462 Chap., 29. ern Expofition upon the Boobof J o B. Verf. 5, b!ít are was ha ran, and tlierefore,,:ven after God had fail to him (Gen. 15. I .) Fear not at raha_r.a, 1 479; thy fhield and thy ex- ceedirggreat reward. Abraham -kerns to eply :om whar paf- fionarely,in the next verÍe(v, z. )And Abraham fard, Lord G,1 what wilt thou ,tve me, feet% lgocfúldlefs ? Thcl is noqutttion but A6iai;,amwas infinitely pïeafed with Gods pron;ilc to be his Shield and his exceeding great rees,ard,. And indeed what is it to be childlers,wbcn we are not Godlei ? that is it to be without children,when we are not without God in tr:e world f bu Abra.. barn fpake thus to (hew that hepreferred a child above ail world- ly ble(lîngs. As if had faid,what are all there riches, i' = go child- lefs ?what are all there fervants, if Igo chikleís t yea, wiiat is my life to me, is not half the mercy of that relation taken away, it I gochildleis? I know ev/heahamsfear wasnot only this, kt+he (hou Idhave no children, but left the prcmife cf the bleffed and ble(fed -makin g feed Ihould taile and not be accompiifbed in him, according towhat God had faid, (Gen. 13. 3.) And in thee (hall all families of tie earthbe b'effed ; yet the want of a fòn in his , o*tn family was gretvous to Lim, as appears by that(CÇen. 15. 3) Behold, to me thouhafigiven no feed: and Lo one born to my boufe is mine lefr,Aid therefore the Lord renewes the promife,not on- ly of a child, but of innumerable children to him (v.5.) Andhe brought him abroad and /aid, Loth now toward Heaven , and tell the Starrs if thou beable to number them andbefaid unto him, fo fhall thyfee'dbe. When theLord faid, 1 trillfan them with a fan in the Gatesaf the Land (Jer, r 5. 7.) His purpofe was not to fan Olathe chaff or the rubbifh as commonly we,doe, but to fan out thebelt of the Corn, or their. very Jewels, which in the next wordsof the fame verfe is thus expreffed ; lwillbereave them of children; we put in the Mar in,whatfoever is dear,The Original is but one word, (I will bereave, or I have bereaved) and becaufe children are molt dear and preciousto their parenrs,therefore we fay, I will bereave them of children or of whatfoever is dear.How dear children are appears in the forrow of parents for them (Ter. 31. 15.) Theo faith the Lord, a voice war heard in Ramah, la- mentation and bitter weeping,Racbelweeping for her children, ref*. fed to be comfortedfor her chi/dren,6 ecaufethey were noà; char is,be.. caufe (he was bereaved of them by death.Babylons vain confidence was in herchildren, (Ifa, 47,'8, 9.) Hear thou thin thou that art given
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