Chap. 30. An expofftion upon the Book of J o a. Verf. 3. 35 Wards , deeply downwards, even todefpayre. They fill!' even Bate themfelves with fretting , becaufe they have nothing to .Este. Now though a godly man be pincht with want and fa. mine, and finds it avery great aftti&ion upon him, yet he is not (in this fence) folitary, be is not darke as the night, much leffe defperate. For as the Apo(tle fpeakesof him felfe, fo grace teaches every godly man to fay ( Phil. 4. 1 i I2. ) I have lear- ned in wleatfoever( fate I am, therewith to be content, &c. Though he be in want, though hebe pincht with famine, yea in whotlo- ever Rate (that's a large word) he am be, he bath learned to be content ; and as Paul there exemplifies it, he can fay (in a meafure) I know how to be abafed, and how to abound : every where, and.ixall things I am Ixffrufled, both how to be full , and to be hungry ; both bow to abound, and how to fufffer need. A god- ly man knowe* how to be hungry,and how to abound, A carnali man knowes neither ; a godly man knowes how to have a feaft in famine ; fo Habakkukhad ( Hab. 3. 17.) Th:ukh the .fig-tree fouldnot blotome, &c. Though hebath nothing toEat, though want and famine compaffe him about, yet he is not folitary, no I he bath that which is better the$ bread, Tweeter then the fweeteft. He rejoyceth in the Lord, andjtyath in the God of It fal- vatien. They who haveGod, who is unchangeable, for their porti on, (hall not, cannot want a portionofjoy and comfort in the wo; fl of changes. More diflinály. They were folitary. To be folitary, is firlt to be without Children, they are fweet company, the belt goods, the richeft filling and furniture sver any mans houle : So that, to want children, is force part y, and a great part of folitarineffe, what company foever we have befides. So this word is ufe dby Ifaiah in that prophefie ofSions joy at the rename from the Babylonian Captivity (Ifa.49. 21.) Then ¡halt thou fay in thy heart, whobath begotten me thefe, feting 1have I'll my Children andam deflate, folitary, a Captive , and removing to andfro r What the Church fpake of her fpirituall Children, is true allo ofnatural! Children, to be without them, or bereaved of them, is to befolitary ; So force underhand the F z Text
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=