contain thy joy. 16. Behold God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he leave thee, if thou repent and art upright.

17. They who hated thee, and rejoiced at thy fall, shall be clothed with shame, and confounded at thy growing prosperity.

18. And the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought, so as not to be able to hurt thee.9. The hypocrite's hope shall perish, and his trust shall be as a spider's web, easily broken, and blown away.

20. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.-21. He may trust to the multitude of his children and servants, and his great wealth; but all will disappoint him.

CHAP. VI.

Job's Vindication.,

I know, Job answered, verily I know,
Wrong from eternal justice ne'er can flow."

1. THEN Job answered and said, I know it for a truth, that no man can be just before God; for

2. If God should contend with him, sorrow and disquietude of mind, and the bitterest redections would be the issue.

3. He is pure in heart, and great in strength, the all-wise, almighty God; whoever hardened himself against him and pros. pered?

4. He removeth the mountains, and they know it not: He overturneth them in his anger.

5. He shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

6. He commandeth the sun and it risethe not, and sealeth up the stars.

7. He alone spreadeth out the heavens, presideth over the constellations, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. -8. He doth great things past finding out, yea, and wonders without number.- -9. Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, what doest thou ?-10. If 1 justify myself, mine own mouth will condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it will prove me perverse. 11. Though I am conscious of integrity, yet 1 blush before God, and adore his providence, who hath so deeply plunged me in woe, that I am weary of life.

12. From hence I argue, that the righteous are not exempt from sorrow and calamity, in this world, but the scourge of heaven falleth upon the perfect and the wicked. 13. If I say I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself; I am. afraid, O my God; for I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

..

14. If I wash my hands in snow water, and make myself ever so white and clean, yet I cannot clear myself from all imputations, or fully prove my innocence.-15. Yet thou wilt plunge me in the mire, and my own gar- ments will make me to be abhorred by myself and friends.

16. For thou art not a man, as I am, that I should answer thee; and that we should come together in judgment.-17. O take thy rod away from me, and let not thy fear terrify me. 18. Then would I plead my cause, with humble confidence; but such is my present distress, that I am all confusion, I have no composure or fortitude of mind.

CHAP. VII.

Appeal of Job to God,

I pray thee let me grieve, O grant me this,
To use, at least, the right of lamentation.
Othat my wailings could but ease my woe,
Or that my voice could hasten death along
To give my miseries their only cure!"

1. NEVERTHELESS, I must give scope to my complaint, and speak in the bitterness of my soul, for I am weary of life.

2. I will say unto God, do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me, what are my crimes for which I suffer more than others.-3. Can it be pleasure to thee, to chastise the innocent, to despise the work of thine hand; and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?--4. Are thy days as the days of a man? or seest thou as man seeth?

5. If thou searchest after my sin, thy knowledge will clear me of wilful transgres

sion; but none can deliver me out of thine hand.

1

6. Thine hands have made and fashioned me together round about, thou knowest me perfectly, yet thou dost destroy me, art cutting me off by afflictions.-7. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

8. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitations have preserved my spirit, and thy good providence and care have still supported and sustained me.-9. If I sin thou markest me; and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

10. If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet I cannot lift up my head; I am full of confusion.-11. Therefore see thou my affliction, for it increaseth; changes and war are against me.--12. Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me !

13. I should have been, as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave, and escaped these calamities.

14. Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort, and have a little respite,--15. Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death.

What sullen star rul'd my untimely birth P
That would not lend my days one hour of mirth.
How oft have these bare knees been bent, to gain
The slender alms of one poor smile in vain!

How often, tir'd with the fastidious light,
Have my faint lips implor'd the shades of night ?
How often have my nightly torments pray'd
For lingering twilight, glutted with the shade!
Why was I born? Why was I born a man?
Or why proportion'd by so large a span?
Or why suspended from the common lot,
And being born to die, why die I not?
The branded slave who tugs the weary oar,
Obtains the Sabbath of a welcome shore;
His ransom'd stripes are heal'd; His native soitTM
Sweetens the mem'ry of his foreign toil;
May it please kind heav'n once to dissolve
These fleshy fetters, that so fast involve
My hamper'd life; then should my soul be bless'd
From all these ills, and wrap her thoughts in rest.

CHAP. VIII..

Job reproved.

"Be humble Job, presume not God to sean, -
Nor doubt his justice to his creature man.
Who did the soul with her rieh pow'rs invest,
And light up reason in the human breast,
To shine, with fresh increase of lustre, bright,...
When stars and suns are set in endless night!
Who taught the nations of the field and wood?
To shun their poison, and to choose their food!
Prescient the tides, or tempest to withstand,
Build on the wave, or arch beneath the sand ?
—God, in the nature of each being sounds
Its proper bliss, and sets its proper bounds."

1. CANST thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection ?2. It is high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what.canst thou know ?