a l a Chap. 15. An Expofition upon the Book o f . J O B, Verf.23, forfaken, orif forfaken of men, yet not of God ; when ail men, even godly men, forfook Paul, yet God did not : The Lord (faith he) floodbyme (2 Tim. 4. 16,17.) And though a righteous man may be brought to beg, yet his feed (that is, his whole poflerity) is. not > cr if we take feed for a tin- gle perfon, to fee him beg for bread is v, ry rare ; fo rare it was in thofe times, that David had not obferved it ; for he fpeaks notof that which cannot be, but of that which is fel- dom or never teen to be. 'Tis a mercy to be denied fuper- fluities, but it is an extreme mifery to be denied neceffaries. Calla tranftol The Jews had poor among!} them, but the Law made fuch Ks non reddunt provition, that they had no beggars or wanderers for bread. t, in um. (Deut. 15.) He is not a beggar that asks bread upona pinch Muf (for foDavid himfeif, more than once) but he that makes a trade of it. Povertyor want is not a mark of Gods disfavour, no more than - riches area mark of his love : Yet fome want and lo- verty, that efpecially, which isaccompanied with a continual- wandring for bread, is a mark of Gods disfavour. It was a Prophetical curfe upon the Traytor Judas and his Poflerity (Pfal: io9.ro,) Let his children be continuallyvagabonds, and beg, let them leek their bread out of defolate places. And ex- perience tells us, that though fometimes a Lazarus, a good tnan beg, yet the race and generality of profefled beggars are the cvorfl of mankind. Secondly; Whereas Eliphaz (peaks fpecially of the Oppret., for, and tells us, that he wanders about for bread. We may obferve, Oppreffion is the neareft way to poverty: They who make beggars to fatisfie their lofts, fhall be forced to beg for the fatisfying of their hunger. It is very dangerous to make provifion for the flefh by lawful means, to fulfil the lulls of it ; but it is moll dangerous to make prnvifìon for the flab by unlawful means, (by wrong and oppreflion) to fulfil the lulls of it. They who fo fulfil their lulls, (hall loon be brought to want. Han. nab fang out this fudden change (1 Sam. 2. 5.) They that werefull, bay., hired themfelves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceafed. Not that they ceafed to be, but they coaled to be hungry, or their hunger ceafed. Godly emptyones were filled, and wicked full ones were emptied ; and that which makes
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