Chap. 39. afán Bxpofition upon the Book of o B. Verf.. 6. 33-3. yet take the wildernefs flri&ly, and 'cis a place un- inhabited by man ; and that's the place where the Lord bath appointed the, wild Afs to dwell ; 'cis his houle, there he abideth as men do in their houles. The wildernefs is a place undreffed, unrifled, un- cared for by man, yet by the care and goodnefs of God it afErds fuffrcienr provilion for thefupport of there crca:ures, whom na man provides for. Whofe houle I have made the wildernefs. The wildAfs bath a large and open houfe, fo:ne conceive the wildernefs here intended was the wildernefs of Arabia, which as ( Hiflorians tell us ) was much fockt or abounded with wild Affes. The word Arabia lignifies awildernefs; the whole coun- try being fo like a wildernefs, is focalled after its own likenefs. The Chalate Paraphraft reads ir, wbofe knife lhave made a plain, as if thefe wild Ages were in this oppoled to the wild CÇ,,ats, (ver, 1.) who live on high hills and craggy rocks. The word is tranilateda plain (Peat. 1. t.) yet rather, as we, thewildernefs. and the barren land his dwellings ;, the Hebrew is, and the. ¡alt place his dwellings. A. barren place, and a fait place, are the fame ( fudg. g 4S. )` When Abimeleck took that City, he jawed it with fait, in token, that aneverlafling curfe of barrennefs (hould come upon it , ac- cording to that (Pfal, 107. 39.) A fruitful land turned he into barrennefs, the margin faith into faltnefs. Once more (fer. 17. 5, 6. ) Curled be the man that trufletb in man, and maketh ffefh' his arm, he fnall be like the heath in the defert, and ¡hall not fee when good cometb, but (hall inhabit the parched places in the wil= dernefi, in a fait land and not inhabited, that is,in a barren land, unfit for anyto inhabit. There is a reafonin nature why fait land is barren; fait being hot and dry, draweth up the flrengrh and moifture of the land that thould make it fruitful : This fait or barren land, which yeilds little grafs or herbage, the Lord bath appointed for the wild Afs to dwell in. Hence note, Fir ft ; God provides a place of dtwelling for the meanefi'creatures. Where the wildAfs (hall dwell or inhabit, comes under aDi- váneappointment. Howmuch more bath God appointeddwe!, ling.
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