Iob militant with meditations diuine and morall. By Fra. Quarles.

THE ARGVMENT.

Bildad, man's either state expresses, Gods Mercy' and Iustice Iob confesses; He pleads his cause, and begs reliefe, Foyl'd with the burthen of his griefe.

Sect. 9.

SO Bildads silence (great with tongue) did breake, * 1.1 And, like a heartlesse Comforter, did speake: How long wilt thou persist to breath thy mind In words, that vanish as a storme of wind? Will God forsake the Innocent, or will His Iustice smite thee, vndeseruing ill? Though righteous death thy sinfull sons hath rent From thy sad bosome, yet if thou repent, And wash thy waies with vndissembled teares, Tuning thy Troubles to th' Almighties eares, The mercy of his eyes shall shine vpon thee, And showre the sweetnesse of his Blessings on thee:

And though (a while) thou plunge in misery, At length hee'l crowne thee with prosperity: Run back, and learne of sage Antiquity, What our late births, to present times, deny, See, how, and what (in the worlds downy age) Befell our fathers in their Pilgrimage; If Rushes haue no myre, and Grasse no raine, They cease to flourish, droope their heads, & wayne: So fades the man, whose heart is not vpright, So perisheth the double Hypocrite; His hopes are like the Spiders web, to day That's flourishing, to morrow swept away: But he that's iust, is like a flowring tree, Rooted by Christall springs, that cannot be Scorcht by the noone of day, nor stir'd from thence, Where, firmely fixt, it hath a residence, Heauen neuer failes the soule that is vpright, Nor offers arme to the base Hypocrite: The one, he blesses with eternall ioyes, The other, his auenging hand destroyes.

I yeeld it for a truth; (sad Iob reply'd) * 1.2 Compar'd with God, can man be iustifi'd? If man should giue account what he hath done, Not of a thousand, could he answere one: His hand's all-Power, and his heart all pure, Against this God, what flesh can stand secure? He shakes the Mountaines, and the Sun he barres From circling his due course, shuts vp the Starres, He spreads the Heauens, and rideth on the Flood, His Workes may be admir'd, not vnderstood: No eye can see, no heart can apprehend him, Lists he to spoyle? What's he can reprehend him?

His Will's his Law. The smoothest pleader hath No power in his lips, to slake his Wrath, Much lesse can I pleade faire Immunitie, Which could my guiltlesse Tongue attaine, yet I Would kisse the Footstep of his Iudgement-seate: Should he receiue my crie, my griefe's so great, It would perswade me, that he heard me not, For he hath torne me with the fiue-fold knot Of his sharpe Scourge, his plagues successiue are, That I can find no ground, but of Despaire. If my bold lips should dare to iustifie My selfe, my lips would giue my lips the lye. God owes his mercy, nor to Good, nor Bad; The wicked oft he spares, and oft does adde, Griefe, to the Iust mans griefe, woes after woes; We must not iudge man, as his Market goes. But might my prayers obtaine this boone, that God Would cease these sorrowes, and remoue that Rod, Which moues my patience, I would take vpon me, T'impleade before him, your rash Iudgement on me, Because my tender Conscience doth perswade me, I'm not so bad, as your bad Words haue made me.

My life is tedious, my distresse shall breake * 1.3 Into her proper Voyce, my griefes shall speake; (Iust Iudge of Earth) condemne me not, before Thou please to make me vnderstand wherefore. Agrees it with thy Iustice, thus to be Kind to the Wicked, and so harsh to Me? Seest thou with fleshly Eyes? Or doe they glance By fauour? Are they clos'd with Ignorance? Liu'st thou the life of Man? Doest thou desire A space of time to search, or to enquire

My sinne? No, in the twinkling of an eye, Thou seest my heart, seest mine Immunitie Frō those foule crimes, wherwith my friends, at pleasure Taxe me, yet thou afflict'st me, in this Measure: Thy hands haue form'd, and fram'd me, what I am, When thou hast made, wilt thou destroy the same? Remember, I am built of Clay, and must Returne againe (without thy helpe) to Dust. Thou didst create, preserue me, hast endu'd My life with gracious blessings, oft renew'd Thy precious Fauours on me: How wert thou, Once, so benigne, and so cruell now? Thou hunt'st me like a Prey, my plagues encrease, Succeed each other, and they neuer cease. Why was I borne? Or why did not my Tombe, Receiue me (weeping) from my Mothers Wombe? I haue not long to liue; Lord, grant that I May see some comfort, that am soone to dye.

Meditatio nona.

HE that's the truest Master of his owne, Is neuer lesse alone, then when alone, His watchfull Eyes are plac't within his Heart; His Skill, is how to know himselfe; his Art, How to command the pride of his Affections, With sacred Reason: How to giue Directions Vnto his wandring Will; His* 1.4 Conscience checks his More looser thoughts; His lowder sinnes, she vexes

With srights, and feares; Within her owne precincts, She rambles with her* 1.5 Whips of wire, ne'r winks At smallest faults. Like as a tender Mother (Howe're she loues her darling) will not smother His childish fault, but she (her selfe) will rather Correct, then trust him to his angry Father: Euen so the tender Conscience of the wise, Checks her beloued soule, and doth chastise, And iudge the Crime her selfe, lest it should stand, As liable to a seuerer Hand.

Fond soule, beware, who e're thou art, that spies Anothers Fault, that thou thine owne, chastize, Lest, like a foolish man, thou iudge another, In those selfe-crimes, which in your brest you smother.

Who vndertakes, to dreine his brothers eye Of noysome Humors, first, must clarifie His owne, lest when his brothers blemish is Remoou'd, he spie a souler Blame in his.

It is beyond th' extent of Mans Commission, To iudge of Man: The secret disposition Of sacred Prouidence is* 1.6 lockt, and seal'd From mans Conceit, and not to be reueal'd, Vntill that Lambe breake ope the Seale, and come VVith Life and Death, to giue the VVorld her Doome.

The Ground-worke of our Faith, must not relie On bare Euents; Peace and Prosperitie Are goodly Fauours, but no proper Marke, VVherewith God brands his Sheepe: No outward barke Secures the body, to be sound within. The Rich man liu'd in Scarlet, dyed in Sinne. Behold th' afflicted man; Affliction mooues Compassion; but no Confusion prooues.

A gloomie Day brings oft a glorious Euen: The Poore man dyed with sores, and liues in Heauen. To Good and Bad, both Fortunes Heauen doth share, That both, an after-change, may hope, and feare.

I'le hope the best (Lord,) leaue the rest to thee, Lest, while I iudge another, thou iudge me; It's one mans VVorke, to haue a serious sight Of his owne sinnes, and iudge himselfe aright.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bildads speech. Chap. 8.
• * 1.2

  Chap. 9. Jobs reply.
• * 1.3

  Chap. 10.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  Juuenal. Sat. 13. Occultum qua tientean•• ••o tortore slagcl∣••um.
• * 1.6

  Hor. car. lib. 3. Ode 29. Prudens sulturi temporis exi∣tum, caliginosa nocte, prenut Deus. Luk 16. 22.