5s Let Strangers enjoy the Fruit of my Labours, according to * Goi's Curſe, Levit. 26. 16. Deut. 28. 30. t As this word is uſed, | Jab 5 25. & 27. 14 Or, rather, my encreaſe, or gronths, or jprouts ; z. e all mv ants, and Fruits, and Improvements. For 1. ſothe Word properly ſignifies, 2. So this latrer Branch of the Verſe ex- } Pl:ins the former, as is moſt frequent in ti1s and ſome other _ of Scripture. 3, He had not now any Children to be root- ed our.
9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman «,or ;f I have laid wait at my neighbours door x.
u To wit, by a ſtrange Woman, or rather ty my Neighbours Wife,as the next words limir it ; for of a Maid he ſpoke before,v.1. and this cannot be meant of his own Wife. He ſaith, by a Woman, 7. e. citier by gazing upon her Beauty, ſo as to be enamoured with it, and to luſt after her ; or by her perſuationsor allurements. Or, concerning a Woman, i.e. CONCErning impure converſation with a forbidden Woman, The Phraſe is very emphatical, rking from himſelf, and others,the vain excuſes wherewith men uſe r- palliate their ſins, by pretending that they did not deſign the wickedneſs, but were merely drawn in, and ſeduced by the ſtrong inticements and provocations of others. ': All which 56. ſuppoleth,: and yet
nevertheleſs owns the great guilt of ſuch prattiſes even in that. © ns...
, my Servant. # What Apology ſhall I make for my ſelf? .
' creature made by the ſame God, and therefore-one of God's 'Sub-
caſe. as well knowing thattemptation to ſin isno juification of it. x Watching for a fit opportunity to defile his Wife. Com« pare Proy, 7, 8, 9. | | 10 Then let my wife grind untoanother y, and let 0- thers bow down upon her z. 2? IE. _ ) Either 1. Let her be taken captive, and made a flave to grind in other Mens Mills ; which was a fore and vile ſervitude, Exo.1 1. 5. Judg. 16.21. I/a. 47. 2.Mat. 24. 41+ Or, rather 2. Let her be de< filed by another Man, as the next words expound it, and as theHe= brews underſtand ir,and as this very Phraſe 1s uſed by very ancient both Greek and Latzne Authors : ( Of which ſce my Larine Symopſis on this place.) And this is to be cautiouſly underſtood, not as if Fob delired, or would permit a requital in the ſame kind,but only,that if in that caſe God thou'd giveup his Wife to ſuch a wickedneſs he ſhould acknowledge his Juttice in it,and ( though withabhorrency of the ſin ) accept of that puniſhment of it. z Another modeit expreſſion of a filthy ation ; whereby the Holy Ghoſt gives us a Pattern and a Precept, to avoid notonly unclean AQions, bur alſo all immodeſt Expreſſions. | | | «9H IE 11 For this 4 is an heinous crime; yea, it is an ini- quity fo be puniſhed. by the Judges b. & |
a To wit, Adultery, whether committed by choice and deſign or by the ſolicitation of the Woman,v. g. b Heb. an iniquity of the Juages ; 1.6. which belongs to them to take cognizance of, and to punith, and that with death; and that nor only by the Law of Moſes, Deut. 22- 22+ but even by the Law of Nature, as appears from the known Laws and Cuſtoms of Heathen Nations in that caſe. See allo Gen- 38. 24. This is oppoſed to thoſe ſecret andleſſer fins, which are only known to, and puniſhed by God. | | |
I2 For it 35a fire that conſumeth to deſtructien e,and would root out all mine encreaſe d. £22
c For this fin would be as a ſecret but conſuming fire, waſting my Eitate and Reputation, and Body and Soul too, provoking God and enraging the Husband,and bringing down ſome extraordinary Vengeance upon me , And therefore the fear of God kept me from this _ ſuch like wickeaneſs. d 7. e. All my Eſtate : Compare Prov. 6. 27, | p | ;
13 IfI did deſpiſe the cauſe of my man-ſervant e, or of my maid-ſervant, when they contended with me f;
e If Iiufed my power over him to overthrow him or his juſt rights. And ſeing it is known that I was ſo juſt and kind to them, over whom I had ſuch unlimited power, it is not probable thar I ſhould be guilty of ſuch cruelty to others, as you impute ro me. f Either for :mpoſing heavier burdens than they could bear ; or for nor providing for them thoſe ſupports which their Nature and ne- ceflity required, or for any other plauſible cauſe. I heard them patient: y and indifferently,and did them righteven againſt my ſelf, it by any miſ-information or paſſion T had done them any Injury.
14 What then ſhaJl I do when * God riſeth up gf and when he viſiceth þ, what ſhall T anſwer him 5? ©
g To wit, to plead the Cauſe of the Opreſſed againſt the Op- preſſor, and to execute Judgment, as this Phraſe is uſed, Palm 68. I. Zach. 24 13. and elſewhere. I uſed my Servant like one who was alſo my ſelf a Servant,and had a Maſter in Heaven, Col.4.1.to whom I was to give anaccount of my carriage to my Servant and to all men. h:. e. When he ſhall call me to his Tribunal, and ſeverely examine all my aQtions, and particularly the Cauſe between me and |
15 * Did not hethat made me in the womb, make — 2 him &? and|| did not onefaſhion us in the womb 12 + 3t. & 4
k I conſidered that he was, though my Servant, yet,my Fellow» 2 Mal. 2. je&s, whom I could nor abuſe without the injury of his Supream 2 Or;did Lord. 1 Heb. Did he not form us in one womb? Notin one individual ner faſbionY Womb,bur in a Womb of the ſame kind, in an human Womb,with us in one a Body and Soul of the fame nature and quality, a reaſonable and Womb. © ;mmortal Creature, and made after God's Image, no leſs than my ſelf, to whom therefore I owed ſome reſpe& for God's ſake. -
| 16 If I have.withheld the poor from rheir defirem,or have cauſed the eyes of the widow to fail »:
m i.e, Denied them what they deſired of me, either in- Juſtice or from Neceſlity : For he was not obliged to grant their vain, or inordinate deſires. » To wir, with tedious expeQation. of my Ju- ftice or Charity. ' I durſt neitker deny or delay my help when they required and needed it. | HAR | :
17 Or have eaten my morſel my ſelf alone o, and the fatherlels ; hath not eaten thereof :
o Without communicating part of my Proviſions or Eſtate to the Poor, as itfoillows. p This one kind of ncceflitous perſons is put for all the reſt: ES | ;
18 For from my youth q he wzs brought up with me r, as with a Father s, and I have guided || her : from my mothers womb «. |