498 Chap. 29. An Expofitton upon the Book of J o Y. Verf,r t, And their tongue cleaved to the roof oftheir mouth. That ir, they fpake no more than as if they had not a tongue to fpeak.Thc tongue is the organ of fpeech ; yet'ris not the having, but the thing of a tongue which is fpeaking. If a man bebut tongue-tyed, he cannot (peak well : But if his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth, ht cannot fpeak at all. This proverbial fpeech, The tongue cleaveth to the roof ofthe mouth, is ufed two wayes in Scripture. Firff, To note the extreamity of thirfl ( Lam. 4.' 4. ) The tongue ofthe fucking child cieavethto the roofofhis mouth for thirft. When an infant hath not his mothers bread to fuck, he fucks his own while native moyfture lau s, and then crycs out for more till he can cry no more, his tongue cleaveth to the roof of his mouth, Thus David fpcaks typically of Chriíf in his fufferings (mfal.22, 15.) Myflrength is dryed like apot(hedrd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou haft brought me to the lduflof death. As thisPCalm is a prophetie of the fufferings of Chril+,fo we find the fulfilling of this Prophetic ( Joh.29.28,29. ) fefetis knowing that all things were accompli(leedthat the Scriptures might be fulfilled, faith, l thirft. Now there was a vsffel full ofvinegar ; and theyfil- ledafponge with vinegar, and put it upon byffope, and put it to bis mouth. Secondly, This form of fpeaking is ufed to note deepefl fi- lence. The captive Church of the Jews: breathed out her for- rowes in this fad imprecation (Pfal. 137. 5, 6.) IfI forget thee O jerufalem, let my right hand forget her canning ; if I donot re. member thee, homy tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if Ipre- ferrenot Jerufalem above my chiefjoy. The people of Jertefalem had skill toplay, and were muchdelighted inplaying upon an in- firument, and tomake mufick with their voyce, yet in theircap- tivity they would rather forbear the ufe of both, than forbear to exprefs their farrow for the defolatìons of jerufalem. The Lord told theProphet (Ezek, 3. 26.) 1 will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth that thou (halt be drunk, and fball not be to them a reprover.The words are a leyere threarning; but towhom? not to Ezekel, but to the people who having fo long and fo often fiopt their ears,like the deaf adder, at the voyce of that holy and heavenly charmer, are at lafi told they Ghould be troubled with his
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=