536 Chap. 29. An Expofttion upon the Book, of Y© B. Verf.r5. Secondly, The blind and lame in a metaphorical fence, may be taken two wayes : Firft, more generally for all fuch as are dc- fuiture of help; a blind man wants one to guide him, and a lame man wants one to fupport.him ; fo the blind and the lame may fignifie any that are in a wanting or helpleff"e condition (c2íic,4, 6.) In that day, faith the Lord, will l aJfembie her that halterh,and her that is driven out, &c. To halt is to be lame ; now who were thefe halters ? We are not to Linde rliand the `P,ophet barely of fuch as had an imperfetîion (like 4lephibofhetb in) their feet, but generally all thole of the people of God were under that com- fortable Prophecy, who were in a,fad condition, efpecially as to their fpirituals (for of them that prophecy is intcnded,as alto that other which runs in the fame termes, Z h 3 ;-r9-, )-old,at that time I will und; all that offl 61 thee, and will fave her tha ialt- eth, and her that ù driven out ;that is, her that is in a weak, tcòu- bled, fcattered Pate. Idol" Gods (of whom I conceive that Scrip- ture, z Sam. S. 6,S. is bcff interpreted) are called, The blind and the lame, b_cauìe they are utterly unable co help and d_liver ei- ther themfelvesor thole that tuff and call upon them wieh g!eat- eft affiance and devotion. Though a man have !eggs good and (irong enough both togoe tnd run his way (like another Afa- hel) though he hach eyes as pierceing and (harp- lighted as an Ea- gle, to fee and dilcern his way, yet (in this notion) we may num- ber him among the blind and lame. And 'cis the duty of Magi- fira:es to be eyes to chele blind, and feet to chele lame ; that in?, to take care of thole that are difabled by tfli &ion to fubfift and maintain their own right again oppofers. S rcondly, By the blind and the lame, we may underfiandi as the rffl ed ingeneral, fo chafe efpecially who are deftiutteLLof help and counfel, as to fomeparticular cafe lo; ought before the Magìfi-ate, though otherwife in a prolperous condition. Theyare blind who know not how to order their butinefs, and they are lame, whoare not able to carry it thorough. To fuch blind ones, faith kb, l was eyes. As if he had raid, when any through igno- rance of and nnacgnaintance with the method Hof- -tegal proceed- ings, could not fee t,eir way, i advifed and dire&ted them. Many a man bath a[`ju? and a good caute, who yet knows not haw to help himfelf, he wants an internal eye, an eye of 'underftanding, both to ice what his right is, and how to get tr. Tis the goodnefs of
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