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Ver. Thou didft with confidencee too bold
Thy fpotlefs virtue boast;

And yet my care and kindness hold
As quite extinct and loft.

But fince my care does ev'n respect
My lowest creatures clan,
How canst thou judge that I neglect
My nobler creature, Man!

8 Wilt thou my judgment thus defame,
That thou mayft righteous be?
Canft thou thy innocence proclaim,
Without reproaching me?

Muft my proceedings be controul'd,
Thy character to clear?
My deep decrees be disannul'd,
Thy name and fame to rear?
Vain man, wilt thou fo flanderous
Thy righteous God indite?
Doft thou thy kind Redeemer thus
Ungratefully requite?

SONG XCV.

Queft. 24. The Vanity of vying with God for Power,
Majefty, and Dominion over proud and wicked
Enemies. Job xl. 9,—14.

9 HAST thou an arm like God, that can
Against him take the field,

And win by force? Art thou, O man,
With pow'r almighty fteel'd?

Canft thou both heav'n and earth fedate,
Fright with a dreadful noife;
Or most exactly imitate

Jehovah's thund'ring voice?

10 If thou, poor mean dependant wight, Prefum'ft with God to vye,

Then now adorn thyfelf with light,

With pomp and majesty ;

With ftate and dread that can and will

The hoft of hell annoy ;

With beauties too, that heav'n can fill

With wonder and with joy,

Ver. Caft forth the fury of thy wrath,

11

See and abafe the proud;

12 And look them down to hell beneath,
Whofe wealth their vices throud.

13 Hide thou and bind them in the duft
And crown them in their caves;
For here's the work of God, the juft,
Who digs the wicked's graves.
14 Do these great things; then thou, I'll grant,
Mayft thine own faviour be:

But, weak, unequal combatant,
Submit thou must to me.

SONG XCVI.

An inftance of divine Power in Behemoth; that is, as fome think, the Elephant. Job xl. 15,-24.

15 BE

EHOLD again, to stop the mouth,
And bring thee further down,

Thy fellow-creature, Behemoth,

A beaft fo ftrong, fo grown.

Were flesh his meat, what would fuffice
His vaft capacious womb,

Which could whole flocks, at once or twice,
And num'rous herds entomb?

Therefore it was the Maker's care,

Such ruin to prevent,
To make the ox's food his fare,
The grafs his aliment.

16 The ftrength I did on him bestow,
Within his loins remains;

17

The navel of his belly too,

His mighty force contains.
Like to a cedar tall and high,
With tempefts tost about,
From fide to fide, in gallantry,
He moves his pliant fnout.

Wrapt are the finews of his thighs,
Like complicated cords,

Which close involv'd with many ties,
United force affords.

18

Ver. His bones are firm like bolts of brafs,
Which guard the pond'rous frame;
Their ftrength the bars of iron furpals,
Well temper'd in the flame;

19 O' th' brutal kind this bulky beast
Is the chief work of mine;
Craft, ufe, in him, beyond the rest,
Structure and ftrength combine.
On him his Maker did beftow,
Instead of fighting arms,

An active trunk to wound his foe,
And guard himself from harms.
But God can kill the elephant,
Soon as a gnat or fly;

So will his fword the combatant,
That dare his pow'r defy.

20 This beast prodigious, for his food,
Frequents the verdant plains,
The graffy mountains, defarts broad,
Where he a monarch regins.

And there to him the foreft's beafts
Do all in troops refort;

They know him harmless to his guests,
And by him fearless fport.

21 Thence he retreats to groves for eafe,
Lies in the fhady wood,

22 By reeds and fens, and willow-trees, That deck the purling flood.

23

Fearless his mouth, he when a-thirst,
To Jordon does apply;

Nor doubts but with a glut, at first,
He'll drink the river dry.

He draws it up with greedy eyes,
And who can in his fight,
With him attempt, or enterprize,
A fair and open fight?

24 Who can, by force, the beast command? And who e'er undertook,

Into his nofe, with ftrength of hand,
To fix the fervile hook?

Ver. Through fnares and gins his piercing nofe
And fnout is his defence;

I

By art furprize him may his foes,

But not by violence.

Thou dar'ft not that ftrong beaft offend,

Left foon he thee devour;

Why wilt thou then with God contend,
From whom he gets his pow'r?

SONG XCVII.

Of the Leviathan in general; that is, the Whale, or Crocodile: Man, being unable to fubdue and tame bim, must own bimfelf to be utterly unable to Stand before the great GOD. Job xli. 1,-10.

JOB, if thou canft debate with me,

As thou didst boldly wish,

I'll but produce, for humbling thee,
A formidable fish.

Canft thou the great Leviathan
Draw out with hook or line?
Or in the deep the whale trepan
With common baits of thine?

2 Canft thou run through his gills a thorn,
A jav'lin through his jaw?

3

4

5

Or with a cord, he laughs to scorn,
Afhore the monster draw?

Will he, like man in great distress,
With tender words intreat

Thy pity, and with meek addrefs,
His moan to thee repeat?

Will he a contract with thee make,

To be thy flave for ay?

Tam'd as a bird, wilt thou him take
To be thy children's play?

Will he be bound, and fo fubmifs,
As thy domeftic fort?

He that to man a terror is

Be to thy maids a sport?

Ver. Shall neighbours make a hearty meal
Of him when catch'd by art?

6

And foon his bones and oil for fale

Among the merchants part?

7 Is't eafy work his fcaly skin, With barbid irons to prick; His head with fpears to affaffine, And touch him to the quick ? 8 Suppofe thy hardy valour should The furious beaft affail,

9

Think'st thou that fwords and daggers would

Soon o'er his ftrength prevail?
Suppose thou fhouldest with thy life
Escape the dreadful rage,

Thou wouldst remind the fearful ftrife,
And dread anew t'engage.

The hope of conqueft here is vain *;

For, with amazing fright,
The ftouteft hero would, as flain,

Faint at the monster's fight.

10 In fleep no giant iron-clade
Dare his difturber be;

What mortal, then, with fury mad,
Dare face and fight with me?

SONG XCVIII.

The Power of GOD fet forth in a more particular
Defcription of the Leviathan. Job xli. 11,-34.

§ 1. GOD's fovereign Dominion over bis Creatures.

II SAY, in what creature's debt am I,
That as injur'd can whine?

For what's beneath and 'bove the sky
Is all and wholly mine.

Ev'n brutal hofts spread my report,
From fmallest mites and fnails,
To monfters of the biggest fort,
The crocodiles and whales.

Viz. When the engagement is fingle, or by any man alone,

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