Chap. 5. AnExpofttion upoithe Book of J O B. Verf Z2, word is taken(as in Pfal. 68. o.)for a company of Saints, or the poorpeople of hod. Inthe Scripture of the new teffamcnt, it is fr.quern to tadowwicked men under the names of beafb, bcafts of the earth : fo that of Paul hash been taken (i Cor. t S. 32.3 If 1 bavefouiht with beafl.tat Ephefes after the manner of men, with beafily men, cruel men,' men like unto beafls in their qualities and difpofitions:though others underhand itofhis beingcall un- to the bealls,to fight with them, which was a cruelty thofe per. fecuting time:cxercifedagainfi the Chriflians. So (r' Trm.4, r 6:) P401 faith, Hs was delivered out of tbe mouth oftheLyon: Nero that cruel tyrant, is fuppofed to be the Lyon, the beaks of the earth he airncth at. And the Apoflle, Tit. r. r. gives this cbaraller of the Cretians, they are evil bea(lt. Ifwe take it here in this fence, it isa truth, and a very comfortable truth, that godly men (hall bedelivered from the fear of beafily and cruel men, or as theApoflle calls them, onreafonable, or abfierel men, who bave na faith. But rather underhand herebah ofthe earth properly,for thofe ferce and cruel creatures hurtful to man. Onceman had power and dominion over all the creatures : the wildeft bea(ls, were tame to him in his hateof innocency ; till he rofe up and rebel- led againfi God. the creatures were fubjeftunto him; but man rebelling againfl God, the creatures rebelled. againtt man : hence it is that man naturally is furprizedwith fear at theapproach and fight of flrong andcruel beafts ; and therefore it is hear fpoken of . as a fpecial mercy and priviledgof thegodly,that they ¡hall not h afraidof thebeef t ofthe earth. Theheathof the earth are hurtful to us three wayes`; Firfl naturally,manybeafls bynature are very dreadful to mane as the Lyon, the Bear the Wolf, and fuch other herce,flrong and bloody beafis. Sccondly,Tameb afts,fuch as wedaily lifeand fubdue toor fervice, areoften by accident hurtful tous , the Horfe and the Ox, havemany times been defìruc}i ve to their owners. Thirdly, (which' I conceive is the thing chiefly aimed at here) beaffs hurtjudicially ina way of wrath from sod, there are di- vers places in thebockof God whereing God threatens to arme . the creatures, againfithofewho fin agaiufl him, and that when his people fhould forgettheir duties the beafls (hould forget their' fubjeciion.' Dent. 32. 24.. I willfeud the teeth of beaff,r upon them. Bbb And 369
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