Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
1. SO that as I said before, bring1. Call now, if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne? forth the man if thou canst that ever did or could say of himselfe, 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 thy2. For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envie slayeth the silly one. carriage to them that are godly righteous, it is evident that thou hast but flattered thy selfe all this while, and what ever thou hast thought of thy selfe, thou art but a wicked man, and hast not the knowledge of God in thee as appeares plainly, now it comes to triall: For diddest thou know him aright, thou wouldst never have suffered thy pettish frowardnesse so to have transported thee against God to the aggravating thine owne ruine, nor thine envious quarrellings (through thy conceited righteousnesse 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 middest of all thy misery through an humble patience.
3. No, but as I know thou canst not3. I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. instance any that ever were punished but for sinne, or that perished being innocent: So on the contrary, I can assure thee, that I have observed divers who like thee have made a faire shew, and withall have exceedingly prospered in all outward felicity, but I have withall quickly seene an end of it; for God hath made them manifest and with evident judgements most remarkeably accursed them and theirs.
4. For he has brought unavoidable4. His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. ruine 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 pitie or part-taking of any.
5. And just as he hath done to thee,5. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thornes, and the robber swalloweth up their substance. so hath hee raised up against them a rout of needy wretches, that have dispoiled them of the very bread wherewith they should subsist, violently taking away the very uttermost eare of corne, and has brought it so to passe upon them; that thieves have even swept away al that ever they have had.
6. It is not the creature, nor naturall6. Although affliction cōmeth not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground. causes here below, that of themselves bring forth these afflictions, which men suffer.
7. And yet there is no propertie7. Yet man is borne unto trouble, as the sparks flie upward. more naturall 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 sinne.
8. Therefore were thy cause mine,8. I would seeke unto God, and unto God would I cōmit my cause. I would not in the vaine opinion of mine owne innocency afflict my selfe by exclaiming on my birth-day, or complaining on the creature as the cause of my calamities; but I would humble my selfe, and confesse my sins, and goe directly to God, seeing him the author, and seeking to him for redresse of these punishments, committing my selfe wholly and onelyonly to his mercy.
9. And the rather because thy sufferings9. Which doth great things and unsearchable, marvellous things without number. are extraordinary, and thou canst not finde the reason of them, be perswaded to thinke them to be of God, and therefore humble thy selfe, and seeke unto him; And then thinke not thy case remedilesse, or that it is beyond the power of God to relieve thee: for who knowes, but God may have brought thee into this estate of purpose, upon thy humiliation to glorifie his power and goodnesse in thy restauration? For it is ordinary with God to doe extraordinary things, and such as are beyond our imagination.
10. Have we not daily experience10. Who giveth raine upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields. of it in this very kinde, as when the earth wanteth raine, and the fields are scorched with drought, how does hee in such a straite, and forlorne hope, send seasonable showers and plenty of them?
11 To supply those that in their11. To set up on high those that be low, that those which mourne may be exalted to safety. want and necessity humbly depend on him, and to cheare up those which mourne under the sense of Gods just displeasure, with an assured hope of plenty.
12. Whereas also on the contrary,12. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot performe their enterprise. how doe wee see him defeate by his powerfull wisedome, the subtile devices of those that in their owne conceite are able to support themselves; so that what they enterprize, they faile to effect.
13. And every foot he intraps the13. He taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse: and the counsell of the froward is carried headlong. wise of this world in their owne gins, and the proud politicians hee brings to ruine by their owne counsells.
14. In the midst of all their hopes14. They meet with darknesse in the day time, and grope in the nooneday as in the night. he frustrates their designes, and makes their wisedome faile them, sending them events crosse to what they confidently promised themselves, leaving them utterly to seeke of their expectation.
15 But he that humbleth himselfe,15. But he saveth the poore from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 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 certaine, that16. So the poore hath hope, and iniquity stopeth her mouth. the humble man, and he that seekes to the Lord with repentance and selfeabasing, be his case never so desperate, may aske and waite in hope, but the proud presumptuous-spoken man disables himselfe for getting any good from God.
17. Behold then, how ever thou17. Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. thinkest, and notwithstanding thy impatient outrage, yet for certaine it is a happinesse to a man (that takes this way) to be corrected of the Lord, therfore let not thy pride make thee swell against God, nor beare not thy selfe so high in thine owne imaginary justification, but rather improve this goodnesse of the Lord to thee by making it a meanes to bring thee to repentance, and to humble thee before him in the acknowledgement of thy faults.
18. Who in so doing as hee hath18. For hee maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. plagued thee for thy pride, so will he upon thy humiliation take away thy smart, and turne all thy wo into weale.
19. Be thy troubles multiplyed to19. Hee shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evill touch thee. never so great a number, if thou humblest thy selfe 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 then20. In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in warre, from the power of the sword. in the greatest mortality of famine, though thou wert at deaths doore, yet shall he deliver thee, and in all devouring war where thousands presuming of their owne strength and courage are slaine, yet by an humble dependance upon God shalt thou be preserved.
21. Yea, it shall shield thee from21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the toung, neither shalt thou be affraid of destruction when it commeth. every evill, even from the very reports of slanderous and back-biting tongues, to which all men are obnoxious: neither shalt thou feare at the reproach of the greatest destruction, when every man else shall tremble.
22. But in stead thereof through22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh, neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. tranquillity of minde, 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 feare the power of any creature under heaven to doe thee harme.
23. For hereby thou art reconciled23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. to God, and art at one with him, and if so, who dare be against thee, or what can hurt thee? Nay, the most senselesse and unreasonable creatures, whose benefit and obedience sin hath lost our right to, and turned into rebellion, shall then be so farre from working thee evill, as that they shall become Gods instruments, and joyne together for thy use and service.
24. And moreover, hereby thou24. And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace, and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sinne. shalt finde a wonderfull change; for by taking this course, thou shalt assuredly have peace, and be wholly restored to thy former condition, thine owne 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 thy selfe towards God as before.
25. And withall, thou shalt live to25. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grasse of the earth. see thy children which now God hath taken from thee, restored to thee in a farre greater number.
26. And also in so doing thou shalt26. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shocke of corne commeth in in his season. 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 downe into thy grave in a compleate age, like as a shock of corne is inned into the barne in its due ripenesse.
27. Be sure that this is the onelyonly27. Lo this, wee have searched it, so it is; heare it, and know thou it for thy good. way; for it hath ever beene 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 steere thy course by, if ever thou wouldest land safe out of the troublesome sea of these thy miseries.