Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
1. THe secrets of nature, though1. Surely there is a veine for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. they be hid and very obscure, yet they are found out, and knowne, both where they are placed by nature, and how they are to be used by Art, through the naturall wisdome that God hath given to man, as we see in the most hiddenest mysteries of nature, such as is the silver veine, which though deepe in the earth, and farre out of sight, yet is found out and knowne, as also is the Art of fining it, and gold, from their drosse, to make them usefull.
2. So also it is knowne how Iron2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brasse is molten out of the stone. 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 practised.
3. By the skill that God hath given3. He setteth an end to darknesse, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkenesse and the shadow of death. to man, he is able to bring to light, and gaine the knowledge of the most remote & unknowne things, and by searching to finde out all the perfection of nature, the pretiousest stones and things that are ingendred and bred in the darkesome and deadly vaults of the earth.
4. He knowes how to divert great4. The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. rivers out of their channell, and for his use to turne 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 knowes how to put the earth5. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. to all uses, for the superficies of it, that yeelds him bread, and lower downe, out of the inwards of it he digges the materialls of fire; as coles, &c. or finds out bright shining metalls, and sparkling stones created of a sulphurous matter.
6. Hee knowes where the riches6. The stones of it are the place of Saphires: and it hath dust of gold. thereof are; as pretious stones and gold, how to come by them, and where to finde them, the one among the quarries, the other among the dust and mold of the earth.
7. Hee by his skill and industry,7. There is a path which no fowle knoweth, and which the Vultures eye hath not seene. goes as low under ground for these things, as the fowles flie high; hee makes and findes out such waies in the earth, as the most piercing sighted, or most prey-seeking bird in all the aire,8. The Lions whelpes have not troden it, nor the fierce Lyon passed by it. never found nor saw.
8. Neither did the most ranging or fierce prey-seeking beast ever tread.
9. He attempts and effects the hardest9. He putteth forth his hand upon the rocke; he overturneth the mountaines by the roots. matters, and doth difficult things, for the very rocks escape not his hand, neither can the mountaines withstand him, but by art and industry hee mineth them, and works his will on both, to find the things he seekes for.
10. By his labour and skill he cuts10. He cutteth out rivers among the rockes, and his eye seeth every precious thing. 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 yeelds will hee let be lost for finding out, but brings all to light through labour and skill, be it never so low hid in the bowells of the earth.
11. He deviseth waies to keepe out11. Hee bindeth the floods from overflowing, and the thing that is hid, bringeth hee forth to light. the floods which are caused by excesse of raine, and naturally seekes out the lowest descent to run into; from falling into his pit, or interrupting his worke, and whatsoever nature hath hid from him in her lowest depths and concaves, he knowes how to compasse and get it, notwithstanding all manner of difficulties.
12. Thus man is able to invent and12. But where shall wisedome be found? and where is the place of understanding? find out waies by nature, art, and industry to discover and compasse all things though never so strange and difficult, if they be within the bounds of nature. But now for supernaturall and divine wisedome (which is the knowledge of God, and his waies that are unsearchable and past finding out) who is he that can by his art and skill shew how to compasse that, and finde out the way and meanes to get this understanding?
13. Herein man is a foole, though13. Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. otherwaies never so wise, hee neither hath what to bid for it, nor knowes how to come by it; for it is of higher value, and harder to be compassed than the preciousest things of the world, being no where 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 of14. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. the earth to finde it out, you shall lose your labour, or if you dive to the bottome of the sea, you are never the neere; for neither sea nor land containe it.
15. Neither can it be bought at any15. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. rate, God will not merchandize it to man for gold nor silver.
16. Nothing that can be named16. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious Onyx, or the Saphire. comes neere the worth of it, the finest gold nor richest stones.
17. There is no degree of comparison17. The Gold and the Chrystall cannot equall it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewells of fine gold: betweene it, and whatsoever you can imagine besides, Gold nor Chrystall, nor ought else can equall it, and therefore God, from whom onelyonly we must have it, will not give it for any thing wee can give for it, not for the finest gold, were there never so much offered him.
18. It's in vaine to tender the rarest18. No mention shall be made of Corall, or of Pearles: for the price of wisedome is above Rubies. or richest things in all the world for it, Corall, or Pearle; for it is infinitely beyond Rubies or the rarest and most unvaluable things of all the earth.
19. Be they never so farre fetched,19. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equall it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. or never so much worth, as the Ethiopian Topaz, and the gold of Ophir.
20. So that I say then, How, or20. Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of understanding? where is it possible for man to compasse this transcendent wisedome and understanding, which yet you would seeme to have?
21. Seeing it is not as other things21. Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowles of the aire. are, within the compasse of naturall reason, nor by any naturall meanes 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 secret22. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our eares. things, the grave and hell, though this wisedome be in them, and they be ordered by it, yet as deepe 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 understandeth the way thereof, and hee knoweth the place thereof.
23. God onelyonly knowes the way of his owne supernaturall wisdome, hee hath reserved it to himselfe, and with him onelyonly it remaines.
24. For it is hee, who alone by his24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven. own wisdome ordereth and disposeth all things at his pleasure, every where throughout the whole Universe.
25. Weighing forth that proportion25. To make the weight for the winds, and hee weigheth the waters by measure. of winds according to his purpose, to blow where and when he pleaseth; and likewise sending forth what quantity of raine him liketh here and there.
26. Before any thing had being,26. When hee made a decree for the raine, and a way for the lightning of the thunder. this wisdome was with him; for out of it hee decreed the manner and way of the raine, so also of the thunder and lightening.
27. Even then was hee acquainted27. Then did hee see it, and declare it, he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. with it in himselfe, not in the creature, as wee are, which hee declared by the creature; not learned from the creature, as we doe, hee decreed all things by it, and brought them forth in their order and manner as they now appeare through it.
28. Hee hath reserved to himselfe28. And unto man he said. Behold, the feare of the Lord, that is wisedome, and to depart from evill is understanding. the wisdome of government, and hath taught man another lesson, than to lesson and prescribe him, to wit, to be obedient to him, to feare his Name, and keepe his holy Commandements, that is his duty, and therein is his wisedome and understanding.