore my case is strange not as of one punished for vvickednes He hath hedged me in on every side that I cannot passe He hath not done so vvith vvicked Nemrod nor vvith any vvicked He hath bestript me of all my honour vvhereas I vvas Lord chief Iustice in all our confoederated provinces and the richest of all Abrahams sonns by Ketura He hath puld me dovvne on every side as never any for sin For Gods patience leadeth them in many degrees still to repentance and I goe avvay vncapable of any benefit in this vvorld His anger is kindled against me and he houldeth me as one of his enimies Elihu vvill reply vpon this Chap. 33. 10. as that I complaine vpon vvrong and cannot be heard Ch. 34. 3. c. As he holdeth me as one of his enimyes so he commeth vvith an host against me His host of affliction in vvealth body and frinds come together against me cast vp their trench against me and camp about my tent my brethren all honorers my kinefolke my promoted my hirelinges my maydens my vvife prinkockes sage counselers my tendered And my body is so leane that it cleaveth to my bones so full of sores that onely the flesh of my teeth vvithin my lippes hath escaped Therefore do ye persecute me as the Omnipotent holdeth me as one of his enemies and why are ye not satisfied with my flesh so eaten vp but ye will as savage beasts eat my bones And where ye say that I am one that forget God I have a ready answer for my hope as Abraham taught vs in our fathers how Adam lost life and brought death vpon all But the S. of God will dwell in our tabernacle and performe justice for vs That as all being in Adam lost life so they who will receive the abundance of the grace of the gift of justice shall reigne by one The abundance of grace is in this That one disobedience brought death but the grace washeth all soule sore from the sole of the foot to the top of the head Now of Abraham the God of Bethel will take flesh in Isaac his death and resurrection were taught with Iacob he wrestled and shewed how his delite is to play with the sonnes of Adam Of Iuda he commeth that tribe shall not be scattered till his Sonne commeth Iacob in Mestra land where the great river Aegypt is told all this in his last speach and thence we learned all But as now we of Ketura in Ismaels land stick to God and none of Israell forsake the Idols of Aegypt so in tyme we shall have equall glory though when they have the land of Canaan and all must come thither to worship our children will not but be enemies Troupes of Camels shall cover the land Dromedaries of Madian and Ghepha our house and all of Saba the Saba that robbed me now godlesse they shall bring gold and incense and preach the praise of the Eternall Yea and wild Ismael wil be ashamed of Hagar and name them of Sara and Cedar Nabaioth called commonly Nabathaea shall serve the God of Bethel the Angel that wrestled with Iacob in memorie of which story Iacob vvas called Israel and the place Phanuel This I know that seing in Abraham all families shal be blessed Abrahams naturall specially Now then I will bring the sum of my faith and ô that my words vvere written and drawne in a book graven with a pen of iron with lead were in stone for ever How I know that my redeemer is the everliving and at the last shall arise vpon the dust dying for our sinnes and arising for our justification And after wormes spend this my skin flesh I meane after my resurrection and I vse a doubtfull terme to conteyne both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from my flesh shall I see the Puissant When God hath been manifest in the flesh and seen of Angels and taken vp in glorie The very same body shall come to this soule not a new body God hath all the dust of the earth in measure and all dust of bodyes eaten with