.___----- Chap. 28. An Expolition;upon the Book of Jp B. Verf. S. 239 precious things ; And upon the face of the earth be gets : is bleat'. As the Earth is the common parent of all mankind (all men ha- ving their original from it) fo the Earth is the common parent of all thofe good things both, ornamental and necefllary, which con- cern the natural both being and well being of man. Out of the earth comes bread. And by bread we are to underhand not only that part of our food ,. which is opposed to drink and flesh, but our whole food ; and not our food only, but our clothing comes under the notion of bread in Scripture language ; efpecially, we muh take it fo in our Saviours directory for prayer about temporal things (C.Mat.6. a r.) Give tts tbia dayour daily' bread. And in this latitude wem ay interpret Jo6 while he faith, As far the Earth, out of it comes bread. Andunder it is turned up as it were fire, Or asothers read, It takes frs underneath. VVe may expound this two wayes. Firfi, That the Earth which hash corn growing upon the fourd' of ir, bath fire underneath, that is, mines of cole and brimfione, which are called fire, because they are the fewell of fire, or mate- flails for fire ; though they are not fire formally, yet they are fire vertually ; they quickly take fire, and make fires. That which is ufed continually tomake fire, as coals are , and that which is fo apt to conceive or take fire as brimfione is; may not unfitly b; called fire. Secondly, By the fire we may underhand chafe mettais before fpoken of, Gold, Silver, Brafs, and Iron, as also precious hones. Allmor any of thefe may be called fire ; fir(}, becaufe of their bright, nefs, they all being burnished, .cab a flame ;like fire. Secondly, becaufe they are refined by the fire ; they have a kind of fire in them, being fopure and fplendid, and they are off into the fires that they may be purified: But I rather take it in the former fence, that Jo6here defcribes a further ufe of theEarth, that there isnot onlyBold and Silver in the bowelsof ir, but coales and fuch things as are for firing ; they alfo being of great ufe for the life and comfort of man. Thus Mr Broughton tranflates, A ground out. ofwhich growthfood, is underneath. cbanged,as fire, Fiat dial.
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