mark'd the Earth of what a bulke she is Know'st thou the place whence Light or Darknesse springs Can thy deepe age vnfold these secret things Know'st thou the cause of Snow or Haile which are My fierce Artill'ry in my time of warre Who is 't that rends the gloomy Clouds in sunder Whose sudden rapture strikes forth Fire Thunder Or who bedewes the Earth with gentle showres Filling her pregnant soyle with fruits and flowres What Father got the Raine from what chill wombe Did Frosts and hard-congealed Waters come Canst thou restraine faire Maia's course or stint her Or sad Orion vshering in the Winter Will scorching Cancer at thy summons come Or Sun-burnt Autumne with her fruitfull wombe Knowst thou Heauens course aboue or dost thou know Those gentle Influences here below Who was 't inspir'd thy Soule with Vnderstanding And gaue thy Spirit the spirit of Apprehending Dost thou command the Cesternes of the Skie To quench the thirsty soyle or is it I Nay let thy practice to the Earth descend Proue there how farre thy power doth extend From thy full hand will hungry Lions eate Feed'st thou the empty Rauens that cry for meate Sett'st thou the Season when the fearefull Hind Brings forth her painefull birth Hast thou assign'd The Mountaine Goate her Time Or is it I Canst thou subiect vnto thy soueraigntie The vntam'd Vnicorne Can thy hard hand Force him to labour on thy fruitfull land Did'st thou inrich the Peacock with his Plume Or did that Steele-digesting Bird assume His downie flags from thee Didst thou endow The noble Stallion with his Strength Canst thou Quaile his proud courage See his angry breath Puffes nothing forth but feares summ'd vp in death Marke with what pride his horny hoofes doe tabor The hard resounding Earth with how great labor How little ground he spends But at the noyse And fierce Alar'm of the hoarse Trumpets voyce He breakes the rankes amidst a thousand Speares Pointed with death vndaunted at the feares Of doubtfull warre he rushes like a Ranger Through euery Troope scornes so braue a danger Doe loftie Haggards cleaue the flitting Ayre With Plumes of thy deuising Then how dare Thy rauenous lips thus thus at randome runne And counter-maund what I the Lord haue done Think'st thou to learne fond Mortall thus by diuing Into my secrets or to gaine by striuing Pleade then No doubt but thine will be the Day Speake peeuish Plaintiffe if th' ast ought to say Iob then reply'd Great God I am but Dust My heart is sinfull and thy hands are Iust I am a Sinner Lord my words are wind My thoughts are vaine Ah Father I haue sinn'd Shall Dust replie I spake too much before I 'le close these lips and neuer answere more Meditatio octauadecima O Glorious Light A light vnapprehended By mortall Eyes O Glorie neuer ended Nor e're created whence all Glorie springs In heauenly bodies and in earthly things O power Immense deriued from a Will Most Iust and able to doe all but ill O Essence pure and full of Maiestie Greatnesse it selfe and yet no Quantitie Goodnesse and without Qualitie producing All things from out of Nothing and reducing All things to nothing past all comprehending Both First and Last and yet without an Ending Or yet beginning filling euery Creature And not it selfe included aboue Nature Yet not excluded of it Selfe subsisting And with it Selfe all other things assisting Diuided yet without diuision A perfect Three yet Three entirely One Both One in Three and Three in One together Begetting and begotten and yet neither The Fountaine of all Arts Confounding Art Both All in All and All in euery part Still seeking Glorie and still wanting none Though Iust yet reaping where Thou ne'r hast sowne Great Maiestie since Thou art euery where O Why should I misdoubt thy Presence here I long haue sought Thee but my ranging heart Ne'r quests and cannot see thee where thou art There 's no Defect in thee thy light hath shin'd Nor can be hid Great God but I am blind O cleare mine eyes and with thy holy Fire Inflame my brest and edge my dull desire Wash me with Hysope clense my stained thoughts Renew my spirit blurre forth my secret faults Thou tak'st no pleasure in a Sinners death For thou art Life thy Mercy 's not beneath Thy sacred Iustice Giue thy seruant power To seek aright and hauing sought discouer Thy glorious Presence Let my blemisht Eye See my saluation yet before I dye O then my Dust that 's bowell'd in the ground Shall rise with Triumph at the welcome sound Of my Redeemers earth-awaking Trumpe Vnfrighted at the noyse no sullen Dumpe Of selfe-confounding Conscience shall affright me For Hee 's my Iudge whose dying Blood shall quite me THE ARGVMENT God speakes to Iob the second time Iob yeelds his sinne repents his crime God checks his Friends restores his health Giues him new issue double wealth Sect. 19. ONcemore the Mouth of heauē rapt forth a voice The troubled Firmament was fill'd with noise The Rafters of the darkned Skie did shake For the Eternall thundred thus and spake Collect thy scattred senses and aduise Rouze vp fond man and answere my replies Wilt thou make Comments on my Text and must I be vnrighteous to conclude thee Iust Shall my Decrees be licenced by thee What canst thou thunder with a Voyce like Me Put on thy Robes of Maiestie Be clad With as bright glorie Iob as can be had Make fierce thy frownes and with an angry face Confound the Proud and his high thoughts abase Pound him to Dust Doe this and I will yeeld Thou art a God and need'st no other shield Behold the Castle-bearing Elephant That wants no bulke nor doth his greatnesse want An equall strength Behold his massie bones Like barres of Yron like congealed stones His knottie sinewes are Him haue I made And giuen him naturall weapons for his aide High Mountaines beare his food the shady boughes His Couerts are Great Riuers are his Troughs Whose deepe Carouses would to standers-by Seeme at a watring to draw Iordan drie What skilfull huntsman can with strength out-dare him Or with what Engins can a man ensnare him Hast thou beheld the huge Leuiathan That swarthy Tyrant of the Ocean Can Thy bearded hooke impierce his Gils or make him Thy landed Pris'ner Can thy Angles take him Will he make suite for fauour from thy hands Or be enthralled to thy fierce Commands Will he be handled as a Bird Or may Thy fingers bind him for thy childrens play Let men be wise for in his lookes he hath Displayed Banners of vntimely death If Creatures be so dreadfull how is he More bold then wise that dares encounter Me What hand of man can hinder my designe Are not the Heauens and all beneath them mine Dissect the Greatnesse of so vast a Creature By view of seuerall parts Summe vp his feature Like Shields his Scales are plac't which neither Art Knowes
been plotting how to prompt the death Of Christian Princes and the bribed breath Of cheapned Iustice hath my Fire inflam'd With spirit of boldnesse for a while vnsham'd â—â—come from planting strife and sterne debate Twixt priuate man and man 'twixt State and State â—ubuerting Truth with all the power I can Accusing Man to God and God to Man I daily sow fresh Schismes among thy Saints I buffet them and laugh at their complaints The Earth is my Dominion Hell 's my Home I round the World and so from thence I come Said then th' Eternall True thou hast not faild Of what thou say'st Thy Spirit hath preuail'd To vex my little Flocke Thou hast been bold To make them stray a little from their Fold But say In all thy hard Aduentures hath Thine eye obserued Iob my Seruants Faith Hath open Force or secret Fraud beset His Bulwarks so impregnable as yet And hast thou without enuy yet beheld How that the World his second cannot yeeld Hast thou not found that hee 's of vpright Will Iust fearing God eschewing what is Ill True Lord replide the Fiend thy Champion hath A strong and feruent yet a crafty Faith A forced loue needs no such great applause He loues but ill that loues not for a cause Hast thou not heap'd his Garners with excesse Inricht his Pastures Doth not he possesse All that he hath or can demand from Thee His Coffers fil'd his Land stockt plentiously Hath not thy Loue surrounded him about And hedg'd him in to fence my practice out But small 's the tryall of a Faith in this If thou support him 't is thy strength not his Can then my power that stands by thy permission Encounter where Thou mak'st an Opposition Stretch forth thy Hand and smite but what he hath And prooue thou then the temper of his Faith Cease cock'ring his fond humour veyle thy Grace No doubt but hee 'l blaspheme thee to thy Face Lo said th' Eternall to thy cursed hand I here commit his mightie Stocke his Land His hopefull Issue and Wealth though ne'r so much Himselfe alone thou shalt forbeare to touch Meditatio secunda SAtan beg'd once and found his Pray'rs reward We often beg yet oft returne vnheard If granting be th' effect of Loue then we Conclude our selues to be lesse lou'd then he True Satan beg'd and beg'd his shame no lesse 'T was granted Shall we enuie his successe We beg and our request 's perchance not granted God knew perhaps it were worse had then wanted Can God and Belial both ioyne in one Will The One to aske the Other to fulfill Sooner shall Stygian Darknesse blend with Light The Frost with Fier sooner Day with Night True God and Satan wild the selfe same Will But God intended Good and Satan Ill That Will produc'd a seuerall conclusion He aym'd at Mans and God at his confusion He that drew Light from out the depth of Shade And made of Nothing whatsoere He made Can out of seeming Euill bring good Euents God worketh Good though by euill Instruments As in a Clocke one motion doth conuay And carry diuers wheeles a seuer all way Yet all together by the great wheeles force Direct the Hand vnto his proper course Euen so that sacred VVill although it vse Meanes seeming contrarie yet all conduce To one effect and in a free consent They bring to passe heauens high decreed Intent Takes God delight in humane weakenesse then What Glory reapes he from Afflicted men The Spirit gone can Flesh and Blood endure God burnes his Gold to make his Gold more pure Euen as a Nurse whose childs imperfect pace Can hardly leade his foot from place to place Leaues her fond kissing sets him downe to goe Nor does vphold him for a step or two But when she sindes that he begins to fall She holds him vp and kisses him withall So God from man sometimes withdrawes his Hand A while to teach his Infant-faith to stand But when he sees his feeble strength begin To faile He gently takes him vp againe Lord I 'm a child so guide my paces than That I may learne to walke an vpright man So shield my Faith that I may neuer doubt thee For I shall fall if ere I walke without thee THE ARGVMENT The frighted Messengers tell Iob His foure-fold losse He rends his Robe Submits him to his Makers trust Whom he concludeth to be lust Sect. 3. VPon that very day when all the rest Were frollike at their elder Brothers feast A breathless maÌ„ prickt on with winged feare With staring eyes distracted here and there Like kindled Exhalations in the aire At midnight glowing his stiffe-bolting haire Not much vnlike the pennes of Porcupines Crossing his armes and making wofull signes Purboyld in sweat shaking his fearefull head That often lookt behind him as hee fled He ran to Iob still ne'rethelesse afraid His broken blast breath'd forth these words and said Alas deare Lord the whiles thy seruants plide Thy painfull Plough and whilest on euery side Thy Asses fed about vs as we wrought There sallied forth on vs suspecting nought Nor ought intending but our chearfull paine A rout of rude Sabaeans with their Traine Armed with Death and deafe to all our Cries Which with strong Hand did in an houre surprize All that thou hadst and whilest we stroue in vaine To gard them their impartiall hands haue slaine Thy faithfull seruants with their thirsty Sword I onely scap't to bring this wofull word No sooner had he clos'd his lips but see Another comes as much agast as he A flash of Fire said he new falne from Heauen Hath all thy Seruants of their liues bereauen And burnt thy Sheepe I I alone am He That 's left vnslaine to bring the Newes to thee This Tale not fully told a third ensues Whose lips in labour with more heauie Newes Brake thus The forces of a triple Band Brought from the fierce Caldaeans with strong hand Hath seyz'd thy Camels murther'd with the Sword Thy seruants all but Mee that brings thee word Before the ayre had cool'd his hasty Breath Rusht in a fourth with visage pale as death The while said he thy children all were sharing Mirth at a Feast of thy first sonnes preparing Arose a Wind whose errand had more hast Then happy speed which with a full-mouth Blast Hath smote the house which hath thy children reft Of all their liues and thou art childlesse left Thy children all are slaine all slaine together I onely scap't to bring the Tidings hither So said Behold the man whose wealth did flow Like to a spring-tide one bare houre agoe With the vnpattern'd height of Fortunes blest Aboue the greatest Dweller in the East He that was Syre of many Sonnes but now Lord of much People and while-ere could show Such Heards of Cattell He whose fleecy stocke Of Sheepe could boast seuen thousand in a flocke See
Hath left them grounded in too large a pause Whereat Elihu a young Stander-by Whose modest eares vpon their long reply Did waite his angry silence did awake And crauing pardon for his Youth bespake Young Standers-by doe oftentimes see more Then elder Gamesters Y' are too blame all foure T'ones cause is Bad but with good proofes befriēded The others Iust and Good but ill defended Though reason makes the man Heauen makes him wise Wisdome in greatest Clerks not alway lyes Then let your silence giue me leaue to spend My Iudgement whil'st your heedfull Eares attend I haue not heard alone but still expected To heare what more your spleenes might haue obiected Against your wofull Friend but I haue found Your reasons built vpon a sandy ground Flourish no Flags of Conquest Vnderstand That hee 's afflicted by th' Almighties hand He hath not fayld to crosse your accusations Yet I though not with your foule exprobations Will crosse him too I 'me full and I must speake Or like vnuented vessels I must breake And with my tongue my heart will be relieu'd That swells with what my patience hath conceiu'd Be none offended for my lips shall tread That ground without respect as Truth shall leade God hates a flattring language then how can I Vnliable to danger flatter any Now Iob to thee I speake O let my Errant Be welcome to thine eares fortruth's my warrant They are no slender Trifles that I treate But things digested with the sacred heate Of an inspired knowledge 'T is no rash Discharge of wrath nor wits conceited flash I 'le speake and heare thee speake as free for I Will take no vantage of thy Miserie Thy tongue did challenge to maintaine thy case With God if he would vayle his glorious Face Be I the man though clad with clay and dust And mortall like thy selfe that takes the trust To represent his Person Thou dost terme Thy selfe most Iust and boldly dost affirme That Heauen afflicts thy soule without a reason Ah Iob these very words alone are Treason Against th'Almighti's will Thou oughtest rather Submit thy passion to him as thy Father Then pleade with him as with thy Peere Is he Bound to reueale his secret VVill to thee God speaketh oft to man not vnderstood Sometimes in Dreames at other times thinks good To thunder Iudgement in his drowzy eare Sometimes with hard afflictions scourge doth teare His wounded soule which may at length giue ease Like sharper Physicke to his foule Disease But if like pleasing Iulips he afford The meeke Expounders of his sacred VVord VVith sweete perswasions to recure his griefe How can his sorrowes wish more faire Reliefe Ah then his body shall waxe young and bright Heauens-face that scortcht before shall now delight His tongue with Triumph shall confesse to men I was a Leper but am cleare agen Thus thus that Spring of Mercy oftentimes Doth speake to man that man may speake his crimes Consider Iob My words with Iudgement weigh VVhich done if thou hast ought then boldly say If otherwise shame not to hold thy peace And let thy VVisdome with my words encrease And you you VVisemen that are silent here Vouchsafe to lend my lips your rip'ned care Let 's call a parlie and the cause decide For Iob pleades guiltlesse and would faine be tride Yet hath his boldnesse term'd himselfe Vpright And taxt th'Almightie for not doing right His Innocence with Heauen doth he pleade And that vniustly he was punished O Puritie by Impudence suborn'd He scorn'd his Maker and is iustly scorn'd Farre be it from the heart of man that He VVho is all Iustice yet vniust should be Each one shall reape the Haruest he hath sowne His meede shall measure what his hands haue done VVho is 't can claime the Worlds great Soueraignty VVho rays'd the Rafters of the Heauens but He If God should breathe on man or take away The breath he gaue him what were man but Clay O let thy heart th'vnbridled tongue conuince Say Dare thy lips defame an earthly Prince How darst thou then maligne the King of Kings To whom great Princes are but poorest things He kicks down kingdoms spurns th' Emperial crown And with his blast puffes mighty Monarchs downe 'T is vaine to striue with Him and if He strike Our part 's to beare not fondly to mislike Misconstruing the nature of his drift But husband his Corrections to our thrift If he afflict our best is to implore His Blessing with his Rod and sinne no more What if our torments passe the bounds of measure It vnbesits our wills to stint his pleasure Iudge then and let th' impartiall world aduise How farre poore Iob thy Iudgement is from wise Nor are these speeches kindled with the fire Of a distempred spleene but with desire T' inrich thy wisdome lest thy furie tie Presumption to thy rash infirmitie Meditatio sextadecima FOr mortals to be borne waxe old and die Lyes not in Will but bare Necessitie Common to beasts which in the selfe-degree Hold by the selfe-same Patent euen as wee But to be Wise is a diuiner action Of the discursiue Soule a pure abstraction Of all her powers vnited in the will Ayming at Good reiecting what is Ill It is an Influence of inspired Breath Vnpurchased by birth vnlost by death Entayl'd to no man no nor free to all Yet gently answers to the eager call Of those that with inflam'd affections seeke Respecting tender Youth and Age alike In depth of dayes her spirit not alway lyes Yeeres make man Old but Heauen returnes him Wise Youths Innocence nor riper Ages strength Can challenge her as due Desired length Of dayes produced to decrepit yeeres Fild with experience and grizly haires Can claime no right Th' Almighty ne'r engages His gifts to times nor is He bound to Ages His quickning Spirit to sucklings oft reueales What to their doting Grandsires he conceales The vertue of his breath can vnbenumme The frozen lips and strike the speaker dumme Who put that mouing power into his tongue Whose lips did right the chaste Susanna's wrong Vpon her wanton false Accusers death What secret fire inflam'd that fainting breath That blasted Pharo Or those ruder tongues That school'd the faithlesse Prophet for the wrongs He did to sacred Iustice Matters not How slight the meanes be in it selfe or what In our esteemes so wisedome be the message Embassadours are worthyed in th' Embassage God sowes his Haruest to his best encrease And glorifies himselfe how-e're he please Lord if thou wilt for what is hard to thee I may a Factor for thy glory be Then grant that like a faithfull seruant I May render back thy stock with Vsury THE ARGVMENT God reapes no gaine by mans best deeds Man's misery from himselfe proceeds Gods Mercy and Iustice are vnbounded In workes of Nature man is grounded Sect. 17. ELihu thus his pausing lips againe Disclos'd said Rash Iob dost thou maintain A rightfull Cause which in
how he lyes of all his Wealth dispoyl'd He now hath neither Seruant Sheepe nor Child Like a poore man arose the Patient Iob Stun'd with the newes and rent his Purple Robe Shaued the haire from off his wofull head And prostrate on the floore he worshipped Naked ah Poore and naked did I come Forth from the clozet of my mothers Wombe And shall returne alas the very same To th' earth as Poore and naked as I came God giues and takes and why should He not haue A priuiledge to take those things he gaue We men mistake our Tenure oft for Hee Lends vs at Will what we miscall as Free He reassumes his owne takes but the same He lent a while Thrice blessed be his Name In all this passage Iob in Heart nor Tongue Thought God vniust or charg'd his hand with wrong Meditatio tertia THe proudest pitch of that victorious spirit Was but to win the World whereby t' inherit The ayrie purchase of a transitory And glozing Title of an ages Glory Would'st thou by Conquest win more Fame then Hee Subdue thy selfe Thy self 's a World to thee Earth's but a Ball that Heauen hath quilted o're With Wealth and Honour banded on the floore Of sickle Fortunes false and slippery Court Sent for a Toy to make vs Children sport Mans satiate spirits with fresh delights supplying To still the Fondlings of the world from crying And he whose merit mounts to such a Ioy Gaines but the Honour of a mighty Toy But would'st thou conquer haue thy Conquest crown'd By hands of Seraphims tryumph'd with the sound Of Heauens lowd Trumpet warbled by the shrill Celestiall Quire recorded with a Quill Pluck't from the Pinion of an Angels wing Confirm'd with Ioy by heauens Eternall King Conquer thy selfe thy rebbel thoughts repell And chase those false Affections that rebell Hath Heauen dispoyl'd what his full hand hath giuen thee Nipt thy succeeding Blossoms or bereauen thee Of thy deare latest hope thy bosome Friend Doth sad Despaire deny these griefes an end Despair's a whispring Rebbell that within thee Bribes all thy Field and sets thy selfe agin thee Make keene thy Faith and with thy force let flee If thou not conquer him hee 'l conquer thee Aduance thy Shield of Patience to thy head And when Griefe strikes 't will strike the striker dead The Patient man in sorrow spies reliefe And by the taile he couples Ioy with Griefe In aduerse fortunes be thou strong and stout And brauely win thy selfe Heauen holds not out His Bow for euer bent The disposition Of noblest spirits doth by opposition Exosperate the more A gloomie night Whets on the morning to returne more bright A Blade well try'd deserlies a trebble price And Vertu 's purest most oppo'd by Vice Braue minds opprest should in despight of Fate Looke greatest like the Sunne in lowest state But ah shall God thus striue with flesh and blood Receiues he Glory from or reapes he Good In mortals Ruine that he leaues man so To be o'rewhelm'd by his vnequall Foe May not a Potter that from out the Ground Hath fram'd a vessell search if it be sound Or if by furbushing he take more paine To make it fairer shall the Pot complaine Mortall thou art but Clay then shall not Hee That fram'd thee for his seruice season thee Man cloze thy lips Be thou no vndertaker Of Gods designes Dispute not with thy Maker Lord 't is against thy nature to doe ill Then giue me pow'r to beare and worke thy Will Thou know'st what 's best make thou thine owne Conclusion Be glorifi'd although in my Confusion THE ARGVMENT Satan the second time appeares Before th' Eternall boldly dares Maligne Iobs tryed Faith afresh And gaines th' afflicting of his Flesh Sect. 4. ONce more whē heauens harmonious Quiristers Appear'd before his Throne whose Ministers They are of his concealed will to render Their strict account of Iustice and to tender Th' accepted Sacrifice of highest praise Warbled in Sonnets and celestiall Layes Satan came too bold as a hungry Fox Or rauinous Wolfe amid the tender Flockes Satan said then th' Eternall from whence now Hath thy imploymēts driuē thee whēce com'st thou Satan replies Great God of heauen and earth I come from tempting and from making mirth To heare thy dearest children whine and roare In briefe I come from whence I came before Said then th' Eternall Hast thou not beheld My seruants Faith how like a seuen-fold shield It hath defended his Integrity Against thy fiery Darts Hath not thine Eye Thine enuious eye perceiu'd how purely iust He stands and perfect worthy of the trust I lent into his hand persisting still Iust fearing God eschewing what is ill 'T was not the losse of his so faire a Flocke Nor sudden rape of such a mighty Stocke 'T was neither losse of Seruants nor his Sonnes Vntimely slaughter acted all at once Could make him quaile or warpe so true a Faith Or staine so pure a Loue say Satan hath Thy hand so deepely counterfeiting mine Made him mistrust his God or once repine Can there in all the earth say can there be A Man so Perfect and so Iust as Hee Replies the Tempter Lord an outward losse Hopes for repaire t is but a common crosse I know thy seruant 's wise a wise forecast Gricues for things present not for things are past Perchance the tumor of his sullen heart Brookes losse of all since he hath lost a part My selfe haue Seruants who can make true Boast They gaue away as much as he hath lost Others with learning made so wisely mad Refuse such Fortunes as he neuer had A Faith 's not try'd by this vncertaine Tuch Others that neuer knew thee did as much Lend me thy Power then that I might once But sacrifice his Flesh afflict his Bones And pierce his Hide but for a moments space Thy Darling then would curse thee to thy Face To which th' Eternall thus His body 's thine To plague thy fill withall I doe confine Thy power to her lists Afflict and teare His Flesh at pleasure But his life forbeare Meditatio Quarta BOth Goods and Body too Lord who can stand Expect not Iobs vprightnesse at my hand Without Iobs aid The temper of my Passion Vntam'd by thee can brooke no Iobs Temptation For I am Weake and Fraile and what I can Most boast of prooues me but a sinfull Man Things that I should auoyd I doe and what I am inioyn'd to doe that doe I not My Flesh is weake too strong in this alone It rules my Spirit that should be rul'd by none But thee my spirits faint and hath been neuer Free from the fits of sins Quotidian Feuer My powr's are all corrupt corrupt my Will Marble to Good and Wax to what is Ill Eclipsed is my Reason and my Wit By interposing Earth 'twixt Heauen and it My Mem'ry's like a Searce of Lawne alas It Keepes things grosse and lets the purer