Chap. I. 4 Exrfition upon ths Bookof J OB. \lc& 2 /, 36 , brainy's laughed, or becaufe he rejcyced at the promife or bitch of his fon, efpeciallyat the promife of His birth, who was to be the joy and tiefire of Nations, the Lord Jefus thrtJl, who, referring to the aa ofAbraham tells the Jews, fob". 8. 56. our father Abr a- ham reflood to f ee my day, beJaw it and wa g lad. Yo lategb in Scri- pture is taken two waycs. Sometimes in agood fenfe and Sometimes in an ill fenfr, In a good fenfe, and fo, re laugh it an outward exp-ellion of found inward joy and true comfort To laugh is au at proper to man. There cannot be true and folid joy (aid fo, not this effeEt of it, laughing) where there is no true folid reafon.Even paffion (ftriftlr taken) is founded on reafon. In the 29. of this Book verf. 24. Jab dcfcribing thegreat profperity of his former dayes, faith, If (laughed on them, they Melva it not. Job was a man of that efteern and veneration, that though he expreffed in his ge- fluteor countenance, a kind of familiarity, and howwell he was pleated, yet the people did fo much reverence him andhis piety and unfpotted juffice did fo over-awe them, that they fufpeeted üill he might obferve fomewhat amifs in them. Secondly,to laugh,isus'd for fcorning and deriding In the 39. of this book '.7. Laughter is afcribed unto the wild Afs,ieuproper- ly, He (fc. the wildAft) Rent (or laughs at) the multitude of the City. And (Pfai. z. 4,) when the Princes and the people gather themfelves togethento cake counfel againfl the Lord,and againfl his Chrift ; He that littetb in Heaven /hall laugh, and the Lord!hall have them in derifion. That is, the Lord (in a molt holy manner) f:orns or derides the counfels and prattifes of wicked men, Man isnever infofad a condition, at when God laugh: at him. Again, Laughter proper to man, iseither finful and reprove able, or holy and commendable. Sinful laughter is that which arifet. Firff, from unbeleif or weaknefs of faith fuch was the laugh- ter ofSarah (Gen. 18.12.) when the Angel brought his mefrage chat Sarah fhould have a fon, Sarah heard it as the was in the Tent door, and the text faith, Sarah laughed e Theground ofher laughter was unbeleif, the thought it an impoffible thing,for her to have a fon (as a man will laugh at a thing you tell him, whenhe thinks it impoffible to be done. That her laughter was from unbeleif,isplain,from the Angels reproving queflion in the d a a next 7
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