780 Chap. 21. An Expofition upon the Book of J o a. Verf.zó. fo the heart ofanother ; 'tis as eafie with God to fafhion the heart of the greateft Prince, as of the meaneft Plebeian. The Lord is the fafhioner ofall mens hearts, .. and he alone can fa-., fhion the heart. We render the word herein the fourthor fait fence, They lhalllye down alike in the daft : thatis, they (hall all lie down in theduff, and in,the duft they (hall be as one Yet force ren- der it in the third fence,They /hall lye down everywhit,or who!-, ly in the daft : that is, all their pride, and pompe,their beauty and fbength (hall lie down every whit and wholly in the daft, they fhal not fave,nor deliver the left peice,of themfelves from the dull ofdeath. Again, others read it in the fecond fence, They'hall lye down together in the duff :that is, goodand bad, high and low, rich andpoor, weake and ftrong, beautifuit and deformed, (hall be tumbled and mixed together in the grave. Death and theduft make.no diftindions ofmen : and they unmake( as to corporals and externals) thofe that were. Thoughevery man fhonldhave ( as many have) a diftind grave when they, dye, as they had diftint houfes and dwelling places while they lived, yet the grave quickly blots out all diftint ions. So that they who were fame enough afunder in{rate and manners and affections while they lived, may yet be laid when they die, to lye downalikeor together in the dolt. And the worms¡hall cover them.. We have here only a further defcriptionof the dead. Thus the Prophet fpeaks of the proud Babylonian, (Ifa.14. i i . ) Thy pompe is brought down to thegrave, the worm tojpreadun- der thee,and the worms cover tbee.Thofe words area holy fcorn caft upon the funeral pomps, in which Kings, Emperours, and mighty men were wont tobe bt ried.Their carkaffes had curi. ous Carpets and fine linnen fpread under them, and laidupon them : they were embalmed, fpiced and perfumed, yet faith the Prophet ofa chiefe one, Thypompe is brought down to the grave, the wormsare a Carpet under thee, and the wormer are a coveringover thee.Thus here,The wormsThal cover them. Nutt !hall be their down bed, and wormes (ball be their bed cloathes. Thebody, alive is but living duft, and when a man dyeth
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=