Chap. z 2. s...-fnExpofition upon the Bookof j OB. Merl, 19. Here it may be queftioned, how a good m an,an innocent per fon can do fuch a thing ; canhe thus laugh thewicked to (corn ? it is difficult enough to falve it as conuifent withGrace, for a righteous man to rejoyceat the fall ofthe wicked, but it is farre more difficult to falve it, howa righteous man may laugh them to (corn; (corning and deriding are the pra&ices of lewd perfons, offops ofBeliall;fuch indeed areufually (corners and jeerers.Th` enemies of -Jefus Chrift are fodefcribed (pfal. 22. 7.) e4ll they thatfee the (that is, all the wicked that fee me,for many Di'.ciples lawChria in his fufferings, and did not only pity:hitn,but honour and beleeveon him,but(faith he)all they(wkraare mineenemies) 'that fee me) laughme to feorn, they fhoat out the lip, and ¡hake the head. And Davidtells us (Pfal. i . r.) that to lit in the feate of thefcornefull,is theconclulion of tholewho have firft wal red ¿os the way ofthe ungodly, and fecondly, flood in the may offinrerr. The common Latine translater renders that in the Pains, not the feateof (corners, but the feate of the peltilence. And indeed they have fpirituall plague-(pots upon them, and the fu eft tokens of eternal! death, who are given up to be fcorners.Therefore quaî- ion it againe, how are the Innocent fcorners I anfwer,That t:s when humane affe&ions,whichare below the divinenature are attributed to God, (fach are to repent,to be grit. ed at the wk'kednes, and to laugh at thecalamity ofthe wicked ) we fay thefe note randy an effe&upon the creature, not achange ofaffection in God (for, in him there is novariableneffe nor fba- dow.ofchange) fo when thofe a&ions, which are below orun- tr i¡o futable to arenewed regenerate nature in man, are attributed to the Saints (fuch as thefe,to wags their fette in the blöud of theun- tx 7 milr quaaf, godly, to laugh them to fcorne in their faddefi mif<ries)we Enna fay, feífum brama shat thefe nose rath:r what the wicked deferve, then what the nuns ftgnißtcant, godly do, The godly are no fcorners, bat there is that in wicked on 4 deo longe men which is worthy to be laughed to (corne, or wicked men do abfum, ira qus that,for which they deferve tobe laughed at whatfoever is evil ins" "!t morir(unt , a eccleJí t. -- Inch like actions, is farce from the heart and fpiric ofthe godly. coc. And therefore as Scriptures of fuch a tenour are to beinterpretedVt bac de deo and underftood in filch a manner as becomes & is confiltent withN°1Pexan its theholinefsofGod,fo alfo(in their proportion)to the holïnes ofdefali s f?t' the Saints.T he laughter. of the Saints in thefe difpenfations is fe- tniedtigtnx. rious, and their (corning, the ailing of their graces, slot of their C c 2 cot- 195
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