The grand Tryal or, Poetical Exercitations upon the book of Job. Wherein, Suitable to each Text of that sacred Book, a modest Explanation, and Continuation of the several Discourses contained in it, is attempted by William Clark |
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| I. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| II. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| III. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. | Cap. XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| IV. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
| XXXVII. |
| V. |
| XXXVIII. |
| XXXIX. |
| XL. |
| XLI. |
| XLII. |
 | The grand Tryal |  |
Cap. XXV.
Bildad
it seems did undertake to do it,
And in a short discourse, he thus spoke to it.
And in a short discourse, he thus spoke to it.
Why is it so? says he, that thou must still
Hold such opinions, argue what we will
To th'contrair? what has all that we have said
Of our good wishes, no impression made
In thy poor Soul? are all our labours vain?
And shall we still have reason to complain,
That after all what we can do, or speak,
VVe are as yet not able to correct
The fury of thy hot impatience,
But still thou tel'st us of thy innocence?
Ah! wilt thou never be convinc'd? wilt thou
Still wildly rave, what ever we can do
To bring thee to thy wits? art'not asham'd.
To speak thus of thy Maker, who has fram'd
Both thee, and us of very simple Dust,
That yet for all this thou wilt still be just,
What ere he say to th'contrair, why my friend,
Is't fit thou with thy Maker shouldst contend?
With him, who all perfection doth transcend?
With him is fear, dominion, power, and state,
Honour, and glory: pray who can debate
With our Almighty God: with God on high,
Under whose feet we Mortals grovelling ly?
Wilt thou contend with him whom all obey
Whom no command or power dare gain-say?
A God unlimited, and absolute
In all his actings, and wilt thou dispute
With such a one?
Hold such opinions, argue what we will
To th'contrair? what has all that we have said
Of our good wishes, no impression made
In thy poor Soul? are all our labours vain?
And shall we still have reason to complain,
That after all what we can do, or speak,
VVe are as yet not able to correct
The fury of thy hot impatience,
But still thou tel'st us of thy innocence?
Ah! wilt thou never be convinc'd? wilt thou
Still wildly rave, what ever we can do
To bring thee to thy wits? art'not asham'd.
205
Both thee, and us of very simple Dust,
That yet for all this thou wilt still be just,
What ere he say to th'contrair, why my friend,
Is't fit thou with thy Maker shouldst contend?
With him, who all perfection doth transcend?
With him is fear, dominion, power, and state,
Honour, and glory: pray who can debate
With our Almighty God: with God on high,
Under whose feet we Mortals grovelling ly?
Wilt thou contend with him whom all obey
Whom no command or power dare gain-say?
A God unlimited, and absolute
In all his actings, and wilt thou dispute
With such a one?
His mighty armies are innumerable,
By which, at all occasions he is able
To make all men from Wars, and Tumults cease,
And keep the whole Creation in peace:
He makes his Sun on every Creature shine,
Without distinction, who then should repine,
Or say that he is partial? when his care
For all his Creatures equal doth appear.
By which, at all occasions he is able
To make all men from Wars, and Tumults cease,
And keep the whole Creation in peace:
He makes his Sun on every Creature shine,
Without distinction, who then should repine,
Or say that he is partial? when his care
For all his Creatures equal doth appear.
O then, since God is absolute, and high,
Unlimited, in power, and soveraignty,
All-seeing, wise, impartially just,
And best of men is but a mass of dust:
Who's he that in his presence dares assert
That he is clean, and upright in his heart?
Who's he dares undertake to justifie
Himself before his Maker, or denie
That he is sinful, and by consequence
Deserves to be chastis'd for his offence?
Who's he of Woman born that can be clean?
Was ever yet that Mortal heard, or seen
That came into the World without Sin,
Since our first Parents did of old begin
To lay the first foundation of offence,
Entailing firmly on their race, from thence
A sad inheritance of sin, a black,
And uglie spot, in a continued tract
Of Generation from the dismal time
That these (till then unknown) durst act a crime.
Unlimited, in power, and soveraignty,
All-seeing, wise, impartially just,
And best of men is but a mass of dust:
Who's he that in his presence dares assert
That he is clean, and upright in his heart?
Who's he dares undertake to justifie
Himself before his Maker, or denie
That he is sinful, and by consequence
Deserves to be chastis'd for his offence?
Who's he of Woman born that can be clean?
Was ever yet that Mortal heard, or seen
That came into the World without Sin,
Since our first Parents did of old begin
To lay the first foundation of offence,
Entailing firmly on their race, from thence
A sad inheritance of sin, a black,
And uglie spot, in a continued tract
Of Generation from the dismal time
That these (till then unknown) durst act a crime.
Then how darst thou affirm that thou art pure
I'th' sight of God? dost think we can endure
To hear a man so impudentlie speak
Of what but even to think deserves a check?
Pray but behold the Moon: observe, I pray
How now at Nights it doth its beams display
In imitation of the light of day.
View but the Stars too, and observe how these
Shine, like bright Tapers in Kings Pallaces,
And though not great, yet yield an useful light
T'allay the horror of the tedious night.
Now one should think those glorious Heavenlie Creatures,
By their own Constitutions, and Natures
Were pure and clean: but 'tis a great mistake,
For those, what ever figure they do make
Of bright unspotted glorie, in which sure
They mankind do exceed, and are more pure
Than anie of us all, yet in his eyes
Those glorious Creatures with Impurities
Are overspread, and in his sight appear
Unclean, and Daple-spotted every where.
I'th' sight of God? dost think we can endure
To hear a man so impudentlie speak
Of what but even to think deserves a check?
Pray but behold the Moon: observe, I pray
How now at Nights it doth its beams display
In imitation of the light of day.
View but the Stars too, and observe how these
Shine, like bright Tapers in Kings Pallaces,
And though not great, yet yield an useful light
T'allay the horror of the tedious night.
206
By their own Constitutions, and Natures
Were pure and clean: but 'tis a great mistake,
For those, what ever figure they do make
Of bright unspotted glorie, in which sure
They mankind do exceed, and are more pure
Than anie of us all, yet in his eyes
Those glorious Creatures with Impurities
Are overspread, and in his sight appear
Unclean, and Daple-spotted every where.
Then how much more unclean, foul, and deform,
Is man before him? man a verie Worm,
A Moth, an Aunt, a Spider, anie thing
That may be thought not worth the valuing.
Man a meer Frog, a thing both mean, and base
A sillie Worm, both he, and all his race.
Is man before him? man a verie Worm,
A Moth, an Aunt, a Spider, anie thing
That may be thought not worth the valuing.
Man a meer Frog, a thing both mean, and base
A sillie Worm, both he, and all his race.
| The grand Tryal | |