3 38 Chap. 39. an Expo(ition tspon the Book of Joa. Verf. ?:: and barren Land. And I have the rather touch ir, besaufe I find the wits of fogne running focnewhat wild in the Allegoryof the wild Als in the Text, as if he were a very fitting refemblanceof acontemplative man. I grant a godly man fhould be, and the more godly any man is, the more he will be, I am lure, the morehe would or delires to be free from the thoughts, and loofed from the bands both of love to, and cares about the things of this life, that he may be the more in the meditation of, and preparation for, a better life. In thofe medications he retires from the throngof worldly defìres, asmuch as a man Iiving alone in a wilderness withdraws . from worldly bufineffes ; he is weaned from, and mortified to the plenty and pleafures which a City life courts him with; nor is he afraid of the threatnings of any whowould drive him from his duty. His foul fearcheth after, and " he feeds upon the green things which every where grow upon the mountains of the holy. Scriptures, both for his indruetion and confolation. All this I grant, as was faid before, is true of a godly man railed toany high degree of fpiritualnefs, and walking much in the Spirit. He is in the world, yet fits boofe and free from the bands and baits el it. Howbeit, this warrants no man to loofe himfelf from all bandsof fervice in the world, much lefs tobe fogrofs, as lite- rally to make that his houle, which God bath made the houle of the wilde Afs, Thewilderncfs, sr to take the barren Land for his divelling. As this verfe hath (hewed us the houle and dwelling of the wilde Afs, fo the next (hews us how he carries it in the wilder- nefs. Verf. ?. Hefcorneth the multitude of the City, neither re- gardeth he the crying of the driver. isfgniàmess- He fcorneth ; the Hebrew is, He laugheth at, or fllgbteth, &ci phora ad. no The Lord (peaks of this wilde Afs after the manner ofmen, who aandun: in, laugh at thofe things which they contemn, defpife or fcorn, as ''dißtî f7aPbtrd9ß. much below them or contrary to them : The word is rendred by laughing(Pfal.2. q job 5.2z.)Ir is Paid alfo of the good woman (Prov.3 t.. S.)She[ha!rejoyce in time to comc;whichothers render thus, She laughed at time to come; that is, file having fo well end wifelyprovided for time to come, is not at all burdened with
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