The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
ARGUMENT.
To ſuch Diſcourſes as theſe, Job preſumes his Friends would have given greater attention, then it ſeems they did, had not the Vileneſs of his preſent condition made his Speeches alſo contemptible. And therefore he puts them in mind, with what reverence all his Orations were formerly received, by great and ſmall: wiſhing God would reſtore to him thoſe happy days; and inſerting, all along, ſome remarkable inſtances of his Integrity (eſpecially as a Judge) in the height of his Princely Proſperity. When he had an uncontrollable Power to doe as he pleaſed, and yet never abuſed it; but imployed it conſtantly for the defence and comfort of the meaneſt people in his Province.
1. MOreover Job continued his parable, and ſaid,1. HERE Job made another pauſe, to ſee if his Friends would return any Anſwer: But they continuing ſilent, he proceeded in his eloquent Vindication of himſelf; ſaying,
2. Oh that I were as in months paſt, as in the days when God preſerved me:2. Oh that God would re-eſtabliſh me in that happy Condition, wherein, ſometime agoe, I was a principal part of his Care! You would then give a greater regard to my words, then you do now in my Misfortune:
3. When his candle ſhined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkneſs:3. Which hath left me Nothing but onelyonly Wiſhes, that He would reſtore me thoſe pleaſant days, when I ſaw nothing but continued tokens of his Favour; by which I paſſed untouch'd through all the Inconvenices and Troubles of this Life.
4. As I was in the days of my youth, when the ſecret of God was upon my tabernacle:4. Oh the flouriſhing ſeaſon of that proſperous eſtate! would it were poſſible to recall the Felicity of thoſe days, when the Divine Providence treated me ſo kindly, that all my Anſwers were held for Oracles:
5. When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me:5. When the Almighty Goodneſs had not ceaſed to be gracious to me; but I ſaw my ſelf ſurrounded with my Children and Servants, waiting to know my pleaſure.
6. When I waſhed my ſteps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oyl:6. When my Lands were ſo fertile and were bleſſed with ſuch plenty, as if the rivers had flowed with butter and oyl:
7. When I went out to the gate, through the city, when I prepared my ſeat in the ſtreet!7. When I went in ſtate to the Court of judgment, and ſate on the Bench, in the open place, where the people are wont to have their cauſes heard:
8. The young men ſaw me, and hid themſelves: and the aged aroſe, and ſtood up.8. And the Youth ſeeing me appear, were ſeiſed with ſuch fear, that they durſt not look me in the face; and the Aged no ſooner perceived me, but they roſe up from their ſeats, and, in token of reverence, ſtood in my preſence.
9. The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.9. Immediately enſued a general Silence; the Princes themſelves breaking off their diſcourſes, and not taking the liberty to ſpeak a word.
10. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.10. The Nobles and great Commanders could not have heard me with greater attention and ſtilneſs, if they had quite loſt their voices, or their tongues had been tied to the roof of their mouths.
11. When the ear heard me, then it bleſſed me; and when the eye ſaw me, it gave witneſs to me:11. And (ſo far was I from being a Tyrant, as you have accuſed me, XXII. 5, 6.) there was no ear heard the Sentence I gave, but praiſed my Integrity; no eye ſaw me after I had ſpoken, but you might have beheld therein the Reſpect and Honour which they all bare me.
12. Becauſe I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherleſs, and him that had none to help him.12. Becauſe I never failed to eaſe the Poor when he complained of his Oppreſſions; the Fatherleſs, and ſuch as had none to take their parts, ever found me their Defender.
13. The bleſſing of him that was ready to periſh came upon me: and I cauſed the widow's heart to ſing for joy.13. I had his prayer for my Proſperity, whoſe life and eſtate I preſerved, when he was in danger of utter undoing: and I made the ſorrowfull Widow ſuch a joyfull woman, that ſhe openly proclaimed my praiſe.
14. I put on righteouſneſs, and it cloathed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.14. For in the morning I put on a reſolution to doe juſtly, together with my cloaths; and I never ſwerved from it all the day after: But look'd upon the righteous Sentence which I pronounced, as a greater ornament then the purple Robe on my Shoulder, and the Diadem upon my head.
15. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.15. I inſtructed him who did not well underſtand his own buiſineſs; and aſſiſted him who wanted means to carry on his cauſe.
16. I was a father to the poor: and the cauſe which I knew not, I ſearched out.16. For the Poor I had ſuch a paternal affection, that it made me his Advocate as well as his Judge: and I never left ſtudying his cauſe, (when there was an obſcurity in it,) till I had cleared the buiſineſs, and done him right.
17. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and pluckt the ſpoil out of his teeth.17. By which means I diſabled the Unjuſt to oppreſs them; and forced them to reſtore that which they had violently extorted from them.
18. Then I ſaid, I ſhall die in my neſt, and I ſhall multiply my days as the ſand.18. And having done ſo many Vertuous actions, and being in ſuch high Authority, I was apt to promiſe my ſelf that, after an exceeding long and happy Life, I ſhould die quietly in mine own houſe, among my Children and Friends.
19. My root was ſpread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.19. For, being like a Tree whoſe root ſpreadeth out it ſelf by the waters, and whoſe boughs are perpetually moiſtned by the ſweet dew of Heaven, I thought I ſhould never wither.
20. My glory was freſh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.20. My Eſteem and Reputation increaſed every day, and grew greater; and ſo did my Power to defend the Authority and Dignity I had obtained.
21. Ʋnto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept ſilence at my counſel.21. Though there was no need I ſhould ſo imploy it; for when I ſpake, all men gave me the greateſt attention, and my words were a Law to them:
22. After my words they ſpake not again, and my ſpeech dropped upon them.22. Which when I had uttered, no man contradicted, or ſo much as corrected; but it ſweetly inſtilled it ſelf and ſunk into their hearts.
23. And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide, as for the latter rain.23. For they expected my Opinion with the ſame eager deſire that the Husbandman doth the Showrs, after he hath ſown his ſeed; they gaped for it as the thirſty Earth doth for the latter Rain, to plump the corn.
24. If I laughed on them, they believed it not, and the light of my countenance they caſt not down.24. The Reverence they bare me was ſo great, that when I laid aſide my Gravity, and jeaſted with them, they would not believe it; but ſtill took all I ſaid to be ſerious: and whatſoever pleaſantneſs I uſed with them, it did not diminiſh my Authority among them.
25. I choſe out their way, and ſate chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth … the mourners.25. But if I went to viſit them, they ſtill preſerved their Reſpect to me, and gave me the Preeminence. And as my Condeſcenſion to them did not make them leſs honour me, ſo their Submiſſion to me did not make me leſs familiar with them: for when I ſate as a King guarded with many troups of followers, I comforted the meaneſt, and would not ſuffer them to be dejected.