Chap 27. An Expofition upon the'Poek ofJ 0 B. Vcr,. '23. =97. ©^ce a rvooder of'ptofpetity; fo he (lull be a wonder of miCery; All 411a11 wonder at him, but nc de Thal! pity him ; every man in his place hiffe at him, o-, h-.eo(hall hfife him out cf bis place Hence-Obferve ; 71e fallofwi ked men is the rejoycing ofall men_ h is the.rejoycing bothof good and bad,yet with a difference; For as the prosperity of good men is matter of joy both to good and bad menupon teveral accounts, fo likewife is the fall and affliaion of the wicked.(Prov.i t. o.)w'hen itgoeck well with the righteosor,the City rejoyceth ; that is, All the inhabitantsof the Ci- ty, though not every man of all forts, yet fore men of all forts, degrees and qualityes, whether civil or moral, are glad of ir. . Ali forts of men are the better for a good man, much more for a good Magifirate, therefore all forts rejoyce when it goeth well the righteous, but when the wicked pertfheth there is jhouting. He cloth not fay by whom or who (hall (bout when the wicked perilh, but as the nature of the thing, fo experience teacheth us, that men of all forts, even Comebad aswell asall good men (bout for joyvncccthe wicked peri(h,efpecialiy fuch wicked men as ha- ving been in publick place and Power,have exercifed their power to the oppreflion apd vexation of the people. Their ruine is a public%joy,whofe rifing bath caufed a public, farrow. But may we clap hands, and hiffe at the downfal of the wick- ed r- may we rejoyce at their ruine ? I anfwer, this text fpeakes onely as to the matter of fart, what is ufually done, not what ought tube done. Yet in anfwer, the Cafe we may fay, it is law- full to rejoyce at the downfall of fuch, fo we do not rejoyce un- lawfully at ir, as mall do. Allmen rejoyce at forcie times; wick- ed and prophase rejoyce prophanely and wickedly;butwhen Bairns rejoyce, and hiffe, theydo it holilyor fpiritually. To re- joyce foat the calamity of the wicked,is not onelypermrcted,but commanded. When the fallof Babylon is prophefied(Rev. IS. ) we find indeed (v. i t.)that, The eiVterchantsofthe earth,!hall weep andmourn over her,for no man buyeth their Merchandize any more. And againe(v. t 5.) The Merchants oftheft things which were made rich by her, filial/ rand a far off, for fear ofher tar- menu, weeping and wayling,and faying, Alas, alas, that great Ci ty, &c.But (v. ao.) order is given, Rejoyceover her thou. Ideaven, and
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