By the day of the children of Israels birth, we may either understand the day of their forefather Abraham his calling out of an idolatrous nation, that he might be the father of the faithful; or the day of the peoples deliverance out of the bondage of Egypt, which I take to be the more probable, because he speaketh not here of the birth of one man, but of the whole nation. Now this day of the peoples birth was a time wherein they were in great misery, poverty, impotency and manifold extremities, and therefore not unfitly compared to a child's birth, seeing in many things it resembleth it, in regard of the wretchedness thereof, and that both in respect of their persons, and also in respect of their state. And first for their bodies, as the child is borne so impotent that it is unable to resist the weakest enemy; so they came out of Egypt weak, unskilful, and unarmed, altogether unable to resist their enemies the Egyptians. And so in respect of their souls, as the child is borne defiled in his blood, as it is described, Ezech. 16. 6. so 1they were defiled with their sins, especially their gross idolatry which they learned of the Egyptians: as the child is borne destitute of wisdom and actual understanding; so they were ignorant, and without the saving knowledge of God and his true religion. In respect of their states likewise there is great similitude: for as the child is borne poor and naked; so they came out in great poverty, being not only destitute of the heavenly gifts of Gods Spirit, but also of glory, power and riches: as the child liveth as it were imprisoned a close prisoner in the strait prison of the womb; so they were held in a strait and miserable servitude, till God delivered them: and as in the birth it is in greatest danger and extremity, so that it no sooner breatheth the air, ⟨p. 173⟩but it crieth out with sense of pain; so they howsoever they had formerly endured many miseries, yet they were in greatest extremity of all, even as it were in the very birth and deliverance, when as they were pursued by their enemies, and beset on all sides with unavoidable dangers, so that in anguish of soul, they cried out for fear. Lastly, as the child 2being borne is unable to help it self, either in respect of defence from outward injuries, or of provision of food and necessaries:
By the day of the children of Israels birth, we may either vnderstand the day of their forefather Abraham his calling out of an idolatrous nation, that hee might be the father of the faithfull; or the day of the peoples deliuerance out of the bondage of Egypt, which I take to be the more probable, because he speaketh not here of the birth of one man, but of the whole nation. Now this day of the peoples birth was a time wherein they were in great miserie, pouertie, impotencie and manifold extremities, and therefore not vnfitly compared to a childs birth, seeing in many things it resembleth it, in regard of the wretchednesse thereof, and that both in respect of their persons, and also in respect of their state. And first for their bodies, as the child is borne so impotent that it is vnable to resist the weakest enemie; so they came out of Egypt weake, vnskilfull, and vnarmed, altogether vnable to resist their enemies the Egyptians. And so in respect of their soules, as the child is borne defiled in his blood, as it is described, Ezech. 16. 6. so 1they were defiled with their sins, especially their grosse idolatrie which they learned of the Egyptians: as the childe is borne destitute of wisedome and actuall vnderstanding; so they were ignorant, and without the sauing knowledge of God and his true religion. In respect of their states likewise there is great similitude: for as the child is borne poore and naked; so they came out in great pouertie, being not onely destitute of the heauenly gifts of Gods Spirit, but also of glorie, power and riches: as the childe liueth as it were imprisoned a close prisoner in the straite prison of the wombe; so they were held in a straite and miserable seruitude, till God deliuered them: and as in the birth it is in greatest danger and extremitie, so that it no sooner breatheth the aire, ⟨p. 173⟩but it crieth out with sense of paine; so they howsoeuer they had formerly indured many miseries, yet they were in greatest extremitie of all, euen as it were in the very birth and deliuerance, when as they were pursued by their enemies, and beset on all sides with vnauoydable dangers, so that in anguish of soule, they cried out for feare. Lastly, as the child 2being borne is vnable to helpe it selfe, either in respect of defence from outward iniuries, or of prouision of food and necessaries:
- 1Ezech. 16. 6.
- 2Exod. 14.
