Chap, H.. An é'xpofition upon the Rook. of JOB. Vert.. a t . 667 -, thy holineffe and of thy glory , wheriit thy zeal and thy ftrength, the founding of thy bowels and ofthy mercies towards me ? are they reffrained ? Doubtleffe thouart our Father , thoughAbrahambe ig- norant of us , and Ifrael acknowledge tts not : that is as force ex- pound the place to the point in hand e Though Abraham and Ifrael our forefathers are fo far from being able to relieve and deliver us out of our troubles, that they are utterlyunacquainted with them, yet we are allured thou knowell what our troubles are, and art able to relieve us. Though Abraham and Ifrael our deceafed forefathers have no zeal nor any founding of bowels, that is, pity and compaffion towards us their bowels,though they are not grieved becaufe we are made low, yet Lord , thou liveft for ever , and fo do thy zeal and compaflions to thy people, therefore look down from heaven and help us. There is another expoftion of the Prophet , which gives the fenfe as a prevention of an objection againfi. the former petition ; why fhould you expeC1 tobe heard though you are the children of cAbraham and Ifrael, when your walk is fo unanfwerable to that of Abraham and Ifrael, that ifthey were alive again here upon the earth, they would not own nor acknowledgeyou as their children ? To this the Prophet is conceived to anfwer , let it begranted or confefled that we are a people fo degenerate that even our forefathers , if they were fent among us from the dead , would not own us for their children,let it begranted that we are unworthy in our felves to be counted Abrahams children, yet through thy free grace we may be numbred among thy children.Doubtlefs thouart ourFather though Abrahambe ignorant of tu. Thy love changes not though the love of men doth , thon will not call us off though Abraham do : This is a very fpiritual interpretation , nor is it inconliftent with the former, we may join both together thus IfeAt'braham were alive he (poffibiy) would neither oivn nor help us , we are fo finful : But Abraham is dead , and doth not fo much as know that we want help , therefore Lord look down from heaven and help us thy Pelf : Abrahams bowels are not moved towards his funs, O let not thine be reflrained. Let this admonifh parents who take inordinate and immode= rate care by right or wrong to advance their children : Some live miferably that their children may fiouriht, yea, not a few have deflroied their own fouls, that their children might be great and rich when they were dead : what a pitiful defign is this ! Q999 z .. thou
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