render it amiable and delightful to Men, be covered with thick dark- Chap.s 1; neſs, and that both in the Evening Twilight, as is here expreſſed, when 18. the Stars begin to ariſe and ſhine forth ; and alſo in the further pro= grefs of the Night, even till the Morning begins to dawn, as the following words imply. * Let its darkneſs be aggravated wirh the diſappointment of irs Hopes and ExpeRations of Light. He aſcribes Scaſe or Reaſoning to the Night, by a Poetical Fi&ion uſual in all Writers. « Heb. The Eye-lids of the dy, i. e. the Morning-Star which uſhers in the Day,and the beginning, and conſequently the pro= greſs of the Morning Light, and the Day following. Let ths whole natural Day, conſiſting of Night and Day, beblorred our of the Catalogue of Days, as he wiſhed before.
Io Becauſe it x {but not up the doors x of my mothers
y Womb, nor hid forrow from mine eyes z.
x To wit, thenight or the day : to which thoſe rhings are aſcri- bed which were done by others in them, as is frequentin Poetical Writings, ſuch as this is Or,he, :. e- God:whom in modeity and Re. verence he forbears to name. Yer he doth nor curſe God for his Birth, as the Devil preſaged, but only wiſherch that the day of his Birth might have manifeſt CharaQers of a Curſe impreſſed upon it. x That it might either never have conceived me, or at leaſt never have brought meforth. y Which word is here ficly ſupplied, both out of Ch. 1. 21. and 31. 18 where ir is expreſſed ; and by Compare ing other places where it is neceſfarly :o be underſtood, rhough the Womb only be mentioned, as Fob 10. 19. Pſal. 58.3. 1/a.48: 8. Jo: r.
5. x Becauſe it did not keep me from entring into this miſerable
Life, and ſeeing, 7. e. feeling, or experiencing, ( as that word is oft
uſed ) rhoſe bitter ſorrows under which I now groan. ;
1r Why died I not from the Womb « ? Why didI not
give upthe Ghoſt when I came out of the Belly b ?
4 i.e, As ſaon as everT was born or come out of the Womb. b The
ſame thing expreſſed in other words, which is an Elegancy uſual
both in the Hebrew, and in other Languages.
12 Why did the knees prevent me c? or why the breaſts that I ſhou!d ſuck 4 ?
c Why did the Midwife or Nurſe receive me and lay me upon her knees, and did not ſuffer me tro fallupon the tare ground, and there to lie in anegle&ed and forlorn condirion;till merciful Death had taken me out of this miſerxbleWorld into which the cruel! kind- neſs of my Mother and Midwife hath betrayed me? 4 Why did the Breaſts prevent me) which may be fitly underſtood our of the former Members ) to wit, from pzriſhing through hunger,or ſupply me chat T ſhould have what zo ſuck? Seing my Mother had nor a miſcarrying Wr-mb, bur did unhappily bring me forth, why had ſhe not 4 Breaſts? Or,why were there uy Breaſts for me which I might ſuck? Thus Jo5 moſt unthankfully and unworthily deſpiſeth and traduc- eth theſe wonderful and {ingular Mercies ofGod towards poor help- leſs Infants, becauſe of the preſent Inconveniences, which he had by means of them.
13 For now ſhould Thave lien ſtill, and been I ſhould have ſlept ; then hadT been art reff.
e Free from all tioſe tormenrs of my Body and Mind which now
oppreſs me. _
14 With kings fand counſellors of the earth, which
* built deſolate places for themſelves g :
f 1 hadthen been as happy as the proudeſt Monarchs, who afeer all their great Archievments and Enjoyments, go down ints their Graves where I alſo ſhou!d have been ſweetly repoled. g Which, ro ſhew their great Wealthand Power, or to leave bebind them a glorious Name, rebuilt ruinous Cities, or built new Cities and Pala-
ces, and other Monuments, in places where before there was meer ſolitude and waſteneſs.
15 Or withprinces that had gold, who filled their houſes. with ſilver.
16 Or * as an hidden 4 untimely birth ; I had not been & : as Infants which never ſaw lighe /.
h Undiſcerned and unregarded.:s Born before the due time,8&there. fore extin&. & To wit, in the Land' of the Living, of which he
quiet e,
*Ch.15.28
*Pla.s8;8,
are brim full of forrow, and always ready to pour out their Cries
here ſpeaketh. / Being ſtifled and dead before they were born. 4D 2 17 There
Chap. V+
Mu EEG mere Di BIT nn be ES
EatESEzRE. a =
it look for light but have nonez, neither ler it ſee * the * pq, ,3,
Eye-lids of
5 Let the Stars, which are the Glory and Beauty ofthe _ to Fhe merning C
DC ome -= = - -
_—_= _—
a. een -_ Wn
J
17 There #m the wicked ceaſe from troubling »: and
#Heb.wes there the Þ weary be at reſt »,
_ Mm 1. e. In the + od which though not expreſſed, yer is clearly frength. * 5mplied in the foregoing Verſes. | blecs of the World ceaſe from all thoſe Vexations,Rapines,and Mur- ' ders, which here they procured: 0 Thoſe who were here moleſted ' and tiredout with their Tyrannies, now quietly ſleep with them,
or by them. 18 There the priſoners reſt together p ; they hear not
the voice of the oppreſſor 9. :
þ i. e. One as well as another,they who were kept inthe ſtrong- eſt Chains.and cloſeſt Priſons,and condemned to the molt hard and miſerable ſlavery,reſt as well as thoſe who were Captives 1n much better Circumſtances: Or, in like manner,(as this word oft ſignifies) as thoſe Oppreſſors and opprefſed do. q Or, ExaFor, or Tastnaſter, who urgeth and forceth them by cruel Threatnings and Stripes, tO greater diligence in the Works to which they are condemned. vee Exod. 3. 7. and 5. 6, 10, 13. Jeb meddles not here with their eter- nal ſtate after Death, or the ſentence and judgement of God againſt wicked men, of which he ſpeaks hereafter, bur only ſpeaks of their freedom from worldly troubles, which is the only matter of his
Complaint and preſent Diſcourſe. *Or,#there . 19 The ſmall and great r
the (ame. is free from his maſter. ; 6 r 7. e. Perſons ofall Qualities and Conditions, whether higher or lower. 5 In the ſame place and ſtare,all thoſe kinds of diſtinCQti- ens and differences being for ever aboliſhed. 2 : 20 Wherefore is light given 7 to him that 1s in mi-
ſery, and life unto the bitter i» ſoul « ? |