Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
1. ANd Job answered and said;1. And Iob answered, and said;
2. In the blind confidence2. No doubt but yee are the people, and wisdome shall die with you. of your owne wisdome you take upon you to condemne me as ignorant, and to censure that which I have said, to be but as the babbling of a foole, as if none were wise besides your selves.
3. But notwithstanding that you3. But I have understanding as well as you, I am not inferiour to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 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 befalne mee as it is common4. I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and hee answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorne. in the world: That hee that is poore and in misery, in stead of being comforted, is contemned of his neerest friends, so that the things which I speake are set light by and scorned, and which is worst of all, because of Gods indulgencie to your particulars for present, you are puffed up in your owne opinions, and sticke not also to trample upon, and scoffe at my very innocencie.
5. In so much as now, because I am5. He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lampe despised in the thought of him that is at ease. falne into misery, and am neere unto mine end, I must be rejected, as if I were a thing offensive and uselesse, like a candle which is almost consumed to the snuffe, though formerly shining and giving light to others, having now all the light of my former understanding quite extinguished, and mine innocency condemned for hypocrisie, 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 maxime is6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. utterly false; for prosperity is no signe of honesty (and consequently adversity no signe of hypocrisie) as wee may see by daily experience; for who abound more in externall felicity than those whom wee see to be notoriously wicked?
7. 8. It is strange you should be ignorant7. But aske now the beasts & they shall teach thee; and the fowles of the aire, and they shall tell thee. of this common truth, which all the creatures are able to demonstrate; for doe not you see the earth and all the things that are in it given8. Or speake to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shal declare unto thee. for the most part into the hands of the wicked, what large possessions and sumptuous fare they enjoy?
9. And who, I pray, under wilfull9. Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? ignorance, can be said, not to know that it is God who orders it thus?
10. For, is it not hee that disposeth10. In whose hand is the soule of every living thing, and the breath of all man-kinde. of every creature, both small and great, better and worse, man or beast?
11. Oh that then you would not be11. Doth not the eare try words, and the mouth taste his meat? so rash to speake, but would let your eares doe their office, and would ponder what I say! then you could not but conceive that I speake with understanding, and that this doctrine of Gods administration of things in this way which I have said, is an undoubted truth.
12. Especially, seeing you are men12. With the ancient is wisdome, and in length of daies understanding. of great yeeres, and therefore cannot but have attained to much understanding by observation and frequent experience, and therefore must needes know.
13. That God is often times wonderfully13. With him is wisdome and strength, hee hath counsell and understanding. transcendent in his wisedome and power wherewith hee orders and disposeth things; and how that hee brings to passe his ends and purposes in an unknown and incomprehensible way.
14. As may appeare by these following14. Behold, hee breaketh downe, and it cannot be built againe: hee shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. instances (whereby you shall see that I both know, & acknowledge the unsearchable wisedome and wonderfull waies 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 repaire them, oft-times so disabling a man, that all the helps in the world cannot relieve him.
15. Againe, wee see how various15. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they drie up: also hee sendeth them out, and they overturne the earth. and wonderfull hee is in raine and drought, how by this hee often famisheth the earth, and by that he gluts and overwhelmeth it.
16. So that both I and all the world16. With him is strength and wisedome: the deceived and the deceiver are his. must needes acknowledge, what hath beene said, not only of the wonderfull power, but also of the unsearchable wisdome of God, if we doe but consider these effects aforesaid: But much more if wee well weigh those which follow, which are more strange to reason than any thing that hath beene 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 and17. He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fooles. wonderfull changes which wee see in the world doe come to passe: It is of him, that those men, who have beene advanced for their wisdome, and are the bull-warks of a state to keepe out forraigne enemies, are themselves ofttimes made a prey; and also that those learned Judges, who by administring right, and maintaining peace, keep the Common-wealth from civill dissention and ruine, doe themselves (when pleaseth him) become fooles, and lose their labour.
18. And that those mighty Monarchs,18. Hee looseth the bond of Kings, and girdeth their loines with a girdle. whose regiment extendeth far and neere, and had much people in subjection, have those bonds loosed wherein they held others, and they themselves become tributary.
19. And so also nationall princes,19. Hee leadeth Princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. hee oft-times causeth them to be overcome and disthroned, thus doth he drive the mighty men of the earth into exigents and distresses by his disposing power, notwithstanding their confidence in their strength.
20. Or if they trust in their wisedome20. Hee removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. and abundance of Counsellers it is all one; for when he pleaseth, he removes faithfull Counsellers, sending flatterers in stead of friends, and infatuates the aged men that are men of experience on whom they build.
21. Nor can the Majesty of their21. He powreth contempt upon Princes, and weakneth the strength of the mighty. place secure them; for God when he duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page is pleased to bring his purpose to passe, often makes them notwithstanding their dignities to be despised both at home and abroad. And thus he laieth all their confidences whatsoever in the dust.
22. Nor doe I thinke that hee doth22. He discovereth the deep things out of darknesse, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. these things to exercise a tyrannicall power over his creatures, but that hee hath just reason for what hee doth, though we know it not, which sometimes also hee is pleased to discover; for many times wee see what hellish secrets he brings to light, which when we know, we cannot but conclude his righteous judgements.
23. And as thus hee manifesteth23. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: hee enlargeth the nations, and straitneth them againe. his righteous (though transcendent) power and wisdome upon Princes; so also upon people: for how have wee knowne him to increase nations, and anon to ruine them, and to enlarge their reputation and authority, and straightway to diminish it?
24. And lastly, who is it but he that24. Hee taketh away the heart of the chiefe of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wildernesse, where there is no way. doth dispose the greatest part of the people of the world to have no right understanding, but to waste their lives in errour?
25. Not vouchsafing to reveale to25. They grope in the darke without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. them the light of truth, but suffering them to go from errour to errour.