this extremity of Miſery, Or, let me not live for ever, lingring in this miſerable manner,as if thou woulceſt not ſuffer me to diezbut hadſt a deſign to perpetuate my Torments. Or, let me not live out mine age or the full time of my Life, which by the courſe of Nature, might do ; for ſo the Hebrew word Olam is oft uſed;but cut me off, and that ſpeedily. « z. e. Witadraw thy hand from me, either 1. thy ſupporting hand which preſerves my Life, and ſuffer me todie: Or rather 2. thy correfing hand, as this ſame Phraſe is uſed, wer. 19: x Either 1. my Life is in it ſelf, and in its beſt eſtate a moſt vain unfatisfying,uncertain thing ; do not add this evil to it to make it miſerable. Or 2. my Life 1s a vain, decaying,and perifhing thing it will of it ſelf quickly vaniſh and depart, and doth not need to be forced from me by ſuch exquiſite Torments. |
him y 2 and that thou ſhouldeſt ſet thine heart upon him z ?
y What is there in that poor, mean, contemptible Cres 1- led Man, miſerable man, 6 this word ſignifies, which can re Ge incline thee to take any notice of him, to ſhew him ſuch reſpe&, or to make ſuch account ofhim ? Man is not worthy of thy Favour and he is below thy Anger. Ir is too great a condeſcention to thee. and too great an honour for man that thou wiltſt contend with him and draw forth all thy forcesagainſt him, as if he were a fit match for thee; whereas men uſe to negle& and ſlight mean adverſaries and will notdo them the honour ro fight with them. Compare : Sam; 24: 14. Therefore do not,O Lord, thus diſhonour thy ſelf nor magnifie me.I acknowledge that even thy CorreQtions are Mer- cies and Honours, but, Lord, let me be no more ſo honoured. z i,e, Have any regard to himyſo far as toafflit him,whichthough it be grievous 12 1t{elf, eipecially when it is aggravated as mine Is, yet unto thy peopleitis a great mercy and bleſſing,as being highly neceſſary and uſeful to humble chem, and purge them from ſin,and prepare them for glory : as on the contrary, thoſe wicked men whom thou doeſt deſpiſe and hate, and deſign to deſcroy,thou doeſt forbear to puniſh or affli&t them.
18 And zhat thou ſhou'deſt viſit him « every morn- ing b, andtry him « every moment?
a To wir, puniſh or chaſten bim, as the Word is. oft uſed, as viſiting is oft uſed, as Exod: 20: 5. and 32:34>and 34: 7: - b 5. e. Eves ry day But hementions the morning, either becanſe that is the be- ginning of the day, and fo is put ſynecdochically for the whole day as the evening,v:4: is put for the whole night : Or he ſpeaks of God after the manner of men, who reſtand ſleep in the night,bur in the morning riſe and go abour their buſineſs, and viſit or inſpe& thoſe perſons and things which they have a reſpe& for, or care of. c 5. e. affli& him, which is oft called trying, becauſe ir dgth indeed try a man's faith and patience, and perſeverance. But this and the for. mer Verſe may poſſibly be otherwiſe underſtood, not of Affflitiens. but of Mercies. Having declared his loathipg of life, and his paſſi- onate deſire of death,and urged it with this conſideration, that the daysof his life were meer vanity ; he now perſues it with this expoſe tulation. What is man, that vain. foolifh Creature, that thou ſhouldeſt magnifie or regard, or viſit him, ( to wit, with thy Mercy and Bleſſings, ofwhich thoſe words are commonly uſed, 7. e. thar chou ſhouldſr fo far honour and regard him, as by thy viſitation to preſerve his Spirit, or hold his Soul in life ) and #ry him, which God doth not only by Afffi&ions, bur alfo by Proſperity and outward Blefſings, which commonly dete@ a mans Hooncctls and diſcover that Corruption which before lay hid in his Heart? Therefore, O Lord, do not thus magnifie, and viſit me with thy Mercy, but rake away my lifes :
19 How long wilt thou not depart from me 4, nor let me alone till { ſwallow down my ſpittle e ? _
d How long will it be e're thou withdraw thy afflifting hand from me ? el. e. For a lirr - time ; or that I may have a breathing time ; A Proverbial Expreſſion, like that Spaniſh Proverb, 1 have mot time or liberty to ſpit out my ſpittle. Or this Expreſſion may have reſpe& ts Job's diſtempered and calamitous condition wherewith he was ſo overwhelmed, that he either had not ſcrength, or could not take heed to ſpit out his ſpittle as he thould have done;but ſwallowed it down a5 ſick and melancholy Perſons often do. s 20 I have ſinned f, whart ſhall I do unto thee g, O thou preſerver of men þ why * haſt thou ſet me as a
mark againſt thee,ſo that Tam a burden to my ſelf ;?
f Although I am innocent and free from thoſe crying ſins, for which myFriendsſuppoſe thou haſt ſent this uncommonJudgmeng upon me, yer if thou beeſt ſtrick to remark what is amiſs, I freely confeſs that I am a ſinner, and therefore obnoxious tothy Juſtices and I humbly beg thy pardon forit; as it followg verſe 21. And therefore accept of this Confeſſion. g To fatisfiethy Juſtice, or
= With ſad and dreadful Dreams ariſing either from the Melan- | tholly Humor which is now ſo fixed in me, and predominant over | ;
regain thy Fayour, 1 can do nothing to purchaſe or deſerve it, 4 E 2 - and
-
Chap. VI
rather + than my life r. '+Heb. thai |
? Not ſimply and in it ſelf,but comparatively, rather than ſoch a 27 #0nes- Ms |
*letme- Ch:10:1) *Ch:10;240 F £1 # : & 14:6. |jj
not 1n Proſperity ; for even ſuch a Life is but Vanity, muchleſs in Pfal.39:1J||
I7 * What 5s man that thou Gouldeſt magnifie *
Heb. 2: 6;
*Ch: 16:12, Pſal;21:125 Lam- 3.12
: q : 5 =
i i
it eu!
:
Pſal.8:4| 144: -33
hap. VIIT. | and therefore implore thy Mercy to pardon my fins. Þ O thou who, as thou waſt the Creator of Man, delighreſt to be, and ro be called the Prefſerver and Saviour of Men ; and .that waiteſt to be kind and gracious to Men from day to day, as occalion requires ;
which ſheweth what oppinion he hath of thee. & 5. 5. The concern
of thy Houſe and Family : Anuſual Metony my, [ Either, 1. which
thou haſt gor and managed with righteouſneſs ; ſo he call; it by way N, i - yE3 y 7 rd