The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
ARGUMENT.
The Connexion of this Chapter with the foregoing, I hope I have truly expreſſed in the firſt verſe. And that being found, it is not difficult to ſee at what it drives; viz. to ſtop the buiſy Enquirie of mankind, who are very wiſe, he ſhews, in other things, but have not wit enough to comprehend the reaſons why God doth not inflict thoſe Puniſhments upon all Wicked men, which fall upon ſome. It is not needfull to ſet down here, how this Argument is managed, (with ſuch admirable elegance of words, and ſuch weightineſs of matter, as make it deſerve the name of Maſchal, Parable, or Proverb,) becauſe it will ſufficiently appear in the Paraphraſe.
1. SƲRELY, there is a vein for the ſilver, and a place for gold, where they fine it.1. YOU would have me give a Reaſon perhaps why God puniſhes ſome Wicked men, and not all: But the wit and induſtry of mankind, which have diſcovered Mines of ſilver and gold, muſt not think to find out this Secret, which God hath reſerved to himſelf.
2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and braſs is molten out of the ſtone.2. They invent means to extract Iron and Braſs, out of the Earth and out of Stone.
3. He ſetteth an end to darkneſs, and ſearcheth out all perfection: the ſtones of darkneſs, and the ſhadow of death.3. There is no Mine ſo diſmally dark, but there ſome man or other ſets things in order for his work; he ſearches to the very bottom of it, and finds out thoſe Stones which lie in the moſt abſtruſe and hidden parts of the Earth.
4. The floud breaketh out from the inhabitants; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.4. A Floud breaks out from ſome neighbouring place, and diſturbs the Miners: (for the waters ſeem as if they would ſtagnate there and never ſtir a foot:) but by the hard labour of man they are drained, and leave the place dry again.
5. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.5. Out of the ſurface of the Earth he gets Herbs and Corn, for his food and ſuſtenance; and underneath it he finds Lime and Brimſtone and ſuch like fiery ſtuff, for other uſes.
6. The ſtones of it are the place of ſapphires: and it hath duſt of gold.6. He goes into Countries whoſe ſtones are the place where Sapphires are lodged; and whoſe duſt to him is as good as gold.
7. There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not ſeen:7. He treads in paths which no Bird of prey knoweth; which the moſt quick-ſighted among them hath never ſeen:
8. The lions whelps have not troden it, nor the fierce lion paſſed by it.8. Where the wildeſt Beaſts, who ſearch for ſolitary places, never made their den, or ſo much as approached; no not the ravenous Lions, whoſe hunger leads them every-where to ſeek ſatisfaction.
9. He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.9. He digs through the hardeſt Rocks by his obſtinate labour; and undermines Mountains, that he may find the Treaſure hid in their bowels.
10. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks, and his eye ſeeth every precious thing.10. And if he meet with Waters which hinder his work, he cuts a Chanell through the Rock to convey them away; and never reſts till he hath diſcovered every thing that may requite his indefatigable pains.
11. He bindeth the flouds from overflowing, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he forth to light.11. Nay, more then this, he ſtops the courſe of Rivers, and leaves not a drop remaining; that he may bring to light all that is hidden in the bottom of them.
12. But where ſhall wiſedom be found? and where is the place of underſtanding?12. But though he be ſo ſucceſsfull in theſe Searches, he muſt not think to comprehend the Reaſons of wiſe providence. He may ſtudy as long as he pleaſes, and weary himſelf with buiſy inquiries; but never be able with all his labour to dive into the bottom of this Secret, why God doth not puniſh all the Wicked, who ſo inſolently contemn him.
13. Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.13. Alas! this Wiſedom is not to be purchaſed with all that wretched Man hath to give for it: it is not a thing that any part of this world affords.
14. The depth ſaith, It is not in me: and the ſea ſaith, It is not with me.14. The Miners, poor Souls! dig they never ſo deep, are never like to come within the reach of it: nor is it to be fetch'd by the Mariner from any of thoſe Countries to which he ſails.
15. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither ſhall ſilver be weighed for the price thereof.15. All the Gold and Silver which men have heaped up by ſuch long toil and labour, are too inconſiderable a price to be offered for it.
16. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the ſapphire.16. Though it be the pureſt Gold which comes from Ophir, together with all the precious Stones wherewith that rich Country abounds, they are of ſo little value,
17. The gold and the cryſtal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it ſhall not be for jewels of fine gold.17. That if you ſhould adde the Gold and the Cryſtall which are brought from other places, with all the Veſſels made by the art of man of the moſt refined and maſſy gold, they could doe nothing to obtain it.
18. No mention ſhall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wiſedom is above rubies.18. The precious Stones which are fetch'd out of the mountains of the Eaſt are not worthy to be named with it: Men may dive into the Sea and fetch up Pearls, but this Wiſedom lies a great deal deeper.
19. The topaz of Ethiopia ſhall not equal it, neither ſhall it be valued with pure gold.19. The Arabian Topaz, which is ſo much eſteemed for its wonderfull luſtre, doth not come near it; nor are all the golden Ornaments, which they wear in thoſe parts, proportionable to it.
20. Whence then cometh wiſedom? and where is the place of underſtanding?20. By what means then ſhall we get this Wiſedom of which we are ſo deſirous? who can ſhew us where it lies, that we may go and ſearch for it?
21. Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept cloſe from the fowls of the air.21. We may ask this queſtion as often as we pleaſe, but none can reſolve us: for it is concealed from all men living; the moſt ſoaring wits were never able to diſcloſe it.
22. Deſtruction and death ſay, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.22. Death is the beſt Informer, and the Grave the onelyonly place where we may learn ſomething of it. But this is all that they can tell us, (which is as far ſhort of a full account, as a rumour is from a certain knowledge,) that they will ſhortly make all men equal; and then it will be of no great moment, whether we have been happy or miſerable.
23. God underſtandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.23. None but God underſtands the way and method of his own Providence: He alone knows the place of that Wiſedom we enquire after; which is no-where elſe, but in his own Mind.
24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and ſeeth under the whole heaven:24. For who ſhould govern the World but He, whoſe Underſtanding is infinite; and ſees the motions of all Creatures, from one end of it to the other?
25. To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by meaſure.25. Which He hath ſet in ſuch exact order, and given to them ſuch juſt meaſures, that the Wind cannot blow, nor the Waters flow, but in thoſe proportions which He hath preſcribed.
26. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:26. To the like laws He hath bound the Rain, and appointed the courſe which the Thundering cloud ſhall take.
27. Then did he ſee it, and declare it, he prepared it, yea, and ſearched it out.27. And when He ordered all theſe things, He was pleaſed in the wiſedom which He ſaw in his works; He made it viſible and apparent; He fixed it therefore, and made theſe Laws perpetual: becauſe, after all the ſearch that could be made, He found no fault in it.
28. And unto man he ſaid, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wiſedom, and to depart from evil is underſtanding.28. And making Man at the ſame time, He imprinted this ſenſe upon his heart; that he ought to be an humble Adorer, not a Cenſurer, of his ſecret Wiſedome, whereby He governs the World. For the higheſt Wiſedom and skill that man can attain, is to be poſſeſſed with ſuch a Religious Fear of the great Lord of all, as not to dare to doe any thing which he knows will diſpleaſe Him.