Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

Chap. 3o. An Expofirioss upon the Boelte of J o B. Verf. 29. eels reft. And if at any time they appeare in the day, all the birds in the ayre make a riot againit them and either beate or boote themhome againe. We read in feverall Scriptures, that as foone is the Lord threatens to make any Citie defolate ard without inhabitant, prefentlyDragons and owles are named for the in- habitants ofit. ( Ifa. 13.19. ) Babylon the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees excellency, (hall be as when g,d over. threw Sodome andGomorrha, it /hall neverbe inhabited, that is,by men ; by ti how then ? even by doleful!creatures, miles and dra- gons, ( y. 21, 22.) And in a like cafe the fame Prophet faith, ( Chap. 34. 13.) it/ha/1h a habitationofDragons , anda c,.urt fr owles. They (hall King it and Lord it there. So that when lob faith, I am a brother to `Dragons, and a companion toowlet, his meaning is, Hew folitarineffo, and delight to be alone ; bee in- deed faydbefore, /findup, andcryed in the Congregation, many came about him, but they, it feemes, were rather a trouble to him,yea a kinde of terror to him by their unkindneffe. The com- pany that came to him ufed him little better then ordinarybirds doe the owle, fome making a wonderment at his anifery, and o- thers (as he complained about the beginning of this Chapter) hooting at him in derifion. 'Thus he was a companion to owlet. And betides, 'tis the nature of forrow to defire folitarineffe Locke awayfrom met, (faith the Prophet, 114.22.4.) Iwillweeps bitterly, labour not tocomfort me, &c. Thus faith lob, I am a bro- ther to Dragons, &c. I would be alone, (as Dragons and owles covet to bo) inmy forrowes, rather then have the company of ludo comforters. The Prophet ?eremiah maketh a like with (up- on the fence of the trouble which bee had among his people Chap. 9. z. ) O that I had in the wildernes a lodging place of wayfaringmen, that Imight leave my people andgoefrom them,, for they be all Adulterers and an affemblt of treacherous men. He that detireth a wildernes life, defìreth a retired folitary life, and declares himfeife a brother to Dragons, and a companion to Onies. Secondly , When yob faith, /am a brother to Dragons, anda companion toOwlet, his meaning may be this, I doe as they; what's that ? Dragons make a mournful! cry, a terrible noyfe. Naturali hiftories Ipeake much of the dreadful! cries of the Dra- gon, efpecially when he is in battei with the Elephant ; and as Nn all

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=