212 Chap. 3o., An Expofition upon the Book! of J o a. 'Verf.2;. /know that thou wilt bring wee to death. Thereare two opinionsabout the reafon of thefe words. Firft , As if761, fpakemeetly to move God compaffionately to Confiderhis frailty, that fo he might dale more favourably with him ; /know IThal! dyeAunty, Lord let it pleafe thee that I may rnjy a little cafe while Ilive. Good men have often put God in mind oftheir frailty,that they might the more movehim to pity. ThePKalmift feemes toexpoftulate withGod upon this poynt, (7)(4/ 89. 46,47.) How long Lord wilt tboubrae thyfelfe, for ever ?fhdN thy wrath burn !ekefire?remember how ¡bon my time is : wherefore haft thou madeall men in vaine ? As if he bad fayd, The lo' geft time that any man hach or can expeâ to live, is but fhort, therefore Lord doe not (horten that ; hich is fo fhnrt. Su<ely man lives to little purpofe (even invine) ifhe live leffe then that little rime which is commonly cur our and appo\ nred for his life. And as that holy man , urged God with the remem- brance ofmans fhort life, that he might presaiie with him not to fhorten it, foDavid affures us that the remembrance of it mo- veth him to companionateus in it, (1fal. 103. 13,14 ) Likeas afather pitietb lots ebildren,fo the Lordpitied') them thatfaire him; For he knowetb our frame, heremembreththat we are dull. To this effeá fob is fuppofed praying, Lord remember I am but dolt, I knew 1"hall die ere long, 0 (pare meea little let meehave faire quarter that (mall while , while Iass in this world. Bw, Secondly, I ratherconceive the ¡cabo to be, becaufe he did even defpaire ofrecovery he faw,himfelfe fo befit with in- firmities, fo wounded and weakned by his fickneffes and foares, that he looked upon himfelfe,not onlyas a man fubeef todeath, but as a dead man. I know thou wilt bring mee to death, x fee that's thy purpofe by the way inwhich thou handleft mee : bee doth not fpeake thus as to the general! Rate of mankinde; for every man May fay toGod, I know thon wilt bringmee to death; but having the fymptomes ofdeath upon him, he had the fentence ofdeath in him, and even faw himfelfe upon the border's of the grave; As ifhe had fayd, There's no efeaping death for aman that it infuels aplight, orbroughtfo lowas Iamat thie time. Hence note ; Firlt, S
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