Chap. 30. As Expoftion upon the Beoke of J o s.. Vert i4' 1.17 not only, as we render, to fetforward, but to pr,,,P, or advantage, Ad »ntr tier and we commonly fadof a man that profits or thrives in his cal- forté ff ling, be goesforward ; and.of a man that Both not thrive in hi; 17,v t quod Balling or bufineffe, he goes backward in the world. Taking the Ddef rgni word in this notion, it holds out more of the wickedneffe and ill f+ frame of there mens (pinks ; for as (according to the former read- ing) they added to his calamity ; fo (accordi g to this) they Cooke his calamity as an addition or advantage to themfelves: Thus Mr. Broarghton, They bold my heavines a profit ; or, they pro- fit themfelves by my heavines; I attt hew, d dyne, and they ga, ther my chips and broken boughs 'to make themfelves a fire, or to build themfelves tvnufes with ; they grow rich by my loffe, L t ti foot ad and rif. by my downfall,they are greater f my leffening, at leaft meat, pel nde ( according to Mr. Broughton: tranflation.) if they chd not a&u- ac Halts e ally profs° themfelves by his Calamity, yet they held his Calami- tent ,nageat:, ty to be their profit > that is , it was to them as if they had got 4i6ratem. profit by it, they tht;ught their ownHefts were better feathered, g by the plucking offhis feathers. Thefe barbarous people (Whom (it is like) he might have provoked in the time of his Power and Magiftracy) looked upon his lofies as their gectings, upon his ficknefs as their health, upon his ruine and undoing as their mak- ing, theywere aswell pleated withhis empryings,ás if themfelves had been filled by it; Hence take this note ; Wicked men are apt to rejoyce, ,f they had gained or gotten., much, when they fee the godly in trouble, ortuffer hp. Some are pleafedmore then with their own getting thoufands ofgold and flyer, to fee others beggerd and ffript ofall. I g ant there is a profit to be had by the afflictions and heavines of o- thers', could wemanage them aright, we might make a great im- provement of every croffe, of every rod that we fee uponour brethren. Such providencesof God to them {timid provoke us, Fsrft, to Confiderand (earth our wases ;-Secondly, to remember the flipperines of our Condition ; Thirdly, to prepare for evill times. (Ecc1.7.2 ) It is better togee to the boufe ofmourning, then to the boufe ofmirth fer ;hie is the end ofall men, and dot living pill lay it to beast, that is, the living ought to lay it to heart, and they-.who ate-indeed alive, spiritually alive, will lay it to heart, and.
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