Chap, 3. An Expoftion upon the Book of-J O B. Verf. 16. An untimely birth is called a hidden birth, becaufe it is hid from the eyes of others; Abórtives are unpleafing andundefinable fpe- ¿cacle.s, therefore they are covered and laid by there is no remem- brance of their form or likenefs; therefore Solomon, speaking of an untimely birth, Eeclef.64. thus defcribes it, He cometh inwith va- nity, anddeparteth in darknefr, and his name Jhall be coveredwith darkneff. 423_, , Ì As a hidden untimely birth, Ihad not been. An untimely birth is faid not to have been. A not being is taken two wayes. Firft, Stri6ly for that which never had any life at all, and fo Come interpret this,for there are abortions, or untimely births, before guickning, or before there if any life. Secondly,Not vffcidtic nog. to be,isnot to fubfift,or not to live : When that which bath lived efr 4,ri mor. dies,it is faid not to be. The Prophet brings in Rachel,weeping for two cf; her children,. andwouldnot be comforted, becatife they were t jer. 31.15. -that is,becaufe they were dead. Jofèph's"brethren pleading before unknown Jofepb,tell him, Thyfervants are twelve brethren, and behold- the youngeft is this day with his father , andone if not, Gen. 42.13. that is,one is dead. So Jacob fpeaks at the 30. verfe of the fame Chapter,, ofeph it not, &c. Hence that anfwer of the Wife-man toAlexander, whodemanding of him, whether the li- ving or the dead were more in number, laid, The living, farthe dead are-not, . As infan.r that never faw the light.' This claule may be an'.Ex-- pofitian of the former chafe, (hewing what job means by an un- timely birth,even an infant that neverlaw the light. Yet all infants that never fee the light are not untimely births. Infants are often híll-born3when their mothers have gone out their time to the la(t hour,before the pains of travel come upon them. And therefore - I rather underhand this as diftin.a from the former. Io the one, lob intending filch as are born before time, which births are com- monly called abortions or mifcarriages. And in the other, thole who dye in the birth, who are commonly called Bill-born. The "ït2 word which is here ufed for an infant, lignifiesproperly a weaned SignPi par infant , but it is likewife transferred to lignifie an infant dying in vuitho ahLcIs- thebirth,which is therefore laid never to fee the light:So Solomon turn, per Carà. expreffethittoointhatplace, Eccicf.6.5.:Moreover, he loath not `'Cutulra- rur da irßnti. feen the Sien : And in allufion to this, Davidwhen he curfeth the in woo- plots ofwicked men ;_ that though they have conceived niifchief, merit iinEliv and
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