The History of the Bible, Job
IOB.
Q. What doth this booke containe?
A. The hiſtorie of Iob,which ſetteth forth the inconſtant eſtate of mā in this life, either in his body, ſoule, friends, or wealth of the world.
Q. VVhat is the principal ſcope and purpoſe of this booke?
A. To teach man patience, to know the mercies of God, and to truſt in them, Iam. 5.11.
Q. How is this booke diuided?
A. Into two parts, the firſt is an hiſtorie, the ſecond a diſputation betweene Iob and his friends.
Q. In reading this hiſtorie, how many things hauehave we principally to conſider?
A. Foure, which are alſo to be conſidered for the knoweledge and vnderſtanding of all hiſtories.
The time, the place, the parties, and the matter.
Q. In what time were theſethings done?
A. I cannot define the time certain, but I ſuppoſe it was before the law was giuen, about the time the children of Iſrael were in the land of Egypt.
Q. What reaſons hauehave you for this?
A. Two reaſons. Firſt, his friends. Secondly, his exerciſe of religion.
Q. How gather you it by his friends?
A. Some were from Eſau, ſome from Keturah Abrahams wife.
Q. How gather you it by the exerciſe of religion?
A. Becauſe if that the lawe had been then giuen, he ſhould according to the lawe not hauehave offered ſacrifice any other where, but before the Arke, or the Tabernacle of God, withoutan eſpeciall commandement.
Q. In what place or countrie did this befall?
A. In the land of Vz.
Some thinke ſo called of Vz the ſonne of Aram, the ſonne of Shem, Gen. 10.33.
Others thinke of Siſhan the ſonne of S…er. 1. Chr. 38.42.
Q. In what place of the world lieth it?
A. In Aſia the great, Eaſt from Canaan, Weſt from Chalde, North from Sabea, or Arabia deſerta, and South from Armenia.
Q. What perſons are mentioned in this historie?
A. The perſons are indeede either celeſtiall, as God, and his holy angels, or elſe they are terreſtriall, as Iob, his wife, children, ſeruants, friends, and enemies,as the Sabees & the Chaldees, or els they are infernall, as Sathan and his angels.
Q. Now for the fourth point, the matter of the hiſtorie, how is that deuided?
A. Into two parts: firſt, his decay and alteration from ſuch great proſperitie to moſt extreame aduerſitie, to the latter end of the ſecond chapter. The ſecond, the reſtoring of him to his eſtate againe, chap. 42.10.
Q. What was his eſtate in prosperitie?
A. He had a wife, ten children very obedient vntounto him, louing and kinde one to an other: alſo he had many ſheepe, oxen, aſſes, camels, a great familie, large poſſeſſions, many friends, great authoritie and power, health of bodie, and aboue all quietnes of minde.
Q. Into what aduerſitie was he brought?
A. Hee loſt his cattle, his goods, his ſeruants, his childrē, the health of his bodie: he was ſmitten with ſore and grieuous boyles from the very ſole of his foote, to the crowne of his head: his wife and his friends vexed him, his ſoule was full of trouble and anguiſh.
Q. What brought him to this aduerſitie?
A. God was the principall cauſe, who did it onelyonly to trie him. Sathan as a ſeruant, of malice & hatred onelyonly to deſtroy him: the Sabees and Chaldees to ſatisfie their crueltie and couetouſneſſe, killed his ſeruants, and ſtole away his cattell: the fire from heauen burnt his ſheepe, the winde blew downe the houſe & killed his children,and the contemptuous skornes of many entred into his ſoule.
Q. How many things obſerue you in this diſputation?
A. Three: the parties, the occaſion, and the matter.
Q. Who were the parties?
A. The opponents were Iobs friends, Eliphas, Bildad, and Zophar. Iob was defendant and anſwerer: the moderatours of the diſputation were Elihu, and God.
Q. What were the occaſions they entred into diſputation with him?
A. The occaſions were two: firſt, the beholding of his miſerie: the ſecond, the hearing of his bitter complaint which he deliuered from the anguiſh of his heart.
Q. What is the matter diſputed of betweene them?
A. Whether theſe afflictions were laid vponupon Iob for his ſinnes, or no.
Q. What part doth his freinds take?
A. They vnwiſely iudgeing of his eſtate, affirme that he is ſmitten for his ſinnes, and ſo they doe not comfort him, but rather adde affliction to his affliction.
Q. What doth Iob in his anſwer?
A. He defended the contrarie with many paſſions, proceeding from the conflicts & combates betweene the fleſh & the ſpirit; truſt and diſtruſt, hope & deſpaire. And this diſputation beginneth at the 4. chap. and continueth to the 32.
Q. How doe the moderators conclude this diſputation?
A. Elihu is angrie with bothparties, and refuted them: God findeth fault with Iob for deſiring to plead with him, ſhewing he is not able to contend with his creature, eſpecially Behemoth and Leuiathan, much leſſe with him.
Q. What effect tooke this?
A. Iob repented, ſerued God and prayed, and ſo God iuſtified him, and condemned his friends.
Q. Wee are come to the laſt part, which is his reſtoring againe: who reſtored him?
A. God, the gluer of eueryevery good gift.
Q. How did he reſtore him?
A. Firſt, with the fauour of his kindred, friends, & acquaintance. Secondly, hee doubled his wealth. Thirdly, with tenne children mo, and to ſee his poſteritie to the fourth generation. Fourthly, with a long life and bleſſed end.
Finis.