452 Chapel. An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Ver(.6' Again , Aforetime Iwas a Tabret ; that is , Aforetime I was in good repute, or I was pleafant company r As if he had faid, I am now derided,mockedat,and tojTed upon the tongues ofmen, yea, I am now voted an Hypocrite, though heretofore in myprofperity,report gavea verypleafantfound of me,tboughabfent, and myperfon was as welcome to themas a Tabret. To fpeak of me where I came not was mufick, and 1 was mufickwherefoever ! came ; but nowwhat am I ? A by word, mufickRill ifyou will, but in [corn, a fongofdifgrace. That's the firft fenfe. Hence take one Obfervation, beforeI proceed to fur- ther Explication. The affe lions and opinions ofmen are very variable. lain now a by word, before time I was a Tabret. As the eflates of men change, fo ufualíy do our opinions of them. Job's heart was the fame as before, he was as holy as ever he was, only he was not fo wealthy as he was , his fpirit was as full of graceas before, only his purfe.was not fo full of Gold as before ; he had not fo many thoufand Cheep , nor fo many hundred Oxen, he had not fuch a family, and retinue, fuch worldly riches and honour, and becaufe he endured Each a change in his condition,fee what a change he fuffered in mens affe6tions,,he that before was as a Tabret, all were glad of him, is now a by word, the (corn ofall. Chrifl giveth teftimony of JohnBaptifb, John 5 35.He was a burning, anda fhining light and what follows ? And you rejoyced inhim for afea frn: Though John did burnand Thine all the while which God continued him.in.the Candleftick of the Church with equal heat and latlre, yet they rejoyced in him but for a while , or for a Teafon. The Jews changed their thoughts of John, and their esfeem ofhim was weakned, though John continued in the fame íirength ofparts and gifts: Then, howwould they have changed if John had changed? The peoples hearts were flatted toward hioi, though his abi- lities were not ; John had not that repute and honour after a few years which he had at the firer. And the word in the Gofpel which we translate to rejoyce, comes near the word which we have in this Text, a Tabret ; For it lignifies to leap and dance ; and the Tabret is a Mufical Infirument ,' at the found ofwhich Men dance and leap ; for a time they leaped about Johtt; he was a burning and finning light , and they danced
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