The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
ARGUMENT.
To bring the Diſpute to a ſpeedier iſſue, Job (after a ſhort preface, reproving their Incivility) comes cloſe to the buiſineſs: and doth not content himſelf merely with denying what they had ſaid, but ſhews them where the fallacy in their Diſcourſe lay; viz. in concluding an Ʋniverſal from ſome Particulars. For he maintains, from as good Hiſtory and Obſervations as they could produce, that, though God do make ſome Wicked men ſuch examples of his Vengeance, as they had ſaid, yet He lets others, and they of the vileſt ſort, Atheiſts and Deriders of Divine Providence, live proſperouſly, and die peaceably, and have ſtately Monuments built to perpetuate their Memory. In brief, he ſhews there is great variety in God's proceedings about the Puniſhment of the Wicked; which makes them ſo bold as they are in their Impiety. And ſeems to have reſpect to the Hiſtory of Iſhmael, who was a wild, or barbarous, man, graſping at all he could lay his hands on, and perſecuting Iſaac; and yet had XII Princes deſcended from him, ſettled in their ſeveral Fortreſſes, as we reade XVI. Gen. 12. XVII. 20. XXV. 16. And it is poſſible, to the Hiſtory of Eliphaz his own Country: Eſau his Anceſtour being very rich, (XXXVI. Gen. 6, 7.) and having many Dukes, whoſe poſterity afterward advanced themſelves to the title of Kings, that ſprang from him, before there was any King over the Children of Iſrael. XXXVI. Gen. 15, 31.
1. BƲT Job anſwered, and ſaid,1. BUT Job, who knew the falſeneſs of this Aſſertion, (in which Zophar ſecretly ſtruck at him,) That God always puniſhes Sinners in this manner, would not let it paſs without Anſwer, and therefore ſaid again unto them;
2. Hear diligently my ſpeech, and let this be your conſolations.2. Let me prevail with you, to attend better then you have done hitherto to my Diſcourſe: Doe me this kindneſs, and it ſhall ſerve in ſtead of all the Conſolations I promiſed my ſelf from you.
3. Suffer me that I may ſpeak; and after that I have ſpoken, mock on.3. Hear me patiently, and do not ſo haſtily interrupt me as Zophar juſt now did; (XX. 2.) who, after I have done, may begin, if he pleaſe, to deride me again.
4. As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were ſo, why ſhould not my ſpirit be troubled?4. Have I not all this while made my Appeal to God? why then do you interrupt me, and take upon you to pronounce that Sentence which I expect from Him alone? But if my Complaint had been to you, yet, ſeeing there is juſt cauſe for it, can I chuſe but be vext to ſee you will not hear me patiently?
5. Mark me, and be aſtoniſhed, and lay your hand upon your mouth.5. Conſider well my Miſery, and being aſtoniſht at the greatneſs of it, and of your Rudeneſs, be ſo civil now as to impoſe ſilence on your ſelves, while I am ſpeaking to you.
6. Even when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh bold on my fleſh.6. I am ſure I my ſelf am aſtoniſht at the very remembrance of it: were I free from it, yet the thought of what is paſt makes every joynt of my body tremble.
7. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?7. Let me therefore again deſire you to anſwer me this queſtion more leiſurely; If what you have ſaid be true, how come we to ſee ſo many wicked men not onelyonly enjoy all the Good things of this life, but grow old in their enjoyment, and want no Honour or Power to which Riches can advance them?
8. Their ſeed is eſtabliſhed in their ſight with them, and their off-ſpring before their eyes.8. Nay, live to ſee their Children ſettled in the World; yea, their Childrens children grow up like young plants before their eyes?
9. Their houſes are ſafe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.9. There is no body diſturbs their Tranquillity in any of their habitations; nor doth God inflict any Puniſhment on them for their ſins:
10. Their bull gendreth and faileth not; their cow calveth, and caſteth not her calf.10. But extends his care even to their Herds of Cattel; where the Kine never fail to conceive, and in due time bring forth their Calves, and do not miſcarry.
11. They ſend forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.11. And ſo do their flocks of Sheep, with whom their Wives may be compared; who bring forth their little ones as eaſily and as numerouſly: and their Children dance about their houſes, like the little Lambs which skip about their fields.
12. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoyce at the ſound of the organ.12. They lift up their voice, and ſing to the timbrel and harp: they dance for joy at the ſound of the pipe.
13. They ſpend their days in wealth, and in a woment go down to the grave.13. In a word, they prolong their days to a great old age, in all manner of pleaſure; and then do not lie long languiſhing on a bed of Sickneſs or Pain, but go eaſily and ſuddenly to their grave.
14. Therefore they ſay unto God, Depart from us; for we deſire not the knowledge of thy ways.14. And yet theſe are the men that never think of God; or, if they do, preſently bid thoſe thoughts be gone; for they deſire to have nothing to doe with Him or with his Laws.
15. What is the Almighty, that we ſhould ſerve him? and what profit ſhould we have if we pray unto him?15. They know no ſuch Being, they ſay, as the Almighty; nor do they owe Him any ſervice: and if they ſhould worſhip and ſerve Him, they do not believe they ſhall be a whit the better for it.
16. Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counſel of the wicked is far from me.16. Do not imagine that I am of their opinion; I know very well that they cannot make themſelves rich and proſperous without God; and therefore far be it from me to joyn with them in their Impiety.
17. How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? and hwo oft cometh their deſtruction upon them? God diſtributeth ſorrows in his anger.17. But yet, I ſay, how oft is it that we ſee the Joy of theſe Wicked men extinguiſhed? Sometimes indeed God takes a ſpeedy Vengeance on them; but it is not his uſual courſe to deſtroy them, and to give them ſuch Plagues and Torments (as you ſpeak of) for their portion.
18. They are as ſtubble before the wind, and as chaff that the ſtorm carrieth away.18. We do not ſee them ſo frequently, as you ſay, driven away like Stubble before the wind, and all their Eſtates ſcattered like the Chaff which is blown away with a ſtorm.
19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he ſhall know it.19. And when doth God puniſh the Iniquity of the wicked in his Children, (as you pretend he always doth XX. 10.) and that while he lives and beholds it himſelf?
20. His eyes ſhall ſee his deſtruction, and he ſhall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.20. It is not ſuch a common thing as you make it, for him to ſee his own Ruine, and to feel the effects of the dreadfull wrath of the Almighty.
21. For what pleaſure hath he in his houſe after him, when the number of his moneths is cut off in the midſt?21. As for what befalls his Children when he is dead, he concerns not himſelf: it is nothing to him though they be cut off in their moſt flouriſhing eſtate.
22. Shall any teach God knowledge? ſeeing be judgeth thoſe that are high.22. Shall we be ſo bold as to inſtruct God how to govern the World? and tell Him He is not juſt, unleſs He puniſh the Wicked when we expect it? He judges the higheſt Beings, and therefore knows ſure how to govern us.
23. One dieth in his full ſtrength, being wholly at eaſe and quiet.23. Who muſt not think to tie Him to our Rules. For one man dies in the higheſt and firmeſt worldly Proſperity, meeting with nothing all his days to diſturb his Quiet and Tranquillity:
24. His breaſts are full of milk, and his bones are moiſtened with marrow.24. Health as well as Riches accompany him to his grave; his Ribs are fat, and his Bones full of marrow, even in his old age:
25. And another dieth in the bitterneſs of his ſoul, and never eateth with pleaſure.25. When another man (who perhaps is better then he) dies in great Pain and Anguiſh; after a miſerable Life, in which he never enjoyed any Pleaſure.
26. They ſhall lie down alike in the duſt, and the worms ſhall cover them.26. They ſhall both alike have the Duſt for their bed, and Worms for their covering; and no diſtinction, that we can ſee, be made between them.
27. Behold, I know your thoughts, and the divices which ye wrongfully imagin againſt me.27. I am ſenſible that in all this I very much contradict your thoughts; which are as well known to me as to your ſelves: I ſee by what Arguments you are ſtudying to oppreſs me.
28. For ye ſay, Where is the houſe of the prince? and where are the dwelling-places of the wicked?28. I hear you ſay within your ſelves, What is become of the Houſe of Job, who lived like a Prince? what difference is there between him, and thoſe wicked men whoſe Dwelling-places are deſtroyed?
29. Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens?29. But let me anſwer you; or rather go and ask the firſt paſſengers you meet with, (for it is a thing vulgarly known, and they are not intereſſed in our Diſputes,) let them tell you their obſervations about God's Providence:
30. That the wicked is reſerved to the day of deſtruction; they ſhall be brought forth to the day of wrath?30. Which all agree in this, that the Wicked is ſpared very often in a common Calamity; though it be very general as well as terrible, yet many of them eſcape it.
31. Who ſhall declare his way to his face? and who ſhall repay him what he hath done?31. Which makes the Wicked ſo bold, that none dare reprove him: much leſs is he in danger of being puniſhed for his Offences, ſince God ſpares him, and Man dreads him.
32. Yet ſhall he be brought to the grave, and ſhall remain in the comb.32. The Pomp of his Funeral is anſwerable to the Splendour wherein he lived; and a ſtately Monument is raiſed to preſerve his memory, and repreſent him as if he were ſtill living.
33. The clods of the valley ſhall be ſweet unto him; and every manſhall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.33. There he lies quietly in the earth, and none diſturbs his aſhes: he ſuffers nothing but what all men ſhall do after him, as innumerable have done before him.
34. How then comfort ye me in vain, ſeeing in your anſwers there remaineth falſehood?34. See then how ill you diſcharge the office of Comforters, whoſe Anſwers have ſo little truth in them. For you maintain that Proſperity is the inſeparable companion of Piety; when everybody can tell you, that none flouriſh more then the Wicked, and that Calamities are common to all mankind.