x > was not my ſoul grieved for the poor y ? Is. x Whence is it that neither God nor Man ſhew any compaſſion Heb. for to me, bur both conſpireto afflit me, and encreaſe my Torments? im that Doth God now mete out to me the ſame meaſure which I meted out was hard to others ?'Have I now Judgment without Mercy, becauſe I af- of day. Fforded no Mercy nor Pity to others 18 Miſery ? No,my Conſcience 4 acquits me from this Inhumanity : I did not ſleight'y reſent, but bitterly'mourn and weep over others in their Miſeries; and there- fore I had reaſon to expe& more Compaſſion than I find. y Even, for him who was not capable of requiting my kindneſs in caſe of his
* Pal. 35.
T3, I 4. "Rom. 12.
7 O B.
not ( the Negation being underſtood our of the former Branch of |
: Chap. XXX], | Recovery : which ſhews that my Sympathy was real, and not feigne - ed, asitis in ſome who pretend great ſorrow for the Rich in t, troubles, hoping thereby to inſinuate themſelves into their favour _ friendſhip, and thereby to procure ſome advantage to them. ſelves. 26 When TI looked for good, then evil came ur» me 2: and when I waited for light, there came dark- neſs.
z In ſtead of the return of the like pity to me, which I might juſtly challenge and expe@ whenſoever I thould ſtand in need of ir I meet with a 1ad diſappointment, and my Pity is recompenſed with others cruelty to me.
27 My bowels boiled and reſted not a: the days of affliction prevented me 6.
2 i.e. My inward parts boiled without ceaſing. The Bowels arc the ſcat of Faſſion and of Compaſſion; and therefore this may be underſtood, either 1. of his Compaſſionate and deep ſenſe of others Miſeries ; which is ofc exprefſed by Bowels, as Iſa. 16. 11. Col. 3. 12, and elſe where, of which he ſpake, wv. 25. to which he ſubjoyns the contrary uſage which he mer with, v. 26. And then, in this firſt partof v. 27. he renews the mention of his compaſſion to 0- thers, and in the latter part he adds by way of Antitheſis or Oppo- ſition, that his Mercy was requited with cruel affliftions. Or, 2. of the grievouſneſs of his Troubles, which is ſometimes expreſſed by the troubling or boyling of the Bowels, or inward Parts; as Lam. 1. 20. b 1. e. Came upon me ſuddenly, and unexpe&edly, when I promiſed to my ſelf Peace and Proſperity, as the uſual re- compence which God promiſeth and giveth to ſuch as fear and pleaſe him, as T have done.
28 * I wentc mourning without the Sun 4 ; I ſtood * Pr ;g, up e, and | cried f in the congregation g. GX 42. 9;
c Or 1 walked hither and thither as 1 could. Or, 71 converſe or ap- & 43. 2,
pear among others. d Spending my Days in Mourning with- out any Sun-light or Comfort; or ſo oppreſſed with ſadneſs, that I did not care nor deſire to ſee the Light of the Sun. Heb. black nor by the $1m, My very countenance is changed and become black, but not b, the Sun, wiich makes many other perſons black ; Can. I. 5, 6. bur by the force of my Diſcaſe and deep Melanchoty which oft-times makes a man's viſage black and ditmaj. See Pſalm 119. 83. Lam. 5, to. And this he repeats in plainer terms. v. 3o. as an e- mincat token of his exceflive grief and miſery. e Either becauſe my Diſcaſe and Pain made me weary of other Poſtures: Or, that otaers might take notice of meand be moved with pity towards me. f With a loud ard direful clamour through. great and ſudden an- guiſh. g Where prudence and Modeſty taught me to forbear it, if ; extream Neceſlity and Miſery had not forced me to it.
29 * 1 am a brother h to dragons z, and a compani- *p;,,; on to || owis &. | || Or,0fri
bþ To wit, by imitation of their cries: Perſons of like qualities be. | are oft called brethren, as Gen, qg. 3. Prov. 18.'g- # Which howl Mc, 1.8, ' and wail mournful'y in the Deſerts, Mich. 1.8. either through hun-
ger or thirſt, or when he fights with. and is beaten by the Elephant.
{ k Whole ſad and mournful noiſes are known. Or, Ofriches, which . alſo 1s noted 'to make jamentable out-cries.
| 3o * My skin 1s black uponme/, and my bones are ; Pf, r19,
burnt with heat m2. | #4 Either by his dark-coloured Scabs, wherewith his Body was in a manner wholly overipread ; or by Grief, as before. »» The effe& of bis keaver and Sorrow, which dried up all his moiſture, and cauſed great Inflammations and burning Heats within him.
21 My harp all© is turned to mourning », and my organ into the voice of them that weep. :
» Either 1. I have now nothing but bitter lamentations inſtead of my former expreſſions of joy. Or, - Thoſe very things which formerly were occations and in{truments of my delight, do now renew and aggravate my ſorrows.
CHA P. XXXL.
He proteſteth his Continency and Chaſtity, God's Providence, Preſence and Judgments, his - Motives, 1 4. Hu juſt Dealings, 5 8, Free from Adultery which ought r0 be puniſhed by the Magiſtrate,g.=-12., Hu juft Carriage to his Servants, and the realon, 1, — 15. Hi Bounty to the Poor, for fear of God, and his Highneſs, 16 ==-===e 273, Nor Covetous, ner Idolatrous which ought to be pun ſbed bythe Magiſtrate, 2.4 ——- - 28, Not Revengeſul, 29, 30+ Hoſpitable to Strangers, 31,32« His Repentance, 33* He wiſheth God would anſwer, and his Words might be recorded, 35 37. His Imprecation again#t himſelf, if he ſpake not the Truth, '3B 40.
Made a covenant with mine eyes @ : why then ſhould I think upon 6b a maid c ? |