Chap. 31 An expofition sapaN the Bock of J o B. \e'erf. 8. 375 logout ofman, or as his tender olive plants round about his ta- ribu exeuutes ble ( Tfal. 128, 3. ) Thus we render, Lei my cfffpringbe rooted tritofJana» out. And thus the fence io highrned. As if 76b had fayd, I aril Bebrcís fwrn willing not only to loofe what I havefemen,er to have my Corne vio- ut pe%erio+ pars lently taken away, ifIhavewronged other!, fret I amwih'ing, that verfur priore:n my children or p.fireritie fhould be utterly extirpated, who are more dertaret,prnger- deare to me then all other things. The word is ufed in this fence minibus ' terra. a exeunribar ( Chap. 2I.8.) Their feeda elakli,a(ed in theirfight with then, Mere. and their r f f fpringbefore their efts. And againe (Chap.z7. 14 ) If bis Children be multiplied, it re for tke [word, .and bar r fffpring /hail not befatirfied with bread. Some ob;e& againftthis tranflation,that it had bin a vaine thing for7cb to Imprecate upon himfelfe the loffe of his children, be- caufe at that time he had none,his tonnes and daughters being all deiroyed,while they were feafting,by the fall ofa houle((hap. r. I9.) fo that his off- fpring being rooted out before, how could he congruoufly with that his off- fpring fhould be rooted out. I anfwer , Firft, ?ob might web enoughme lwch an imprecati; on upon foppofiLion, that ifeverhe fhould have children,if God fhould reftore him that bleffing, hee might with them rooted out ; that neither bee nor his might ever profper. Againe Should we fuppofe that fob had no expeQation of Children, and indeed he often gave up himfelfe for a dead roen, and even called for the grave : fitppofe, I fay, he had noexpea- tion ofChildren, yet it was not Improper for him to fay, Let my offfpring be rooted out ; that is, if! hadchildren, whoare the belt treafure in the world, I would venter them upon the if;ueof this my profefliionand proteflation, That.no blet hatb cleaved to my hand. So that wee need not narrow up the text to the former in- terpretation, becaufe 7,b had no Children; for as he might fay,, Let othera eate what I have fowre, though he had not fo much as an acre of Corne , bee might fay Let my r fffpring be roo- tedout, though at that timehe had no off. fpring upon the earth : ITOJus nihil n ;i his imprecation carrieth only this general! fence, that Lee would afeéíur indeed undergoe the utmoft ofpenal evills, if he had done thole 1." ' '';'"y'; finevilis of which he was fuf etíed. Mere ¡.6i P inferri; a:;t Laftly, For the clearing of this verle, it may be queflioned it fester, whether it be lawfull, or how far forth it is lawful! to ufe I.mprc- cations, or to with evili to our felvco. 1 an-
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