Part I.· (h AN IRONY. 33 mull: depart with you. Job xxvi. 2, 3· How haft thou helped him that is without Power? Hew faveft thou the Arm that bath no Strmgth? How haft_ thou counfelled _him that hath no Wifdom? And how haft thou plentifully declared the Thmg as 1t IS ? Tlm IS an nom– ea! Confutation. As If he had fa~d, Your faymgs are moll: comfortable and excellent, as they feem to you, when you have to do with an i~firm, abject, and ignorant Per– fon- The Mean in<> is, that they are of no Effect to JUdge, preferve, counfel, or teach me. Pfalm xl. 9· ihiliftia triumph thou over me-:-_ This is an ironical Apo/frophe, whereby David checks the Infolence of the old Phdiftmes, who for a long Time vexed the Jfraelitcs• .,Ecclef xi. 9· Rejoice, 0 young Man, in thy Youth, aiJd let thy Heart cheer thee in the :pays of thy Youth, and walk in the Ways of thy Heart, and i'! the Sight of thine Eyes, &c. which is an Iromcal Conceffion to the young Man tl)at gives himfelf a loofe Liberty to follow his finful Pleafure in his young Years, and in a haughty Pride and Confidence· flights God and good Things, neglecting his Soul for Senfuality and (an imaginary) earthly Felicity; but his Check and Correcbon follows- But know thou, that for all theft Things God will bring thee lo Judgr;.ent. · !fa. ii. 1 o. Enter into fome Rock, and hide thee in the DtJI, for Fear of the Lord, mzd. for the Glory •f his Majefty. This is fpoken by Way of Sarcafm, as if he had faid, Fly from God, and his incenfed Face, or terrible Hand if thou canit, but it is to no pur– pofe, as the following Verfes fhew. So Ifa. viii. 9, ro. fee Ifa. xxi. 5· ~ompared with Dan. v. -Jer. viii. 14. iv. g, 15. and xlvi. 9, rr. where there are Sarcafins againft the King of Egypt and his Holt, that were puft up for the Conqueft of Jqjias- The like Jer. li. 8, I r. abo~t Baby/on's Fall- See Lam. iv. 2 r. Mal. i. 9· r Cor. iv. 8. 2 Cor. x. 12. For we dare not make ourfelves of the Number, or compare ourfelves witB fome that commend themfelves, &c. The Apo!He fpeaks ironically, checking the falfe Apoflles, who had fuch magnificent Thoughts (and gloried fo much) of themfelves, as if he were nothing to them- The like Irony he ufes to the conceited Corinthians, I Cor. xi. 19. For ye fitjfcr Fools gladly, feeilzg ye yourfe!ves are wife; upon which Aretius fays- This Speech is a fharp Irony, as if he had fa id, It becomes fuch principal Per– fons as you are to elteem thofe Fools who fpeak Truth. 2 Cor. xii. 13. What is it wherein ye were inferior to other Churches, except it be that I myfelf was not burthenfome to you? Forgive me thi's Wrong. He calls that ironically a Wrong, which indeed was none at all, but rather an Inflance of Innocency. Moreover, to an Irony are referred, (x.) Some Things fpoken feignedly, and ""P'""""'• or uttered by Way of Trial, as Gen. XIX. 2. where the Angels fay ro Lot who invited them, Nay, but we will abide in the Street all Night, whereas they were to tarry with Lot, and preferve him and his Family from the Conflagration of Sodom, as by the Thing itfelf and the Event, as alfo from the Angels Words, Verfe r2, 13. is manifelt. -Gen. xxii. 2. And hefaid, (that is, God tO Abraham) Take now thy Son, thine only Son Ifaac, whom thou loveft, and get thee into the Land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt Offering upon one of the Mountains, which I will jhew thee. That this was only by Way of Trial appears by the . firlt Verfe, and the Event; this Palfage was intended for a good End, as well with Re– fpect to God, who requires Obedience and a perfect Refignation of Man, although his Precepts may feem abfurd to our Reafon, as alfo with Refpect to Abraham and his Son Ifaac, who became Examples of Faith, Submiffion, and Conltancy to God's Will, without Scruple, ~eil:ions, or Murmuring: Befides, there is Refpect had to the · Mefliah, whofe Paffion, Death, and Refumtlion is prefigured in thi.s myltical Type. · Jl!atth. xv. 24, 25, 26. I am not Jent but to the lo/1 Sheep of the. Hottje of lfrael~ It IS not lawful to give the Chi!drens Bread to Dogs- That this Speech was alfo bv Way of Trial of the Woman's Faith, appears by the Event, and the Eulogy which Chnlt gave her, Verfe 28. 0 Woman, great is thy Faith I The Mind differs from the Speech- He feems externally to fegregate or diflinguifh her from the Sheep, and at the fame Inltant occultly cherifhes and comforts her 'as his. He compares her to a Dog, bur places her at the fame Time at the Childrens Table. This Palfage K intimates
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