A paraphrase on the Book of Job As likewise on the Songs of Moses, Deborah, David: On Four Select Psalms: Some Chapters of Isaiah, and the Third Chapter of Habakkuk. By Sir Richard Blackmore |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
| XXXVII. |
| XXXVIII. |
| XXXIX. |
| XL. |
| XLI. |
| XLII. |
Ch. XLII.
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| LIII. |
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Ch. XLII.
A paraphrase on the Book of Job |  |
Ch. XLII.
These awful words, in which so brightly shine
Wisdom and Power, and Majesty Divine;
Did Job awaken, and his Grief renew,
Setting his Errors fully in his View:
Who now a just and free Confession made,
Humbly submitted to his God, and said:
Thy Wisdom all thy Creatures reach transcends,
Far as thy Will thy Power its Sphear extends.
All thy Designs thou wilt at last compleat,
No Force or Art can thy Wise Ends defeat.
As thou art pleas'd to crush me, thou hast Power,
If thou wert pleas'd, my Substance to restore.
Convinc'd by thy Reproofs, I freely own,
That I have rash, audacious Folly shown;
Vent'ring with Reason's short and treach'rous Line,
To sound the Depths of Providence Divine.
Searching the secret Counsels of thy Breast,
I have presumptuous Forwardness exprest.
My rash and unconsider'd Words, and all
My Censures of thy Conduct I recall.
My stupid Arrogance I now condemn,
That made me speak on so sublime a Theme.
Such Wonders all Created Wit exceed,
And should our silent Admiration feed.
Awful, Mysterious Things to be ador'd,
But not by vain and curious Heads explor'd.
O, let thy Anger be appeas'd, and hear
My humble Questions with a gracious Ear.
I will no more to Knowledge make pretence,
Or of thy Power, or of thy Providence.
Do thou instruct me, let thy Heav'nly Light
Dispel the hov'ring Shades that cloud my Sight.
Let Truth Divine its glorious Beams display,
Remove the Night, and bless my Mind with Day.
Something I own I understood before,
Both of thy Wisdom, and thy mighty Power,
But since thy dreadful Glory I beheld,
Those Attributes more clearly are reveal'd.
Wherefore a Sting does in my Bosom stick,
And self-displeasure wounds me to the quick;
When I reflect on my Behaviour past,
My bold Aspersions on th' Almighty cast.
That I thy Strokes did with Reluctance bear,
And wish'd for Death so oft in my Despair,
As if the Righteous Man no longer were thy Care.
My arrogant Discourses I repent,
My Charges brought against thy Government;
Now drown'd in Tears my Errors I lament.
I grieve that grown impatient of thy Rod,
I justify'd my self against my God.
Wisdom and Power, and Majesty Divine;
Did Job awaken, and his Grief renew,
Setting his Errors fully in his View:
Who now a just and free Confession made,
Humbly submitted to his God, and said:
Thy Wisdom all thy Creatures reach transcends,
Far as thy Will thy Power its Sphear extends.
All thy Designs thou wilt at last compleat,
No Force or Art can thy Wise Ends defeat.
As thou art pleas'd to crush me, thou hast Power,
If thou wert pleas'd, my Substance to restore.
Convinc'd by thy Reproofs, I freely own,
That I have rash, audacious Folly shown;
Vent'ring with Reason's short and treach'rous Line,
To sound the Depths of Providence Divine.
Searching the secret Counsels of thy Breast,
I have presumptuous Forwardness exprest.
My rash and unconsider'd Words, and all
My Censures of thy Conduct I recall.
My stupid Arrogance I now condemn,
That made me speak on so sublime a Theme.
Such Wonders all Created Wit exceed,
And should our silent Admiration feed.
185
But not by vain and curious Heads explor'd.
O, let thy Anger be appeas'd, and hear
My humble Questions with a gracious Ear.
I will no more to Knowledge make pretence,
Or of thy Power, or of thy Providence.
Do thou instruct me, let thy Heav'nly Light
Dispel the hov'ring Shades that cloud my Sight.
Let Truth Divine its glorious Beams display,
Remove the Night, and bless my Mind with Day.
Something I own I understood before,
Both of thy Wisdom, and thy mighty Power,
But since thy dreadful Glory I beheld,
Those Attributes more clearly are reveal'd.
Wherefore a Sting does in my Bosom stick,
And self-displeasure wounds me to the quick;
When I reflect on my Behaviour past,
My bold Aspersions on th' Almighty cast.
That I thy Strokes did with Reluctance bear,
And wish'd for Death so oft in my Despair,
As if the Righteous Man no longer were thy Care.
My arrogant Discourses I repent,
My Charges brought against thy Government;
Now drown'd in Tears my Errors I lament.
I grieve that grown impatient of thy Rod,
I justify'd my self against my God.
So much th' Almighty this Confession pleas'd,
That against Job his Anger was appeas'd.
Then turning, thus to Eliphaz he spoke,
But thou, and these thy Friends my Wrath provoke.
For you have all perverse Constructions made,
Of those Afflictions I on Job have laid.
Who, notwithstanding all his Faults, I own,
Has spoken better far than you have done.
Sev'n Bullocks then, and Rams as many take,
And go to Job, he shall Atonement make,
Which I'll accept, for his my Servant's sake.
He shall to me his Supplications send,
And I to you my Mercy will extend.
Let this be done, lest on your guilty Head
My Vengeance fall, because as I have said,
My ways you wrested to an evil sense,
And represented ill my Providence,
And would not hear my Servant Job's defence.
That against Job his Anger was appeas'd.
186
But thou, and these thy Friends my Wrath provoke.
For you have all perverse Constructions made,
Of those Afflictions I on Job have laid.
Who, notwithstanding all his Faults, I own,
Has spoken better far than you have done.
Sev'n Bullocks then, and Rams as many take,
And go to Job, he shall Atonement make,
Which I'll accept, for his my Servant's sake.
He shall to me his Supplications send,
And I to you my Mercy will extend.
Let this be done, lest on your guilty Head
My Vengeance fall, because as I have said,
My ways you wrested to an evil sense,
And represented ill my Providence,
And would not hear my Servant Job's defence.
These three wise Friends, of Wrath Divine afraid,
Their due Submission to th' Almighty made,
And Job to be their Intercessour pray'd.
His humble Prayer th' Almighty did receive,
And these Offenders for his sake forgive.
While Job this Duty for his Friends discharg'd,
God from his Straights the Patient Man enlarg'd.
He now began that Vigour to restore,
And all the Blessings he enjoy'd before.
Nor did he cease his Bounty to repeat,
Till he had made him twice as rich and great.
Then all his Friends and Kindred, who as Foes
Had Job deserted in his Straits and Woes,
Of his Deliv'rance when they heard the Fame,
To show their Joy, in Throngs around him came.
And when they first his Losses had condol'd,
And for his Suff'rings past their Sorrow told;
They their Congratulations did express,
For this his unexpected Happiness.
Each in his Hand did for a Present bear,
Or Coyn, or golden Pendant for the Ear.
Thus God chastis'd him with a kind intent,
And made him Poor, his Riches to augment.
The Herds and Woolly Flocks he once possest,
Now to a double number were increast.
His fruitful Wife his Offspring to restore,
Sev'n goodly Sons, and three fair Daughters bore.
One was Jemima, one Kesia nam'd,
The third was Kerenhappuch, Virgins fam'd
For charming Beauty, which the Sisters blest
Beyond the fairest Daughters of the East.
Job did not, as the Custom was to do,
These with small Portions of his Goods endow.
But being with his Sons Coheirs declar'd,
With them his vast Inheritance they shar'd.
God after this so happy turn of Fate,
Encreast his Years, as much as his Estate.
Of Years an Hundred, and twice Twenty more,
To those were added, which he liv'd before.
So the Good Man his numerous Progeny,
Did to the fourth Succession live to see.
Then ripe with Hoary Age, and fully pleas'd,
He dyed, or rather, he from Living ceas'd.
Their due Submission to th' Almighty made,
And Job to be their Intercessour pray'd.
His humble Prayer th' Almighty did receive,
And these Offenders for his sake forgive.
While Job this Duty for his Friends discharg'd,
God from his Straights the Patient Man enlarg'd.
He now began that Vigour to restore,
And all the Blessings he enjoy'd before.
Nor did he cease his Bounty to repeat,
Till he had made him twice as rich and great.
Then all his Friends and Kindred, who as Foes
Had Job deserted in his Straits and Woes,
187
To show their Joy, in Throngs around him came.
And when they first his Losses had condol'd,
And for his Suff'rings past their Sorrow told;
They their Congratulations did express,
For this his unexpected Happiness.
Each in his Hand did for a Present bear,
Or Coyn, or golden Pendant for the Ear.
Thus God chastis'd him with a kind intent,
And made him Poor, his Riches to augment.
The Herds and Woolly Flocks he once possest,
Now to a double number were increast.
His fruitful Wife his Offspring to restore,
Sev'n goodly Sons, and three fair Daughters bore.
One was Jemima, one Kesia nam'd,
The third was Kerenhappuch, Virgins fam'd
For charming Beauty, which the Sisters blest
Beyond the fairest Daughters of the East.
Job did not, as the Custom was to do,
These with small Portions of his Goods endow.
But being with his Sons Coheirs declar'd,
With them his vast Inheritance they shar'd.
God after this so happy turn of Fate,
Encreast his Years, as much as his Estate.
Of Years an Hundred, and twice Twenty more,
To those were added, which he liv'd before.
So the Good Man his numerous Progeny,
Did to the fourth Succession live to see.
Then ripe with Hoary Age, and fully pleas'd,
He dyed, or rather, he from Living ceas'd.
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Ch. XLII.
A paraphrase on the Book of Job | |