Chap. 24, t...4; Expofttion upset the Book of J O B. Vert., 3. 499 Further,we may obferve inScripture,that aswe have thefe two ufually put together, the fatherleffe, and rile widdow, fo we have thefe twoufually joyned together, the affe,anerthe oxe.Thug they are joyned twice in the ten Commandements, in the fourth and tenth, and often elfewhere, But tome tray clueffiiori, Hath the poore widdow an oxe ? The oxe feeates rather tobelong to rich men, then to the poore widdow. To.which we may enfant, that the Hebrew word which we tranflateoxe, fignifiesas well the fe- fl,`' ,Pa , j`' male,as themale,and fo it is rendredby Tome here,rhey takearray cur, Bald: the cow of the widdow: The poor widdow lives upon them, ht of her cow. Take that from her, and you take away all her livIrg. But whether we underfiand it ofthe one or of theother, the dif- ference is not materiali as to the fcope and purpose of 7o6, who puts thewiddows ox: or the widdows cow, either for the whole or chiefeff part of her fubftance, They take the widdow oxefor a pledge. Herce note. Somecare not from whom or what they take, fa they may have ita Theywill take from the fatherles,chey will cake from thewid- dow. The Prophet Amos (Ch. 2.7 ) (peaking of inch oppreffors, faith, Theypant after the dugof the earth on the headof thepore, er turn afide the wayof the needy.Theformer part ofthole words, bathvarietyofreadings &expofitions,l will not flay upon them: but onely touch that which is moll finable to the point in hard, They pant after the duff of the earth ;that is, they exceedingly de- lire, and long for it. As David defcribes his holy defires (Pfal. q2. i.) As the kart panteth after the water broke!, fopanteth my foule afar thee, 0God ; that is, I extreamely delire the pretence and communion with thee, even as the hartbeing hunted & hea- ted dereth the waters.Thus theypanted after the daft of theearth That is, after thefe thingswhich are but ñ` the duff of the eat th, or whofe originali andmatter is but theduit of the earth,goldand flyer. Theft are but the refined duff of the earth; but whole dull did they pant after ? It woe the daft on the beadof the poor ;if they did but fee a poor man to have gotten a little about him,though onely enough to keep life and foule together, to preferve him- felfe and his family from ftarvingor begging,ches prefent'y pan- ted after it ; They were paHionately dtfirous ofit, they raft about how to get it. They who are enflamed with covetouliies, S f f z are
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