Chap.' 3 An Expofition upon the Book of J.0B. Vert: 18. foners refit together ; Captives and bondrnen have littletea until they rest in the grave : The language of prifoners is a forrowful language ; their fpeech is fighs, Pfal.79.11. Let the fighingof the prifoners come before thee; and Pfal. 12.5. Becaufè of theopprefott of the poor, and for the fighing of the needy. It is a reftlefs conditi- on which yields nothing but fighs and groans : Indeed we read in the A51s, (Chap. 16. 25.) of prifoners-that fpakeanother lan- guage , even the language of joy ; we read there of the tinging of theprifoners, Paul and Silas did not fighbut fing in the night while theywere bound in prifon , but this was extraordinary They receiving enlargement of heart, and wonderful confolation from the Holy Ghoft,pray iñ prifon and fing praife to God : Chri(t fent the Comforter that night to them , whomade them a feat{ ita the prifon, and they (Tang to it, they made mufick, heavenly mu- fick,tbeyTungpraifè to God.Lt wasnot from the good cheat, or any comfortable tneffage which they had from the J.aylor, or from their Oppreffors, but Chrift came and vi(ited them ; any place,'or any elate is comfortable, whenChreJt is prefent'to the Soul : But init feif imprifontnent is a fad condition. Therefore the Apolie biddeth us , remember thofe that are in bonds s even as bound with them, Hehr. 13. 3..,Chrift:takes a prifon-vifit as a fpecial point of fervice and : :kindnefs'done untohim, Iwas in prifon andyevifited me , Mat. 25.36. I, inmy afidedmembers was in prifon; and your vifit was an cafe to myafliition, and (as it were) a loofen- ing of my chains. Such vifitsare now feafonable : now remem- ber the bondage andcaptivity , the hard u(àge and imprifonment of our brethren in many parts of this Nation , Let the fighingof theprifoners come up before you, even the fighingof thole jojephs whore feet are hurt in the flocks, and the Iron enters into their Souls. As fome tranilate that, Prat. Io5. i8, When you are at your Tables, and have plenty, then remember the bread of ad- verftty,and the water of ailli4ion, which the poor prifoners your brethren are fervedwith , and mull be contentedwith every day, or larve in prifon. When you are in your pleafant warm chambers and foft beds, think of thecold, loathfom .dungeons and hard boards,in which, andon whichmany of them lie. And when you hear the-voyce of love, and fuch (peaking to you, who have the last of kjndnefs in their tongues, Prov.31.26. then remember thofe who hear the voyce of the Oppreffcr. From 'which take this fecond Obfervation,. That 431
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