546 Chap. i4. fin Fxpofition upon the Book ofJos. Hence Obferve, The Originalor birth ofmanfpeal,s thefrailty ofman. As that which is impure cannot fend out that' which is clean, foneither can that which is weak produce that which is'f}rong. As man breeds that in him which will confume him, fo he is bred ofthat which (hews he muff confume. If it be asked how a gar- ment fretswhen it is not worn, or how "ember wafts when it is not ufed : we anfwer, the garment breeds a moth which frets it, and the Timber a wormwhich eats it out. Ifit be alfo asked, how man decaies when no outward violence appears againfé him, we ,may anfwer, he breeds his own decay , himfeif gives life to aworm in his root which fmites his flourithing gourd to death : thus man breeds his own confumption. Bat betides this, he is bredof that whichdoth confume, Man is born ofa woman. And as God decreed, for the punifhment of her fin, that the womanMould bringforth in forrow ( Gen 3. 16.) fó the woman brings forth a forrowful man. Can we expec`f any thing : but forrowful from forrowful ? from frail but frail ? or from her who is offewdayés and full of trouble, any thing but him who is fuck himfeif ? So it follows in yobs defcriptionof man , where having givenus the caufe, he proceeds to the effects. Man that is born ofa woman. Woman is the procreatingcaufe of man, and from her man derivesa. doubleeffeCt. i. He is offensdayes,z.He isfull of troubles. Is of few dales. io9n) igp The Letter of theHebrew is,Mort, or cut-¡tort of daies. Mr. brevis cur- Broughton renders, Mort of life_ So the Pfalmift (Pfal.89.45.) tweedie- The daies ofhisyouth thou haft ,/hortned, or cut of 'Tis faid of rum. Abraham ( Gen.25.8.)that he diedin agood old age, an old Man and full. the Hebrew goes no further, Ht diedfull, full ofwhat ? Our Tranflators to fill up the fenfe , add byway of explication, Full of years. Abraham had his belly full of living before he died, behad not an hungry defire.after a day more in this life he was both hungry andat irfI for eternal life .Hediedfull ofyears but though Abrahamwas full of years, yet his life came alfo into lobs reckoning, Fewofdaies. Thedaiesof man are few or thort, Firft , confidered in them- felves (Pfal.39.5,) Behold thou halt made my dales as an hand- breadth. That is not long, which is no longer then the breadth of Ver fe
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