Chap, 42. An Expofition upon the Boekof J o B. Verf. 16 I n 3 Hence note ; To have and enjoy a numerous family, is greatly.contentfsil toman, and a great biding of God, yob received a great blefsing, when he had fons and daughters of his own, as many asbefore ; but when he faro his Jens, and his fons tom, even to the fourthgeneration, that was the crown of all his outward blefsings.6liphaa, fore-fpake this of him,upon fup- pofition of his repentance, and profiting under the corre6ling hand of God (Chap. 5. 25.) Thou (halt know alto that thy feed ¡hall begreat, and thy oft-fpring as the graft of the earth. The childrenof all men, or all the children of men, are as grafs for fadingnefs (Ifa. .e. 6.) But when Eliphaz faid, Thy offfpring (hall be as thegrafs of the earth, his meaning was, they (hall flcurifh as the goals, and they (hall be many, very many, as the grafs of the earth. David (Pfal. ;27. 3, 4, S.) fpeaks of this great blefsing, the multiplying of the feed of the righteous, as their great contentment ; Lo, children are the heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows in the band of a mighty man, fo are children of the youth : happy is the man that bathhis quiver full of them ; that is, he bath a great out- ward happinefs, Many children maycontribute to our happinefs manywayes, though fame have had many unhappineffes in one. The next Pfalrn infils upon the fame mercy, under other meta- phors ; Thy Wife (hall be as thefruitful Ilene by the fides of thy houfe, tby children like Olive- plants round about thy Table ; Lo, thus (hall the man be 61tifed that fearetb the Lord. And (vert. 6.) Tea, those (halt fee thy children, children, and peace upon ¡frae!. It is a great affli& ion, a grief of eyes, yea, a breaking of the heart, to beholdbad children ; but how fweec a fight is ir, to behold good and obedientchildren, and themmany ! There are two conditi- ons very grievous to fee,oar children in. Firff, to fee them in mi- fery. Rachel (Ter. 31, 15. Mat. 2.) meurned for ber children, and would not be comforted, becaufe they were not; the law them murdered before her eyes.Such alight had Zedekiäh(Ter.5o.Io.) theKing of Babilon brought his children, and flew them before his eyes.; he madehim fee that horrid fpe&acle, and then put out hiseyes (verf. a r.) Secondly, to fee children fin, and going on in a courfe of fin ; that is a greater, a fargreater affliecion than the former,
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