Chap. 3. AnExpofition-ztpon the Bcokof J oB. Verf. will dig hard for treafure; you fee menwill dig hard for a hone, for iron, for coals, how then will they dig for a mine of Gold or Silver ! A man will dig the earth for a little money, but when a man diggeth,. hoping to find money in the earth, that will make him work indeed ; now they digafter fuch a`manner:And beyond that, he faith,they dig for it as for hidden treafure, that's a further degree of their endeavourafter it That which we tranflate, hidden trea9ure , is but one word in =múí; theHebrew : It fìgnifiethany hidden thing, efpecially treafures, from 3u'+ becaufe treafures ufe tobe hidor dole laid up. And there is a two- atfondí.. fold hidingof treafures : There is a natural hiding, and there is an indulirious and artificial hiding. There is a natural hiding, fo treafiires are hid, that lie in the bowels of the Earth, they are na- turally -hid. Then treafures are hid by indufiry and by art; when weare afraidwe fhall be fpoyledof our treafures,or that they thall be taken away, then there is a hiding them, and often a digging to hide them in the earth ;. as now in th.efe times of fpoyle and, violence, if a rich man hear that thofe fpoylers are nigh, he pre- fently hides his treafure. Now either as robbers dig and fearch for treafures induftriouflyhid, or as myners dig and fearch for Crea- fares naturally-hid, fò (faith yob) with fuch earueftnefs,do dig for death. There is one thing here tobe rëfolved by way of queftion before we come to the obfervations ; namely , whether it be lawful to wifh for, or to delire death ? f öb herepropofeth fuch as long fbr death; Is it lawful todefire -death ? cloth he fpeak here only ( de facto,) of a thing which forne do ; or of that which may be done ? I anfwer, fah, that death in it felf is too way deurable, and it is not an object ofdelire. We cannot deli re that (for it self) which is an enemy or deftruetive unto us. If any Ihould delire death.as death, or under the notion ofdeath, they thould delire that which is deftruf$ive,that' 'hich is their enemyJo theApostle calls death; r Co;'. _5. The.laJ enemy which _Pall be destroyed it death. Death is an enemy,- therefore (as death)no mancan deli -re it. Indeed,many have desireddeath, but hill we find fomewhat elle-at the bottom of that delire. But what bottom or ground makes the delire of death lawful :? I anfwer, Firil, It is a holy desire of death, if We &fre death to be free from fin ; When the Soul faith thus, because I fee, only the end of 447
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