Chap. 34: fin Expoftion upon the Bobk_of J o B. Verf. 2o. 641 of death ; they would remove the 'meditation of death to the fall of their leaf, to the winter, and worft of their old age, yet they are not able toremove death one moment from the Spring and bell of their youth. Note, Thirdly. Violentdeath, by the fore and feverejudgement ofGod,often fweeps multitudes away ina moment. God can thruft whole throngs of men, yeawhole dations into their gravestogether ; it is faid (Numb. 16. ii.) of Coral) and his companions, The earth did cover, orfwallow themup in a mo- ment : And the Lord commanded c.illo fes,tofay unto the childre= of lfrael (Exod. 33. 5,) ye are afliff-neckedpeople ; Iwillcome up into themid.if of thee in a moment, and confume thee: As if the Lord had faid, Iwill take no long timefor it, I can quickly di fpatch you ; how manyfoever there are of you, I will do a in a moment. We have a like defcription of the fudden and quick dirparch of men at the Lord's word of Command, (Pfal.73. 59.) .flow are they brought into defolation, as in a moment, they are utterly confu- medwith terrors ? The final ruine of Babylonwas thus prophei:ed (Ifa. 4.7.9.) Yhefe two things fl all come to thee in a moment, in one day,the lofs of children and widdowhood, they flhall come upon thee in their perfeChon ; Thou (halt utterly be dettroyed, and perith at once for ever. The Prophet Jeremiah (Lam. 4. 6.) bewayled the de(tru&ion of Jerufalem, whore calamity was greater then that of Sodome and Gomorrah, which God deflroyed in a moment : Sodome and Gomorrahwere great Cities, yet how foonconfumed I In fome fenfe,there is a greater evil in a lingringdeftrulion,then in a fpeedy one ; fo the Prophet aggravates deathby famine, be- yond death by fire ; becaufe to die by famine isa lingring death. Cafar being warned thatfome lay in wait to deftroy him fudden- ly,flighred it, and faid,unexpe&ed death is moft defireable. And that's the lot of many great men ; to which , fome conceive the rfalmift had refpe&, when he Paid, (Pfal. 32.7 .) Teflail die line men,andfall like one of the Princes ; that is, fuddenly.But though in fome fence a fpeedy death is more eligible then a lingring one, yet in many refpe&s, to die fuddenly, or in a moment., may be concluded a far greater judgement, then to fee death coming by degrees, and deftru&ion walking towards us ftep by ftep. So- Nn n n larrtar
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