79. Ghap,8. An Expofition upon the Book of J O B. Verf. 1z. And not cut down. That is, before it is cropt and pull'd up by the hand, or is fully ripe. pN It withereth before any other herb. That is, boner or more fpeedily then. any other herb of leffer fhew, but better rooting. There are two caúfes why trees wither, both which are here removed from the ruth, and yet it withers. Firlt, Age, but the rufh withers while it is young in its green- ne ts. Secondly, Violence, when it is pull'd up or cut down by force of hand : but the rufhwithers, while it is not cut down. Both ar- gue enough, the little fubftlencywhich the rufh hath initfelf; to lèek any further account about it, were but to Peck a knot in a rufh. Verf.13. So are the paths of all thatforget God, &c. Bildad having'explained his fimilitude,now applies it. The corn- parilonmay be made out three wages. Firft, That hypocrites are kept in life and luftre, by outward,. earthly fupplies only, as the rufh is by mire and water; and there- fore when thefe fail, they fail alto. Secondly, as the rufh dies, becaufe it hath no water; fo an hy- pocrite declines andwafles, becaufe he is not watered by the blef- tings of God, and hath no rooting in grace. The Seid calf on the. ffonyground (Matth. 13.6.) withered, becaufe it hadno earth. The lackof earth to the one is the fame with the lack of water to the other. Thirdly, In the general, that as a 'rufh flourithes a while, but quickly withers; fo the belt eftate ofan hypocrite his greennefs is of no long continuance; his Teeming graces, like his ¡oyes, are but for a moment. Hence obferve, Natural thingsare fhadows to usoffpiritual. We may learn many lefhons from fpeechlefs creatures. While we turn the leaves and perufe thecontents ofthis great volume the bookofnature, we may find much of the God of nature. David took inflruc';ions from it daily (Pfal. 8.) When I confider thy heavens, the work ofthy fingers, the moon and the flans which thou baff ordained, what is man that thou art mindful ofhim.? Ifay like- wife.
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