Ver. Thou didft with confidencee too bold And yet my care and kindness hold But fince my care does ev'n respect 8 Wilt thou my judgment thus defame, Muft my proceedings be controul'd, SONG XCV. Queft. 24. The Vanity of vying with God for Power, 9 HAST thou an arm like God, that can And win by force? Art thou, O man, Canft thou both heav'n and earth fedate, 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, 13 Hide thou and bind them in the duft But, weak, unequal combatant, 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, Thy fellow-creature, Behemoth, A beaft fo ftrong, fo grown. Were flesh his meat, what would fuffice Which could whole flocks, at once or twice, Therefore it was the Maker's care, Such ruin to prevent, 16 The ftrength I did on him bestow, 17 The navel of his belly too, His mighty force contains. Wrapt are the finews of his thighs, Which close involv'd with many ties, 18 Ver. His bones are firm like bolts of brafs, 19 O' th' brutal kind this bulky beast An active trunk to wound his foe, So will his fword the combatant, 20 This beast prodigious, for his food, And there to him the foreft's beafts They know him harmless to his guests, 21 Thence he retreats to groves for eafe, 22 By reeds and fens, and willow-trees, That deck the purling flood. 23 Fearless his mouth, he when a-thirst, Nor doubts but with a glut, at first, He draws it up with greedy eyes, 24 Who can, by force, the beast command? And who e'er undertook, Into his nofe, with ftrength of hand, Ver. Through fnares and gins his piercing nofe 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, 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, Canft thou the great Leviathan 2 Canft thou run through his gills a thorn, 3 4 5 Or with a cord, he laughs to scorn, Will he, like man in great distress, Thy pity, and with meek addrefs, Will he a contract with thee make, To be thy flave for ay? Tam'd as a bird, wilt thou him take Will he be bound, and fo fubmifs, He that to man a terror is Be to thy maids a sport? Ver. Shall neighbours make a hearty meal 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? Thou wouldst remind the fearful ftrife, The hope of conqueft here is vain *; For, with amazing fright, Faint at the monster's fight. 10 In fleep no giant iron-clade What mortal, then, with fury mad, SONG XCVIII. The Power of GOD fet forth in a more particular § 1. GOD's fovereign Dominion over bis Creatures. II SAY, in what creature's debt am I, For what's beneath and 'bove the sky Ev'n brutal hofts spread my report, Viz. When the engagement is fingle, or by any man alone, |