Chap. 2.' An Expofition upon the Book of J O ;. veïf.. emptied to the fill, ofworldly comforts, who with f ob'r friends., fits dawn upon the ground, efpecially, ifhe fits long there,as robs friends did , feven dayes and feven nights. The time fcems a1- molt incredible. How could.they hold ,out to fit fo long ? or how could-fob, a lickand difeafed man ? For it is Paid, 2heyJwt dawn .with himfeven dayes, &c. I anCwer, We need not interpret it for feven continued days and nights, without any intenniiiïon : it is frequent in Scripture to put a part, ripe;ially a greater. part, for the whole; that which is often done, is Paid to be aiwayes done as Luis. 24.. 53. The Difriples were continually in the Temple, prai- fing and bleffìng God : And Luke 2. 37. It is laid , That .Anna the Prophetefs departed notfrom'ehe temple, but ferved God night 'andday : Not that fhe was there without any intermiflion; but the greateft part of night and day, or at the ufual time both of night and day : Paul teftifies lìefore the Church ofEphefits, that by the £pace of three years, he ceafed not to warn every one night . and day with -his tears , Ails 2. 31. Did he therefore actually preach three years night and day without intermifíîón? That had been a long Sermon indeed.. Then his meaning is but this, that in thofe three years he watched and made ufe of all poflible oppor- tunities, both by night and by day, to preach the Gofpel : So we may underftand it here, theyfat clown .feven days andfeven nights,, that is, agreat part of feven days and fevennights, or all the time of thofe fèven days and Even nights whichwere fitting for filch a vifit, Origenwill have it, feven nights,and (even days without inter million in maintenance ofwhich affertion, he faith, they were prefervcd by miracle, without Sleep and without meat,, ail that time. But here is plain truth, without a miracle. Secohdly,Whereas it is faid,feven days andfevenatights ; we may. note further, that the number feven (as other numbersy May, be underlood indefinitely, a certain time being put for an un9 certain ; as fer. 15. 9. the Prophet faith, She that bath ,borri feven ( that is, many children) languiibeth And Ecclef. 2. (jive a portion to feven, that is to, many. Thus we' may' inter- pret it here, thei'Jwtedownfeven days andfeven nights,that is, many days and many nights; ás it is expref} of Nehemiah, Chap. r. 4,. That whenheheard ofthe calamity of f`erufale,n,hemournedmany days. Thirdly, We may take it firi tly, fox feven precife days and nights, 317
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