Paraphrase on the Book of Job

CHAP. I.

1 T Here was a man whose Story the Lord would have recorded for example, and believed for a truth; and therefore for further confirmation, know, that for the Country where he lived, it was the land of Uz, lying upon the borders of the Chaldeans, Sabaeans and Canaanites; and for his name, it was Job, who was of the Posterity of Abraham by Keturah. This man was faithful, believing in the promised Messiah, and sincere in heart, devoting himself to serve & please the Lord always, in all things, and he walked accordingly in his life and conversation, for fearing to offend him, he was therefore diligent, with care and circumspection to avoid all sin, and the occasions thereof in the time & place when and where he lived.

2. Upon which holy Man, God bestowed a liberal portion of temporal blessings; and the better to illustrate the exemplarinesse of his virtue and patience, (when by the hand of God he was quite stripped naked of them all) know more particularly what they were. And first, he was the father of many godly children, in number seven sons and three daughters.

3. Secondly, he abounded in wealth, having no less than seven thousand Sheep, three thousand Camells, five hundred yoke of Oxen, five hundred she-Asses, and answerably enriched with servants, and all other accommodations; So that indeed there was none in all those Eastern parts where he lived that went beyond him, or that was equal to him in temporal felicity.

4. And further, to add to his happiness, and to sweeten these blessings to him the more, he saw the happy fruit of his virtuous care in educating his children by their mutual love, so unanimously expressed in their orderly intercourse of friendly feasting and welcoming each one all the rest of his brethren at his own house, being also ever mindful to invite their three sisters, that so their number and amity might be complete.

5. And though this thing pleased Job, yet such was his religious care, that when their turns of feasting were expired, he summoned them all jointly, and made them solemnly to examine and prepare themselves, and then rising up early in the morning, he being Father, and chief of the family, offered for everyone of his children a burnt offering for (fearing God, and knowing the corruption of nature, and the temptation of such occasions) he thought with himself; It may be, that my children in these their feastings, have fallen into some sins incident to such actions, and through overmuch sensual liberty, may, perhaps, have forgotten their duty, and overseen themselves towards God, not bearing him that awfulness, nor rendering him the thankfulness due unto him. And this was Jobs constant custom, which he never failed to perform so oft as their course of feasting gave him occasion.

6. Now, to come to the Story it self, I must lead you into it by a borrowed allusion from the Kings and Princes of this world, for the help of our human understandings. There was a time when God summoned his ministering Spirits, the holy Angels to appear before him, who with a filial readiness presenting themselves to give their account, and to receive his commands for the service of his Church, Satan by the will of God came also among them to render his account, and to receive his charge, as also of his own will to espy advantages.

7. And yet further, to speak after the manner of men, for the better instructing us according to our capacities; God seeing Satan there among them, enters into speech with him, thereby to administer an occasion to manifest Jobs uprightness, and to bring to pass his purpose concerning him. And in the first place he asks him whence he came, and from what doing, to give us to understand the Devils solicitousnesse from his own reply; who answered, I come from off the earth, from my continual employment of soliciting my cause and kingdom up and down everywhere among men by watching and taking the fittest opportunities to tempt and entrap them.

8. Why then, says God, sure thou canst not choose but have taken special notice of Job the Uzzite, to be my servant in an extraordinary manner, so as there is not the like to him upon the whole earth for a faithful and upright-hearted man, that truly reverenceth and fears me, and is careful to do nothing that shall offend me.

9. 'It is true, says Satan, I know him well, and that he makes a fair show of honoring and serving thee, and no wonder, seeing he hath thriven so well by thee; but thou art mistaken in his uprightness: for it is not with a filial but a mercenary fear that he regards thee, the better to compass his own ends.

10. For thou knowest, and so doth he too, full well, how thou hast hitherto encompassed him and all that is his, with thy protection, so that neither I, nor any could do him any hurt whereby to try him, and thus thou continuest to do still, neither is he ignorant how it is thou that prosperest him, and makest him thrive in everything he doth, and hast so wonderously enriched him above all that are near him, and therefore no marvel if for such extraordinary favors he (in this time of his prosperity and and plenty) seem to do thee extraordinary service, and to bear thee great good will.

11. But as hitherto thou hast employed thy power to preserve him and to bless him with such abundance, so now, do but show it in taking away that which thou hast given him, and then he will quickly appear another manner of man than thou takest him to be; for, instead of honoring and reverencing thee in fear, thou shalt find, that he'll cast off all respect, and not stick to blaspheme thee to thy face.

12 Well (says God) that thou mayest see that I am the searcher of hearts, and have said nothing of my servant Job, but what I know to be true, take thy course, try him as thou hast desired, thou hast free leave to do whatsoever thou wilt with all that is his, only I will restrain thee from harming his own person. Whereupon Satan hasted to put in execution what God permitted him with the first opportunity.

13. And therefore watched his time when as Job's children, according to their foresaid custom of love-feasts, were met together in their eldest brothers house, upon which opportunity he purposed to plant his main battery for the gaining of his conquest, and therefore reserved it until the last, making way thereto, by a methodical discharge of lesser ordinance.

14. The first whereof is a messenger in all haste, bringing Job the sad news of the loss of all his five hundred yoke of Oxen at once, with the hopes of all the next years profits of their labors, and also of all his Asses.

15. By a violent surprisal of the Sabaeans, who came and carried them quite away; and to make the matter worse to pitiful-hearted Job, he tells him they had also slain all his servants that were at work with them, save himself, and his escape was ordained, doubtless, only to the end he might bring him those heavy tidings of discomfort.

16. Secondly, to set home the sorrow of this message upon Job's heart, so soon as ever he had heard it, before he could bethink himself, another in like hast bespeaks him with worse news, and said, There fell fire from heaven, no doubt, by the immediate hand of God, and hath most strangely and suddenly burnd up and utterly consumed all thy seven thousand sheep at once, and hath devoured also thy very servants that tended them: Only I am escaped to the end, it seems, that I should bring thee this evil news.

17. Lest he should have anything left to sustain him in hope, and to ease his grief; Satan dispatcheth a third messenger, contriving him to arrive in the very nick of opportunity for the enforcing of Job's misery, and provoking him thereby to impatiency against God, by telling him all in haste; by that time he had well heard out the other. How that the Chaldeans came with no less than three bands of men, and fell furiously upon the Camells, and the men that kept them; so that they have driven away the Camells, and killed all the servants to boot, saving myself, who, it seems, had my life given me by a special providence, to bring thee the news.

18. And just as he had finished his tale, comes there yet another messenger, by whom Satan was confident, (having thus contrived and managed his foregoing temptations) to work his will upon Job. And he tells him, That his sons and his daughters fearing nothing, were feasting & making merry, in their eldest brothers house.

19. And unexpectedly, npon a sudden, there blew a mighty wind fromward the wilderness, and in a moment overthrew all the house upon the young men thy sons, and they are everyone slain, only I have escaped, I know not how, but it seems miraculously, to bring thee these woeful tidings.

20. Whereat Job, who had abid and sat out all the rest, now arose, and in the grief, but not impatiency of his heart, he rent his garment, and in token of sorrow, after the custom of those countries he shaved his head, and after that he prostrated himself upon the ground in reverence to the Majesty of God, and instead of repining, humbly worshipped the Lord,

21. Saying, I brought none of all these I have lost, into the world with me, but came as naked into it, as other men, and so whensoever my time had come must have gone out of it: It is only the Lord, that of his free goodness and bounty, hath both given and hitherto sustained all these to me, and so it is the same Lord, that according to his good pleasure, hath taken them from me, for they were his; so far be it from me therefore to repine thereat as that I adore and magnify his name therefore, acknowleding him to be both just and good in all his ways.

22. Now therefore, in all that passed hitherto, in despite of Satan, Job sinned not, nor for all these sufferings and temptations could Satan prevail with him so far to forget himself toward God, as to utter a misbelieving word against him.

CHAP. II.

1. Again, in like manner, as aforesaid, there was another time, wen as God summoned his ministering Spirits the Angels before him, who, (as at the first time) presented themselves to the Lord, and so did Satan also.

2. Of whom the Lord asked the same question; Whence he came, &c. thereby to give a further occasion, more fully to convince Satan of Job's integrity, and to perfect his own purpose concerning him. To whom Satan returned the same answer; That he came from going to and fro upon the earth, to find advantages to tempt men.

3. Why then says the Lord, thou canst not but have taken special notice of my servant Job, what manner of man he is, who besides all that I told thee of him touching his faith and honesty, which in despite of thee he hath made good to the utmost, thou seest still to continue in his uprightheartednesse and humble obedience towards me, although thou prevailed with me, thus seemingly to declare myself against him (and that in such a manner, as none but such an one as I have told thee he is, could possibly have borne it as he hath done) by laying such heavy afflictions upon him, and that without any provocation, or cause on his part procuring it.

4. 'It is true, says Satan, I cannot deny it but he hath held out well, and I have got no ground of him hitherto, but yet for all that, the reason is not as thou sayest, from his uprightness, but from the nature of his sufferings, and his own self-respect; for hitherto thou hast only tried him with foreign afflictions, and hast made him to suffer only in the sufferings of others, but hast not touched him at all in his own person, and thou knowest it is natural to every man nothing so much to lay to heart, or be moved with relative, as with personal afflictions, as is seen by common experience; for who will not, if he may be his own chooser, rather suffer in any other, though never so near unto him than in himself, and think it a good bargain to lose all he has to save his life?

5 And that thou mayest see that this is true, let me prevail with thee once more, to try him a little further with this kind of trial which I have spoken of, lay but thine afflicting hand upon his own person, by some bodily pressure, and then tell me whether he retain his uprightness, nay, then see if my words prove not true, that he will cast off all respect of thee, and blaspheme thee to thy face.

6. Well says God, seeing thou art not yet convinced, go on, I grant thee thy desire, do thy worst to his person also: but as before I restrained thee from harming his body, so do I now forbid thee to take away his life.

7. Satan glad he had sped so well, quickly left cōmuning with God, and went streightway while the anguish of Job's other afflictions were fresh upon him, to put his commission in execution, for the trying of him by bodily pressures, which he fulfilled to the uttermost, by over-running him in every part from head to foot with a painful disease, strangely breaking out all over his body in grievous and noisome boils.

8. In so much that everyone lothed him, nor would any endure to lend him their helping hand, wherefore being destitute of all other means, he himself was forced, (being driven to that poverty, and enduring that misery) to take for want of better, a piece of a broken pot, from off the dunghill, and there (as unfit for any other place) to sit down, and scrape the abundant filth from off his body.

9. Satan seeing all these temptations would not make Job blaspheme, puts him at last directly upon the very point it self, by the desperate counsel and provoking suggestion of his bosom-friend, his wife, who instead of administering conjugal help to him, by the Devils instigation, she takes the opportunity of this his deep dejection to spur him on to a further evil, under the plausible pretence of remedy, by tempting him no longer to fear and adhere to such a God in dependence and reverence, nor any longer to bear his afflicting hand with patience, that had thus unmercifully and without cause tormented him, but being that he sped no better by his integrity, rather to spite God, as God had spited him, by easting off his fruitless faith and patience, and turning it into blasphemy; for so should he get more from God by provoking him therewith to destroy him out and out, than he had done by blessing him, which all this while had gained him no good, but procured God to sustain him alive under insupportable miseries, and so was like to do still.

10. But herein also Satan came short of his hopes, as we see by Jobs smart reproof, together with his faithful and humble answer: For, says he to his wife, How darest thou utter these words, that hast been brought up in the knowledge of God; it were a speech fitter to have come out of the mouth of one of those ignorant heathenish women that have no knowledge of the true God, than from thee, who hast been otherways instructed, and oughtest to know, that all the good that we, or any enjoy, is of his free gift, without our procuring, or deserving; and how comes it to pass then, that thou art so far devoid of godliness and reason, as not to know it is but equity in God, when his good pleasure is, to take that from us, which of his only good pleasure he freely gave unto us; In all which trial of Job, though in spirit he was sore troubled, yet could not Satan get one misbeseeming word from him against God.

11 Now when Eliphas the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, which were all godly men, and the three special friends of Job, had heard of all Job's miseries, they came all of them together, by joint appointment from the places where they lived, with intent to testify themselves his true and faithful friends in a voluntary sympathising his afflictions, and so to mitigate his sorrows by their friendly condolings, and to support his spirit by their godly advise.

12. But as they drew towards the end of their journey, they cast their eyes toward Job's house, and of a sudden seeing him in his own person in that manner and estate to sit upon the dunghill, and his distress to go so far beyond report and their own imaginations of him, they through amazement could not believe their own eyes for a while that it was he, whom before they had never seen but in a splendidous fashion, but by beholding him, being at length assured that pitiful spectacle wa their very friend Job, they could not but through amazement and affectionate sympathy, break out into a transported manifestation of their abundant sorrow both in words and tears, and deforming themselves with rending their mouths, and sprinkling dust upon their heads in token of their humbling themselves before God at the sight of his judgments.

13. Thus all of them having at the first sight of him their hearts stricken with the awful fear of God, as also in pity of him whom they beheld in such misery, when they came to him, sat them down by him in that very place, upon the ground, eying and considering him with such astonishment, as that they spent the most part of seven days and seven nights in that very place with him, without giving almost any regard to their ordinary rest and sustenance. And all that while they kept silence, because they thought him uncapable of discourse, by reason of his extreme pain and grief.

CHAP. III.

1. AFter this long time spent in silence wherein Job had hoped to have heard a word of comfort from his companions, but perceiving none, and therefore seeing everything helping on his misery and empty of relief, he himself at last, to give his heart some ease, gave liberty to his lips to vent his grief, but still retaining the fear of God, he brake not out in an enraged manner, immediately against the Lord himself, as Satan hoped, but discharged his passions upon his own original, and through the weakness of the flesh to stand it out any longer, his infirmities so far prevailed, as that he fell foul upon the day of his birth and cursed it.

2. In this manner:

3. O that I might have my will upon my birth-day, and the night belonging to it, which gave original to all these miseries, that they might henceforth be utterly rejected of God and unserviceable to man, so that not a minute thereof may ever be useful or comfortable anymore.

4. O that it may be branded with unpleasing darkness, and may never be favored of God with vouchsafing the dew of heaven and such like blessings on it as on other days, yea, let the Sun break off his course, and make a stand at that day, not daining to afford it the honor of his light.

5. But instead thereof let its beauty be turned into a black darkness, even such an one as may resemble the very grave it self, and let there be no intermission, but let a thick and gloomy cloud uncomfortably over-shadow it from end to end; let it be so eclipsed with darkness, as may represent such a dismal blackness that may not only beget discomfort, but the very terror of a final and immediate dissolution of all things.

6. As for the night belonging to this day, which nature it self hath appointed to be dark, let darkness her self henceforth, make it her habitation; yea, let nature quite disclaim it and utterly abandon it for having any place in the computation of time, either by Sun or Moon.

7. Yet further, let that night bring forth nothing but mourning and disconsolation, let there be no pleasing stillness therein as in other nights to invite the melody of music.

8. Let those mourning women, which for hire are wont at funerals with doleful execrations, to lament the day of their benefactors death, always remember this for one, yea, with their joint forces and bitterest exclamations let them curse it.

9. Let it not be blessed with the common blessings of other nights, let it neither (according to the course of nature) partake of the light of the stars in the beginning, but instead thereof be overtaken with an unwonted and unexpected darkness, neither let it be so happy, as to give occasion (which else of course it should do) to the next days dawning.

10. These curses I lay upon that day and night wherein first I came into the world, and not without cause, for that was the time which made me capable of all these calamities, and gave beginning to this my miserable being, which it might have prevented by hindering me to have been borne.

11. O therefore that I had been borne dead, or else that I had received my ending together with my beginning, and had left the world by death, so soon as I came into it with life.

12. Or that the Midwife had not been so careful of me, but had exposed me to my fatal helplesnesse in the moment of my birth, or that my Nurse had after let me famish.

13. Then should I not now need to have complained thus, but instead thereof have lien unmolested in the grave, and been quiet from these troubles; I should then have slept without sense of any these pains, and been at rest from them.

14. And (instead of this miserable state) then had I been equal in condition with the most renowned of the world for power and policy, who ambitiously people and edify the waste and uninhabited countries of the world, for the enlargement of their dominions, and spreading of their fame.

15. Or be they otherways famous for riches, though they abounded in never so great wealth, yet then had neither these nor those gone beyond me.

16. Or (which is all one to me, so I had never known these calamities) I should have been as those that never were known to be, nor never knew themselves to have a being.

17. Then had I been in an estate capable of no earthly molestation; for there the wicked neither by power nor policy can do any harm, and those that either by their travels or troubles are weary of this life, do there enjoy a perpetual freedom and rest from both.

18. There the poor slaves enjoy their freedom, and are from under the command of their merciless taskmasters.

19. There cannot be but freedom, because there is an equal parity. The great is as the small, and the servant is as his Master, no better and worse.

20. Seeing then that death affords remedy for all miseries, why is it denied to me, and why instead thereof do mine eyes still enjoy the light of the Sun, or why is my life any longer continued, seeing, that though these are desirable and commodious to others, yet because of my misery, I account not of them but as burthensome evils?

21. I take no felicity in them, but do infinitely prefer death before them; It is strange then I cannot have my desire to exchange light for darkness, and life for death, which how ever▪ it be a thing odious to other men, yet do I desire and prize it above all the riches that the bowels of the whole earth can afford.

22. Wherefore then is it denied me that am so far from fearing or refusing it, that I should exceedingly rejoice, and be glad at my very heart (and no doubt, so would all men in my case) if my hour were now to die?

23. Why doth God continue to bestow light and life on me, whom he regards not, and whom he hath made unavoidably miserable?

24. For alas, my extremity is such, that I cannot enjoy one moment of ease, in so much as that my spirits are so exhausted with continual grief, that I can relish no meat, nor have any strength to digest it: And as is my grief, such are my complaints, vehement and incessant, which things must needs end me.

25. And blame me not for thus complaining: For though I have ever greatly feared to provoke the Lord's displeasure, and have therefore carefully eschewed all manner of evil that might procure it, yet for all that you see in hath befallen me.

26. Yea, though all my life long when I was at my best, I reposed no great confidence, nor put no extraordinary content in my prosperity, so as to cause me any whit to abate my fear of God, yet I speed never the better for this my moderation of mind and care to please him, but see notwithstanding what misery comes upon me.

CHAP. IV.

1. IObs three friends that came to comfort him, having all this while diligently attended to his passionate discourse; Eliphaz the Temanite, having his spirit stirred therewith, at length attempts to address himself to Job, seeing that he himself had broken the silence, and had administered such an unexpected occasion of reproof: And said,

2. We have purposely forborne all this while, therefore, now at last, let it not grieve thee to hear us speak. But how ever thou takest it at our hands, there are none of us that hears thee, that either can or may with a good conscience forbear to reply to this thy sinful unbeseeming discourse.

3. Therefore consider with thyself how unworthy of thee is this thy passionate exclamation (now that it pleaseth God to lay his afflicting hand upon thee) and how devoid of all religious integrity: For that always heretofore thou hast been a forward instructer of others how to bear afflictions, and by thy counsel thou hast strengthened them to a patient enduring their distresses.

4. In so much that by thy comfortable speeches, very many feeble ones have been encouraged and upheld from fainting, and with faith and patience have been enabled to go through-stitch with their calamities.

5. But now that the same lot is fallen to thee, and that thou shouldst make good thy words with thy actions, thou now contrary to all men's expectations, and to the scandal of thy profession, instead of honoring religion by manifesting thy faith and patience under the hand of God, most shamefully degenerates into a faithless pusillanimity, and unbeseeming impatiency, contradicting by thine own practice (in expressing such extreme trouble at the first touch of these calamities) all that ever thou hast heretofore advised to others.

6. But see now I pray thee by this, that which (it appears) hath hitherto been hid from thine eyes, I mean, the deceit of thine own heart touching those graces which till now thou thoughtest to have been sincerely in thee, and eftsoons made thy brags of, Thou mayest now plainly see by this alteration which affliction hath wrought in thee, what was thy fear, thy faith, thy uprightness and thy hope heretofore in the time of thy prosperity; for had thy graces been any other than counterfeit pretences, and thy ways been any other than sinister practices, not aiming 〈◊〉 and directly at God, but indirectly at thyself and thine own advantage they would never have suffered thee thus to have forgot thyself, and broken out into their contrary vices against God, neither certainly 〈◊〉 God have laid this great punishment upon thee.

7. For, where ever canst thou call to mind so much as any one that being truly such as thou salsely mistakest thyself to be, was ever plagued with the destroying hand of God as thou art; or in the whole world, where canst thou reckon one that ever thou knewst sincerely righteous, that ever God shown such formidable wrath upon?

8. But on the contrary, I have continually observed in sundry examples, how that it hath ever been God's way of proceeding, only to bring evil sufferings upon such as either do or purpose evil, which we have reason the rather to believe to be true, because this is so agreeable to justice, for men to reap as they sow, that is, for God to bring the evil they purposed to others, upon their own heads, which otherways it were not.

9. And such men indeed, I have commonly seen (with the manifestation of a most evident wrath from God) to be like thee, all of a sudden strangely ruined, and quite brought to naught in a moment.

10. For be men never so potent and able to do mischief, or be they never so well furnished with will and power thereunto; yet God, who sees men's hearts a far off, can, and does ordinarily, in the midst of their carreere, disable and intercept them, which no doubt, but God fore-saw in thee and thy children, though thou seest it not in thyself.

11. And therefore to show his exceeding great power, in preventing the great evil which he fore-saw, was towards, by the power which thou hadst got into thine hand to work it, and withal, to intimate a reason of his action, hath he thus wonderfully disappointed thee by an utter disablement both in thyself and thy posterity, bringing upon thee the same evil which doubtless, else thou wouldst have brought upon another.

12. And that thou mayest be the better persuaded, of the truth of that which I have said concerning thee; Know that for certain (after the manner of revealing heavenly messages to our human capacities, which understand them but in part) I lately had a revelation thence to this very purpose, which I have spoken of to thee, and that upon this very occasion of thy affliction.

13. For when that I had heard what had befallen thee, and the manner of it; One night seriously thinking of thee, and pondering thy case, as I lay awake in the dead time of the night, when other men were asleep, and disputing within myself, how the innocence of thy life, and these punishments could in justice stand together;

14. Of a sudden an extreme fear seized upon me, in so much that it made me exceedingly to tremble, and my very bones to lose their strength, and to shake as if they had been all over me out of joint, and while I marvelled what should be the reason of it, I straight way perceived it was to prepare my mind with reverence, and better discerning to entertain the vision that immediately ensued.

15. For presently there appeared a spirit before me, the sight whereof made my very hair to stand an end.

16. And though it stood still before my face, yet could I not distinctly comprehend in my mind the form thereof, only this I can say for certain, that I saw an image before mine eyes; And whilst I was in this amazement, silently waiting the issue, at last it spake to me, and said these very words concerning thee, of whom I was even then thinking.

17. Why dost thou thus wonder at God's proceedings towards Job, and secretly in thine heart question his Justice, because of Jobs innocent life? canst thou with any reason or equity conceive mortal man to be righteous; and the eternal God to be unrighteous, or the creature to be pure and innocent, and yet his Creator to be culpable and blame worthy in what he shall do?

18. Alas, how art thou deceived, as thou mayest easily see, if thou doest but consider, that those glorious Angels, which are now his special domestic sevants in heaven, stand not in that estate by their own power and worth, but by the mere support and firm decree of God, which in grace he passed upon them, knowing that else they would have fallen as well as other their fellows did, who though they were Angels, and so the best of all his creatures far surpassing man, yet he found fault enough in them to condemn them everlastingly.

19. If this be so of the Angels which are in their natures such excellent spiritual and immortal creatures, so far exceeding man, and which were so near to God in heavenly mansions; How much more then is man, what ever he think of himself, sinful before God, and unfit to be justified against God, being nothing else but infirmity and sin, and justly liable to confusion, who comes so far short of Angelical perfection: For his soul whereby he comes the nearest them, that dwells far 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 sin is so subjected to mortality, as that through inward diseases and outward casualties he is become as frail and transitory as the weakest creature living.

20. His whole life is nothing but a lingering death, the one shortening, the other hastening every moment, and his departure hence, though it be everlasting, and never to return again, 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 turn to clay from whence they were taken; for then their soul quite leaves them wherein all their excellency consisted, and they die even as brute creatures without any power or skill to help 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 himself, 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 thyself all this while, and what ever thou hast thought of thyself, thou art but a wicked man, and hast not the knowledge of God in thee as appears plainly, now it comes to trial: For diddest thou know him aright, thou wouldst never have suffered thy pettish frowardness so to have transported thee against God to the aggravating thine own ruin, nor thine envious quarrellings (through thy conceited righteousness 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 midst 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 sin, or that perished being innocent: So on the contrary, I can assure thee, that I have observed divers who like thee have made a fair show, and withal have exceedingly prospered in all outward felicity, but I have withal quickly seen an end of it; for God hath made them manifest and with evident judgments most remarkeably accursed them and theirs.

4. For he has brought unavoidable ruin 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 pity or part-taking of any.

5. And just as he hath done to thee, so hath he raised up against them a rout of needy wretches, that have despoiled them of the very bread wherewith they should subsist, violently taking away the very uttermost ear of corn, and has brought it so to pass upon them; that thieves have even swept away all that ever they have had.

6. It is not the creature, nor natural causes here below, that of themselves bring forth these afflictions, which men suffer.

7. And yet there is no property more natural 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 sin.

8. Therefore were thy cause mine, I would not in the vain opinion of mine own innocence afflict myself by exclaiming on my birth-day, or complaining on the creature as the cause of my calamities; but I would humble myself, and confess my sins, and go directly to God, seeing him the author, and seeking to him for redress of these punishments, committing myself wholly and only to his mercy.

9. And the rather because thy sufferings are extraordinary, and thou canst not find the reason of them, be persuaded to think them to be of God, and therefore humble thyself, and seek unto him; And then think not thy case remediless, or that it is beyond the power of God to relieve thee: for who knows, but God may have brought thee into this estate of purpose, upon thy humiliation to glorify his power and goodness in thy restauration? For it is ordinary with God to do extraordinary things, and such as are beyond our imagination.

10. Have we not daily experience of it in this very kind, as when the earth wanteth rain, and the fields are scorched with drought, how does he in such a strait, and forlorn 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 mourn under the sense of God's just displeasure, with an assured hope of plenty.

12. Whereas also on the contrary, how do we see him defeat by his powerful wisdom, the subtle devices of those that in their own conceit are able to support themselves; so that what they enterprize, they fail to effect.

13. And every foot he intraps the wise of this world in their own gins, and the proud politicians he brings to ruin by their own counsels.

14. In the midst of all their hopes he frustrates their designs, and makes their wisdom fail them, sending them events cross to what they confidently promised themselves, leaving them utterly to seek of their expectation.

15 But he that humbleth himself, and seeks to the Lord, he as powerfully preserves him, as he defeates them, both from the bloody sword, malicious mouth, and destroying hand of the wicked, be they never so mighty.

16. So that then it is certain, that the humble man, and he that seeks to the Lord with repentance and selfeabasing, be his case never so desperate, may ask and wait in hope, but the proud presumptuous-spoken man disables himself for getting any good from God.

17. Behold then, how ever thou thinkest, and notwithstanding thy impatient outrage, yet for certain it is a happiness to a man (that takes this way) to be corrected of the Lord, therefore let not thy pride make thee swell against God, nor bear not thyself so high in thine own imaginary justification, but rather improve this goodness of the Lord to thee by making it a means to bring thee to repentance, and to humble thee before him in the acknowledgement of thy faults.

18. Who in so doing as he hath plagued thee for thy pride, so will he upon thy humiliation take away thy smart, and turn all thy woe into weal.

19. Be thy troubles multiplied to never so great a number, if thou humblest thyself under his hand, he shall deliver thee from them all, and thou shalt be sure of a happy issue, though for present they increase upon thee.

20. For take but this course, and then in the greatest mortality of famine, though thou wert at deaths door, yet shall he deliver thee, and in all devouring war where thousands presuming of their own strength and courage are slain, yet by an humble dependence upon God shalt thou be preserved.

21. Yea, it shall shield thee from every evil, even from the very reports of slanderous and back-biting tongues, to which all men are obnoxious: neither shalt thou fear at the reproach of the greatest destruction, when every man else shall tremble.

22. But instead thereof through tranquility of mind, and security in God, thou shalt set at naught the things which are most terrible to other men, to wit, the sword and famine, neither shalt thou fear the power of any creature under heaven to do thee harm.

23. For hereby thou art reconciled to God, and art at one with him, and if so, who dare be against thee, or what can hurt thee? Nay, the most senseless and unreasonable creatures, whose benefit and obedience sin hath lost our right to, and turned into rebellion, shall then be so far from working thee evil, as that they shall become God's instruments, and join together for thy use and service.

24. And moreover, hereby thou shalt find a wonderful change; for by taking this course, thou shalt assuredly have peace, and be wholly restored to thy former condition, thine own eyes shall see it; and further, thou shalt have this benefit which above all is most to be set by, thou shalt then cease to sin, and no more forget thyself towards God as before.

25. And withal, thou shalt live to see thy children which now God hath taken from thee, restored to thee in a far greater number.

26. And also in so doing thou shalt prevent the Lord, and not provoke him thus to cut thee off in anger; but for all this shalt live to be crowned with a hoary head, and shalt go down into thy grave in a complete age, like as a shock of corn is inned into the barn in its due ripeness.

27. Be sure that this is the only way; for it hath ever been found so by all, and can be denied of none, give heed to it therefore, and make use of it for thy good, to order and steer thy course by, if ever thou wouldest land safe out of the troublesome sea of these thy miseries.

CHAP. VI.

1. ELiphaz having thus ended his speech to Job, partly consisting of reproof, and partly of advice; Job replies as followeth:

2. Thou blamest me for bewailing myself, when as woe is me, my griefs are an insupportable burden, as thou wouldest soon perceive, didst thou but feel the weight of them all together as I do.

3. Being for number and weight like the very sand of the sea, dost thou blame me then for bewailing, seeing my affliction is so exceeding great that I want words to complain enough?

4. For the grievous pains which I endure are as so many poisoned arrows shot into me, and that by the Almighty hand of God himself, which have diffused their venom into all the parts of my body and soul, and have even spent and wasted my spirits and strength with their intolerable grief; for all the terrible afflictions and affrightments of God, have jointly in flesh and spirit combined and set themselves in battle array against me.

5. Is it not natural for everything wild or tame to lament it self in case of necessity and why then will not you allow me that liberty, but condemn me for that which is naturally common to all creatures, especially in this my extreme misery?

6. And doth not sense and experience teach you yourselves, that no unsavory thing can be relished without some seasoning, neither can a man force his appetite to think that to be tastefull which is not so.

7. And is not this my case? for those very things, which heretofore my soul durst not so much as think upon; is it not now forced (with what sorrow and grief you may imagine) continually to feed upon them? And will you then be so unnatural and unreasonable as to force me unsensibly to swallow down these afflictions which are so painful, and not give me the liberty to season my unsavory torments with a little needful lamentation?

8. But seeing you will not grant me liberty, I must be forced to take it; for seeing I can have no other relief, I must speak my mind. O therefore that I might have my request, and that the Lord would grant me the thing that I long for.

9. Even this, That it would please him to destroy me at once, that he would no longer restrain his hand from making an end of me, but that he would graciously dispatch me out of these torments.

10. If I could but gain this at his hands, to hope to be dispatched by these tortures, that I might come to be judged of God, and not of men, then would I even joy in them, and be so far from being discouraged, as that they should animate me in hope of mine end by them; neither would I entreat the Lord to spare me, but would think them, the worse the better; for I fear not to appear before God, because I know my conscience acquits me as having been faithful in the sincere delivery of his truth to all that I have spoken to, how ever you may judge of it.

11. Do you blame me for desiring to be dissolved, when as alas, what is my strength, compared with these insupportable miseries, that I should think myself able to hold out under them, or hope for long life? and what evil can there be in mine end, that I should desire to prolong my life?

12. Sure you take me not to be made of flesh, or if so, yet not to be sensible that think me able to bear these burdens without bemoning myself.

13. Me thinks you should think me best able to judge of mine own estate, and best to know my remedy, except you think me deprived of mine understanding.

14. It is the Lord's will and commandment; that to him that is afflicted, pity should be shown from his friend; but thou, whom I have always taken for my friend, hast forsaken the fear of the Lord, and hast falsified thy duty to me herein, whilst that thus instead of comforting me, thou condemnest me.

15. You whom I esteemed as my brethren, have approved yourselves but hollow in friendship to me; for because I have always taken you for my friends, and have found you heretofore in my prosperity to stand me instead, I was in hope to have had supply of comfort from you in this my need; and now you fail me, even like so many land-floods, which when a man hath use of water afford none.

16. For though in the winter season, when waters abound, they make show to befriend us, and by their ice seem to be our storehouses of preserving snow and water against the scorching time of summer.

17. Yet when summer comes, they themselves grow sensible of the heat, and instead of yielding the refreshing they promised, as the heat of the Sun increaseth, so they waste away by degrees, till at last, then, when there is most need they vanish quite away as if they had never been.

18. They either find new ways to bestow themselves, not keeping their wonted course, but are drunk up of the earth, or else are utterly exhausted and dried up of the Sun.

19. This the Caravan or company of Merchants that trade unto Tema, and also those which traffic unto Sheba, have experience of, as they travel through the hot desert countries of Arabia; for whereas in the winter time they have seen and travelled over frozen waters, they conceived hope to find refreshing from them as they come that way in Summer.

20. But when as in Summer they had travelled far in confidence of them, and approaching thither, where they hope to have them, they find themselves miserably disappointed, and in so much the worse case, because they trusted in them, and then they are angry and ashamed at themselves for their own credulity and improvidence to rely upon them.

21. Such like are you to me; for whereas I put my confidence in you, because of your former seemingnesse, now that I have use of you, you stand me in no stead, but have utterly deceived my hopes of kindness and consolation from you, and because you perceive the Sun of affliction to be risen upon me, and fear, if you should show yourselves the same to me as heretofore, I might prove a burden to you; therefore you turn strangers to me.

22. Me thinks you might afford me a few comfortable words, seeing that I neither am, nor desire to be any otherways beholden to you; I am sure I have given you no such cause to fear me, as should move you to assume this distance; for though indeed I be in want, yet I have begged nothing of you to cause you to be thus weary of me.

23. Neither have I been troublesome or chargeable to you in all my sufferings, either for rescue or ransom of me, or anything that is mine out of the enemies or oppressors hands.

24. I wonder wherein I should deserve so ill of you, I would be loath to excuse myself in anything wherein I justly deserve to be blamed; therefore if you will undertake to show me my error, I will be willing to learn, and ready to hear, so that you can justly demonstrate to me wherein I am faulty.

25. For grave, modest, and just reproof carries authority with it, and shall ever prevail with me; but how unconsonant to a right reprehension hath your discourse been, being composed of nothing but untrue arguments, issuing from inconsiderate misprision?

26. And do you imagine that that which I have said, either concerning myself or my misery, is but so many idle and hasty words, and do you reprove me thereafter, or think you they are merely the fruits of a brainesicke head, begotten by my desperate fortune, and so value them as wind?

27. Truly in so doing you are both most uncharitable, and not unlike them that oppress the fatherless by adding misery to misery in your unjust condemning me for my speeches and necessary complaints, and most unrighteous, even as they that betray the trust of a friend to his utter undoing, in going about to overthrow my only support by disputing against my uprightness.

28. Now therefore be better advised, and be no more so rash to condemn me, but consider me well, both what I am, and what I have said, and you will easily be satisfied, that I speak the truth in sobriety and knowledge of myself.

29. Bethinke yourselves I pray you of the cruel wrong you have offered me, I wish it for your own good, lest it prove your sin, and procure your punishment; yea, I advise you again to charge me no more so unjustly, but consider that you lay my very righteousness at stake (which is my only prop in this my misery) than which you cannot do me a greater injury.

30. When thus you charge me with sinful speeches, as if I had no conscience nor fear of God to awe me from uttering perverse, unjustifiable things in my own behalf.

CHAP. VII.

1. FOr I do but ask you this question; Is not death appointed by God to every man, and whilst he lives here, does not he spin out his life in toile and trouble like a hireling?

2. Now then, as it is natural for a servant (nor can you blame him for it) being toiled out with the labor and heat of the day to desire earnestly the approach of the night to give him ease and refreshing, and as it is common with every poor laboring man to long for the end of his work, that he may receive his reward and freedom from his toile.

3. Even so is the case with me, and worse; for whereas their toile is measured by the day, my misery is incessant, measured by whole months, and that without so much as the intermission of nights.

4. For night and day are alike toilsome to me, in so much that I can take no rest, nor find no ease, but so soon as ever I dispose myself to sleep, my easeless mind presently grows weary and restless, longing for day that the night were over, which is full of nothing but disquiet and continual tossings to and fro quite throughout.

5. And you yourselves cannot but see in what miserable estate I am, beyond all compare; for it is apparent how that my body, even now, whilst I am alive, is overrunne with worms, and as with a garment am I covered over with scabbie clods of dirt and dust congealed in ulcerous matter which issueth from my sores, which together with my skin is chopped and broken (as the earth in drought) in most loathsome and formidable manner.

6. Why then should not I desire an end, seeing my miseries crave it, and everything tendeth toward it; for you see evidently how all my former days of prosperity are in a moment quite dispatched, and those that remain, you see them also waste without all hope of ever being better.

7. Consider therefore these two things: to wit, The extraordinary end that my former days have received, how like a puff of wind they are suddenly blown over, and that withal I am never like to see more good in this life.

8. He that hath seen me in my prosperity, shall never see me so again, thou thyself seest how irreparable my state is; so that I have reason to expect and look for no other than an absolute conclusion.

9. For as the cloud is consumed by degrees till it vanish quite away, so he that is going by degrees toward his grave, as I am, must needs look for no recovery but necessarily expect a final determination.

10. Which shall certainly conclude him never to enjoy any part of his former condition again.

11. Seeing therefore that death by God's appointment must certainly be the end of these, I will not spare to press him to hasten it, but will lay my misery open to the uttermost, and by all the arguments I can use, will seek to obtain it speedily.

12. Am I of so robustuous and untamable a disposition, that thou must needs hold me in with such sharp and mighty afflictions?

13. In so much that when I dispose myself to sleep in hope to find some ease, and to gain some small intermission of my torment:

14. Even then thou disappointst my hope, interrupting my sleep with frightful dreams and visions, letting me take no rest.

15. So that if I might be mine own carver, I would choose the very worst of deaths, so that I might but be sure to die rather than to live any longer in these intolerable pressures.

16. Which makes life (how pleasing soever to others) to be most irksome to me, in so much as though other men could be content to live always, yet am I of a quite differing mind, wishing rather not to live at all: and therefore I pray thee, O Lord, prolong not my life, but give way to my miseries to make an end of me, seeing that all the remainder of my life must needs be empty of content and full of vexation.

17. Lord what is man? is he any better than a thing of naught, which thou thus seemest to esteem and make such account of?

18. Exercising a continual providence over him for his daily preservation, not suffering him rather to turn to dust, as else he would, and exercising him under long and lingering afflictions, not dispatching him at once, as if thou wouldst, thou couldst?

19. How long wilt thou hold on this extremity, affording me no release, not so much as a breathing while, or whilst I might swallow my spittle?

20. Wouldst thou by these tortures rack the confession of my sins out of me? I confess Lord, I am a sinner, but alas, what recompense can I make thy justice by my suffering? it is not in me to expiate my own sin; it is thy mercy only must save and acquit me, for thou art the one Savior, why then doest thou, as it were, try thy skill and power upon me in my exquisite torments, so that I am become a very burden to myself.

21. And dost not rather according to thy gracious nature give some comfortable and refreshing testimonies of the pardon of my transgressions, and the doing away of mine iniquities, that so I may praise thee before the Sun of my life be quite set, and I lie down in the grave; for now I shall die, and then when thou lookest to receive thy morning sacrifice of praise, as aforetime, I shall not be found to give it thee.

CHAP. VIII.

1. BIldad the Shuhite another of Jobs friends, having all this while given ear to the reply which he made to Eliphaz, at last interposed himself, and said:

2. How long wilt thou persevere to take such liberty of language toward God, and by thy violent passions, and storming speeches bring upon thyself fierce destruction.

3. Wilt thou make God to be unrighteous in judgment, and the Almighty to go against the rules of justice, by conceiving him to inflict punishment and not for sin?

4. Take heed what thou doest, and be not stubborn; but confess the Lord to be just, although (thy children having sinned against him) he hath suddenly and in his fierce displeasure, even utterly thus cut them off for their transgression.

5. And make timely use of it for thyself; let it move thee before it be too late, whilst God in mercy gives thee time, to lay aside thy stubbornness, and to repair unto him in humble confession, and with supplication of his pardon for thy own sin.

6. And doubt not, but if thou dost now turn unto the Lord in sincerity by repentance, not justifying thyself, but confessing thy sins unfeignedly, without hypocrisy, which hath brought this punishment upon thee from the Lord, he would not any longer thus forget thee, but would certainly remember thee in mercy, and make thee and all that belongs unto thee prosperous and blessed.

7. And though thou art now but poor and miserable, yet then shouldst thou see the power of the Lord bringing to pass a wonderful alteration in thy behalf, by making thee both rich and happy.

8. And that thou mayest be the better persuaded to believe me, and to take this course: consider and call to mind all the former ages of our longlived forefathers from the beginning of the world.

9. For we desire not to oversway thy faith by our own testimony, who in comparison of our fathers are of no experience nor knowledge by reason of the shortness of our lives now, to what theirs was then.

10. And therefore I gladly put thee over to the testimonies of former times, whereat thou canst not, except for partiality, and they will all teach and tell thee, and bona fide confirm unto thee, the very same which I have said, How that God never punished any but for their sin, nor rejected a penitent person

11. And look how ordinary a thing it is for a mis-rooted rush that quickly springs up out of a little moisture, but not much mire, or the flag that grows without the river in some little quantity of water.

12. Even then, when it flourisheth most and promiseth best unexpectedly to wither and die (the moisture which should feed it, being exhaled and dried up) without any hand cutting it down before other herbs of less show but better rooting.

13. So usual a thing it is with God to overthrow the prosperous estate of all such as walk not humbly, nor thankfully before him, & to cause the ungrounded hopes of the hypocrite strangely by his immediate hand to perish, because he was not rooted on God.

14. The foundation which he hath laid to himself to hope and trust in, being rotten and unsound, shall fail him, God shall violently destroy it, and suddenly sweep it quite away by his just judgment.

15. He shall repose great confidence in the felicity of himself, and his posterity, but it shall vanish, he shall promise himself a perpetuity of it, but it shall quickly have an end.

16. Like a tree in summer he makes a fair show whilst the sun of prosperity shines upon him; and grows luxuriantly eminent in the place where he lives, whilst he remains rooted in prosperity and pleasure.

17. Possessing himself amply and securely of all earthly happiness, lengthening his teather to the very uttermost bounds thereof; like a flourishing tree, whose roots are deeply intrenched, and strongly incorporated into the ground, and which spread themselves so far as ever there is any earth to receive and nourish them.

18. But for all that, when the time comes that God will destroy and root him out, the very place where he thus grew shall spew him out, and by any remaining symptom shall not so much as be acknown that ever he was there.

19. This is the upshot of an hypocrites happiness, and this is his portion at last, that both he and all that was his shall come to ruin, whereas others by the blessing of God shall grow great out of a little.

20. For the case is otherways with the humble and upright man. God will not rejected him, nor leave him succorless, no more then he will have pity upon the proud presumptuous hypocrite.

21. But will be sure to remedy thy afflictions, and not to leave thee till he have advanced thee from this lowest step of misery, to the highest step of consolation, if thou wilt but take this way of humbling thyself in confession and supplication before him.

22. Then shall all thine enemies (who now are risen by thy downfall) be as thou art, stripped naked of all their glory; and thou thyself restored, and this thy becoming righteous shall make the Lord punish their wickedness committed against thee with the same desolation that now he hath brought upon thee, even with the ruin of them and theirs.

CHAP. IX.

1. THen Job answered Bildad also, and said;

2. You have misunderstood me, if you have thought me proudly to contend with God, or that I had meant to justify myself before him, by what I have said, as if I took myself to be without sin in his sight, whereby to have deserved these plagues; for I both know and yield it to be true which you say, that God's afflictions imports us to be sinners, but would you not have a man know himself to be righteous, except he know himself to be without sin? this were utterly to overthrow the consolation of the godly; for how is it possible for any man in such a way to appear just before God?

3. Who, if any should be so foolish as to think so of himself, is able quickly to stop his mouth, by objecting infinite sins and failings against him, one whereof he is not able to answer.

4. And as he is thus transcendently holy and righteous, so he is able to judge otherways of us, and of our actions than we can: and besides all this, his greatness and might also, as well as his wisdom and holiness is infinitely beyond us; All this I know, and therefore I am not ignorant, how that no man can put himself into the lists to justify himself, and contest against God, but he shall come off with sin and shame.

5. Seeing how far the Lord in his hidden wisdom, and secret ways of proceeding transcends us, ofttimes manifesting his anger, even upon unsensible things; as in over-throwing the mountains without rendering a reason.

6. And by mighty earth-quakes, dislocating the globe of the whole earth, staggering the very center it self, whereon it is established.

7. Commanding also the Sun contrary to his course to stand still, and it obeys, and dares not do its office to the day, neither the stars to the night when he forbids.

8. Nor am I ignorant of the manifestation of his mighty power in his glorious works, in that he alone spreads forth the spacious Canopy of the heavens, and commands the furious Seas.

9. And framed the glorious constellations in the heavens to their ends and purposes, appointing the more remarkable ones, to order and distinguish the four grand seasons of the year by their appearance; as Arcturus the Autumn, Orion the Winter, Pleiades (or the seven stars) the Spring, and those more remote Southern stars, Midsommer; for so they take their turns.

10. And is infinite in works, and wonders beyond any man's capacity.

11. And therefore I know myself and my reason and understanding to be as unable to judge of his works and ways, though they be both reasonable and just, as my bodily eyes are to see him which is invisible, though near unto me, and conversant about me.

12. And also I know that there can be no man, either so powerful to with-hold what he is minded to take from him, nor yet so righteous to question him for it, seem it never so strange.

13. And I know too, that he purposely continueth his anger upon proud contenders and disputers, till he have convinced them, of their insufficiency, and compelled them to stoop to him.

14. And seeing I both know, and acknowledge all this, to wit, God's righteousness, wisdom and power to be thus transcendent to man's, I would have you know, that I am far from contending against God, or justifying myself before him.

15. Whom, I know so well, that there is not that thing, be it never so righteous in my conceit, wherein I would dare to justify myself before him: but instead thereof, I would humble myself, and supplicate his grace, knowing God to be my Judge, whose eyes are so far brighter and purer than mine.

16. And though I should have been so fool-hardy, to have challenged God to discuss my righteousness, and he had done it; yet have I small cause to believe he found me righteous.

17. For his hand is as heavy upon me now, as ever, continuing the same tempestuous storms against me still, without any mitigation, or so much as she wing me a reason why he thus multiplies miseries upon my head, and is so extreme against me.

18. Not giving me so much as any the least respite or intermission, but incessantly pursuing me with calamities.

19. So that I have little reason to contest against his power, that know it better than my body, or to answer the suit against him whom I know so well to exceed in justice and judgment; for the making good whereof, I am sure there is none will be my surety.

20. If I should undertake to justify myself, God in interrogating me upon particulars would make mine own mouth condemn and witness against me, and for him; if I should stand upon my perfection with him, he would show such cause to the contrary, that he would make me with mine own lips, pronounce myself faulty, and a fool for mine undertaking.

21. Yea, if I were so blind as to see nothing blame-worthy by myself, yet knowing God as I do, I would not believe mine own heart, nor know mine own soul upon terms of innocence, but would attribute it to mine ignorance, and in the matter of justification would utterly disclaim the innocence of my life and conversation.

22. But notwithstanding, yet is the point true which I have maintained, to wit, That God in his outward proceedings & dispensations, maketh no difference many times, but scourgeth and takes away both the upright and the wicked alike: and therefore do I still affirm, that because of mine afflictions, you have no just cause to judge and condemn me for an hypocrite, or wicked person.

23. In regard that daily experience contradicts your rule (wherewith you ignorantly limit and measure God's proceedings) palpably evidencing, That God exempts not the upright from afflictions, no, not from his suddenest and most remarkable judgments, but that in these outward things all comes alike to all: God scorning the allegation of innocence, or the justification and plea of the most upright man breathing, in the way of exemption or prevention of these his just and wise dispensations when he pleaseth to inflict them.

24. As also it is not apparent how the honor and pleasure of the world is transferred upon the worser sort of men, that are wicked, and abuse it, when in the mean time, those that to us seem deservedly to be respected and honored for their wisdom and uprightness are despised and disgraced, and pray you, how, or by whom comes it to pass, but by God's all-disposing hand? so that you must either grant what I say, or deny common experience and God's providence.

25. 26. And may not I myself pass as a lively pattern of God's proceeding in this kind; For what availeth my uprightness in this day of my visitation? hath not God (who in all the former part of my life, made me honorable among men, notwithstanding it) now laid all mine honor in the dust, even in a moment, and given the wicked leave to trample on me?

27. And hath he not so bitterly afflicted me, that if I go but about to seek a little ease or comfort.

28. The sense and weight of mine accumulated sorrows, straight-way affright me, and tell me it is in vain, assuring me, that the Lord, according to his high and just prerogative, hath chosen me out to be the example of this age to show forth his transcendent righteousness upon, notwithstanding my uprightness.

29. And truly, Lord, if thou beest pleased to go this way to work with me, to set thyself in the rigor of thy Justice to find out my sins, and so to judge me according to my wickedness: In vain then I confess, Lord, do I seek to comfort myself; for in thy sight no flesh can be justified and acquit.

30. For though I could prove mine innocence never so, and that I were in mine own account and the worlds blameless;

31. Yet art thou able so to lay me open, if in thy righteous severity thou wilt judge me, as that I shall appear monstrously filthy to myself and all the world, yea, mine own very righteousness wherein I clothe myself, shall renounce and abhor both it self and me.

32. For alas, he being God, judgeth me with another manner of judgment than I can judge myself, or then one man can judge another, he seeth further, and knoweth more by me, than I am able to do by myself being but man, and therefore it were a very vain thing in me to offer to wage Law with God in mine own justification.

33. Neither if I had such a mind, could I be ever the better; for where is there any fit to be umpire between us, his way of judging and accusing far transcending both Angels and men?

34. But if the Lord would deal so graciously with me, as not to proceed against me in the rigor and perfection of his judgment and justice whereat I tremble, and against which I am able to plead nothing for myself; and dispute mine uprightness with me in your stead as man:

35. Then I durst plead for myself, and could soon make it appear, that I am innocent, and no hypocrite, as you would force upon me; but since the Lord is pleased not to go that way to work, but that he is determined to set himself as God against me, my mouth must needs be stopped.

CHAP. X.

1. MY anguish drives me to those extremities, that it makes me weary of my life. And seeing that hitherto I have acknowledged my guiltiness in hope to have found ease thereby, and yet notwithstanding my grief remains unasswaged: Now therefore I am determined to accuse myself no longer before God's secret Justice, but to seek mine own ease by giving vent to mine affection.

2. And therefore I will take the boldness to enter more familiar parley with God, and to entreat of him, That he will either cease to proceed against me as a guilty person, being innocent, or else that he will show me the cause of this his quarrel with me.

3. As first whether he dealeth thus with me, because it is either profit or pleasure to him to oppress me, which I cannot think it is, for it cannot be that God should be a gainer, or should take delight to oppress, or to reject and despise his own workmanship, as I am, especially when as thereby he shall fulfill the desires, and confirm the unjust surmises of the wicked.

4. Or secondly, Whether is it that he needeth to do by me as earthly judges do by malefactors, that is, torture me, to discover the truth, whether I be sincere or no; neither is this likely; for he hath all-seeing eyes, and therefore need not helps to make discoveries.

5. 6. Neither thirdly is it because he is mortal and short-lived like man, That he thus heapeth these punishments upon me in this sudden and severe manner, as if else he should not have time enough to try me, and to revenge himself upon me, for the iniquity and sin which thereby he should discover, for he is everlasting.

7. It is not because thou knowest me not, and therefore wouldst find me out, that thou thus handlest me; for I know thou knowest me well enough, that I am upright. Neither is it for want of power to make me forth-coming; but of thine own just prerogative: for were I not approved in thy sight, yet thou hast no need to hold me thus fast in fetters; for thou knowest it is impossible for me by any means to escape thy hands, either by flight or rescue.

8. For I am no stranger to thee, but thine own very workmanship, even every part and portion of me from top to toe is both created and framed by thee, and none but thee. And yet (strange to consider) for all these reasons to the contrary, thou thus destroyest me.

9. But I beseech thee remember that as I am the work of thine hands; so again, of what matter thou hast made me; how that originally I am but clay, and what honor and event canst thou expect to follow upon thy fighting against such a worm with these thy omnipotent weapons, but to turn dust into dust?

10. And as in Adam I am but clay, so alas, thou knowest, how in myself I am framed by thee, of a weak and imperfect substance, to wit, the liquid seed of mine immediate parents.

11. From whence, indeed, by thy wisdom and power thou hast made to proceed skin and flesh as clothing to every part of my body, and an orderly juncture of bones and sinews.

12. In which fabric of my body thus composed in the womb, thou hast further magnified thyself by adding a reasonable soul thereunto, with all requisite & favorable accommodations for my life and well-being, which very life and soul, as thou only gavest it, so also hast thou alone hitherto preserved it by thy providence and good grace; for it long ere this had been inanimated, hadst not thou kept it alive, by thy careful preservation, sweet influences, and often visitations of my spirit which thou hast made me sensible of.

13. And therefore I know, that however thou seemest outwardly to deal with me, yet thou art secretly mindful of this fabric, which thou hast thus built, and that this my spirit is especially precious with thee.

14. Or in the fourth place, is it as they affirm? am I hypocritically sinful, and therefore doest thou punish me? Indeed if I be such an one, then I know it is true, thou wilt be sure to mark me and not to let me escape unpunished.

15. If thou shouldest know this wickedness by me, then woe unto me; and though in this sense I know myself to be righteous, yet will I not justify myself before thee, because I know my sins otherways to have deserved thine indignation. And now that I have thus vented myself by expostulating with thee, I am but the further plunged into confusion, not being able to satisfy myself, or to give my mind any ease; so that I see this is not the way neither, but when all is done, I must petition thy supremacy, and entreat thee with pity to behold my misery.

16. For it grows insupportable, thy pursuit of me being so Lion-like extremely fierce and violent: and as if no one torment could be sufficient for thee to plague me with, thou assaultst me again and again, in a marvelous manner to express thy wrath upon me.

17. Thou showest wondrous enmity against me, by charging so thick upon me with such succession of afflictions; and store of troubles by thine appointment execute thy severe indignation upon me: yea, even all variety of evils both severally in their turns, and jointly in one set-battle, do make war against me.

18. If thou hast conceived such displeasure against me, why didst thou not rather in thy fore-knowledge, decree it, that I should never have been borne to cause thine anger, or else have died so soon as I had been born? O that I had been so happy never to have known, or been known of any!

19. The very imagination whereof delights me in this mine extremity, to think what happiness it would have been to me, either not to have been at all, or to have been in such a way, as that my being had been equivalent to no being, considering that as the womb delivered me, so the grave should have received me.

20. But seeing thou hast ordered it otherways, and that thou hast ordained me to live, yet consider that my life is but short, in which time slack thy hand, and allow me some little ease and comfort.

21. 22. And cause me not to die whilst I live, nor to be in darkness whilst I enjoy light, seeing ere long I shall sustain thine indignation in the grave (by the concluding punishment of death) certainly never to return again to life, nor to enjoy this light; where I expect no better than confusion, and an absolute deprivation of the comforts both of life and light; for there I am sure is no vicissitude or order of time between night and day, but all the comfortable days of life and prosperity shall certainly be turned into uncomfortable lasting darkness, then which it can afford no other.

CHAP. XI.

1. THen Zophar the Naamathite, another of Jobs friends, having been attentive to all that he had said, in reply to his two former companions, rejoines upon him with another like vexing discourse, thus:

2. Should we suffer him thus to proceed, and not answer him, but let him think to carry the cause of his own justification by his much speaking, and in the mean time, we through silence become guilty of his sin by a tacit consent?

3. Should we swallow such an unsufferable untruth and not reply, and wouldst thou thus carry it against God and man, and not be made to see thine error?

4. In maintaining such a blasphemous opinion for true doctrine; That God destroyeth the righteous, and that thou whom God hath so branded for a wicked person, yet dares to affirm thyself not to be wicked?

5. But I could wish that God would vouchsafe to answer thee instead of us by his way of conviction, that so thou mightest be made to believe by sense, what now thou wilt not by reason.

6. And that he would but make thee to know what he in his wisdom knows by thee, then shouldest thou soon be confuted and put to shame, and the vain imaginations of thine own righteousness would quite vanish, because then thy conscience would show thee how that thy sins are infinite more then thou imaginest, so that though now thou complainest of hard dealing, thou wouldest then see that God in justice might deservedly for thy sins inflict double upon thee to that thou now sufferest.

7. Thou hast been fool-hardy to speak thy mind over-freely concerning God's dealing with thee, and by presumptuous reasonings thou hast thought to plum his depth, and either thou wilt see such cause as thou in thy weak capacity shalt think reasonable for his thus afflicting thee, or else thou wilt dare to quarrel him; but now vain man, what art thou the better? hast thou so little reason as to think that thou art able to see so into thyself as God, and so equal him in wisdom, and fathom his perfection?

8. 9. Wilt thou offer to give bounds to, and comprehend within thy weak reason the unsearchable wisdom of God's incomprehensible Judgment and Justice which is of as large and larger extent than heaven and hell, sea and land?

10. If he change his course or way of proceedings toward men, either to deliver them into the hands of enemies, or if he will protect and save them, who can control or hinder him; for he doth invincibly whatsoever he will.

11. For he hath both reason and justice on his side for what he doth to man, who although by searching he cannot attain to know the perfection of the wisdom and righteousness of God; yet does God easily know him what ever he thinks of himself; how that his best perfection is but vanity: neither (if we were able to judge aright) have we reason to think that he punisheth or afflicteth causlessely; for though our self-flattery mis-take, yet he sees wickedness to deserve it. And think we then that he should do well to let us go on in our error, and should not rather take notice of it to punish us for it, and to rectify our judgment in it?

12. For man would have some understanding, pragmatically to discern and expostulate the ways of God by his weak and shallow reason, though he be as far short of conceiving and comprehending them, as the brutishest creature living is to conceive and apprehend rational matters.

13. 14. Therefore be persuaded to lay down the wasters, to give over reasoning the matter, and to begin now at last to change thy course, and in sincerity and humility of heart to submit thyself, confessing thy sins, and putting them away by repentance.

15. For then mayest thou with good hope and confidence draw near to God without any check of conscience, and be established in safe condition, and shalt need to fear neither the continuance nor the return of these thy troubles upon thee.

16. For in so doing thou shalt be restored, and made to remember thy griefs as past, and no longer to feel them as present.

17. And so shall the rest of thy life which thou givest for lost, be the very prime part of thy time for glory, and thou shalt shine again in reputation and honor, and shalt appear in the eyes of all men as the Sun rising after the departure of a cloudy and dark night.

18. And though heretofore for all thy potencie thou hast been despoiled of all, yet (hereby) for hereafter thou shalt enjoy both thee and thine in security; for because then thou shalt have God for thy God to rest thy hope upon, who shall so encompass thee with his safe protection, as if thou dost but dignity a place to pitch thy tent in, thou shalt enjoy thyself safelier therein (than otherways thou wouldest do in a walled Citty.)

19. Nor shalt thou need to secure thyself by watch and ward, because then thou shalt have no cause to fear, for thy very enemies shall make suit for thy favor and protection.

20. But if thou perseverest in thy wicked way, long mayest thou look for better before thou find it; for God will never ease thee, till he have humbled thee: And therefore, if thou thus continuest, thy hope shall be utterly forlorn, and at an end for any good ever to befall thee.

CHAP. XII.

1. ANd Job answered and said;

2. In the blind confidence of your own wisdom you take upon you to condemn me as ignorant, and to censure that which I have said, to be but as the babbling of a fool, as if none were wise besides yourselves.

3. But notwithstanding that you thus sleight me, yet am I sure that God hath given me grace to know and understand the truth better than you that are so overweening, and, that you have said nothing hitherto, but what are common things, and which I know as well as you.

4. But it is befallen me as it is common in the world: That he that is poor and in misery, instead of being comforted, is contemned of his nearest friends, so that the things which I speak are set light by and scorned, and which is worst of all, because of God's indulgency to your particulars for present, you are puffed up in your own opinions, and stick not also to trample upon, and scoff at my very innocence.

5. In so much as now, because I am fallen into misery, and am near unto mine end, I must be rejected, as if I were a thing offensive and useless, like a candle which is almost consumed to the snuff, though formerly shining and giving light to others, having now all the light of my former understanding quite extinguished, and mine innocence condemned for hypocrisy, and I scorned as refuse, and judged as a cast-away in the opinion of these men, and that for no other reason, but because they are in prosperity, and I in adversity.

6. Whereas, alas, their maxim is utterly false; for prosperity is no sign of honesty (and consequently adversity no sign of hypocrisy) as we may see by daily experience; for who abound more in external felicity than those whom we see to be notoriously wicked?

7. 8. It is strange you should be ignorant of this common truth, which all the creatures are able to demonstrate; for do not you see the earth and all the things that are in it given for the most part into the hands of the wicked, what large possessions and sumptuous fare they enjoy?

9. And who, I pray, under willful ignorance, can be said, not to know that it is God who orders it thus?

10. For, is it not he that disposeth of every creature, both small and great, better and worse, man or beast?

11. Oh that then you would not be so rash to speak, but would let your ears do their office, and would ponder what I say! then you could not but conceive that I speak with understanding, and that this doctrine of God's administration of things in this way which I have said, is an undoubted truth.

12. Especially, seeing you are men of great years, and therefore cannot but have attained to much understanding by observation and frequent experience, and therefore must needs know.

13. That God is often times wonderfully transcendent in his wisdom and power wherewith he orders and disposeth things; and how that he brings to pass his ends and purposes in an unknown and incomprehensible way.

14. As may appear by these following instances (whereby you shall see that I both know, & acknowledge the unsearchable wisdom and wonderful ways of God as well as you, in all which he is righteous, (though we know not the reason of them:) For behold, he brings some men, and some things to their utter destruction: for, as that all the wit and power of man cannot repair them, ofttimes so disabling a man, that all the helps in the world cannot relieve him.

15. Again, we see how various and wonderful he is in rain and drought, how by this he often famisheth the earth, and by that he gluts and overwhelmeth it.

16. So that both I and all the world must needs acknowledge, what hath been said, not only of the wonderful power, but also of the unsearchable wisdom of God, if we do but consider these effects aforesaid: But much more if we well weigh those which follow, which are more strange to reason than anything that hath been alleged; and yet I know they are of God too; For it is of his Almighty and wise disposing, even that such a man is a deceiver, and such an one is deceived.

17. And that all the eminent and wonderful changes which we see in the world do come to pass: It is of him, that those men, who have been advanced for their wisdom, and are the bull-warks of a state to keep out foreign enemies, are themselves ofttimes made a prey; and also that those learned Judges, who by administering right, and maintaining peace, keep the Common-wealth from civil dissention and ruin, do themselves (when pleaseth him) become fools, and lose their labor.

18. And that those mighty Monarchs, whose regiment extendeth far and near, and had much people in subjection, have those bonds loosed wherein they held others, and they themselves become tributary.

19. And so also national princes, he ofttimes causeth them to be overcome and disthroned, thus doth he drive the mighty men of the earth into exigence and distresses by his disposing power, notwithstanding their confidence in their strength.

20. Or if they trust in their wisdom and abundance of Counsellers it is all one; for when he pleaseth, he removes faithful Counsellers, sending flatterers instead of friends, and infatuates the aged men that are men of experience on whom they build.

21. Nor can the Majesty of their place secure them; for God when he 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 is pleased to bring his purpose to pass, often makes them notwithstanding their dignities to be despised both at home and abroad. And thus he layeth all their confidences whatsoever in the dust.

22. Nor do I think that he doth these things to exercise a tyrannical power over his creatures, but that he hath just reason for what he doth, though we know it not, which sometimes also he is pleased to discover; for many times we see what hellish secrets he brings to light, which when we know, we cannot but conclude his righteous judgments.

23. And as thus he manifesteth his righteous (though transcendent) power and wisdom upon Princes; so also upon people: for how have we known him to increase nations, and anon to ruin them, and to enlarge their reputation and authority, and straightway to diminish it?

24. And lastly, who is it but he that doth dispose the greatest part of the people of the world to have no right understanding, but to waste their lives in error?

25. Not vouchsafing to reveal to them the light of truth, but suffering them to go from error to error.

CHAP. XIII.

1. SO that you may see I am not a stranger to the power and wisdom of God, in his wonderful ordering and disposing of things, but have taken diligent notice of it in the whole course of my life.

2. And therefore am not to be condemned as one that is ignorant of God by you, that can say no more of him than what I both know and believe, nor to be thought to have spoken what I have said all this while touching God's dealing with me, out of an ignorant presumption, but out of a faithful knowledge both of God and myself.

3. In so much as I desire to confer with God instead of you; for because I know him to be perfectly wise and able to judge aright of things, which I find you are not.

4. For through your ignorance, you create false maxims to judge me by, and so like unskillful Physicians you administer mistaken physique.

5. O therefore that I could but entreat you to be your own friends and mine, so far as to keep silence, wherein you should show more wisdom by far, than in what you have said.

6. And have patience to hear what I shall say for myself against your allegations, and for your instruction.

7. Know therefore, that whereas you judge me to sin against God, in that which I speak for myself, the offense is on your part; sor how think you? Is it not a sin with unjust arguments to patronize God's justice, and as if he stood in need of your lies, to plead his cause with forged untruths?

8. Think you to please God by showing him any unjust favor in the maintenance of his cause against me, or, as if he were too weak to do it himself; therefore do you think to do him a pleasure in taking upon you to frame arguments for him?

9. Be well advised, Do you think that this kind of dealing will hold water with God, and will you venture him to find out your colloguing, and by-respects? think you by flattery and part-taking to deceive and curry favor with God, as with man?

10. How ever you may think you do him acceptable service in these your unjust gratifications, yet assuredly he will show that he abhorreth such dealings, and that he will be maintained by his own righteousness without borrowing men's leasings: Nay, and though you do it with never so plausible reasons in the eyes of men, yet you shall find that he that knoweth the heart, and hateth all accepting of persons, if he spy unjust partiality there, though never so secret, he will certainly punish you for it.

11. Shall not the majesty and excellency of God make you afraid to have such base thoughts of him? and his dreadful greatness affright you out of such low conceits?

12. What? are such frail creatures as you able to advantage God? who shall yourselves be utterly extinct and forgotten as a thing of naught, and whose bodies shall be turned to earth.

13. Pray, vouchsafe me the favor to hold your peace, and let me speak my mind without interruption, and at my peril be it, take you no thought.

14. Seeing you have so grossly erred in what you have said, both concerning God and myself, and that for certain it is God's way to exercise the righteous under afflictions; wherefore then should I be so foolish thus to torment myself, and cast away my confidence, for anything that you say, or that I suffer?

15. No, I will never do it, in so much, as if God should proceed, not only to lay upon me the extremity of affliction, but should also thereby bring me to deaths door, yet I would continue to rely upon his mercy, and withal, 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 sin, and accepting my person; in confidence whereof, I dare put myself into the presence of God, which no hypocrite dare do.

17. Therefore, do not rashly censure me, but give good heed to that which I speak, and to the profession of my faith which I make.

18. For though you through ignorance and prejudice know not how to judge of me, yet be sure I have examined myself, 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 me for my sins, but that still he accounts me 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 justify mine own innocence, my heart will burst within me.

20. And if it shall please the Lord himself to argue this case with me, I will but desire two conditions of him, and then I will not fear even to appear before him.

21. One is, that he would take off from me this heavy hand of his present affliction which overwhelmeth me with the violence of it, till my matter be heard: the other is, that he would give me courage to bear out this my humble contestation, so as I may not be confounded with the terror of his dreadful greatness so far surpassing me.

22. Then oppose thou, and I will answer, or let me speak, and answer thou me.

23. Therefore I humbly ask of thee, is it for any such greatness and multitude of iniquities and sins (as these men would bear me in hand) that thou thus afflictest me? Then I beseech thee, make me to know that great transgression and sin that hath so enraged thee against me; for I am not conscious to myself of any such, nor can I make it sink into my mind, that thou thus afflictest me upon any such ground.

24. And if not, then wherefore dost thou thus terribly frown upon me, so as to give the world cause to think thou hatest me? Alas, am I fit to be esteemed an enemy worthy thy contesting with?

25. Or dost thou think it will be any glory to thee to try thy strength, and to fight hand to hand with me, who am a weak and feeble creature, not able to stand against thee, no more than a leaf before the wind, 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 me, and makest me ofttimes to remember my former sins of old with fresh fear, as if they were unpardoned, and as if thou didst lay the punishment of them all on me now at once.

27. For thou proceedest with all severity against me, as against a grand malefactor, laying me fast in afflictions, as in stocks, so that I can move no way to find ease, and hast set, as it were, a watch over me, surrounding me with plagues, lest any way I should get liberty, and followest me with continual pursuit as a prisoner that is dog'd at heels 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 knowest also, that if thou didst not use extraordinary means against me, yet by my very nature and kind coming of mortal 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 self full of troubles.

2. We, thou knowest, bring mortality and transitorinesse into the world with us, and that little temporal felicity which we 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 dial, our lives are continually hasting to their period, and never make stop.

3. And dost thou set thyself strictly to view the imperfections of such a creature, and to question me in the rigor of thy righteous judgment?

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 sin we are mortal, and that thou hast determined death as a condign punishment unto man (and so to me) so that he must certainly undergo 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 heavy hand off him, that he may be able to fulfill his appointed time in thy service here, which is but short.

7. 8. 9. For what will it avail 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 deal of difference; for there is hope to him that owneth it that it will spring again, 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 otherways with man; for, when he dieth, the earth, nor nothing else, can contribute anything to him to make him live again, or in the least measure be serviceable to his owner here; but on the contrary, he consumeth to dust, and becometh utterly useless: 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 return 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 again, 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 horrors that are upon me, and that (so doing) thou wouldest set down even what time thou pleasest to raise me out again, so that thou wouldest but be sure at last to remember me.

14. Then should I think myself happy, because, if I be once dead, I know I shall no more return to these miseries, upon which condition, I would be glad to wait with patience what time soever thou shouldest allot me to lie in the grave, in assurance of a happy change to follow.

15. For though thou afflictest me in this life, yet am I sure in the resurrection to feel thy mercies; so as that when thou callest, I shall not need to fear (as the hypocrites will) to show my face; for I know that thou thyself, for the love thou bearest me of thy goodness, who am thy creature, and one whom thou hast shown favor, and reprinted thine Image: wilt long after the consummation of my happiness.

16. And indeed, seeing such happiness would certainly ensue, who can blame me to desire my dissolution, to be rid of this woeful pressure that lies upon me? For now thou persecutest me with thy utmost severity, seeming to take most strict notice of every byway that ever I have trod, and as if thou didst watch over my sins, that not one of them should escape unpunished.

17. Thou hast, as it were, sealed up and made sure work with all my sins that ever I committed, to have them now forth-coming for the increase of my punishment.

18. And now, Lord, if the strong mountains and hard rocks are not able to stand when thou thunderest with thy power upon them, but that they come to naught, and remove out of their place:

19. And if the very stones be worn, and do waste with the falling of waters upon them, and that the things that are rooted in the earth cannot resist a deluge, but are washed away therewith, what hope then has weak man (such an one as I am) who is neither rock nor mountain, stone nor tree, to be able to stand under such an insupportable power, and overwhelming inundation as this of mine?

20. No, it is impossible for him to sustain himself when thine hand is upon him to destroy him: thou canst not be prevented, but he shall certainly, fade away, he himself, and all that behold him shall see him consume by the change that thine afflicting hand worketh in his temperament and feature, till at last he waste away to nothing.

21. Yea, by reason of his dolour, even whilst he yet lives thou canst make him to be as good as dead, so as that he can regard no earthly thing how nearly soever it concern him; as for instance, be his children advanced, or be they cast into adversity, shall neither joy nor sorrow in it.

22. But be altogether taken up with the thoughts and sense of his own misery, because of the outward pain, which thou laiest upon his body, and the inward trouble which thou inflictest upon his mind at once.

CHAP. XV.

1. THen Eliphaz the Themanite being further confirmed in his ill conceit of Job, by his discourse, thus the second time replies upon him.

2. Is it the property of a wise man, such an one as thou wouldest be thought to be, under a pretence of much knowledge thus to abound in vain discourse, and satisfy himself with feeding upon, not only unprofitable and airy, but hurtful reasonings; blasting thereby all hopes of better to himself?

3. Or if thou wert wise, as thou sayest, why then hast thou pleaded for thyself all this while with so much empty and fruitless talk, no whit serving to thine advantage, but contrarily making against thee, both in respect of thine uprightness which thou talkest of, and the ease which we wish thee?

4. For thy discourse hath been most presumptuous and arrogant, savouring of nothing but folly and hypocrisy, in all this time neither humbling thyself under the hand of God, nor calling upon him for grace and mercy, which is the only upright, wise, and safe way.

5. But instead thereof hast made thy mouth the trumpet of thine own evil heart, rather choosing deceitfully to make good an evil cause, than to confess thy sin.

6. So that thou hast no cause to think hardly of me and my fellows, as if we did unjustly condemn thee, for thine own mouth is evidence enough against thee.

7. Art thou the only man of experience or knowledge, beyond all that now is, or that ever was?

8. Hath God made thee of his privy council, and told thee more than he hath revealed to others, and dost thou think all the world fools beside thyself?

9. What knowest thou that we know not? What understandest thou more than we?

10. Nay, me thinks modesty and reason should persuade thee, that we are abler to instruct thee, than thou us, we being more for number, and having the advantage of experience and observation (which maketh wise men) by reason of our years, which are so far beyond thine, that thy father was younger than some of us.

11. And wherein canst thou say that we have erred; for have we not shown thee the true way to be happy and freed from these miseries? and dost thou set so light by our advise, which tendeth to so good an end as to reconcile thee with God? Dost thou know any better way to compass thy happiness than this which we have told thee? If thou dost, it is such an one as neither we nor our fathers never knew nor heard of.

12. If not, why dost thou give thine heart such liberty to rove out of the right way, and pervesly shut thine eyes against the truth, scornfully rejecting it?

13. For thou instead of humbling thyself under the punishment of thy sin, sufferest thyself with an incensed mind to contest against God, and to speak such proud impenitent speeches, justifying thine own righteousness, and maintaining (contrary to truth and equity) that these punishments are not laid upon thee for thy sins.

14. Whereas the perfectest man living is unclean before God, and justly liable to his wrath; for there neither is, nor ever was, or can be, any that can justly affirm that of himself which thou arrogatest, to wit, that he is righteous in the sight of God.

15. Why man, his excellentest creatures, the glorified Angels, which indeed are, and ever shall be, Saints in heaven, yet they stand not in that holy and happy estate, by their own power and sufficiency, but by the mere decree of God, which in grace he past upon them, knowing, that else they would have sinned, as other their fellows did, which, though they were Angels, which of all his creatures are the best and perfectest, and dwelt in heaven, which of all places is the best and holiest; yet even in them, and there, his holy and pure eyes found uncleanness.

16. How much more then must man that dwells here on earth, needs be exceeding sinful and unclean in his sight, who does as familiarly sin, as eat and drink, and to whom it is naturally as pleasing as water is to one athirst.

17. Thou hast had leave to speak thy mind, and now give me the like liberty, and the like ear, and I will show thee no fable, but a known truth; which both I have learned out of mine own experience;

18. And which hath not been mine observation only, but hath received confirmation from wise men of former times, who have carefully taught it as a doctrinal truth from the tradition of their forefathers also; and have not concealed it from us their successors, as is well enough known.

19. I say, from their fathers, the first heads of the world, who in those days of prime antiquity were free from the injuries and molestations of foreigners and enemies (which we are too apt to make the sole or principal cause of our suffering) people being then few and rare in the earth, and known to one another.

20. Even this, the wicked man's portion in this life, which is; That God is wont to lay upon him lasting pains, and (weary of his life) to make him waste his days in discomfort, and that the oppressors gain is to get the cutting short the thread of his own life in judgment.

21. And a terrifying conscience shall sill him with distracting fears; together with an unexpected ruin in the midst of all his wealth and worldly glory.

22. And then, when God has cast him into affliction, to be without all hope of better, his heart telling him that God will never take his hand off again, but that instead of being delivered from this, a further evil, even utter destruction waits upon him.

23. When the Lord hath made him taste adversity, and thereby ruined his comfortable subsistence in the creature, then shall he through want of acqua intance with God and faith in him, in a wrong way impatiently, indirectly, and fruitlessely seek to relieve and help himself; his affrighted conscience and distrustful heart (quite banishing all hope of better) mis-doubting every day to be his dooms-day.

24. He shall live in continual fear by reason of his inward and outward trouble and grief, which he shall not be able to avoid nor resist, but shall be brought under their extreme pressure, because of the vehement fury and irresistable power wherewith on all hands they shall assault him.

25. And there is reason for it, why God should thus proceed against him, because he behaves himself as a proud enemy toward God, not walking humbly before him; but disobediently and presumptuously through an overweening opinion, sticketh not to cast away all fear, and arrogantly to make head against even the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth, forgetting him to be such an one, through the haughty and presumptuous imaginations of his heart.

26. Daring with a full forehead and strange kind of arrogancy to encounter God, even upon the points of his justice and righteous judgments, wherein he is the ablest to give us the shock, and which is the dangerousest for us to oppose or question.

27. And the cause of this his swelling pride against God, is his abounding in the creature, and his voluptuous usage of it.

28. Together with his large signiories and ample possessions, made up out of the ruins of other men's livelihoods and habitations, which they have been forced to relinquish and leave desolate through his oppressions.

29. Yet for all this confident preparation, he shall come short of his aim; for he shall neither attain that hight of riches which he strives for, or the stability of an happy estate which he promiseth himself by them, neither shall he perpetuate his name with that renown and preeminence, that he makes confident of to himself and his posterity thereby.

30. But in steed thereof, he shall be cast into calamitous poverty and reproach under which he shall irrecoverably lie, all his flourishing state shall wither, and his large posterity be utterly consumed through the indignation of the Lord, and when he hath lived to taste and see this, then at last God shall breath forth his final displeasure upon him, and so shall he quite perish, who but ere-while promised to himself certain felicity.

31. Let not the man then that hath already miscarried by his foolish pride, still take that way, and be vainly blinded by it, for he shall still receive the same reward, vanity and misery shall be his recompense.

32. In his own life he shall see his pride have a fall, his eyes shall behold his present happiness and future confidence come to naught.

33. He shall live to see the untimely death of his children, and the utter loss of his after expectation.

34. For it is certain that God will unnest & ruinate the hypocritestocke and family, and the fire of his wrath shall consume what they have built up by secret fraud and injustice.

35. So that in the end all their mischievous devises prove vain and ineffectual, and all their painful travel to compass ambitious designs, is but lost labor, and shall end in selfedeceit.

CHAP. XVI.

1. JOb having with much longsuffering heard out Eliphaz, at last thus maketh answer:

2. Since you began to speak, I have heard much from you severally, but all to the same purpose, which stands me in no stead, and therefore I must conclude you all alike vain reasoners and miserable comforters, not (as becometh friends) endeavoring to mitigate, but to increase my grief.

3. Hast thou done thy idle talk, which hath been all this while to no purpose? and now, I pray thee, what moved thee to let fly the second time against me this uncharitable and impudent reply? Knowst thou me to be the man thou speakest of?

4. I could suppose all these things of you, as you do of me, and urge them against you, and sit as judge upon you: if you were under affliction as I am, I could then show you how good it is to endeavor the vexation of a grieved spirit, by multiplying uncharitable and discomforting words against you, and could act your part upon you with showing the like jealous and surmising behavior toward you, and how do you think it would please?

5. But I know my duty, and how I ought to behave myself to those that are in my case better than so, and therefore my care and study should be to uphold and strengthen you in your pressures, with faithful and consolatory speeches, and all my talk should tend to administer ease, and not to add to your afflicted minds.

6. It is wont to be the way for men in misery, to find relief in the company of their friends, by complaining themselves, and laying open their griefs unto them, but it is not so with me; but whether I speak or hold my peace, it is all one; I have them all against me that should be for me, inventing matter to afflict me further, instead of endeavoring to comfort me.

7. But now I see the hand of God, as in the rest, so likewise in this estranging my friends from me, thereby making me on all hands miserable, and my life wearisome; sor thou hast brought my whole family to ruin and desolation.

8. Yea, thou hast every way so filled and affected my heart with sorrow, as that it woefully appears upon my body by its macerated and wasted state, having no smooth part in it, but everywhere deformed with careful wrinkles, which together with my extreme leanness (my flesh through my grievous anguish being fallen from my bones, which rise up in a ghostly manner) do all of them witness thy mind against me.

9. Thou hast exposed me to the malice of mine enemy, so that he that hated me hath had liberty to execute and act his uttermost spite upon me, and bitterly in a disdainful and insulting manner to affront me.

10. They have every way that can be thought or named, vilified and reproached me, yea, they have wrought me all the mischief, that with all their combined counsels and power they could contrive and bring to pass.

11. Thus it hath pleased the Lord to deal with me, even to expose me unto the malice and injury of the ungodly Chaldeans and Sabaeans, and to resign me up to be disposed of at the wills of those wicked men, giving them leave to execute their full power upon me, in my whole estate.

12. I was in a happy condition, but he was pleased not to let me stay therein, but hath violently snatched me out of it, and hath parted me and it never to be pieced again, yea, he hath left nothing undone, that may magnify the greatness of his power and manifest the fierceness of his severity upon me; for by the one he hath utterly disjointed all my happiness, never to be set together; and by the other, he hath openly in the eye of the world, set me as a mark to shoot all his deadly arrows at.

13. He hath made everyone against me, my wife and my friends, as well as mine enemies discharge upon me, and with such bodily smart doth he himself torment me, as if my back were chining, and my very reins were cleaving in two; nor does he abate one jot of mine extremity, for all it is so great, but as if he could not be too cruel, against me, he cuts my gall in pieces, such torture do I sustain within and without.

14. He maketh no spare of me any way, but heapeth plague upon plague upon me, laying me open every way to ruin and desolation, in his most mighty power and fury he assaulteth me.

15. I have deeply humbled my self before him, having made sackcloth mine immediate clothing next my very skin, and in token of my selfeabasing I have covered my head with dust and ashes, which but of late was exalted.

16. My face can testify how I have wept unto him, and my sorrow may be evidently seen upon mine eyes and eye-lids, which with extremity of grief, and multitude of tears are now (as when I am dead they shall be) even wasted away, and sunk into my head.

17. Not that he hath thus plagued me, or I thus humbled myself, for any allowed or dissembled unrighteousness toward men, known either to him or me; for mine actions have been just and innocent; no, nor for any such like impiety toward him; for in the uprightness of mine heart have I worshipped and served him.

18. And therefore I desire not to die as the brute beasts do, for the earth to receive me, never to depart with me again, as hypocrites desire to do, through self-guiltiness, but I long after my resurrection, that I may appear before God, that so, though not here, yet there mine innocence may appear, according to my hope and desire, which I hope shall not be frustrate:

19. For be it known to you, that I am well assured, that God who is in heaven knows my uprightness, and that there I am witnessed for, and not against.

20. Though here on earth I have none to take my part; for even those which are my friends, and should know me to speak for me, do with scornful rebukes censure me for an hypocrite, but I know whom I have to appeal unto in this case; even to God who judgeth righteously, which accordingly▪ put in practice; for I pour out tears unto him, who I hope will right my wrong, and clear mine innocence.

21. How happy were it for me, if I might exchange my argumentation from man to God, and might expostulate familiarly with him, touching mine innocence, who is able to judge a right, and at whose hands I should be sure of just and impartial dealing.

22. But my hope and happiness is, that after I have borne these vexations the while God hath appointed me, I shall then be eternally freed from them, by death.

CHAP. XVII.

1. NOr can I be far from it; for my breath which maintains my life, beginneth to be mortally tainted with mine inward diseases, portending death at hand, and my days to be at a period, I am every way ready and fit for the grave.

2. And yet for all this (would not one think it strange?) these men that pretend to come to comfort me, will yet administer none to me in this pitiful state, but utterly defeat my hopes from one to another; for am not I forced to endure their endless lying provocations, and false accusations, wherewith they continue to vex me to my face, not withstanding all that I have said to the contrary?

3. But seeing I can have no better from them, I humbly turn to thee, O Lord, praying thee to deposit a pawn, and give me some assurance, that without being judged by thy perfect righteousness, and dealt withal after thy transcendent greatness; I may argue my uprightness with thee, and then let who will undertake for thee, and enter the lists in thy behalf against me.

4. For thou hast blinded them that they have no understanding to speak right things to me, either concerning myself or thee; and therefore shall they lose the reward they should have received from thee, had they righteously behaved themselves toward me, and instead thereof receive condign punishment.

5. They preach a strange and ignorant kind of doctrine, that because thou afflictest me, therefore I must needs be, and certainly am an hypocrite: and that prosperity is a sign of a righteous man, which is a dangerous untruth to be broached, knowing the curse that belongs to them that with flattering deceit shall dare to bolster men up through erroneous principles in a false opinion of themselves, and their mistaken happiness; how that their children shall be so served, to wit, deceived and seduced in like manner, and shall perish for want of discerning.

6. And I am not only miscensured by these men, but (because of thine unwonted dealings with me) it is also upon this same foolish principle, every man else his report and opinion, that I am an hypocrite, though heretofore in the time of my prosperity, report gave a pleasant sound of me to all men's ears.

7. So that thou hast every way consumed me, my good name is quite blasted, and my body also is wasted; for mine eyes have almost quite lost their sight by reason of mine excessive sorrowing, and all my members are so meagerd, that they are become a very skeleton, and have so lost their substance, that they are, as it were, the shadow of themselves.

8. When all things are thus against me, and that I have nothing but mine uprightness for me, mine example shall make others admire the virtue and powerful support of a good conscience: So that I shall make thee upright, to be in love with his uprightness, for the extraordinary supporting strength and courage which it enables a man withal, and he that is truly innocent shall learn of me, not to be baffled out of his sincerity, but to maintain and take comfort in his integrity of heart, against all his false accusers.

9. Yea, the upright-hearted righteous man shall learn with an undaunted confidence, to put himself into the presence of God, and not to be disheartened from it, nay, the more he that is pure of heart receives opposition, the more he shall gather strength to oppose his adversaries and comfort and confirm himself, by me and mine example.

10. So that you see you lose your labor by going about to stagger me in mine uprightness, even all of you, for anything you have, or can say, therefore I would wish you all to spare the pains and travel you take in a wrong way, and to change your minds, and close with me; for in the opinion you hold so stiffly and unanimously (that God would not afflict me thus, were I not an hypocrite, and that because of mine afflictions I am forsaken and hated of him) you are utterly in an error, and show yourselves ignorant of the ways of God.

11. I have not much more to speak to you, therefore be warned; for you see how my days draw to an end, besides that what I would say to you, my pain interrupts me that I cannot speak it, the thoughts of my heart being through my distempers, full of distractions and disorder,

12. Filling me with confusion, being never at rest, but always working, and ever in motion upon and about my miseries, as well night as day, so that I can have no quiet, and day as night, so that I can have no comfort; no time for them.

13. And touching the restauration you promise me; for my part, I believe no such thing, I make accompt of no other receptacle, than the grave, nor ever to find rest but by death.

14. Nor ever to enjoy any other friend or kindred, then what they yield me, that is, corruption and worms.

15. And if you ask me then where my hope is? (because you say an hypocrite is hopeless) why, I confess it is in nothing this life yields; for I verily believe that neither I, nor any living man shall ever see me have good day again in this world.

16. But they that will see wherein my hope consists, must pass through the gates of death to behold it, and lie down in the grave with me, and then it shall appear.

CHAP. XVIII.

1. JOB having the second time given Eliphaz his answer, Bildad the Shuhite also taketh his turn to give his second onset upon Job, and therefore when Job had made an end, he beginneth thus:

2. How long will it be before thou yield to the truth, and cease thy vain contradicting? Give good heed now, that we may no more speak in vain to thee, as it seems through thy heedlessness and want of due consideration we have done hitherto.

3. Why dost thou set so light by us, as if we had no understanding, nor our counsel were nothing worth, or why is our talk so distasteful, seeing we tell thee the truth?

4. It is not we, but thyself, who is thine own tormentor, through thy proud impatiency; wouldest thou have us belie God's administration to thee? or wouldest thou have him to alter it for thee? thou mayest sooner expect him to overturn the whole world for thy sake, and put everything out of that order he hath decreed and made it in, than cease to be just in punishing the wicked.

5. So that though thou frettest never so much at it, yet for certain, this is, must be, and ever was, an infallible Principle. That the wicked man's glory shall (by God's just judgment for his sins) be quite extinguished, shine he never so bright, and with the waters of affliction God will quench his ambitious preparations and designs that he shall not be eminent.

6. But contrariwise, the honor of his house shall be brought low, yea, the glory he hath raised shall expire even in and with himself.

7. Go he never so confidently on he shall be withstood, and his wisdom wherein he reposeth so much trust, shall ruin him at last.

8. For his own ways which he chooseth to walk, and taketh to be freest from danger, shall most certainly bring him to ruin, and every step he taketh in those paths of wickedness and worldly wisdom, shall one day assuredly prove a further intrapping to him, though for a while he perceives nor fears it not.

9. Till that at the last he see and feel himself unavoidably caught, which also shall then befall him when he least heeded or suspected it, and when he is most confident in his own strength, safety and riches; God will set somebody a work that maugre all his power shall disable and impoverish him.

10. God in his secret purpose, means to entrap him at last, yea, even in the very way which he puts most confidence in, and chooseth to walk in for his security.

11. God shall so distress and fill his mind with fears, as that he shall not have the least chinke of hope left to see any comfort through; but give all for lost, and be driven utterly to abandon his former confidence as vain.

12. Be he never so strong in his own opinion, God will weaken it, and so burden him that he shall be glad to seek strength to bear his own burden, when he thought himself strong enough to burden others: he shall see a strange alteration, even destruction and ruin which he put far from him in his own opinion, notwithstanding suddenly to surprise him.

13. It shall seise upon him as well in body as estate, perishing his very bones which support his skin; yea, even all the extremest miseries and deadliest torments that are, shall violently seize upon him to pull down his pride, and ruin all his strong holds.

14. He shall see the fruitlesnesse of carnal confidence, how that all his outward hopes shall be turned upside down, and nothing shall be left for him to lay hold upon. Yea, destruction shall pursue him to utter ruin, not only of all that is his, but also of himself 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 self.

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 Lord's indignation.

16. God will make a clean riddance of him, and all his whole house; he will quite cut him off, root and branch, father and son, even he and all his posterity, from off the face of the earth.

17. And let him have been of never so great note, yet as he, so his memory and reputation shall perish with him, and he shall be quite forgotten, and had in no esteem, even in that very place where he once lived in so much glory.

18. He 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 offspring remain 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 fearful things befell him, when God executed his severe judgments upon him in the day of his visitation, shall beget amazement in men of after ages when they hear 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 willful to oppose a known and undeniable truth; for as sure as God is just, so sure it is, That these things do befall the wicked man, and only him in his family and habitation. And such as this which I have said hath ever been known and observed to be the lot and portion only of him that is an hypocrite and fears 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 endeavor my vexation, and to torment me as upon a rack, 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 show to be my friends, never blush to consider in what an unfriendly and strange manner you behave yourselves toward me, as if you neither bare any love to me, nor had any knowledge of me.

4. But be it granted that I and my ways have been too-blame, yet you have not at all convinced me of any error, that I might know what to amend, in all this time and talk, and till you can do that (which I know you can never do) 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 yourselves 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 me down, and if I be caught, it is he that hath ensnared me with that you call his net, who can for all your high conceits (as justly when he pleaseth) do 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 compel me to make earnest and vehement prayer, yet can I find no relief, nor have any right done me on these my false accusers.

8. He hath every way hedged me out of happiness and content, so that though I seek it never so, I cannot find it, yea, he hath so eclipsed me, that I cannot see which way to take to administer the least comfort to myself.

9. The good report and esteem wherewith once I was dignified, he hath quite stripped me of, in the hearts of all men, and turned it into disgrace.

10. He hath indeed, every way, and in everything, destroyed mine hope and happiness, 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. He hath mightily opposed himself against me, and seems to account no better of me, than an utter enemy that he means to pursue to death.

12. He hath mustered his forces together against me, even a whole army of plagues, which have blocked me up, and shut me out of all hope, and have besieged me so straightly, that I can no way in all the world find relief.

13. He hath not left me a friend to help or comsort me, but those which were as near and dear to me as brethren, and which should have been so to me, he hath quite turned their hearts from me; my very bosom-friends and acquaintance will not now own me for any friend of theirs, but behave themselves as strangers toward me.

14. Those of mine own blood and kindred (from whom I expected other) have refused to do the offices of of love and kindness 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 special respect, who have lived under me in mine own house, yea, and my maids which by their sex should be of a more tender and pitiful disposition, and more dutiful carriage notwithstanding all decorums and obligations to the contrary, show me 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 me.

16. I called my servant as I was wont to do, and in a regardless manner he turned his back upon me, yea, I entreated him with this same mouth, that was wont to command him, but all would not do.

17. My very wife thinks much to come near me, that was wont to lie in my bosom, yea, although I prayed and importuned her, with the strongest and endearingest persuasions I could use, and that which I thought likeliest to prevail, even for the conjugal bond sake that was between us, and the motherly respect she bare to the children, that in it she hath had by me, yet I could not prevail.

18. Yea, to make up my misery, that which I little expected, even young children that should be better nourtured, and which usually are more pitifully and respectfully disposed, have yet despisingly behaved themselves toward me, and if I do but show myself, so sooneas ever they see me in what case I am, they speak against me, and pass their opinion upon me, as they have heard others do.

19. There is not any one for me; all my most inwardest and bosomefriends have me in detestation, because of my affliction, and their ill opinion of me for it, and they whom I most entirely loved, requite me with injury and opposition.

20. I am so pined away, that my bones and skin are met and grow together, as once did my flesh and they, having now no flesh left to part them; But indeed, to speak properly, I have nothing that I can call skin about me (being all over of a scab) saving my gums, which only have escaped this contagion.

21. O consider my misery, and be not so hard-hearted toward me, but be entreated of me to show me some compassion, you that I have ever taken for my friends, which is your duty to do, and the thing which God expecteth from you, now that he afflicts me.

22. Why do you take upon you to afflict me because God doth so (have you the like authority) or so masterfully to censure and judge me for an hypocrite, which is proper only to God (who searcheth the heart) both to know and punish; is it not enough for you to see my body thus tormented, but you will heap more extremity upon me, laboring to oppress my spirit also?

23. O that what I am about to speak were eternized to all posterity in the usual way of writing and printing!

24. Or rather in some more legible and permanent way, as by graving them with capital letters in some durable stone, for the vindicating of my sincerity to after ages, and for the learning and encouraging of all upright hearted men against afflictions and oppositions.

25. For this with a good conscience I dare, and can affirm, which no hypocrite can say after me; That upon good proofs and infallible evidences I assuredly know, That (howsoever I seem, and am judged by you here a cast-away and reprobate man) I truly and faithfully rest upon the promise; and that my soul is safe (by the mercy of God) in him whom he hath appointed to redeem it, who shall one day live and triumph over all his sufferings, and so shall I over mine, by and with him; I mean no fantastical Savior, such as vain men through self-love take up and make to themselves, but him whom I know full well, is, and must be, as well a Judge as a Savior, and therefore it booteth me little to dissemble, who (it rejoiceth my heart to think) shall one day judge the world in righteousness, and then shall mine innocence appear.

26. And though not only my skin, but this whole body be utterly consumed & eaten to death of worms, both skin, flesh, and bones; yet for my Savior's sake who shall rise from death, and live in despite of it, my flesh (so consumed) shall be framed a new into such a body, and raised again to such a life as wherein I shall see God completely, face to face.

27. I mean, I shall not see him as the wicked shall at the last day, to be another's God, and none of theirs, but that I shall so see him, as that I shall enjoy him for my God, Father and Savior, I say, mine own eyes shall see him and rejoice in him, for mine own God, and not another's, though now he be pleased thus extremely to afflict me, both within and without.

28. One would think this faithful confession & profession of my faith in the pureness of my conscience, should make you better bethink yourselves, then thus to persecute me with false and injurious occasions, seeing that however you may condemn me for a sinner, which I confess to God and all the world, yet there is apparently in me that which may and doth interest me in God's saving and special favor, notwithstanding both my sins and his afflictions, to wit, a faithful uprightness which you ought to cherish, and not to oppose and suppress.

29. And look well to it; be ye afraid to go on in this way, lest God unsheath his sword against you for it; for if you persevere in your persecuting injustice and uncharitableness til his wrath be kindled against you, punishment will befall you, that so you may learn to fear to do wrong, and know there is a just revenger thereof, and that judgment belongs thereto.

CHAP. XX.

1. ZOphar the Naamathite, longing till his time came to reply upon Job, being full of aggravated displeasure, thus at last also venteth himself upon him:

2. Saith he, I am even in travel till I answer thee, I must needs break in upon thee, however thou mayest take it, and that for this reason:

3. Because thou hast reproachfully taunted that truth, which I and my companions (thy friends) have suggested to thee for thy good: In so much as being well assured of that I have said, to be no other than a certain and known truth, to wit, that God will punish the wicked, and that it shall go ill with them, and not with the righteous; thy disdainful contradicting it hath so whetted my spirit, that I can no longer contain myself, but must needs out of a right under-standing and certain knowledge of it, urge this truth yet more home upon thee.

4. How can it be, that thou shouldest be ignorant of this, or how darest thou deny it, which God hath made apparent in all ages since the beginning of the world, and which hath been ever received and taught for an infallible truth.

5. Even this, that God suffers not a wicked man long to enjoy his earthly happiness and worldly triumph, but makes it of short continuance: and that the joy which an hypocrite taketh in his prosperity shall not long last, but shall speedily end in endless sorrow.

6. Though he over-top all men, and be never so high in the repute of the world.

7. Yet he shall have such a fall, as he shall never rise again, yea, the time shall come, that God will make him as loathsome and detestable to himself and others, as his own excrements were wont to be; yea, even those very men that have seen and admired his condition shall ere long, as much wonder at his downfall.

8. A man you know is no sooner awaken, but his delightful dream is forgotten; just so, on a sudden, when God awakes in judgment, upon him shall all his former honor and happiness be quite lost and taken from him, not any of it remaining: yea, like as when a man awaketh, all the imaginary visions of his fancy vanish, so shall all his temporal felicity by the sight and feeling of the anger and displeasure of God against him.

9. Those which are able to say, they can remember the time they saw him thus and so, shall never live to see the like again, neither shall the place where he lived so splendidously ever enjoy him so anymore.

10. His children to stop the clamorous mouths of the oppressed poor shall be forced to stoop to observe and entreat 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 heavy wrath of God upon him shall make him with his own hands restore to the poor, what by oppression he had unjustly taken from them, and glad he may.

11. He shall be made to feel the weight of his former sins, by the tormenting plagues that God shall heap 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 loath to forgo them.

13. Although he be exceeding loath to leave them, and hardly brought to repent of them, but with close hypocritical dissembling would fain excuse them, that so he may retain them still.

14. Yet as well as he loves them, and as sweet as they have been in acting, in the end they will prove of a quite contrary effect, bringing deadly plagues upon him, and filling, him with inward bitterness.

15. He hath by ravenous oppression gotten abundance, but what though? he shall never be able to keep them, but shall be compelled to part with them again, God shall so torment and fill him with anguish and trouble of mind that he shall be sick 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 happiness in his ill gotten goods, but as a man that by mistake hath sucked the most deadly poison instead of honey; in the just wrath of God he shall be tormented to death, as if he were stung with Vipers.

17. Though he hath promised himself large contentment and felicity by his lawless and sinful courses, yet he shall find himself quite mistaken, and his expectation utterly frustrated; neither enjoying less nor more of all that happiness he hoped for.

18. He shall be quite stripped of all that which with careful thought taking he hath gained, and shall part with it to others, himself shall have no good by it, how happy soever he promised himself to be: yea, to the utmost farthing shall he be disseized of all that ever he has, for in retaliating justice, God shall beggar him, take it from him and distribute it to other men: he shall take but little joy, and find but small benefit in that he hath gathered together, for he shall lose it every jot.

20. Because he hath come naughtily by it, oppressing the poor, and to enrich himself by bribery and subornation, hath refused to do him right, and also by injustice and violence, unlawfully possessed himself of other men's estates, which he had no manner of right unto.

20. He shall be incessantly pursued with vexations, and shall enjoy no hearts-ease; he shall keep nothing of that which he 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 he hath anything left, and till folk see that he hath not wherewith to sustain himself, they shall not give over to rob and spoil, and to take from him what he has.

22. Then, when he takes himself to be in his prime and hight of happiness, shall he be brought to the greatest indigency and want, God shall let loose every wicked unconscionable man to molest and impoverish him, like as aforetime he himself hath done to others.

23. When he hath satisfied his desires to the full, and hath gotten everything that his heart could wish, to make him happy, so soon as ever he beginneth to joy himself in them, God, whom he least looks for, it shall blast his hopes, and disturb his security, by executing a furious and wrathful judgment upon him in great abundance, very then, when he bids his heart make merry, and assures himself unchangeable happiness.

24. The Lord shall wrathfully fight against him as a man of war, with sharp and strong weapons, such as he shall desire and endeavor to avoid and fly from, but shall by no means escape, nor be able to withstand or to stand under, but what one fails to do, another shall certainly bring to pass, so that one way or other he shall be sure to receive his deaths wound by a fierce discharge of God's wrathful plagues upon him.

25. God will be sure to shoot home, so that his arrow shall pierce through and through, he shall make it appear that it was shot in anger, and that it is his powerful hand that doth it, yea, he shall make his most formidable plagues to appear upon him, they shall pierce his very intralls, so that with bitterness of spirit he shall be forced to lament himself, his inward terrors shall so affright and perplex him.

26. All manner of dismal fears, surmising thoughts, and misgiving despair shall enter and take possession of his soul, and no comfortable hope shall appear in him. He 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 hypocrisy 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 remains 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, he shall make the very creatures to abhor him for it, and utterly to deny their comfort and service to him, to signify what he is.

28. All his posterity shall be destroyed, and so shall his prosperity too; even all at once with a sudden ebb, in the day that God visits him with his wrath and righteous judgments.

29. This that I have told thee is the portion that a wicked hypocritical oppressor must look 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 certainly 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 again replies upon him:

2. Do me that favor, as to give me also leave to speak, and to lend me your ears, which, seeing you have no other comforts for me, shall be instead of comfort to me.

3. Have but patience to hear me, and when I have done, say you your pleasure.

4. I see it is in vain to make my mone to man, if I look for help there, the Lord knows I am in a piteous case; for I find no comfort from him.

5. I beseech you consider what I say, that you may reform your error, and together with me, may with amazement admire the ways of God, which are wonderful; and give over thus presumptuously to give boundaries to him in his administration towards men.

6. And well may I bid you wonder, and be astonished hereat; for, for mine own part, when I call to mind, and consider God's wonderful proceedings toward myself, what I was, and what I am, they astonish me with most formidable amazement, nor am I able to plum their depth.

7. And I pray you, if it be as you say, That God only layeth his heavy hand upon the wicked, and that they escape not wrath & punishment, how then comes it to pass (which you cannot deny but are eye-witnesses of) that the wicked live in health and heartsease, till they be as old as the oldest, and equal, if not exceed, whomsoever in power?

8. Their posterity do as well as heart can wish, and they live to see them thrive like themselves, and to joy in their present prosperity and undoubted hopes of future happiness.

9. There is no such fear befalls them as you speak of, but they live secure and free both from the fear and feeling of punishment, God afflicts them not one jot.

10. But contrarily, all things hit, and nothing misseth to make them happy, and rich, they have profit and pleasure at will; for their bull gendereth and faileth less than other men's, and their Cowes calve, and miscarry seldom or never.

11. None are more happy in the multitude of children than they, nor no men's children lead merrier lives than theirs, dancing and joviallizing.

12. At the sound of all the choicest instruments of music, which wit can invent, or money can buy, wherewith they take their fill of pleasure and sport.

13. And they live all their life long in this manner, never tasting sorrow, and moreover, when their time comes to die, they have as easy deaths as one would wish, without any sore or lingering pains and diseases, they depart in a trice.

14. Thus they live, and thus they die, yea, not with standing that they are so far from being less wicked for this their prosperous condition, as that it makes them the more sinful and presumptuous against God, even in effect to dare to say (for their lives show as much) we care not for thee, nor have no need of thee, thy ways are not our ways, and therefore keep them to thyself; for we will yield neither subjection nor obedience to thee nor them.

15. We are able to stand upon our own legs, and we are free for to do our own wills, why should we then abridge ourselves, and become slaves to one whose power we respect not, nor can it do us any hurt, be it never so great, and to whom we scorn to be beholden for anything, who need nothing?

16. Lo, now, how unagreeable this is to what you say, that God ever despoiles them of all they have, and leaves them naked; and yet how ever this my necessitous estate differs from that of theirs, so commended by you, yet say you what you will, I am not for all that in love with their prosperous condition; much good do it them, far be it from me to wish their happiness in their way, and upon their terms, for I have never trod their paths.

17. You cannot deny but that experience proves this true which I have said, that many wicked men do thus pass unpunished, and prosper; nor again, on the other hand do I deny, but that too the glory of the wicked is oft eclipsed, and destruction oft overtakes them, yea, I acknowledge it to be true, that God doth distribute and send afflicting plagues and punishments in his just displeasure upon them many times.

18. God I know does bring them and theirs to ruin and destruction, and disperseth their ill gotten goods up and down into a thousand men's hands.

19. And maketh their children divers times feel the smart of their fathers sins; yea, he makes the wicked man live to see and know the reward of his own evil ways.

20. He himself is made the spectator of his own ruin, and to drink deep of the cup of the Lord's anger.

21. So that the pleasure he took in the hope he conceived of making his house famous and honorable after him, shall quite vanish by sudden destruction or death, happening in his prime.

22. Will you dare then thus to teach God what he should do? will you set bounds to his actions, and measure his judgments by your rule, seeing they are so far beyond us, and his ways past our finding out; and seeing he is Judge of the Angels, who are so far above us in all manner of excellencies, the wisdom of whose ways even they notwithstanding are ignorant of.

23. Must you not needs confess an unsearchableness in God's ways, such as is without the compass of any man's reach, when as he pleaseth to do such wonderful contradictory things in man's reason, and to show himself so free an agent in the things aforesaid, as also in these that follow; sparing whom he pleas • th, and likewise afflicting whom, and for what time, and in what measure himself liketh, as we continually see and behold; for instance, Doth he not summon one a way by death, even then, when he is most likely to live, and when he least looks for it, or desires it?

24. When there is not the least decay in him to cause it, but that nature is every way perfect and complete.

25. And doth not another man (we know no reason why) lie and die under woeful pressures of mind and body, never enjoying good hour in all his life?

26. Thus does God do his pleasure upon men, and variously dispence his providence to them here, and yet however he seem to favor or disfavour them (which is also strange) death concludes them, and the grave receives them all alike, and there they fare alike, the worms devouring one as well as another.

27. Alas, I easily perceive you imply and mean me to be the wicked man that God hath done & executed all these things upon for my supposed wickedness, (wherein (I speak it knowingly) you are utterly mistaken; for I am no such man, and you do me exceeding much wrong to think so of me, whilst ignorantly you judge me by the event and God's afflicting hand upon me.

28. The whilst you say in derision, where is this man's princely pomp, that but even now was so splendidous? What is become of all the glory, that he in the pride of his heart had thought to have gained and laid up for himself and his? and of all the great revenue and goodly houses that he and they by wicked means had compassed and built to wicked ends and purposes?

29. Is it not notorious what he was, and cannot every man point him out now for wicked and naught, that seeth these marks and judgments upon him? will any man say, that ever any had the like but such an one?

30. Do not all men know that the time will come, that God will certainly reckon with a wicked man for his wickedness, and at last, without fail, bring ruin upon his head, and will make him an example of his justice to all the world, in the day that he chooseth to execute his wrath upon him?

31. Although no man dare reprove him, and tell him he doth wrong, nor right himself upon him, or attempt to punish him, because of his imperiousnesse and oppressing might.

32. Yet shall God bring him low, his judgments shall bring him to his grave, even to an everlasting farewell to his former estate.

33. God shall so afflict him that he shall desire death as the only way that remains to give him ease, and this say you, shall be, and ever hath been the case of every wicked man, as well as his.

34. Now, how vainly may any one judge, do you go about to comfort me, which yet you would be thought to do; when as you apply nothing rightly to me, nor affirm nothing rightly of me; and seeing all your discourses are composed of nothing but mistakes and errors touching God and me, affirming that he afflicts none but wicked men, and that I am and must needs be wicked, because I am afflicted, both which are false.

CHAP. XXII.

1. ELiphaz the Temanite, being now to speak according to course, falleth the third time upon Job, and saith,

2. Granting that thou art righteous as thou sayest, yet thou takest a wonderful fond course thus to glory in it, and plead it unto God, thereby to bind him to thee, seeing a man's being so, adds nothing to him, it profits him nothing, though it do the owner, who in godly wisdom hath obtained to be so.

3. Not a jot of benefit God reaps by it, nay, he is so far from being a gainer by thy pleading the perfection of thy ways, as that thou makest him thereby suffer in his justice, and by pleading thy righteousness, makest him unrighteous.

4. If he punish thee not for sin, what then doth he plague thee for? Is it for fear that in time thou mayest grow so over good, that he cannot reward thee, or so over great, that he cannot command thee? thinkest thou he hath need to take such course with thee for any such cause?

5. Man, never speak more of it; God is just, and so are his ways, and therefore, as thy punishments are great and extraordinary, so certainly are thy sins.

6. For it must needs be, that however thou hast carried things cunningly, and we cannot so easily detect thy faults, yet doubtless thou hast been extremely too blame, and thy ways very wicked; wouldst thou but consider and confess them. For no doubt, what ever thou sayest to the contrary, but thou hast been a great oppressor of the poor, and a greedy griper, thou hast questionless uncharitably taken, and unjustly detained thy poor brothers pledge to his great damage, and by thy cruel usage, hast extremely impoverished them.

7. And as thou hast been an evilldoer in the ways of injury and violence, so also doubtless thou hast been backward to do any good or charitable work, thou hast not relieved the needy.

8. But all thy aim and care was, to make thyself mighty, rich, and honorable here on earth, and therefore all thy labor was to engross it to thyself from others.

9. Thou hast disappointed the poor widows hope, and hast not righted her upon her wrong-doers, and thou hast suffered the fatherless to be crushed, and hast not afforded them succor when they relied upon, and trusted to thee for it.

10. Therefore it is, and for no other cause, that thou art thus plagued on all hands, these works and ways of thine, are they that have brought thee into this condition, thus to be captivated, and all at once suddenly surprised with such fearful miseries.

11. Yea, into worse than the plagues themselves, even into blindness and confusion of mind; so as that thou canst neither see what brought thee into them, nor how to find the way out, but art as a man under water amuzed in these thy afflictions, not knowing which way to take, nor what to do to help thyself.

12. Is not God infinitely higher and more full of light to see and discern, than any of his creatures? consider how high the stars are, and how far distant from thee, and yet they shine down to thee.

13. Much more does God see thee, and know thy ways and works; yet such is thy hypocrisy and security, that because we who are but men, cannot easily detect thee; therefore, thou thinkest, and thy behavior speaks as much, that God can see no evil neither by thee; and because thou canst not see him through the clouds that are over thy head, therefore thou thinkest he cannot see nor take notice of thee through them.

14. And that his sight is not clear enough to see through such a medium, but that thou art safe enough from his eyes who hath so many thick and dark clouds between thee and him, and who dwells at such a distance from thee, as is heaven from earth, where it seems thou thinkest he only manages matters, and bears rule, and not here.

15. Hast thou observed the ways of the wicked, and the course that God hath of old wont to take with them?

16. Dost thou confess, how they have been cut short of their aims and hopes by an untimely end, and how the foundations which they have laid of riches and honor, have been at last wasted away with sudden destruction and ruin, as of old by the flood?

17. Even such, as thou sayest, say to God, keep thy Laws to thyself, for we'll not obey them, and what care we for what he can do to us, that expect no good from him, nor fear no hurt?

18. And thou knowest its true too, that once he filled their houses with good things, and plenty of them; and now, how canst thou so confidently and securely exempt thyself from their condition, and thy ways from theirs, seeing thou sharest in their plagues?

19. For the righteous are free from such things, what ever thou sayest to the contrary; they live to see the justice of God executed upon the wicked, and rejoice therein, laughing at their folly for taking such ways, which they knew long before would have such an end and issue.

20. Whereas we that have been content with a little, got in an honest godly way, enjoy it still in peace; but as for proud oppressors, and greedy gripers, rise they never so high, wrath shall quite ruin them at last.

21. But now therefore, thou for thy part, though thou hast been a stranger to the ways of God, yet stand not out still in rebellion, but come in and make thy peace by confessing thy guiltiness, and acknowledging him just, cav • lling no longer at his dealings; and so shalt thou receive good for evil, and find mercy to relieve thee in thy distress.

22. I pray thee as a friend, go not on presumptuously, but humble thyself for thy former sins, and promise amendment; covenant to keep his Commandments which thou hast broken, and to frame both thy heart and life thereby for hereafter.

23. If thus thou repent and turn to the Lord, fear not but that he both can, and will repair thee, and so shalt thou put away sin, and the plagues and punishment that sin hath brought upon thee, far from thee and thine.

24. Then shalt thou have thy desire; for thou shalt be rich with content, which is worth a million.

25. Yea, the All-mighty himself in his love and favor, shall be thy riches and treasure, so that thou shalt think thyself happier and richer than gold or silver can make thee.

26. For thou shalt then have that which is worth, and better worth than all, to wit, peace toward God, and the comfortable enjoyment of his grace and favor toward thee, which shall make thee with an holy boldness to look God in the face without fear.

27. Thou shalt then be able cheerfully to address thyself to him in prayer, and shalt receive his gracious answers to thine infinite solace; so that thou shalt have continual cause and exercise of thanksgiving.

28. Yea, thou shalt but say the word, and it shall be done; such power shalt thou have with God, who shall in favor to thee, approve of all thy ways, and they shall prosper.

29. When other men are cast down as thou art now, then shalt thou be able to speak to them, and to God for them, and both to warrant and procure the delivery of the penitent person out of his afflictions.

30. Nay the humble and upright man who does righteously, and lives holily, shall not only prevail for one, but for a many, yea, the whole land or place where he lives shall fare the better for him. Thy good life and pure prayers when thou art such an one, shall for thy sake do much with God for all the rest, in working their deliverance from many an evil, which would else befall them.

CHAP. XXIII.

1. WHen Eliphaz had ended, Job thus beginneth:

2. All this long time of suffering I have found no ease, but from the beginning to this very day is cause of complaint still multiplied and increased upon me by injuries from men, and calamities from God; so that the sorrow and misery which I endure, do far exceed my lamentation, and are heavier than my groanings can express.

3. O that I knew where I might meet with God, and how to come to speak with him, that I might be no longer kept at distance from him, but might obtain access unto him, though it were even to his seat in heaven!

4. That so I might (as I long to do) even plead my cause, and maintain mine innocence before him, for all his afflicting me.

5. I would affirm as much to God himself as I do to you, and would not fear what he could, or would say against it.

6. Assuring myself beforehand, that he will not contest against me in any transcendent manner, nor stand upon his rigor and power with me, but that he will graciously enable me to speak the truth unto him touching my sincerity, and to maintain it before him.

7. I know, however he pleaseth to deal with the righteous here, yet there they may speak for themselves, and be heard without repulse; a happy man therefore should I think myself, had I this liberty granted me; for so I should be freed both from the slanders and condemnations of my unjust censurers, and also from the judgment of the Lord's transcendent righteousness, and execution of sovereign authority, which it is his will that here I must undergo, and should in mercy receive there the reward of mine innocence.

8. But alas, he will not allow me this happiness to find him out, that I may have speech with him; for he will not in any way, nor by any means I can use manifest himself so to me, as to give me the hearing, I cannot obtain it, though I seek it every way I can devise; for I put myself before him with a confident boldness of purpose to try if that way I can provoke him to it, but he keeps off from me; also I humble myself at my distance, to see if that way I can draw him to it, but all is one, I am never the nearer, he is every whit as far off.

9. I prayed him for the afflictions sake which he layeth upon me, but I cannot speed, for he quite contrary is the further off, by how much I desire to draw near to him.

10. But for all he keeps at this distance, and seems so strange to me, and will not grant me this favourto admit me to plead my cause before him; yet I am sure for all this he knows me and my ways to be such as I have said, and when he has held me a while in the fire of affliction, my uprightness shall be made manifest, and shall shine as gold in the eyes of those, that now through prejudice can see nothing but dross in me.

11. For I know, and dare maintain it, that I have been no such man as you suspect me for, but that I have constantly walked in the ways of the Lord without deviation or turning aside from them for any respect whatsoever.

12. Neither have I ever turned my back, or refused to yield obedience to any command of God, but contrarily, I have esteemed them better, and minded them more than my very meat and drink.

13. But that is all one; for what the Lord in his infinite wisdom and good pleasure hath determined with himself to do, he will not alter what ever any man allegeth to the contrary, and what ever pleaseth him, however it may displease us, yet that he doth.

14. And this is my very case now, for he doth in this my affliction, but only show his just prerogative upon me, to try me, not to punish me, and many such extraordinary things he pleaseth to decree and execute in his great power and unsearchable wisdom, whereof we can know, nor give no reason.

15. Therefore though I am troubled, yet it is this his greatness which I am to grapple withal, and do now sustain, and not my conscientiousnesse that troubles me, when I consider his immensity, that is the thing that makes me afraid of him.

16. For in this respect, God melteth and weakeneth my heart and spirit with fear and astonishment, as the wax before the fire; and I confess the thoughts of his Almightiness is no little trouble to me.

17. For because I see he useth it altogether against me, and not for me, for by an Almighty power it is that he hath brought me into this extremity, and therewith still continues me under it, and hath not rather prevented these intolerable evils by it through death.

CHAP. XXIV.

1. IF God be bound by his justice to punish evil-doers in this life; why then is it, that he who knows the length of their life, and the time of their departure hence, yet suffers them to die unpunished? and why then do not the godly, and they that serve him, always see it so, but ofttimes the contrary?

2. Yea, to instance in all sorts of wicked men; some go point-blank against God's Commandment, and privately do injury to their neighbor for their own advantage, robbing him of his right by removing his land-mark, and others with strong hand, take away other men's goods and cattle, and securely feed thereon.

3. They cruelly oppress the fatherless, and mercilessely exact upon the widow.

4. They put poor folk to extreme shifts, so as they know not how to live, and drive them to so narrow a scantling by enlarging their territories, that they are fain to crowd together like Bees in a hive, and for cruelty and oppression dare not show their faces.

5. See, if they rather like beasts, than men, do not rove and ramble up and down the earth for booty for them and theirs, and care for nobody else, nor how they come by that they have.

6. There is nothing scapes them, but other men's, both corn and wine, by oppression they wickedly usurp, and swallow all.

7. They are utterly merciless, having no charity nor pity, but destitute the poor of their very bed-clothes, inhumanely exposing them to the extremity of cold without clothing.

8. Driving them to endure most miserable hardship, even to lie out of doors in vehement storms, and tempestuous weather, and to take up with the holes of the rocks for houses to dwell in.

9. They cruelly extort even the very necessary food that should maintain and keep alive the widow and the child, and contrary to all law of God and nature, unmercifully take and detain the poor bodies pledge to his utter undoing.

10. Not sticking to strip him stark naked of all, both clothing and food, that should either cover his nakedness, or satisfy his hunger.

11. These oppressors make the poor laboring man to toile hard, and to scruze out for them their oil and their wine in the places where they themselves dwell safe and at ease; and yet compel him to suffer thirst the while, being by their cruelty abridged of his wages and livelihood dearly earned, and not suffered so much as to taste of his own labors.

12. In so much that the miserable groans and outcries of the oppressed, that can have no justice done them are vehemently breathed forth to heaven, even as a man that lieth mortally wounded at the point of death; which one would think were an apt occasion, and a fit season for God to show himself in, to right the poor innocent, and to punish the wicked oppressor, and yet for all this, we see he keeps silence and doth not plague them.

13. Yea, is not this true, even of such men, whose lives are so notorious, that they hate the very light, which reproves and discovers their evil doings? does not (I say) God spare even them, whose own consciences condemn themselves, driving them to act their deeds of darkness by night, and not by day, secretly and not openly.

14. As for instance; the murderous and cruel-minded man, he early executes his mischievous designs with all speed and diligence upon the poor and needy soul, that can make no resistance, and then obscures himself in the night as a thief.

15. And so again, the adulterous Whoremonger, he contrives and longs to fulfill his sin which he also effects in the dark by close and cunning carriage.

16. The thief in the like manner 〈◊〉 the night-bird, making use of the day to plot, and of the night to ex ••• re his villainy, not loving the light as inconvenient for his purpose and vexatious to his mind.

17. For when the morning comes, he is struck with fear, like a man ready to die, he is in miserable dread, lest he should be known or found of any.

18. He stays not long in a place, he flieth all company, his conscientiousnesse makes him lead a most miserably solitary, and base life, not daring to come nere any high way or place of concourse.

19. And so they spend their days, and will never leave sinning till death, but like as the snow remains unwasted till the Summer sun comes and melts it into the ground, so do the wicked subsist and go on, some in one way of wickedness, some in another, till the period of death finish their course.

20. Then indeed he shall be extinct, and be as if he had never been, returned shall he be to the dust again, and his memory shall perish, and his flourishing in wickedness shall then have an end, as a tree that is broken or blown down with the wind.

21. But yet in the mean time, God may let him live long to do much mischief, and to act many injuries unpunished, both evil entreating the solitary barren woman who hath none to pity her or take her part as others have, and to offer violence instead of yielding succor to the friendless widow.

22. Yea, not only oppressing the poor thus, but also bringing the rich to poverty by his overtopping might, dominering and tyrannizing over all sorts of men, and making them live in perpetual fear of him and bondage to him.

23. But though he live never so long in safety and prosperity, exercising these courses, and rest never so confidently on it; yet I know he shall certainly be plagued at last (though not here) for the eyes of God mark him, and he will be sure to reward him with just punishment.

24. Though God do (which no man can deny) exalt them here for a while, yet I acknowledge that in justice he must, and will give an end to their ways, and by death cut them off; but yet ofttimes no otherways than other men, not by any notorious judgment, but by a common and natural death, without making difference, like corn in harvest.

25. And if this be not true that God doth many things above, and contrary to man's reason, and that he lets wicked men spend their days in wickedness, and reserves their judgment till death, let any disprove me that can.

CHAP. XXV.

1. BIldad the Shuhite, being moved at Jobs boldness toward God, and confidence in himself, thus briefly makes answer to what he had spoken in the 23. Chapter.

2. God rules with Majesty in heaven, and gives laws to his Angels there, which they must obey, in which very place that there is peace, it is of his goodness and gracious decree, rather than of their merit.

3. Hath he not whole armies of Angels 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 holiness, so terrible also, and so allseeing, how dares any man living, or how is it possible for him to stand it out with God (as thou boastest) in his own justification, or for him that is naturally corrupt, begotten and borne of sinful parents, to appear 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 sinless, yea, the very Moon and Stars (that are so far from earth and so near to heaven) have contracted defilement, and are blemished; so that with God for man's sake, and by man's sin, even they are not accounted free from pollution in his sight.

6. How much less man himself (whence they have taken infection) and all that come of him, who both father and son, are all alike earthly creatures made subject to corruption by sin?

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 help hereby hast thou administered to my helpless state, or how hast thou herewith yielded me any aid or support in this my weak condition?

3. What friendly advice or useful counsel hast thou ministered to me by it, which yet thou takest me to stand in need of, and what ado hast thou kept to tell me what I know?

4. Who dost thou utter these overplus needless 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 withal, whereby thou mayest see that I am not to learn of thee touching him: I can tell thee that he is not only 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 deep 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 he 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 arm of power, extends to the most remote and uninhabited places of all the earth, he over-spreads those as these with the heavens, and disposeth things there as here, and he wonderfully upholds this heavy fabric and huge ball of the earth pendant in the midst of the heavens without any other support than his mighty power.

8. He bottles up the abundance of rain 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 keep and contain them, so that they let fall none but when he pleaseth.

9. He, when he pleaseth, withholdeth the Sun from us, that glorious light and beauty of the face of heaven, and causeth it at pleasure to suspend its power and virtue of light and heat, by overclouding the heavens, and masking it as with a veil.

10. He hath confined the raging and unruly seas with bounds and limits, which (do they what they can) they shall never pass till the end of the world, when all things shall be let loose to devastation.

11. His terror is formidable even to the mighty and high mountains (whereon the heavens seem to rest as on so many pillars) which tremble and shake with his thunder-claps and earth-quakes.

12. The sea, as outrageous as it is, subjects it self to his command, and against nature divides it self so, that dry land appears in the midst of it, and he knows how to tame it when the waves thereof are at proudest, and rise highest.

13. In a word, by his powerful spirit, wherewith he worketh, he hath both beautified and set forth the heavens in such a glorious manner as we see; yea, the same powerful hand it is (which indeed only maketh all things) that hath also formed the most deformed and dreadful creature in the earth.

14. Hereby you may imagine what I know think, and believe of God by these descriptions I have made of him, which yet I know are but parts of his admirable excellencies, and far short of him; for when you and I have said all we can to set him forth, how little notwithstanding, will it be in comparison of him and his greatness? as may appear by one instance more, which sets him forth most of all, and that is the power and Majesty that he utters in his thunder, which who can sufficiently admire?

CHAP. XXVII.

1. JOB having thus taken up Bildad, his three friends seeing they could do no good on him, held their peace, whereupon he takes occasion to speak his mind fully, and thus goes on:

2. As the Lord liveth, who hath not cleared me to be what I am, but hath laid it upon me 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 me;

3. That whilst I breath, and God lends me life,

4. No respect in the world shall make me eat my words, or go against my knowledge; for no man's pleasure or importunity will I do wickedly and betray the truth by saying otherways of myself than I have said, although never so many should judge against me.

5. No, God forbid that I should bolster you up in that sinful •• isprision and uncharitableness of yours, by yielding it for a truth, which you say, that God does punish me for mine hypocrisy and wickedness, no, I will never do it whilst I live; I will not belie myself, nor relinquish mine integrity, think how you will, and say of me what you will for it.

6. I am resolved to maintain mine uprightness, and not to part with it upon your persuasions or suspicions, my heart shall never be brought by anything you can do to accuse me falsely of hypocrisy.

7. For my part, I am sure, I am no such man as you conceit me to be, nor do I account myself ever the less righteous, or the less favored of God for these my sufferings, but it is mine enemy, and he that hath done me wrong, that is, both the unrighteous and the unhappy man; it is the wicked, and not the afflicted, that is out of favor with God.

8. As may appear by the hopeless and comfortless state which the wicked oppressor 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 vain doth God let him cry for comfort, not giving him any, when the conscience of his sins torment him, and the fear of death approaching, seizeth on him.

10. And what little joy he hath to think of God, and how unable he is to sustain or comfort himself with faithful and constant seeking and praying to the Lord.

11. I will show you by mine own observation of God's usual proceedings toward wicked men, what he hath in store (if that he pleaseth to execute it) for such wicked wretches as have done me this wrong, thus unjustly to oppress and rob me, being innocent: (for what I know to be a truth touching the Almighty, I will neither deny nor conceal 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 yourselves have confessed and affirmed to have noted as well as I, only by the way, tell me then how you can be so inconsiderate in what you say, as to affirm outward prosperity and wealth to be the sign of God's favor, and the contrary a sign 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 happiness; for though their children multiply never so, it shall be but the more to serve and satisfy God's revengeful 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 own very wives which they leave behind them, and of those funeral-women which are wont to bewail the deaths of the well-deserving, and to weep over their graves.

16. How ever they abound in all kind of worldly wealth;

17. Which I confess for present God may permit them to do, but they nor theirs shall be never the better for it, it shall come again 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 pulled down again in a very little time, even as the moth is brushed out of the garment where she had made her nest; or as the shepherd removes his Cabin.

19. The rich oppressor for all his riches shall one day die, as other men do, but he shall not be brought to his grave as others are with sorrow for his death; upon his death-bed he shall look about for comfort and recovery, but instead thereof shall see himself departing from all his former happiness, and death at hand.

20. And then shall an infinite weight of terrors oppress 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 return again, which shall with irresistable strength thrust him out of his Paradise.

22. For God shall heap afflictions on him as thick as hailstones, without showing him any mercy at all, and in vain shall he seek to escape him.

23. Nor shall any man be sorry for his death, but he shall depart hence with the reproach and obloquy of all men.

CHAP. XXVIII.

1. THe secrets of nature, though they be hid and very obscure, yet they are found out, and known, both where they are placed by nature, and how they are to be used by Art, through the natural wisdom that God hath given to man, as we see in the most hiddenest mysteries of nature, such as is the silver vein, which though deep in the earth, and far out of sight, yet is found out and known, as also is the Art of fining it, and gold, from their dross, to make them useful.

2. So also it is known 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 practiced.

3. By the skill that God hath given to man, he is able to bring to light, and gain the knowledge of the most remote & unknown things, and by searching to find out all the perfection of nature, the pretiousest stones and things that are engendered and bred in the darksom and deadly vaults of the earth.

4. He knows how to divert great rivers out of their channel, and for his use to turn 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 knows how to put the earth to all uses, for the superficies of it, that yields him bread, and lower down, out of the inwards of it he digges the materials of fire; as coles, &c. or finds out bright shining metals, and sparkling stones created of a sulphurous matter.

6. He knows where the riches thereof are; as precious stones and gold, how to come by them, and where to find them, the one among the quarries, the other among the dust and mold of the earth.

7. He by his skill and industry, goes as low under ground for these things, as the fowls fly high; he makes and finds out such ways in the earth, as the most piercing sighted, or most prey-seeking bird in all the air, 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 mountains withstand him, but by art and industry he mineth them, and works his will on both, to find the things he seeks for.

10. By his labor 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 nature yields will he let be lost for finding out, but brings all to light through labor and skill, be it never so low hid in the bowels of the earth.

11. He deviseth ways to keep out the floods which are caused by excess of rain, and naturally seeks out the lowest descent to run into; from falling into his pit, or interrupting his work, and whatsoever nature hath hid from him in her lowest depths and concaves, he knows how to compass and get it, notwithstanding all manner of difficulties.

12. Thus man is able to invent and find out ways by nature, art, and industry to discover and compass all things though never so strange and difficult, if they be within the bounds of nature. But now for supernatural and divine wisdom (which is the knowledge of God, and his ways that are unsearchable and past finding out) who is he that can by his art and skill show how to compass that, and find out the way and means to get this understanding?

13. Herein man is a fool, though otherways never so wise, he neither hath what to bid for it, nor knows how to come by it; for it is of higher value, and harder to be compassed than the preciousest things of the world, being nowhere within the bounds of nature, nor within the work of creation to be had; for it is no earthly, but a heavenly thing, hid in God.

14. If you dig to the very center of the earth to find it out, you shall lose your labor, or if you dive to the bottom of the sea, you are never the near; for neither sea nor land contain it.

15. Neither can it be bought at any rate, God will not merchandize it to man for gold nor silver.

16. Nothing that can be named comes near the worth of it, the finest gold nor richest stones.

17. There is no degree of comparison between it, and whatsoever you can imagine besides, Gold nor Crystal, nor ought else can equal it, and therefore God, from whom only we must have it, will not give it for any thing we can give for it, not for the finest gold, were there never so much offered him.

18. It's in vain to tender the rarest or richest things in all the world for it, Corall, or Pearl; for it is infinitely beyond Rubies or the rarest and most invaluable things of all the earth.

19. Be they never so far fetched, or never so much worth, as the Ethiopian Topaz, and the gold of Ophir.

20. So that I say then, How, or where is it possible for man to compass this transcendent wisdom and understanding, which yet you would seem to have?

21. Seeing it is not as other things are, within the compass of natural reason, nor by any natural means of art and industry to be attained. Nature is an utter stranger to it, it is hid from the knowledge of all creatures, high or low, one or other.

22. The most hidden and secret things, the grave and hell, though this wisdom be in them, and they be ordered by it, yet as deep as they are, it is deeper than they, so that they give not bounds unto it, nor can teach us the way to know it.

23. God only knows the way of his own supernatural wisdom, he hath reserved it to himself, and with him only it remains.

24. For it is he, who alone by his own wisdom ordereth and disposeth all things at his pleasure, everywhere throughout the whole Universe.

25. Weighing forth that proportion of winds according to his purpose, to blow where and when he pleaseth; and likewise sending forth what quantity of rain him liketh here and there.

26. Before anything had being, this wisdom was with him; for out of it he decreed the manner and way of the rain, so also of the thunder and lightening.

27. Even then was he acquainted with it in himself, not in the creature, as we are, which he declared by the creature; not learned from the creature, as we do, he decreed all things by it, and brought them forth in their order and manner as they now appear through it.

28. He hath reserved to himself the wisdom of government, and hath taught man another lesson, than to lesson and prescribe him, to wit, to be obedient to him, to fear his Name, and keep his holy Commandments, that is his duty, and therein is his wisdom and understanding.

CHAP. XXIX.

1. JOB after that he had reproved Bildad, justified himself, and convinced his friends of the unsearchable ways of God's wisdom, in the three foregoing Chapters; finding them all mute, and no reply made upon him, thus further proceeds to speak in his own behalf, by wishes, bewailings, and self-justifyings in these three Chapters following.

2. Oh (says he) that it were with me now as it was heretofore, when God smiled upon me, and upheld me in prosperity and happiness.

3. When I was apparently blessed of him, so that everyone saw, and could say, that he exceedingly favored me, when no cloud overshadowed me, but by the mercy of the Lord being free from sorrow and affliction whereto this life is so subject, I for my part had all happiness and good success attending me instead thereof.

4. In my former days thus it was: The special and peculiar love of God to me was then acknowledged by all, and seen in evident tokens of good will by his blessing and prospering me and all that belonged unto me; O that it were so now, as it was then!

5. Before this evil befell me, when as God Almighty was extraordinarily with me in the ample manifestation of his love unto me, and unremoved from me as now he is, when my children were all alive, and were great comforts unto me.

6. When I had all manner of plenty, abounding in every good thing, and when as there was nothing but by the will of God, it was blessed and made serviceable to me, and conduced to enrich me.

7. When I went honourably attended to the place of judicature, having many spectators; and had the seat of justice set up, and made ready for me in the place of concourse.

8. When men of all ages and degrees reverenced me; for the young men knowing my wisdom, and seeing my grave deportment, would in a respectful distance, absent themselves from my presence, as awed with it, and fearing the censure of my wisdom and gravity, the aged also had me in such esteem, that they would perform that respect to me which was due to them.

9. My wisdom and my person was had in such account, as that the very chief and prime of all the Princes of the people would refrain to speak before me in reverence of me.

10. The Noble men were so awed with my wisdom, that they were afraid to speak in my presence.

11. When ever I spake, it was known to be with such wisdom and integrity, that they that heard me, would bless me, and bless God for me, and all men when they saw me, would give me the praise thereof, and acknowledged me for my wise and upright carriage of things amongst them to be a blessing to them.

12. For, because I righted the poor that complained of wrong, and befriended the fatherless in like sort, and was ever a helper to the helpless person.

13. The affectionate prayer of many a poor soul hath been bestowed upon me, who being hopeless, and not knowing which way to turn him, I have stuck to in his extremity, and kept him from undoing: And the poor distressed widow, when she was wronged, I took her part, and righted her upon her adversary, to the cheering and rejoicing of her sad heart in her friendless and exposed condition.

14. It was my study and care in all my ways to be righteous, unblameable, and just both before God and man, for which God greatly blessed me, and men highly honored me.

15. I gave advice and counsel to the simple, and support to the weak and impotent.

16. I was a pitiful to the poor as a father to his child, and as careful of them; so that they wanted not what I could bestead them in; and the cause which to the poor man's disadvantage was coloured over with deceitful pleadings, I took pains in it to find out the truth, that the poor might receive no wrong.

17. And I disappointed the wicked man's covetous and cruel purposes, nor ever could I suffer his power to prevail against the innocent, though it was never so great, but evermore rescued the oppressed out of his malice and rapine.

18. In those days of my foresaid prosperity, which God had so abundantly heaped upon me (to see therefore his wonderful ways) I little thought I should have come to this estate, having such abundance of all things, with God's favor and mine own integrity to secure me; I little thought, I say, I should ever have come to this, but hoped that I should have died in peace and quiet, rich and honorable, after a long life.

19. For I grew up, and increased wondrously in all manner of felicity, and the blessing of God continually attended on me, and was with and upon everything I did and all I had.

20. He increased mine honor daily, still supplying me with extraordinary and seasonable wisdom upon every occasion, yea, and he increased my power also to execute my counsels.

21. Men longed to hear me deliver my mind in any matter, waiting for Wisdom and Justice to come from me, and with silence diligently listened to mine advice and counsel.

22. Which when they had heard, they received it as an Oracle, without reply; my speech was precious, and like dew drops, brought refreshing to their longing and expecting minds when it fell from me.

23. The former, nay, the later rain, after the Summers heat, is not more thirsted for, and gaped after of the chawned earth, than my judgment and advice was till I gave it.

24. If I by my smiles gave any intimation of my suspicion of any report or business, it was presently distrusted and dissented from of all the rest; and on the oath hand, my least countenance or show of approbation to any cause, was observed of others as a rule to go by.

25. In those days I was the only man in all matters, chosen by consent of all to be the Prolocutor, and advanced to the first place in all assemblies and places of Judicature, and had my house resorted to like a Kings Court in an army for advice, and dispatch of business; yea, I was flocked unto from far and near, as a man of a thousand, that is known to be able to administer words of consolation to mournful and drooping spirits, is wont to be.

CHAP. XXX.

1. THus it was with me heretofore: whilst I prospered, I was had in honor, and esteem of all men, but now that God hath turned the scales, and cast me into affliction, all men (to see how variable their judgments are without reason) have me in contempt, yea, even those that are younger than I, who by all laws of God and nature, owe me respect for mine age sake, and which heretofore stood in awe of me, do now scorn me, whose fathers were beggarly shackrags and base conditioned rascalls, whom I scorned to employ in the meanest office I had; for I had none bad enough for such base companions, who were of such conditions that for my part, I valued my very shepherds curs beyond them.

2. Men, that neither I, nor any man else, could make use of; for they were never good for anything, but had wasted out their whole time unprofitably in idleness and lewd living.

3. Such as through their base pranks, and vile conditions, durst not appear in open view, but were driven to such straits, that they have not known which way to turn them, nor what course to take to get a belly full of meat; for heretofore, when it was otherways with me than now it is, they were glad for fear of me, to take their heels, and fly far enough off, into remote and unfrequented places, and there to lurk where I could not light on them.

4. Who, to avoid me, have been fain to live in a most penurious beggarly manner, feeding on nothing but Mallowes and Juniper roots, and such like things in the time of their banishment.

5. Men of such vile conditions, that not I only, but no man else could abide them, they were never thought worthy to live in any civil society, but were out-lawed of all men, and hated as if they had been the arrantest thieves in the world.

6. So as that they were forced for fear and shame, to dwell in remote obscure places, and durst not show their heads:

7. But lived like wild Asses, having no company but themselves, and their hiding place was among bushes and nettles, where they hoped nobody could find them, or would come to seek them.

8. They were children of most wicked and despicable men, such as were not thought worthy to go upon the ground.

9. And now these very fellows stick not to come out of their holes, and to show their faces in affront of me, and to triumph over me with scornful Balads and by-words.

10. They abhor, and disdainfully keep a loofe of me, as scorning to come near; they beard and affront me in the vilest manner that can be imagined.

11. Because the Lord hath brought me low, & bereaved me of that power and honor which I formerly enjoyed, and wherewith I held them straitly under; therefore they now take the liberty and opportunity to despise me, and in an unbridled manner without fear, shame, or manners, offer me abuse, and let loose the reins of all disrespect and contempt upon me.

12. A rowt of lawless youngsters that could never abide me; for because I was ever most severe against them, have rebelliously assaulted me, and by strong hand robbed me of all my worldly substance and support at once, utterly disabling me of all power to right or help myself, and have fully compassed my ruin, which they have long wished and intended to me, and have blocked up every door of hope and possibility of better.

13. They hated my courses, and could not away with my ways, and therefore their desire was to overthrow both me and them, and to this end they forwarded my destruction all that ever they could possible: They needed none to animate or put them on to so mischievous a business.

14. For they were forward enough to it of themselves, rushing in upon me with all their violence at once, and slacking no time, but fell pell mell upon all that ever I had, adding one mischief to another, so fast as ever they could act it, when they saw opportunity and the breach once made.

15. All manner of formidable evils have light upon me, they have suddenly and vehemently surprised me, to the great affrighting and amazing of my soul, when as all my welfare is thus vanished in a moment.

16. In so much as my soul and spirit is quite wasted and spent with sorrow, my afflictions have so sore oppressed me.

17. Besides the loss of my estate, my bodily pain is so great also, that my very bones and sinews which should strengthen me, can themselves gather no strength through pain and restlessness in my very bed.

18. By the extremity of my disease, and by the matter that it forceth outward in boils and sores, the issuings whereof my clothes soake in, it cometh to pass they are utterly stained and spoiled, and so stiffened with that congealed matter, as that they which once sat loose and easy to my body, are all over now as hard and strait upon me as my collar.

19. God hath, as it were, trampled me to dirt, and made me like an heap of dust and ashes.

20. And furthermore, in all this extremity I cry to God, and can get no answer nor relief; I present myself before him in prayer, and offer myself to his view, to see if such a pitiful spectacle and suppliant, can move anything with him, but it avails me nothing.

21. Thou hast not dealt so well with me heretofore, but now thou dealest as ill; thy infinite goodness seems to be turned into infinite severity and hard-hearted cruelty; for one would think that with all the main force of thy mighty power thou opposest thyself gainst me, so as that thou couldst not use me worse than thou dost.

22. As the whirlepust lifts up the dust, and carries it far away; so hast thou as with a sudden blast, translated me out of all health and happiness, that the earth and this life can afford, and hast separated me as such an infinite distance from them, that I am sure we can never meet again; for my flesh is already falling asunder peacemeale, and turning to dust, as if it were in the grave.

23. And this thou dost, because I know thou art purposed utterly to make an end of me, and by afflictions to bring me to the grave, whither all men living must come sooner or later, one way or other, as it pleaseth thee.

24. Howbeit I am sure of this, That the Lord will not trouble me here, but that there I shall have rest, both I and others that are innocent like myself, whom yet here he is pleased to exercise under affliction, and to make groan under heavy pressures.

25. I did not carry myself towards other men, as other men carry themselves toward me, and therefore I hoped for better. I am sure I wept for them that were in trouble, and my soul had a fellow-feeling of the poor man's misery that at any time befell him.

26. And now that I ought to have been so dealt withal by others, it's nothing so, but whereas I expected and hoped to have found some pity, I find none; and instead of that comfort I hoped to have received from my friends and companions, I can find nothing but discomfort.

27. With most compassionate sympathy did my bowels earn over the afflicted, so that I could have no quiet in myself, for grieving and taking thought for them, I was seldom or never without sorrow for someone or others affliction.

28. Such was my fellow-feeling, and my heart took on so sore for them, that nothing could comfort me, me thought the Sun shone not warm upon me the whilst: yea, so sensible was I of their pressures, that I could not contain myself, but made their cases known in an open and pitiful manner to other men, to raise them more friends, and to move others also as well as myself to pity and pray for them.

29. But on the contrary, I am unpitied and forsaken of all men, a solitary and forlorn man in these my miseries.

30. These things make me in a lamentable state, so that my skin with sorrow and anguish, is quite changed from white to black, and my bones are, as it were, consumed with inward torment of soul.

31. Every thing increaseth sorrow, nothing in the world affords me any comfort, so that all my musical instruments have quite changed their tune, and now there is nothing but woe and lamentation heard from me.

CHAP. XXXI.

1. BUt however it hath pleased God to deal with me, or what ever the world thinks of me, I am sure that I have walked strictly with God, and have given mine heart to him in all points, with full purpose to order all my ways with self-denial according to his will; as to instance first in the most flesh-pleasing lust of carnal concupiscence. I made a covenant with mine eyes touching it, never to look upon a maid unlawfully to lust after her, and set a strict watch over them accordingly, to prevent their sudden surprisal and inconsiderate glances; and like as I watched mine eyes without; so upon the same reason, because I would not offend God, did I also watch my thoughts within, that they entertained no Iustfull speculations, thus taking care, and using all diligence to approve myself every way upright to God, both within and without.

2. For I knew, and well considered the reward of a sinful man and an hypocrite that either lived loosely, or carried it cunningly, how that to such a man, God, who from above seeth all things here below would afford no grace nor favor;

3. But contrarily hath in his just decree appointed destruction for such, and his fearful indignation severely to light upon them.

4. I evermore set the Lord before mine eyes as seeing all my ways, and observing my paths, who I know, knows them well enough.

5. And therefore I appeal to him, whether I have walked in any vain way or sinful course, or if I have delighted or desired to do wrong to any.

6. I desire with all my heart that God would take my judgment into his own hands, where I am sure I should have right done me; for I know his eyes cannot be so blinded with mine afflictions (though men's are) but that for all them he will be able impartially to see and know me to be upright.

7. For my part I desire no favor, if he find me not so, if he find that I have (as is said of me) stepped aside to 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 do wickedly, or that I have willingly with consent of heart, suffered mine eyes to break their bounds in lust or courting, or that my hands have been guilty of receiving any bribe to the dishonor of my function, and blemish of mine integrity:

8. Then let God lay what punishment he will upon me, let nothing be blessed that I put my hands unto, but let me plow and sow and take much pains for increase to no purpose, let others reap the profit from me; yea, let him root me from off the earth, so that no one of all mine offspring remain thereon to uphold my name.

9. If I have suffered mine heart to be seduced from mine own wife by any other woman, or if I have ever wronged any one in that kind:

10. Then let me be so dealt withal, as is but just and equal; let my wife break her bond of duty to me, and subject her self to another, and let her be adulterously prostituted to other men in like manner.

11. For this is a sin most notoriously vile, and extremely odious to God, which shall not escape unpunished of him, who hath appointed it to be punished even by the civil Magistrate.

12. If I be guilty of this, I know very well what will come of it, That it shall certainly kindle the wrath of God against me, to mine utter ruin and destruction.

13. Or if ever through pride or passion I was wont by strong hand to bear down, or sleight the righteous cause and just pleadings of those that were my servants, man or maid, when in any business they desired me to hear them clear themselves.

14. For I had this humbling consideration ever in my thoughts, which made me carry myself fittingly toward them: If I reject and scorn mine inferiors, and stop mine ears against their humble entreaties, and just defences, how think I, shall I answer it to God, when he questions me upon it? or how shall I speed with him, who is so infinitely beyond me, when he takes up a controversy against me? how then shall I have my prayers heard, or my answers and humble pleadings in mine own behalf find acceptance, and take place with him?

15. And thus I further considered, Did not the same God make him that made me, and caused us to be borne alike, and so to be equal in nature, though in civil respects he hath preferred me before him.

16. If I have detained the poor man's pledge against his will, or have any way wronged him, either by delaying to do him right, or by keeping him from his right, or have given cause to the widow to weep and complain of me, either for doing her wrong myself, or not righting her on others that wronged her.

17. Or if I have either basely or covetously, unhospitably, or uncharitably been wont to devour my substance myself alone, without imparting it with a free and bountiful mind to the fatherless, and such as had need.

18. (For I have been ever a harbourer and succourer of the distressed, and have always had a fatherly care to provide for all such as I saw were helpless and in need, fatherless, or widow.)

19. If I have seen any poor soul suffer through nakedness and want of clothing, or any poor man destitute of necessaries to keep him warm:

20. And have not in pity and charity supplied him, and accommodated him with clothing and all needful conveniences out of the store that God hath given me:

21. If I have taken advantage by my power and authority to wrong or oppress any fatherless or helpless one in judgment, though if I would I could have been sure to have had it gone on my side against them:

22. If these or any of these can justly be laid to my charge, then let the Lord mark me for such an one by some notorious judgment, beyond any that he hath laid upon me yet; Let mine arm rot off, or to make it more remarkable, let it fall suddenly from my shoulder, and be broken from the bone that doth uphold it, to my utter disabling, as a punishment of my sin, and token of my hypocrisy.

23. I am sure none of these can be justly fathered upon me; for I always had the fear of God before mine eyes; I knew how he hated and would punish such things, and therefore durst never be guilty of any of them; his greatness and majesty awed me that I durst do no such matters.

24. If I have been guilty of spiritual Idolatry, making gold my God, by reposing any hope in it to be happy by it, or have built my faith and confidence of future subsistency and welfare in my abundance of the choicest and chiefest riches:

25. If in a carnal security I have immoderately rejoiced in mine abundance of wealth, or as if because by mine own wit and industry I had heaped up much:

26. If ever I beheld the Sun in his glory, or the Moon in her beauty, as do the Idolatrous heathen about me:

27. And have either secretly in my heart and affections been enticed to worship those excellent creatures instead of the Creator, and ascribe to them the honor and thanks of his providence, as they do; or openly by such outward expressions as they use.

28. This also, could it be laid to my charge, were worthy punishment from God; for it were no less than blasphemy and Atheism, and so of due to be punished even by the Magistrate.

29. If I revengefully rejoiced at the destruction of mine enemy and him that hated me, or proudly trampled upon him in his misery, which I have not.

30. (Neither have I given way to my passion so much as to let my mouth break out sinfully to curse him, or to wish him evil)

31. Yea, though I have been strongly pressed by others to revenge myself, who were near unto me, and had power with me in other things, and who themselves, out of love and respect to me, being impatient of mine injury, would fain have wrought my revenge, and offered it, if I would have suffered them.

32. It's well known, the stranger did not lodge harborless if I knew of it, but that I bid the way-faring weary traveler welcome to my house.

33. If I at any time have concealed my sin from God, as did Adam, and as all men naturally are apt to do, by excuse or extenuation, and have not humbly with self-judging confessed it to him, but kept it unuttered in my bosom, as loath to leave it, or to be humbled for it.

34. No, I did none of these, nor did I ever, either for the fear of a violent and combined multitude, or of the loss of friends and acquaintance, and their falling off from me, (though they were of never so considerable quality and number) at any time keep within doors, and hide my head, or hold my peace, but openly reproved sin, and shown myself always in the behalf of the innocent with impartiality and justice.

35. O that any one heard me that could object anything against me, nay, if I lie, I desire the Almighty would tell me so, and that any, whomsoever he is, (for I except none) that can object anything against what I have said, would make his allegations against me, and set down his accusations in writing; that I might read and know them, and so might completely clear myself by my reply.

36. Surely I would not take it ill at any man's hands whomsoever, but would think he did me a very great favor in it, and would set choicely by it, nor should it daunt me, but encourage me, for I should not doubt, but upon my reply, it would turn to my exceeding honor; for mine innocence assureth me the triumph and victory over any adversary, or accusations in the world.

37. I would deal truly with him; for I would tell him all that ever I know by myself, and would relate unto him the whole course of my life, nor would I shrink back, or flinch him one jot, but would boldly encounter him, and make good my matter against him whoever he were.

38. If my land blame me for unjust and cruel dealings toward them that plowed and husbanded it.

39. If I have reaped the benefit of it through other men's labors without wages justly paid them, or have racked my rents to the occupiers undoing.

40. Then let all my labor and seed be evermore lost; Let thistles grow instead of Wheat, and cockle instead of Barley; let me have weeds for corn. The words of Job in expostulation with his three friends are here ended.

CHAP. XXXII.

1. FOr these three foresaid men seeing they could not prevail with Job to be otherways opinionated of himself then as an upright & innocent man, gave over now at last to press anymore upon him.

2. Elihu the son of Barachel, who came of Buz, the son of Nahor, who was the brother of Abraham, having heard all that had past between Job and his three friends was moved with indignation against both him and them. Now the reason why he was angry with Job, was not because he maintained his own integrity against his friends, but because he over-eyed his own righteousness to the lessening of God's, pleading it too far (not only against his friends, but) even to God him self in the way of expostulation, and therewith questioning his righteousness in so dealing with him, instead of acknowledging it, and admiring his ways.

3. And the reason why he was also angry with Job's three friends, was, because they could not directly tax Job, nor convincingly prove against him, that which all this while upon a bare surmise they had accused him of, namely, of being an hypocrite and and wicked man.

4. Now Elihu (though with child to speak) yet had modestly bridled his desire till Job had fully ended his last and long reply, nor had he ever offered to interrupt the discourse of Job's three friends in all this time, or put himself in amongst them; for being all his Elders, he gave them precedency of speech.

5. But when he had heard out Job, and saw that those three men were gravelled, and that for all that they had said against him, they were now at last (for want of clear conviction) fain to leave him as they found him, to wit, a righteous man, and innocent of the hypocrisy and crimes they laid to his charge. He hereupon was provoked to utter his mind.

6. And thus at last, Elihu the son of the a foresaid Barachel the Buzite put forth himself to speak as followeth: I am conscious to myself of my youth, together with the weaknesses accompanying it, and of your precedency of age, and the advantages which usually attend it, which did awe me from speaking all this while, so that I durst not show mine opinion in so weighty a business, nor before such grave personages, till that I had heard all that you could say.

7. For though my youthful desire prompted me to speak, yet I checked it, and refrained myself, giving leave (as was fitting) for those who were my ancients to speak first, who I thought in all probability knew therefore best how wisely to instruct the erring.

8. But though age hath odds of youth, yet one man as well as another hath a spirit of understanding, (reason and judgment) in him, whereby through supply of special inspiration from God that can do all things, he may be able to know that which want of years denies him.

9. Wisdom is the gift of God, and therefore those men always have it not that we think are the likeliest; for we see great men, who have advantage of means and education, are not always the wisest men, neither the aged that have advantage of time and experience, have always proportionable understanding and judgment, but may, and do both of them come short (at least in some things) of their inferiors.

10. My spirit therefore being inspired of God, and also stirred up by him to speak, and having noted your errors, notwithstanding your ages, I am bold to take leave to challenge your attentions, till I also give my judgment, and take my turn in this cause.

11. Know you all, that I have not slept the while I have been silent, but diligently waited for, and attended to all you said; I seriously considered the reasons and arguments which fell from you, which I perceived all this while to be the best you could invent to evince your adversary.

12. Yea, I purposely hearkened to you to have had some convincing reasons from you of that you accused Job, but the truth is, (for so far I must take his part) there is not any one of you, that hath convincingly proved that you alleged against him, nor answered that which he hath said for himself.

13. God hath given him the victory, that you might see the weakness of your argument, and not continue confident in your erroneous maxim, as if it were an unerring truth. That Job must needs be a wicked hypocrite, because God, who is just and all-seeing, and cannot do wrong, nor mistake as man may, does afflict him.

14. Now, as hitherto I have given Job no cause by siding with you to say anything against me, so neither will I now do it; for I utterly dislike your course, and therefore will neither take up your Theme against him to condemn him for an hypocrite, nor use your argument to prove it, because of God's afflicting him; for I hold it a mere Sophism.

15. They that should have spoken to Jobs reply, fell to wondering at him instead of convincing him with further and better arguments; for indeed, having no more to say, they were forced to give over their feeble reasoning.

16. So that when I had waited for their answer as at other times, but heard none from them (for they were all silent and made no reply.)

17. I was resolved hereupon to take the matter in hand, to answer Job myself, and to give mine opinion in the business.

18. For I have much to say, and many reasons to urge against him in God's behalf, and my mind standeth vehemently to utter them.

19. Yea, I cannot hold, I even swell with desire to speak my mind, that Job may be humbled, and God glorified.

20. I must needs therefore speak to ease my spirit, yea, I both must, and will make answer for God.

21. In whose business, let it not be expected from me to spare any man's fault out of respect to his person or condition, nor to sooth you up in your errors and mistakes, with fair words, and flattering encomiums.

22. For I am not skilled in the way of flattery, nor durst I use it, if I were, for in so doing, I know I should provoke the omniscient God that made me, and who hateth such things, to be avenged on me with speedy destruction.

CHAP. XXXIII.

1. WHerefore, Job, I pray thee, give good heed to what I shall say, and let it not be tedious to thee, but conceive of it as coming from one that wishes thee well, and have the patience to hear me out.

2. Thou seest I have not been forward to speak, but have waited till now that all have done, which I take to be a fit time for me to begin, having heard all that hath been said on both sides, and seriously weighed them, which makes me both the abler and bolder now to speak my mind.

3. And beforehand, I assure thee this, which also I would have thee credit, that I will speak nothing out of passion or partiality, as thou conceivest others to have done, but what I say shall come from an honest heart, nor will I obtrude mine own conjectures and surmises for doctrinal truths upon thee, as my fore-runners have, but I will utter demonstrative things.

4. Thou hast wished for one like thyself in God's stead, to dispute the matter with thee, why, know, that I am he. I am a creature as thou art, neither better nor worse, but in all points the same with thyself, made by the finger of God as thou art, and have my life from him as thou hast.

5. Therefore now make good thy challenge, and if thou canst, spare not to answer to that which I shall say; for thou mayest boldly speak thy mind, there is no cause of fear.

6. For, as I say, I am in God's stead according to thy desire to dispute the matter with thee, who am just such an one as thou art, neither higher nor lower, but a pot by the hand of the Potter, molded out of the same clay.

7. So that (as thou conditionedst) thou seest there is no cause of fear to deal with me, nor can I do thee any hurt or oppress thee, so as to hinder thee from speaking thy mind fully and freely.

8. I will lay nothing to thy charge, nor object anything against thee, but what I have heard come from thee, yea, out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee, for thus thou hast presumptuously spoken.

9. (Justifying thine own righteousness, and questioning God's) I have not sinned against God, but am innocent from giving him any offense, neither can he lay any iniquity to my charge, or show cause why he thus afflicts me.

10. So that he is over rigorous, purposely picking quarrels against me, and of his mere pleasure maketh cruel war upon me without just cause.

11. Using all manner of hardship toward me, keeping me continually fast locked in afflictions, watching me, lest I should make an escape, and find some ease, which he will by no means permit me to have.

12. Thus, or to this purpose, hast thou charged God, thou canst not deny it, and however thou art otherways upright or righteous, I will not take upon me to judge, only in this I am sure, and dare say thou art not justifiable, but worthy to be condemned of sinful and presumptuous arrogance and pride of heart (for which God may and does justly afflict thee) and thus I prove it, from the wonderful disparity between God and man, betwixt whom there is no comparison, God infinitely transcending him, and his capacity to judge.

13. And consequently, how insolent a thing is it for thee to cample and reason it thus unreverently with God as thou hast done, whose will in all things is a law most righteous, nor is he bound to give any other reason but his will for any of his actions.

14. In all which, yet there is reason and a gracious meaning too, if thou knewest it; for God many times, and divers ways solicits and admonisheth man (as now he doth thee) if man would, and could understand him, which partly through the pride and security, and partly through the dullness of his heart he does not.

15. Out of which spiritual slumber, God trieth all ways to awaken men; for he teacheth them by nightly molestations, in dreams and visions, to the disturbance of their sleep and rest, as thou complainest.

16. And this way he taketh to instruct men, and remarkeably to set his home doctrine upon them.

17. Which is, to withdraw man from cherishing and maintaining himself in his own self-valuing conceits, derogatory to God, and to bring him to stoop to an humble and selfedenying subjection to him, expunging pride, (which God corrects in thee.)

18. That so he may in mercy keep him from perishing for it, both in soul and body, temporally and eternally.

19. And further also, to work this cure, and purge this pride, he brings high-minded man into a woeful condition, easelessely punishing him with tormenting pains, as he does thee, yea, making every bone in his body (as many as they are) to ache with vehement torture.

20. So that he may be forced through extremity of anguish, neither to care to eat necessary nor pleasant meat, but neglect all manner of sustenance.

21. Yea, he may be brought to that pass and such a change wrought in him, as that his flesh which was wont to be plump and smooth, may be utterly wasted to nothing (as thou complainest thine is) and his bones, which before were comelily covered, may most deformedly and gastly stick out.

22. Yea, he may be at the very point of death, ready to breath out his soul, and his life in continual jeopardy by his deadly plagues.

23. Now, when God hath brought him to this pass, and he still continues blind, and none of all this will make him perceive his error and God's 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 special messenger (as he does me to thee) a man faithful and able (which is a singular gift of God and very rare) to bring him to a sight of his sin, and to set him upright in the sight of God by repentance.

24. This soon altereth the case; for hereupon God is presently appeased toward him, and graciously accepts him, comfortably cheering his heart with an assured freedom from death and hell, his sin upon his repentance being done away in the sight of God by the blood of his Son which he sees accepted in his behalf.

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 fair-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 favor, and shall find it: and whereas, if he did but think of God, he was troubled; now being justified from his sin, he shall have abundance of joy and peace in his soul toward God.

27. For God longs to be gracious to me, and waits that he may be so, looking when a man will see his sin and confess it, how that he hath gone out of the way, and justly suffers by it.

28. Such a man shall soon have his pardon sealed, his fear banished, and his soul comforted; so that for afterwards he shall lead a happy life.

29. Lo, I have told thee what varieties of ways, and diversity of means God is oftentimes fain to use toward such a man as he means well to.

30. Aiming only at his good, that his sin unrepented of be not his death and destruction, but that in the sight and feeling of God's grace and favor towards him, he may lead a comfortable and happy life.

31. Job, I pray thee consider well what I say, as that which nearly concerns thy good, let me yet further have thine attention without interruption, for I have more to speak.

32. Not that I desire to stop thy mouth, if thou questionest anything that I have said, and hast any just exception against it in thine own defense, if thou hast, speak freely, for I desire not to condemn thee in anything wherein thou art justifiable; only thy pride I tax, which is apparent.

33. But if so be thou canst take no just exception, then do not needlessly interrupt me, but let me go on, and I make no question but before I have done, I shall make thee understand thine error, and God's just dealing, and shall show thee the way to find mercy.

CHAP. XXXIV.

1. WHereupon Elihu goes on further to question Job of, and to give answer to the words he spake against God, and appealing to his friends touching them, he said:

2. I pray you listen well to what I say, and according to your wisdoms judge of it; give ear to what I speak, and let your understandings censure if it be not right.

3. For a judicious and considerate ear 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 Job by ungrounded conjectures, but let us state the controversy against him, so as it is, that it may hold water; let us go knowingly to work according to apparent truth, which is the likely way to prevail with him.

5. For Jobs miscarriage of himself is evident, and how presumptuously he hath justified himself and accused God, is known to us all, saying, I am righteous, and God doth not do me right accordingly, but dealeth too rigorously with me.

6. I should lie and wrong myself if I should not justify my righteousness, and maintain it, that this my so grievous affliction is without just cause.

7. Did we ever hear 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 he thirsted to despite him in the way of revenge?

8. Who hath so far forgot himself, as that his carriage under his afflictions is equal, and makes him like to those that never had knowledge of God, but have ever lived in sin and profaneness, yea, he 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 whilst he justifies his own righteousness, and taxeth God of cruelty.

10. Therefore hearken to what I plead against him, and in your wisdoms, 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 means belong to him, but to us:

11. For it is both his covenant and custom, to render to men according to their works, and to judge them according to their ways.

12. Which he is well able to make appear, whatsoever we think to the contrary; for there is nothing more certain and sure, than that God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty, who is Judge of all the earth, deal 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 himself (think we) is fit to dispose of the world, and all things in it in wisdom and justice?

14. If God set his heart against man, and resolve ether in his absolute sovereignty, or for punishment of his sin to unmake him again, by taking from him that which at first he gave him to live and subsist by, that is, his soul and spirit.

15. Then of necessity, man-kind must all at once perish, and be annihilated or turned into the matter he made him of, that is, to dust, and this may he most justly do.

16. Now then Job, if thou hast understanding (as I know thou hast) consider with thyself, how justly he may do thus by thee, who art but one, seeing that of his good pleasure only 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 govern and punish wrong-doers, and wilt thou dare to condemn and tax him thus of injustice, that is even righteousness it self, and the fountain whence all floweth?

18. Thou knowest both how undecent and dangerous it is, to tax an earthly King, and to say to him, Thou art unrighteous, though he be so, or to say to Princes, that yet are but mortal men, ye are unjust, though it be true.

19. How much more both dangerous and undecent must it needs be, wrongfully to accuse God hereof, who abhors injustice and partiality, himself not accepting of any whomsoever for personal respects, not the Prince above the Peasant, nor the rich more than the poor; for it is his power that made them equal in nature, and his providence that made them differ in condition.

20. God brings his plagues ofttimes, and in many places suddenly, and never expostulates the matter, but in a trice executes judgment upon all, and makes no difference, but sweeps away the ignorant common people, at a time when they are most secure, and least fear it, and the great ones also that was fearless of any human strength, by a way they never dreamed of.

21. For he is both able and exceeding careful to do justice, to that end diligently beholding every man's ways, so that he cannot be mistaken in the execution of judgment, who overseeth and knoweth all their courses better than themselves.

22. Yea, he sees them all, and that most clearly; for there is nothing can hide the most secretst sins of a wicked man from the sight of God.

23. So that however it may seem to us, God hath justice on his side; for he will punish no men wrongfully, nor by any unjust dealing will he give him just cause to complain.

24. He punisheth all sorts of men, not sparing those of the highest rank, who yet are his Vicegerents on earth, but proceeds against them, and that without any legal process and examination of witnesses, but of his own accord, displaceth them, and placeth others in their steads.

25. Wherefore we may be sure he hath just cause for what he does, and that it is for their deservings that on a sudden unlooked for he comes so fiercely upon them without warning or discussion of the cause, and quite destroys them.

26. Though, as I say, they be his Vicegerents, and next to himself, yet he spares them not, but being wicked, they fare alike with others that are so, his justice impartially plaguing them in an exemplary manner.

27. And the cause, no doubt, is this, for that in the pride of their hearts, which great men are subject to, they refused obedience, and would not learn his ways to walk in them.

28. So that by their insolencies they have caused the poor man's cry to come up to God, and he shows it upon them that he hath heard the cry of the oppressed against them.

29. God is he that blesseth and afflicteth as he sees good, which no man is able by any reason or allegation, to prevent or alter, and therefore should not dare to quarrel or question him; for when he in grace giveth happiness, who is there that can make unhappy? And on the contrary, if he in his just displeasure withhold his favor, who then can change his mind and countenance when he frowns, whether it be against more or less, a single man, or a whole commonwealth?

30. Thus does he with great and absolute power, and in much justice over-rule and order things, that so he may control the insolent wicked man, and hinder his tyrannifing, and prevent the people's oppressing, which themselves cannot.

31. Surely then, if God be so just and so powerful; it is a thing meet when we are under his afflicting hand, not proudly to expostulate the matter with him upon our own innocence, but to acknowledge him just, however absolute he seems in laying his chastisement upon us and ourselves to have deserved it, so as humbly to beg for pardon, and promise amendment.

32. And if we know not our fault, yet assuredly to believe we are in fault, and therefore to entreat the Lord to open our eyes, that we may see and know that by ourselves, which hath offended him, and which he would have amended, with humble and hearty promise of it.

33. Thinkst thou it fit that the great God of heaven should be counseled by thee, in what measure he should correct, or in what way he should amend sin, no, he'll go his own way, and do as he sees good, say thou what thou canst, or however it please or displease thee; and for mine own part, I dare not entertain a thought of prescribing any manner of course to him in his proceedings, nor censure any of his doings: therefore, if thou canst acquit thyself of this crime and accusation which I have laid to thy charge, as thou didst of theirs, why, speak for thyself what thou canst say.

34. Nay, I appeal to any man of understanding if I speak not truth, and justly tax thee, yea, let any man that hears me without prejudice, and is able to judge, tax me if I say amiss.

35. When as I blame thee for thy pride, which is undeniable in thy behavior and carriage towards God, which hath been very foolish and provoking, as thy speeches can witness.

36. My desire of God is, that Job may be thoroughly convinced of his fault, and at last be brought upon his knees, and made to eat his words, and to glorify the justice of God by humbly confessing his sin, that so the mouths of wicked men may be stopped, to whom he hath given great advantage to blaspheme by his accusing God of hard and unrighteous dealing.

37. For instead of humbling himself, and confessing his sin, for which he suffers, and asking pardon for it, he hath added rebellion thereunto, not sticking, as it were, to cry victoria against God himself in his own justification, even to all our faces, and with strange pertinancy to quarrel and upbraid God.

CHAP. XXXV.

1. ELihu yet prosecuted his reproof of Job, to procure his conviction, thus:

2. Hast thou any plea for thyself, or thinkest thou that thou art not blame-worthy, in uttering as aforesaid, such a blasphemous speech as in effect thou hast spoken, to wit, That thou art more righteous than God?

3. For thou hast said, that thou art righteous, and that thou sufferest undeservedly, being thyself uublameable and innocent of any offense against God that might justly cause his displeasure, and that it availeth thee no more to be righteous, than if thou wert the greatest sinner in the world.

4. I tremble to hear such audaciousness: but I will answer thee, and all such men as dare in the pride of their hearts venture to stout it thus, and argue the matter so with God instead of humbling themselves, and seeking to him in their afflictions.

5. Look thou up unto the heavens, view their height, and the clouds which are so far above thee, and think with thyself, whether thou canst add or diminish, make them better or worse.

6. And if not, then consider further of what little advantage or disadvantage, thou must needs be unto God? who is so far above them, that thou shouldest thus capitulate the matter with him, instead of praying to him; as for example: Thy sins, what is he the worse for them, more than a cloud over thy head, if thou shouldest shoot an arrow at it, remains not he the same in all points notwithstanding? yea, if thy transgressions were never so many, how do, or can they any way harm him, who is selfesufficient and independent.

7. And as it is with thy sins, so likewise is it with thy righteousness which thou bearest thyself so much upon; what benefit is that to God, or what adds it to him that thou art righteous, how dost thou make him beholden to thee by it, who needs nothing that is thine?

8. It is nothing but thy pride that maketh thee thus forget thyself, otherways thou must needs know, That God is nothing bound to thee for anything that is thine, but that as he is not the worse for thy being wicked, but thyself, and such as thou art; so on the other hand, neither is he the better for thy being righteous; but if thou, and others like thyself do their duty, it's they that fare the better for it, and not he: small reason therefore hast thou to bear thyself thus high towards God? prayer would better become thee, and more profit thee.

9. But multitude of pressures do usually transport all manner of men, and make the oppressed cry and keep ado when they suffer, against them they suffer under.

10. But few or none are so wise in such a case, as soberly to recollect themselves, and in humility to draw nigh to God in prayer, putting him in mind of his own gracious nature towards the work of his hands to have mercy upon it, and in faith to seek to him for redress and consolation, as to the only he that can relieve and glad the heart in extremity and grief.

11, Hath not God given us wherewithal to know how to carry ourselves better in time of affliction, than the beasts of the earth, and to be wiser than the fowls of the air, which can cry and complain, when ought aileth them by instinct of nature, but reason and religion should teach us a better lesson that know who hurts us, and who can only heal us, to wit, humbly, and in faith to seek to him for release.

12. For want of which, men in pressures lie and cry like brute creatures, without either help or hope (and so they may do long enough without answer from God, except they humbly seek to him in faith) though they endure never so much violence and oppression.

13. For it's certain that God will not show mercy, nor grant release for the natural and vain cries, and outrages of men in extremity; however we poor men through self-love, and human pity, think of them, and are moved by them; yet the Almighty regards them not, but looks for other fruit of affliction, as that they should seek to him with humble and faithful prayer before he'll hear to any purpose.

14. Wherefore although thou desperately givest thyself for lost, never expecting to see God gracious to thee again, (thus complaining, but not praying under thy burden) yet I know it, and dare assure thee of it, that if thou wouldest but take that course whereunto I advise thee, that is, to humble thyself before him in prayer, thou shouldest find that he is graciously righteous to hear and answer thee, therefore trust thou in him, and in faith and hope make thine addresses to him.

15. But now because thou goest not this way to work, nor carriest thyself toward him as thou oughtest, he is forced thus to entreat thee, and to increase his plagues upon thee, to manifest his anger against thee for thy pride, which yet thou perceivest not (so blind art thou) no not in the midst of all this thy great extremity.

16. For which cause, and till which time that thou humble thyself under the mighty hand of God, and seek unto him, thou losest all thy labor, and breathest forth thy complaints in vain, uttering a great many proud and passionate speeches ignorantly to no purpose, saving to provoke God further against thee, whereas thou mightest bestow them more to thine avail.

CHAP. XXXVI.

1. ELihu goeth on still to vindicate God, and to convince Job of his miscarriage towards him.

2. Suffer me (says he to Job ) a while longer, and thou shalt see that I have yet more to say in justification of God against thy calumnies.

3. That which I say, shall not be what first comes to hand, not what human reason suggests, or what my weak judgment opinionates to be true, but what by special inspiration and enlightening from above I know to be so; whereby I will yet further disprove thy presumptuous taxation, and make it good upon thee, that it cannot otherways be, but that the maker of thee and me, and all mankind must needs be righteous, and not liable to the censure of any creature in whatsoever he does.

4. For I assure thee thus much, That what I urge either for God or against thee, shall not be of mine own coining, that so thou shouldest tax it of error or mistake, but such as God who cannot err in truth and judgment (by whose spirit and in whose stead I speak unto thee) hath inspired me with, for thy instruction and direction.

5. Consider therefore, how that God is mighty, able to know and do all things aright, and need not through weakness or want of power be driven to use any unrighteous and indirect means to compass his ends; for he hath power enough to effect them in a justifiable way, and on the other hand, as mighty as he is, he affects not tyranny, nor sets he so light by any man as to afflict him causelessly of mere pleasure, no, but he is of power to order all things with justice and wisdom.

6. And this he does, as we frequently and experimentally see by his carriage towards both sorts of men, bad and good: For first, if men be wicked, and deserve punishment; God, for want of power and understanding, lets them not go without it, but they feel and find him both wise, able, and just to give them their demerits, and to right the poor man's wrong.

7. And so in the next place, if men be righteous, God is just, not to forget such, nor is he deficient in power to reward them, but preferreth them to the highest top of honor, yea, and upholds them in happiness that nothing can hinder, and in despite of all malignant opposers, they are exalted by him.

8. And if it be otherways with them, if they be afflicted, and that pressures be upon them, yet it is not for want of power, wisdom and justice in God.

9. But he shows them cause for it, someone sin or more wherein they have broken their bounds, and been 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 yield 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 stubbornly refuse obedience, then God's anger shall slay them, and they shall miserably perish, through their own folly and ignorant presumption.

13. So that those that are thus disposed, and will not convert, but go on to act the Hypocrites part, and affect pride and perverseness, their portion is thereby to add wrath to wrath, for because in humble penitency they sue not to him when he afflicts them:

14. Therefore they come to an hasty and untimely end, whereas else they might prolong their days; their life perisheth in his anger, and they make without any difference a like end, as doth the most foul and filthy Sodomite, God esteeming no better of them, than equal with the worst of sinners.

15. But on the other hand, the poor in spirit that cries to him in affliction, them he delivers out of it, and shows 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 been 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 do wisely, and gone a foolish way to work, as wicked men are wont to do, repining, and not humbling thyself, and now see what comes of it, thou hast multiplied thy sorrows, and heaped God's just indignation upon thee by it.

18. Now therefore, because God is a wrathful God, fear to persist, lest in his just anger he take thee quite away, and then it will be too late to do what now thou mayest do; for nothing can redeem thee out of that condition, or make thee alive again when thou art dead.

19. If thou couldest bid never so much for it, it would be in vain, no riches could purchase or procure it, nor could any power or strength enforce it.

20. Do not thou peevishly desire death, lest it come too soon, and it do by thee, as it does by many an one whom it cuts off in judgment.

21. Take heed betime, affect not to go on in sinful impatiency, wherein thou hast hitherto been too blame, choosing rather to persevere in that sin, then to submit to the will of God in bearing thy affliction humbly.

22. But consider well with thyself, who must restore thee, if ever thou beest restored; Is it not God only, that by his power can do it, and who can teach thee this better than himself hath done by keeping thee all this while (that thou hast continued impatient) in an helpless condition for want of humbling thyself to him, hadst thou eyes to see it.

23. Think 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 speak understandingly) that anything the Lord does is sinful 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 fear for his works sake, that glorious structure of the heavens, which all men everywhere behold and see.

25. For it is hid from no man's eyes, but all may behold it, and should do well to consider the height and vast distance of it from us.

26. O consider that God is infinite in greatness, and that we cannot fathom him, nor the wisdom and power that is in his works, neither can we mortals that measure time by days and years, conceive the dimensions of eternity which belongeth only to him.

27. We, I say, cannot comprehend his power and wisdom; 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 down rain in that manner, according to the proportion of exaled vapors.

28. Which the clouds suck 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 plentiful measure for man's sake.

29. Again, as thus, we cannot conceive the workmanship, that is in ingendring rain in the cloud, and the emission thereof in drops, so neither can any under the skill that he shows in spreading forth the clouds to that large extent, and disposing them so universally throughout the whole heavens, as we see they are, which he does by the winds, which he causeth to blow above among them, whereof also we have but little skill to judge.

30. Consider how he 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 bottom can be seen or felt.

31. I say, consider thou these, and fear, for by these he judgeth the heathen folk, that have no other knowledge of him, but by the works of his hands, and condemneth them for not improving these to his glory, and much more will he do so by thee: He furthermore gives us all the good creatures which we enjoy for our food and delight, in that wonderful plenty as we see.

32. By assembling the clouds when he pleaseth, he darkeneth the sky, and obscures the sun, keeping away the bright shining thereof from us, by his interpofing someone or more gloomie clouds between us and it.

33. As often experience manifests, and more especially, is then to be expected, when as a rain-aboding wind gives fore-knowledge of it, or when as the cattle do give their natural presages of an approaching rain, which they know by instinct, being first exhaled in a vapor from the earth, their proper Element.

CHAP. XXXVII.

1. BEsides these foresaid works of God which we come short of in our understanding and capacity; there is yet one special one that sets him forth extraordinarily, which I never hear, nor can so much as think of but my heart trembleth, and is put out of it's bias at the consideration of the wonderousnesse and terror of it.

2. Namely, the thunder, which I would have thee considerately to weigh and hearken to, which is, as it were, the very voice and speech of God, speaking his power and Majesty to man, and commanding fear and reverence from him.

3. How wonderful is the noise thereof, which by his powerful dispensation, is heard both far and near; and in like manner doth he send forth his terrible lightnings far beyond our discerning, even, as it were, from one end of the earth to the other.

4. And we see, how that so soon as ever the lightening is over, presently the thunderclap ensueth, and then immediately upon the crack he poureth forth the aforesaid drops of rain, in a most vehement and impetuous manner, not gently distilling them, as at other times; all which together, wonderfully set forth God to our amazement.

5. I cannot enough make mention of this terrible voice of God, which he so marvelously uttereth in the thunder, besides which, other great and wonderful things he doth, which we are no more able to judge of and understand than this:

6. For it is only his power that causeth the snow to fall upon the earth in that quantity which it doth, and only by his appointment is it that it lies there till the time come that it melt away: likewise by the same power and appointment it is, that we have sometimes the small distilling April-showers, and other sometimes the tempestuous storms of rain, thrown out of a mighty hand, so differently befall us.

7. By the snow lying upon the earth, and by the rainy weather, he hinders all men from going abroad about their occasions as at other times, and makes them keep house, that so he may give every man occasion to see and consider his all-disposing hand and providence in things, who forceth them from their employments, and on whom they are compelled to wait, till they be set at liberty, to go about their businesses.

8. Thereby also he compels the wild beasts to lie dormant in their dens, till he let them loose, and give them a fit season to hunt their prey.

9. Out of the South-parts of the world he hath ordained the strongest winds to blow, and out of the North the coldest.

10. By which winds sent of God, to that end, it is that the frost befalls us, whereby the broad waters are contracted and condensated into a lesser room.

11. Also by squeezing the rain out of the cloud upon the earth, he utterly draws it dry, and consumes it quite away to nothing, be it, or seem it never so thick and large; and with the wind he blows the bright empty lightsome cloud to pieces, which he brought together, and scattereth it by piece-male hither and thither in the air.

12. And all that motion of the clouds which we see pass and repass over our heads, is ordered his wisdom, so that they are thereby directed to the end and use whereunto he hath ordained them, yea, wheresoever they are disposed throughout the whole heavens, it is in relation to the earth beneath.

13. He sends them on his errand whithersoever they go, and wheresoever they settle, for either they are sent for correction and punishment to carry unseasonable and superfluous rain, or else they are sent to fat and fruiten the land which he means well unto, or else in time of drought they are sent in mercy to relieve them that cry unto him.

14. Mark well these things, O Job, let them not pass carelessly out of thy mind, but weight and consider all and every the wondrous works of God.

15. And for thy humbling, call to mind thy inequality and distance, with so great a God: Dost thou know the time which was from eternity, or wast thou called to counsel when he thus decreed and disposed all things, and made the transparent clouds? which do not darken the light as others do, but serve to reflect it upon us the brighter.

16. Dost thou know how the great and ponderous clouds come to hang in the air? Canst thou fathom the depth of that power and wisdom that is in these wondrous works of God? who is only wise, yea, perfect in wisdom.

17. Canst thou comprehend the power which he shows in heating the air, so that thou canst not endure thy clothes on thy back, when the season is, that he refresheth the earth with the summers sun and the warm Southerne winds, instead of the cold nipping Northern blasts?

18. Wast thou with him, or hadst thou any hand in spreading out the heaven over our heads? which is round of form, and consequently of a most strong and perfect frame, and for it's matter clear and transparent, like a polished brazen looking-glass.

19. Now thou hast heard this of him, I appeal to thee; if any man know how to dispute or fault the actions of such a God; for we cannot tell what to allege against him, because we cannot see the depth of his reach and wisdom in things.

20. Methinks a man as I am, should fear to have it come to the ears of such a God, that he hath been so fool-hardy, as to open his mouth in such a way; for, if he should be disposed to answer him (whatsoever he is that speaks) he would certainly be confounded, and be made to sit down with sin and shame.

21. And now, the very true reason of men's over-daring in this kind, is, because they take no notice of these wonderful works of God, as of the shining and transparent substance whereof he hath framed some clouds, and made them helpful to the light; nor of his skill in causing this, which is by ordaining the winds to refine them from their black and watery mixture, and causing them to blow for that purpose.

22. And how he sends dry and frostie weather by the winds which blow out of the North, which scatter the clouds, and purge the air: Did they, they would then understand that God is of awful and terrible Majesty, not to be dealt withal in such a manner.

23. And indeed, he that is Almighty (which God is) we must need think is too deep for us to fathom, and too high for us to reach; for he is every way transcendent, excelling in power and in wisdom, and abounding in justice in all that ever he does: He will not causelessly afflict nor unjustly punish any man.

24. Therefore he looks that men should fear his rod, and be humbled under it, and not dispute his blows, this is not the way to come off well with him, who will never show favor to any man, that through the overweening pride of his own wisdom affects a way of reasoning the matter with God, as thou dost, Take heed therefore.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

1. ELihu being fallen upon the right subject, but wanting Majesty to set it forth, so as to take impression upon Job: Hereupon God taketh the word out of his mouth, and himself takes Job to task; for the appaling of whose high spirit, and the better making way for his following discourse to take place, he makes his first onset in a whirlwind, and thus bespeaks him with a terrifying voice:

2. Who is this whom I have overheard to miscarry himself in this manner? Is it Job? I had not thought it; that he had been so unwise, or durst have been so bold as to cast aspersions upon my wise and secret proceedings, with his weak reasonings, which faith only can make him understand.

3. Thou that bravest it so erewhile, and gavest me choice of weapon, now come on, let's see thy manhood, betake thyself to thy ward; for I mean to answer thy challenge, and to enter the list, against thee; only I will take the liberty thou hast given me, I will oppose, and thou shalt answer, and judge when we have done, if man be fit to cope with God, or to scan his actions.

4. Where Elihu left, there I will begin: Where wast thou, when I at first by my power and wisdom alone, without the help of thee, or any, made the great vast body of the earth to hang upon it's center? If thou canst answer this, do; say man, hadst thou any hand in it, or being at it?

5. Tell me, Who hath measured it out in that circumference and diameter which it holds? Didst thou? or, knowest thou any besides myself that did it; or, who else hath disposed it in that form, and stretched it forth to those several quantities and proportions of sea and land which it bears?

6. Or tell me if thou canst, the way and manner how it is done: Thou knowest how a house is built of fit materials, by laying the foundations thereof with choice stones, choicely placed in the earth, and artificially agglutinated one to another. Now, let us see if thy skill serve thee in like manner to tell how this great piece of Architecture is framed, wherein, or whereon are the foundations of it laid, which hangs like a ball in the air, or what skillful work-man was there to begin this work, or what materials was there to erect it, which at first was framed by the mere will and wisdom of God out of nothing?

7. Before man had any being, not being yet created, when as at the beginning, Those glorious and excelling creatures, the first and best of all the works of mine hands, did so unanimously rejoice; and that all those sons and heirs of heaven, the holy Angels, were so exceedingly ravished to see me about to put forth my power, and manifest my wisdom in such a manner, and in such works for my glories sake.

8. Or tell me, What man, or whose power and skill was it, that brought the sea within compass, and placed it within it's bounds, when as it (not having the restraint which now it has) so universally at the first creation of it, with an unlimited violence, overspread and whelmed the whole earth with such a total inundation and circumvolution; which is the natural and proper course and motion of it; and from which it was then as impossible to be restrained or circumscribed by any human power, as it is for a woman against nature to withstand her throws, and contain the fruit of her womb, when the time of her delivery is at hand.

9. I mean, at the very first of all, when it received it's being; and I had set it no other bounds as yet, but only darkness, which (before light was made) like a cloud was upon, and covered all the face of the deep, and when only thick darkness (there being then no manner of light) surrounded it, as it surrounded the earth.

10. And then, when I, from whom it had it's being, did also give it the restriction which now it has, gathering it together by a perpetual and powerful decree into that place and pit which now contains the Ocean, placing the sand and bancks for bounds and limits.

11. And laid my commands upon it to abide there, and not to pass it's station, which restraint, though it seem impatiently to bear by it's flowing, yet it cannot prevail or exceed it's boundary, but ebbeth back again, nor can it with all it's swelling and mountainous waves, though they toss themselves and roar, go onefoot further then I have set it, but they vanish so soon as ever they come to their appointed period.

12. If thou answerest me that these things were all before thy time; then I ask thee, Hast thou either lengthened, or hastened the rising of the Sun at any time since thou wast borne? and hast thou ever caused the morning light in any one of those days thou hast seen, to spread it self to it's uttermost bounds which I have appointed it?

13. That so it may shine forth far and near, to give light to the inhabitants of the earth, that by that means those evil-doers and night-birds (who hate the day light) might be affrighted and driven from the face thereof by it's rising, into their dens of darkness.

14. By whose light and rise, the earth receives it's proper shape and impression in the sight of all men which it lost in the dark, and all the several fruits, flowers, and various workmanship of God in her produced creatures that grow thereupon appear as the beautiful clothing thereof.

15. But the guilty consciences of the wicked shall drive them into dark corners, like banished men; so that they shall not enjoy the comfortable use and sight of those things which the light affordeth; for this shall be the reward of them that rebelliously work wickedness against God, their lives shall be miserable, and they shall be deprived of the good that others do enjoy.

16. Hast thou ever seen, or been at the bottom of the sea; or hast thou with all thy skill and labor found out how deep it is?

17. Hast thou ever descended into, or seen the deep Abyss of the earth, where it is dark and uncomfortable as hell, and where the dead only inhabit?

18. Hast thou ever placed the breadth of the earth, tell me now thou that promisedst to reply, if thou canst give an exact account thereof?

19. Hast thou travelled to the places of the sun’s rising and setting, so as to know the place of residence for the light, and to tell where darkness dwells.

20. That when thou seest them spread so wide in the air, and wander so far from home, thou mayest carry them back, and direct them into their way.

21. Knowest thou the places of light and darkness, either by virtue of thy then being, when they were first created by me, or hast thou gained this knowledge by long experience and much study?

22. Wast thou ever in my storehouses of snow and hail, to see them where they are?

23. Which I create and keep up above in my treasuries, till the time come that I think good to send them down to execute my will in the punishment of men, and for to stand my friends instead against their enemies and mine in the day of battle.

24. Knowest thou how it comes to pass that the lightning should so forcibly break out of the cloud in a thunder storm, as even to break and interrupt the course of the strongest wind, and suddenly turn and scatter it all abroad into the several corners of the world.

25. Who is it, thou or I, that divides and sends the waterclouds (those great bottles of heaven) hither & thither, to pour out their rain, and to cause inundations in this or that place, or that directs the lightning which breaks forth of the thunder-cloud with such swift violence, to go that way it takes, and do the thing it effects?

26. Causing it by such means to rain, not only in places inhabited, for the use of men, but even on the remotest parts of the world, where no man ever came, and in the vast wilderness, where no man inhabits; (surely then it is not thee.)

27. Therby to satisfy the desolate and wast places which no man makes use of, and to cause the grass and herb to grow even there, as I at first decreed it for the use of the wildbeasts also that inhabit there instead of men.

28. These things are beyond thy sphere, they are not ordinarily propagated according to thy understanding; for what father hath the rain, or who begets the drops of dew?

29. Or what woman can the ice call mother; and the hoary frost that comes down from heaven upon the earth, by what man and woman is it begotten and conceived?

30. The waters (thou seest) are covered with ice as if they were paved over with stone, and the deepest rivers become passable, being frozen over.

31. Canst thou alter the seasons of the year, by appointing either the Spring-time to come later, by hindering the coming of the seven stars, which are proper to that season, and the distilling of their sweet influences: or canst thou dissolve the Winter frosts, accompanying the constellations of that season, and so expedite and shorten that cold and comfortless quarter.

32. Canst thou command those remote and hidden stars of the South to show themselves in their sommerseason, or direct the Northern constellations to know their course, and to appear in Autume?

33. Knowest thou the regiment which is held and exercised up above in the heavenly orbs, what order and laws God hath constituted for the motions and influences thereof; canst thou who livest here below order and dispose them to execute their several uses and operations on earth whereto I have appointed them?

34. Canst thou command the clouds to do thee service, and to send down rain enough to serve thy turn when thou hast need?

35. Canst thou send the swift flying lightnings, and cause them go from one end of the heavens to another in an instant, upon thy errand? canst thou bring them to offer themselves to be at thy command, as they are at mine?

36. Who is it that hath made man a reasonable creature, and given him understanding? hast thou made thyself so?

37. Who with all his wisdom can give a perfect accompt of those numberless clouds in the heavens, but I? Who both made them, and disposeth of them all, as many as they are, to their end and uses; or who but I can restrain the rain, which is heavy of it self, and intends downward, from falling out of the clouds?

38. When the ground hath had it's fill; so that the light dust is turned into lumps of earth, and that which was tost with every wind, is clodded and agglutinated by water into an heavy substance.

39. Or, if thou canst not skill of these things, because they are above thee; then wilt thou undertake to provide food upon earth, where thou hast thine abode, for the beasts & birds that live thereupon; yea, for the most ravenous of them (which I do) as the Lyon and his hungry whelps.

40. Hast thou given them the Art they use in catching their prey, with couchant and covert cunning to steal upon, and suddenly surprise it?

41. Or, is it by thy or my providence, that the Ravens are provided for, and that the young ones being early forsaken of the old, and wanting skill to shift for themselves, wandering here and there, yet have their cries heard, which nature hath taught them, to put up to God in their necessity, and answered with supply of food?

CHAP. XXXIX.

1. DOth thine eye of providence overlook and take care for the maintenance of each creature in it's kind and species, reacheth it even to wild Goats which are out of any man's dominion, dwelling in unaccessible rocks, so that is it thou that makest them conceive and bring forth in their season; or do the Hinds either, do the like by thine ordination and vigilancy?

2. Hast thou appointed them the time they shall go with young before they bring them forth, and when the time is fulfilled, is it by, or of thee they do it?

3. Is it thou that hast given them the instinct to know the instant of production, and as wild as they are, consideratly to go about it in such a manner as may be most easeful to themselves, and least hurtful to their offspring, by bowing their bodies the better to strain themselves, and dilate the passage, so they do, and thereby deliver themselves of their young by this their natural midwifery, and cast out that in a moment which hath been so long time burthensome to them.

4. And when their young ones are brought forth, they appear in good plight, by natures nourishing and caring for them in the mothers belly, and after that, they thrive and come on as well as if they were fed with corn: They leave their dams betime, and yet by natures instinct, shift well enough for themselves.

5. Who is it that hath ordained creatures as well wild as tame, who but I have naturally set the wild Ass at liberty, and made him untameable to any man's yoke?

6. Appointing him the vast and desert wilderness to inhabit in, where he rangeth without subjection or control of any, and by my constitution chooseth of his own instinct to abide and feed most upon the very worst soil, whereas other creatures desire the best.

7. He knows no obedience to any, but setteth light by all men, scorning to be subjected by how many or whomsoever, neither will he be ruled as other beasts, to go and come at the command and voice of the driver.

8. He is not enclosed within hedges and pales like other cattle, but rangeth at large upon the high and great mountains, where he feeds, and takes his liberty without restraint, to eat what ever likes him.

9. Canst thou get the Unicornes good will to come under thy yoke, and do thy work? or canst thou tame him like an Ox, to be a domestic beast, and at thy finding?

10. Canst thou tether or geere him like a horse, or will he be brought to drive or lead at Plough or Harrow?

11. Because he hath strength enough to do thee service (yea, more than those which do) wilt thou therefore conclude he must and shall?

12. Wilt thou trust to his gentleness to bring home thy corn, and to in thy harvest instead of thy Ox and Horse? if thou dost, thou wilt be deceived?

13. Gavest thou the Peacock that glorious show which he makes when his tail is spread abroad like the wings of a bird in the air, or didst thou bestow those beautiful feathers upon the Ostrich?

14. Which differs from all other birds, for when she lays, she unnaturally abandoneth her eggs and exposeth them above ground, only covering them with a little sand or dust to cause them keep their natural heat, instead of hatching and hurkling them, and so leaves them to receive production from the Sun.

15. Not heeding what may come of them, by exposing them in that manner to the casual mishap either of man, or beast.

16. And when they are brought forth she is unnaturally strange to them, as though they belonged not to her to provide for: and so through her own carelessness runs hazard (but for me) to lose all the labor which by natures providence she had taken in ingendring, and laying them.

17. And why doth she thus more then others? but because God who hath given instinct of love and providence to other creatures hath denied, and not imparted it to her, as to them?

18. When she stretcheth up her self, and betakes her to her wings and feet (for she flies running, or runs flying, not being able through bulk of body to sore aloft) she cares not for her pursuer, scorning the swiftest horse-man should overtake her.

19. Hast thou put strength into the horse, hast thou armed him with force and power to bear down all before him, and encounter his enemy with such a shock as if thunder had struck him?

20. Canst thou make him flinch thee as a Grasshopper? no, he is anothergates creature. The disdainful snortings which he sends out of his nostrils in his pride, and courage are terrifying.

21. He paweth up the earth in the place of battle through the impatiency of his spirit, and glorieth in his strength as unconquerable, fearelesly marching upon the dreadful enemy.

22. He scorns to fear, nothing can daunt him, the daring sword cannot make him turn tail.

23. The rattling of the Arrows, the bright steel-headed Spear, or shining Shield appale not his spirit a whit.

24. In the imagination of his fancy he overturns all before him, yea the very ground, he stands on, through his fierce desire, to be fighting he teareth it with his teeth, or gallops it amaine to be at the enemy. Neither doth he respect or conceive any terror at the sound of their trumpet, which threatens the deadly onset, but in the height of his courage counts it as a whistle.

25. Deafing their noise, and proudly answering them in way of scorn and challenge with his loud and daring neighings, his courage makes him quick scented, so that he smells the battle, and snorts with a hasty desire to be at it, before it be, being provoked by the braving flourishes and tumultuous noise of the approaching Army, which he impatiently sees and hears.

26 Hast thou by thy wisdom taught the Hawk her dexterity in flight, and learned her by instinct to choose the warm Southern parts of the World to take to for the place of her prey, when cold weather comes.

27. Is it by thy or my power and ordinance, that the Eagle is so strong as to mount plum up (which no bird else can do) to an infinite height, and that she build her nest on high in unaccessible places.

28. She lives & breeds upon the rock, upon the Crag of the Rock, which is so steep and dangerous that no man nor beast dare climb it, and so strong that the Sea though with all its force it beat against it, cannot move it.

29. From whence she goes far to fetch her prey, and though her sharp sightednesse can see it thence at a mighty distance.

30. She trains up her young ones to her own trade feeding them with flesh, and acquainting them with the sweet of blood, and where the greatest slaughter is made, and most blood shed, there is the place of her delight, thither by a strange sagacity of nature she resorteth, and carrieth her young ones with her.

CHAP. XL.

1. HAving said all this, now God sets it home upon Job with this sharp reprehension.

2. Hearest thou this, and by it perceivest thou not thy ignorance and weakness together with my power and wisdom, and thinkest thou now that it is fit for any man whatsoever to contend with one so almighty, and to instruct one so wise; he that dares to question and quarrel God in any his ways, and works, as thou hast not stuck to do, let him make answer to this that I have opposed, that so there may appear to be some equality, and this do thou, if thou canst?

3. Jobs spirit being appaled by God's immediate parley, & unexpected apparition in the whirlwind, and his understanding being non-plust with such high questions, and withal seeing the Lord provoked, humbly addresseth himself to make answerto him in this manner.

4. I now confess to thee, and all the world, my sin and folly in misbehaving myself in such a manner towards such a God, by questioning and not submitting to thee, but instead of going on to do so, I revoke my chal ••• and humble my sel • e at thy feet, acknowledging myself (compared with thee) every way vile and base, and utterly unable to answer any of thy demands, therefore I beg leave of thee that I may be silent, granting all thou hast said of thy greatness, and my weakness to be true, and bewailing my over-daring rashness.

5. Once indeed I was so foolish, as to desire a dispute between us, but I repent it, and now my turn comes to reply, I will make no answer, but confess mine error, yea, though then in passion I was eager upon it, yet now the case is altered with me, I have enough of it, and my mouth is stopped forever doing the like again.

6. But God took the matter so ill at Jobs hands, that he should so forget himself, and by his carriage in some respect, though not altogether, as it were, disprove him, and make good Satan's words; that he would not accept of this submission, but again quite to break the neck of his pride, angerly breaks in upon Job thus:

7. What dost thou flinch? Sure thou scornest it; Thou wilt certainly make good thy challenge; come therefore, stand to it, and play the man as thou saidst thou wouldest do, I will do as I did; I will oppose, and thou shalt answer.

8. Wilt thou also question and susspect my justice, as wicked men, and such as know not God are wont to do? I had not thought it by thee, or that thou wouldest have carried the matter so high through pride of spirit, as to go about to condemn me of overmuch rigor, and justify thyself.

9. Knowest thou me no better? art thou any way my equal, or fit to contend with me; is thy strength like mine; or canst thou equal the noise and terror of my thunder with any speech and power of thine?

10. Canst thou make thyself a God as I am? if thou canst, do; and adorn thyself with such majesty and excellency, glory and beauty as mine is.

11. Canst thou execute judgment in wrath all the world over, and canst thou perceive the proud behavior and carriage of men everywhere, and abase them as I do?

12. Behold with me every proudhearted man, and bring him down, do thou extend thy power like me to root out the wicked in every place wheresoever throughout the world they exalt themselves, and practice wickedness.

13. Slay them in thy wrath, and bury them in the grave of forgetfulness, even all and everyone, how many, or of what condition soever they be, extinguish thou their pride by death, and make their memories perish.

14. When thou canst do these things, then will I confess and say with thee, that thou art fit and able to encounter with me.

15. But yet for thy further convincing, I will instance to thee two of my most remarkable creatures which I have framed, the one by land, the other by sea, which I would have thee take special notice of. And first, for the land, Consider the Elephant which is thy fellow creature, both of you made by me, how far notwithstanding he goeth beyond thee in hugenesse and strength and yet by my ordination he is as harmless as any other beast, preying upon nothing but grass, though he were able to devour all afore him.

16. I have endowed him with wonderful strength, but how, and where? Why not in any offensive part; his head hath no horns, nor his feet no claws to do mischief with, but to the end he might be more serviceable to man in bearing of burdens and drawing loads, I have placed it elsewhere, and chiefly in his lower parts, as his loins, and about his belly.

17. In so much that in the heat of his lust he erects his generative part like a strong cedar Tree, being corroborated from natures cundit-pipes, the sinews of his stones, which are wrapped together like as you see the roots of a great grown Tree, in the earth.

18. The bones in his body are as strong as if they were made of brass, and like so many bars of iron.

19. He is if well considered the remarkeablest piece of creation that the earth affordeth to set forth God's power, and might, and yet as strong as he is, I that made him and gave him his strength, can break his brass and iron bones to pieces at my pleasure, though man be too weak for him.

20. And surely for all he so far goes beyond all other beasts that none can stand against him or are equal to him for strength, yet he is nourished with the same food that they are, with grass, &c. And goes quietly with them, and feeds peaceably among them, without either hurting, or so much as frighting them, by mine appointment.

21. Through his natural heat and being bred in hot countries, his abode is in shady places, and for that cause lies much under Trees, and where there are high grown reeds, and fennes, thither he resorts.

22. He hants out the coolest places, as under great Trees and by brook-sides where willows grow thick and afford most shade, there is he most conversant.

23. Consider what a huge proportion he drinks to quench his thirst, as if he would quite exhaust and drink the whole river dry, and whilst he is drinking he fears no danger as other cattle do, that through the frightfulnes of their disposition break their drought to stare about them: In the vast imagination of his fancy he conceits he can devour, and drink up whole Jordan at once, when he goes thither to quench his thirst.

24. If he seeth a snare set for him, it inrageth him being privy to his exceeding strength, in so much that with his trunck he makes his way through them with ease, and disdain.

CHAP. XLI.

1. HAving thus shown thee, the Elephant by land, now in the next place consider well the Whale (or some such extraordinary fish) by Sea. Canst thou angle for him, catch him, and draw him on shore with a line, and hook, as thou dost other lesser Fishes?

2. Hast thou strength to over-master him & ring him like a Swine or a Bear, or canst thou rule him so as to suffer himself to be led by the nose, as Bears, and some such beasts as thou hast tamed do?

3 Will he lie down like a Spaniel at thy command, and wag his tail to fawn upon thee?

4. Will he put himself into thy service for hay, and corn, as other creatures, and wilt thou undertake to command and employ him, like them, upon all thy affairs, and to do thy businesses?

5. Canst thou handle him like a Sparrow, or tame him so that thy maids may play with him without fear?

6. Shall the fishermen who join in company and partnership, catch him in their nets like other fishes, and for joy of such a draught feast themselves and make merry with him; shall they merchandize him, shall they share and trade away the several commodities which he yields of whale-bone and oil, &c.

7. Is his skin penetrable like other fishes, so that thou canst take him with such tools and fishing instruments as thou takest them?

8. Draw near and offer but the least violence to him if thou darest, and he'll quickly make thee repent it, so that thou wilt have little joy to fight it out with him.

9. For certain he is a creature that man hath small hopes to bring under his dominion and make serviceable, who is so formidable, that no man dare attempt it, for his very sight a far off is able to scar a man from venturing on him.

10. Who is he that dare provoke him, or that hath the courage to encounter him? not one, and if so, then how dare any attempt the like towards me and think to prevail, or not miscarry, who am the Creator, and he but my creature?

11. Who hath been aid full to me in the creation, or who hath made any of my creatures for me, that I may acknowledge it and be thankful to him for it, is not every creature that thou seest or knowest in the land and sea, of what might or strength soever they be, is he not mine, and have not I made him? what manner of apprehension then ought men to have of me, and with what fear ought they to reverence me?

12. Yea, this great Leviathan is of my making, which I will yet further anatomize and set forth unto thee; for I would have thee consider him well in his extraordinary qualities, strength and lineaments, that so thou mayest learn to know thy distance with God.

13. Who can handle him like a horse, to bring him out of the sea to view him, as a horse out of a stable? Who will undertake, or dare, to tame and halter him with all the strength and skill he hath?

14. Who dare look into his mouth, as in a horses, when you buy him, which is like a pair of two leaved doors for wideness; or force a bit between his teeth, which are so monstrous great and terrible on both sides his mouth?

15. His scales are like so many glistering shields wherein he puts his confidence, and takes his pride, which are so closed and put together, like paper sealed with wax, as that nothing can part them.

16. Yea, there is such a juncture, as that nothing can go between, no, not the thin and subtle air, which yet pierceth the pores of all other things.

17. They are lapped one over another like tiles on a house, but so close, and stick so fast together, that neither sword nor spear can pierce him.

18. His forcible snortings which he utters in his courage, causeth, as it were, fire to break out at his nose and eyes, which whensoever they are seen above water, appear as the breaking out of the Sun in the morning.

19. He breatheth out of his mouth a strong sulphurous vapor, enkindled in him from the strength and heat of nature, which inflameth his breath like fire.

20. Out of the two holes of his head whereat he breaths out, and takes in air instead of nostrils, he sends thence such vapor of smoke, as if it did rise out of a great boiling caldron.

21. His breath is of that nature by reason of his hot and fiery constitution, that it is able to kindle coals, and warm like fire.

22. He is infinitely strong and able to bear down whatsoever he shall encounter, nor fears he an enemy, but takes pleasure to war with any, joying thereby to put forth his strength and cherish his pride.

23. And as are his scales without, so is his flesh within, firm, solid, and compact in thick and mighty flakes.

24. He is not timorous like other creatures, his heart is as uncapable of fear as a stone, yea, as impenetrable by any such passion as is the nethermost millstone.

25. When as he shows himself upon the surface of the water, he affrights the most courageous warrior, yea, with his fierce and violent motion in the sea, wherewith he makes his way, breaking through waves, and sending up foam, he makes the stoutest betake themselves to make peace with God, and beg pardon for their sins, concluding death unavoidably to be at hand.

26. If any man be so hardy to strike him, his sword will fly in pieces, his scales are so impenetrable, that neither sword nor spear, nor dart, nor indeed any other instrument of war can wound him.

27. He sets as much by iron, or any weapon that is made thereof, as a man does by a straw; and so by brass, as a man does by rotten sticks, which he can snap in pieces at his pleasure.

28. He cares not for a whole shower of arrows shot at him, nor for never so many stones, be they never so strongly slung; they fall at his feet, and are no more to him than the stuble which a man treads upon.

29. Darts, though thrown at him never so thick, are no more esteemed and cared for by him, than a man respects dried straw; he fears no threatening a man can use towards him, the shaking of the spear appales not him a jot.

30. He rests himself upon the hard and sharp-pointed stones of the rock, and yet they never pierce him, but he by his weight and strength breaks them off, and tumbles them down into the bottom of the sea.

31. When he moves in his might, he makes the Ocean to foam and to boil like a pot on the fire, he raiseth a thick scum upon the face of the waters, as if the whole sea were a pot of ointment.

32. He raiseth such a white shining foam all along as he swimmeth, and so changeth the color of the water, that one would think a hoary frost covered the deep and wide sea.

33. I told thee before of Behemoth, but this is far beyond him, the whole earth hath not the like creature upon it for a dreadlesse spirit.

34. In his own conceit he so exalts himself, that through the confidence of his strength and hight of his spirit he scornfully opinionates even the mightest and greatest monsters by Sea and Land to be inferior to him, and believeth himself, as indeed he is, for might and power, to be the supreme of all elementary creatures how ever excellent.

CHAP. XLII.

WHen Job had heard out God, he thus makes answer.

2. I humbly acknowledge it, that thou and thou only hast made all the creatures, and works of wonder which thou hast spoken of, yea that thou canst do even whatsoever pleaseth thee to do, and that thy power is of such large extent, that not so much as a thought of any man's heart (which also is of thy making) can be hid from thee, nor can any thought or intention of thine be withstood or hindered from being brought to pass by thee.

3. Well mightest thou tax me as thou didst of my foolish questioning thy wise decrees and proceedings with my weak reasonings, which by an eye of faith issuing from an humble heart are only discernible, therefore I humbly confess my fault, That I have been too bold and saucy with so great a majesty and with thy sacred decrees and actions, uttering things ignorantly of thee and them, I wist not what, which now repent me.

4. I am not the man I was, therefore now that thou hast done, I beseech thee hear me speak, which shall be in another manner then at first when I pass my foolish challenge, desiring now to be instructed and not disputed with by thee.

5. I confess I have been ignorant of thee to this very day, for though I have had some manner knowledge of thee by hear-say of what hath been taught me of old from my forefathers who were but men like myself, as also even now by Elihu; Yet now this short lesson of thine own immediate teaching hath learned me more, and to more purpose in a little time being an eye-witness of thy glory, then all that ever I knew before.

6. In so much that now I eat my words and abhor myself for my presumptuous misbehaviour, repenting it with as lowly a spirit as I sinned it with an high.

7. When God had finished his business with Job, & matters were reconciled between them two, having quickly brought him to see his folly and repent his pride; Then God turns himself to Job's three friends to convince them also of their miscarriage, and because Eliphaz was the ancientest and had first broached the error whereof the other two were after guilty, he addresses himself to him by name and tells him, That he was justly angry with him, and his two companions, for because you have preached false doctrine touching me, and have been too bold to limit my soveraignety, by chalking me out ways, and prescribing me rules of justice in the execution of my will, and dispensation of my providence, as if I always must and did afflict men for, and according to the measure of their sins, & spare them for their righteousness and innocence sake, which is a gross untruth, and the contrary to which my servant Job maintained, to wit, That I am free to do my will, and incomprehensible in my ways, which is right.

8. Therefore to expiate your offense take with you such a sacrifice as I shall appoint, that is, seven Bullocks and seven Rammes, and go to my servant Job, reconcile yourselves to him as touching the wrong you have done him as well as me, and give them him that he may do the office of a Priest, that is, offer up sacrifice and prayers for you all jointly, who have all been guilty of the same sin; and the prayers of my servant Job who is an upright man, and one whom I much respect, how ever you misiudged him, shall prevail with me (through the office and person of my son which herein he resembles) to pardon you: I say do this, thus, and excuse not the matter by your ignorance or welmeaning towards me, nor dispute my command, as loath to eat your words, or to justify Job whom you have already condemned; but dispatch, and go about this business, least I give you your desert and make you feel the effects of your foolish presumption, in that you have dared to measure me out by your meet▪ wands, and prescribe me ways to walk in, and so have falsified the truth, which my servant Job maintained against you.

9. Whereupon these three aforesaid friends of Job, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naaneathite went streightway, having received so strict a charge from God, and did what the Lord commanded them; for whom at their requests, Job put up his petitions to God, and was so accepted in his person, sacrifice and prayer, being a figure of Christ therein, that at his intercession their offense was forgiven them.

10. And as Job in his meekness and charity forgave his friends their trespasses, and prayed for them; so God forgave him his, and at that instant released him of his misery which he had been held in so long, and turned his sorrow into joy, by testifying his love to him in his acceptance of him, and by vindicating his uprightness and innocence against his accusers: moreover, God recompensed the loss and sufferings which Job sustained, with double to what he had before.

11. And brought him into favor again with those parties that partly for his poverty, and partly upon suspicion of his hypocrisy had cast him off, so that now there flocked to him from far and near, all his brethren and sisters and his old acquaintance, which it seems though they were near to him, and had been intimate with him, yet upon this occasion had been of late estranged, till now that they saw the face of things were changed, and then they come themselves to visit him, and to pity him for what he had suffered, and to comfort him with gratifying his deliverance and freedom from all the afflictions that God had laid upon him; moreover, besides their visiting him, every man further congratulated his recovery (God moving their hearts) with a present of money and jewels, in testimony of their love and respect.

12. Thus the Lord humbled Job very low, to be a pattern of faith and patience to his Saints in aftertimes, by remembering his later end, which God made far to exceed his beginning in abundance of all good things, yea, double to what he had; for whereas before he had but seven thousand sheep, now he had fourteen thousand, and so likewise his former three thousand Camels were now multiplied into six thousand, and his five hundred yoke of Oxen were doubled into a thousand, and his five hundred sheAsses into as many.

13. And whereas all his children you heard were taken from him, he had them restored him again, even their full number; seven sons and three daughters.

14. Whom he thus named: The eldest daughter he called Iemima, or long life: The second he called Kezia, or pleasant spice: the youngest he called Keren-happuch, or the horn of beauty; prophesying in them the long life, together with the comfortable and happy condition which by the bounteous goodness of God he should yet enjoy.

15. Which three daughters, for a further blessing unto Job, were the fairest women in all the land where he lived, and were had in greatest reputation for their beauty, and as God gave them an extraordinary blessing to him, so he made them an extraordinary president; for out of his love to them, and in reward of their virtues he gave to every of them severally, as to his sons, a portion of his land instead of money to inherit, to them and to their heirs forever; so that they shared proportionably with their brethren by their fathers Will and Testament, and were coheirs with them in his estate.

16. And thus all these sorrows which Job thought he should never have seen an end of, he survived, and after them lived in prosperity and plenty a hundred and forty years, so that he became a great Grandfather before he died.

17. And so Job ended his days in a good old age, and was carried to his grave like as a shock of corn cometh in, in his season.