574 Chap. 7, AnExpoftion upon the Book of J p g, VerC. Such is the common condition of man, Hit dales are as the daier of an hireling. God threarned Moab by the prophet,in this lan- quomdiu!ucet guage (lfa. 16. 54. ) Within threeyears, as theyears of an hire- .1711, rm cfj lixg,andthe glory of M+ab fhall be contemned; that is, within ratio conflott- three years, which (hall be like the years of an hireling, trouble- ea.itadual lure forte years, laborious years, vexatious years, wearifome years, bujut vita frig and then the glory ofMoab fhall be con remned ,and utterly defpi- rmutnrlape bto fed. As ifhe had laid, Moab is now in great glory, but near great 8andae, defolation You (hall fee three years trouble will thine all the glo- ry of Moab and wither all her beauty ; we feel this truth, Eng- landwas a Nation ofgreat glory, you fee bow two or three years, like theyears of an hireling, troublefome years, years of afflillion, years of hard labour and travel, have almoft fboil'rl the glory of it. And yet here job makes a general defcription of the life ofman: It is not the lot only of forne poor aítlieled, hard- wrought fer- vants, chat, their dales are as the daies ofan hireling : he fpeakes oftnan -kind, of the matter, as well as of the fervant, Hit daies are like the daies of an hireling. We may note from it, Firti, That, Except ,tre labour we ought not to eat ; For the dayes of man, are as the daies of an hireling ; the hireling fhall not have his meat, except he work for it, neither ought he that hires, or lets him a work. The matter is in this fence an hireling. The Saints are(in this fence) Hirelings. The Apottle fpeaks to be !dyers, and reproves them ( 2 Thef, 3. 12. ) Therearefume which walk among you inordinately, working not at all ; now them that arefucb, we command, that they work and eat their own bread; and ver. to. If any man work not, let him not eat ; even they whom Chrift hath made free, are to account themfelves as hired fervants, that is, they mutt not tat the bread of idlenefs; we heal all the bread, which ( one way or other)we labour not for, and therefore the Apottle bids the Tl effìlonians work that theymight eat their own bread; It is not our own bread, which we buy with our money, unlefs we pay (in what we can, and are called to ) labour for it allo. As we eat that bread plea- fantly, fo we come by it honelily, which is dipt in our own fweat. Secondly, we are hencetaught ; That, We ought to take our travels well, we mull not murmur at our labours, er complain over our work, and fay, what a ta!earinefs is it. As
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