Chap. 3 T. An Expojftien upon the Book! of J o a. Verf. 5. 3 3 3 Once more, force read the words interrogatively, or by way ofquéftion ; Have I walkedwith vanity ? or lath my foot. hafted to deceit ?Surely no ; The Q.42eltion carries a ftrong negation, I have neither done fo nor fo. But I rather adhere to the former reading, lob here affirming ofhimfelfe by a folemne imprecation, that he had not walked with vanity, while he faith, IfIhave walkelwith vanity, &c. Walking implyeth frequent ass, or a courfe of life, as hath been (hewed from feverall texts in this Booke. For as every a& of our lives is a ftep, fo the whole of our a&ions, is our walke. If 1have walked with vanity; or if vanity and I havebeen companions, or have walked together. He warner the Ephefeans (ChaP.S.11.) to bave nofellowfhip with theunfruitfull works ofdarkneffe, but to reprove them rather. Wechufe thole fins as our fellows andcom- panions with which we conftantly walke. 'Tis bad enough to walke with vaine perlons, but 'cis worfe to walke with vanity ; yob protefted againft both whilehe names the worft ofthem, the latter ; IfI have walked with vanity. Theword liignifies afro inconfideratenes or ra/hnes ; As if he had fayd, If I have been unadvifed or fooli¡h or beady in my walking, then&c. Theopposite whereof is,circumf s5l' walking, towhich the Apoftle exhorts ( Eph. 5.15.) We may alfo tran- slate it, unprofltablenes; that which is vaine is unprofitable, it producethno benefit, no good, eyther to othersor our (elves. A vaine man is a meere outfide, an empty Nothing; He is but founding braffe andatinckling Cimbal ; a meere Cipher without a figure, He fiends for nought ; what then is vanity, but_ as the Prophet fpeakes(Ifa. 40.17. ) Lefe then nothing. The Septuagint render in the Concrete, IfIhavewalked with irdi Hltsu mss. mockers. What are mockers and fcoffers, but vaine perlons ? nor Ifo,ov.i P doth tiny thing more difcover vanity of fpirit, then mocking. theta yeAot- Now they who walke with fuch vaine perlons, walke allo with asw. Ss irr vanity, and they that walke with any vanity , cannot be better "II! cum irri- then vaine perlons. Though a man benot knowne by himfelfe, for:bus. Sepr.J ttiv DV Gum teraeii late. yet
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