Chap. 39. o 4nE Petition upon the Book of j o B. Verf. i9. been faid , that 'cis no uncouth , nor far fetchr, much lefs forced metaphor, to exprefs the neighing of a furiousfretting Horfeby thundering. And as the word rendred thunder, figni- fies (in the Verbe) to be moved with choler and indignation, fo a noble- fpirited`Horfe, charging an enemy, chews a high firain of rage and indignation,in which refpeet,together with his neigh- ing, his neck may feem to be cloathed with thunder. And though it be faid, that, as the neck is nor reckoned among the infiruments of fpeaking in man, fo it cannot be conveniently reckoned among the infiruments of neighing, in a Horfe, that properly belonging to the throat ; and though I grant that when the Scripture faith(Pfal. 75. S. ) Speak not with a /tiff neck ; the word neck is not there to be taken, for the means or in- firument of fpecch, but notes only the manner of fpeaking ; namely, that there the Lord forbids wicked men to fpeak fcorn- fully, pertinacioufly, r as Hannah expreffeth it in her Song ( Sam. 2. 3. ) that they fhould talk nomars fo exceeding proud- ly, nor let arrogancy come out of their mouth: Yet the throat being placed in andbeing a part of the neck,we may by a common fyncc- doche, of the whole for the part, avoid that difficulty. Nor loth the metaphor of cloathing (though, I confefs it,mofi finable to the frf.+ interpretation, that of the mane) oppofe this third of neighing; For when a Horfe neighs firongly, the found coming out of his mouth compaffeth him, his neckefpecially, round about aswith a garment. Daviddefcribing a wicked man,faìrh, he cloathed himfelf with turfing (Pfal, log. iS.) Curling goes out of the mouth of a wicked man, as neighing out of the mouth of a Horfe; and therefore, aswhen a man is much in curing, he may be faid to cloath himfeif with turfing, as with a garment, fo a Horfe which neigheth much, may ( I conceive ) be faid tohave his neck cloathed with neighing. Having thus far drawn out there expofitions of this fecond queflion, which the Lordput to lob about the Horfe , Hat thou cloathed his neck, with thunder ? I (hall fubnit them to the Rea. ders judgment, and only fay, that the firfi (if that word Ragne- mahmay fignifie a Horfes-mane) is the clearefi, and mofi literal of them all ; and that among the fecond fort of expofLions, the third is mofi received and approved. From the'firfl interpretation we learn, Kkk God 433
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