573 Chap . 29. An Expefition upon the Book of Jos. Vert. 19. Fifthly, The root is put for the iffues or branches that come from the root. So Cbrifi is called the root of David (Revel. y.5.) whereas we knowDavid didnot fpring from him, but he from David,according to the flelb. In a fpiritual fence Chrift was the root of David, but in a natural fence David was the root of Chrif+ ; for according to the flcfh Chrif+ came of David, yet Chrif+ is called the root ofDavid,that is,he was a bench that did Íffçte forth of his root. So we are to expound thole Scriptures (Ifa, t 1.19. Vim. is. ta.) where the root is metonymically put for the branch which iffueth from ir. Here when Job faith, My root wa .fpread out by the waters. We may expound bis root to be whatfoever was the firength and eftablifhment of his efiate, or whatfoever was the means of its incrcafe orlcontinuance : All theta the root are to the tree.. Some have a great prefent efface, but their efface bath no root; ochingl for encreafe or continuance. It is reported, that when an Ambaffador of Spain, was brought into the Treafurie of Ve- nice, and there (hewed huge heapes ofGold; He turned np force of the Gold at the bottom, and being asked, why he did fo ; anfwered, I do it to fee whether this goodly Golden Treafure bath any root ; implying that his Matters treafure had a root, his Mines in the Indies,which caufed it togrow and renew every year. jobs riches had a root, and a root by the water, nor was his root only planted by the water, but as the original word fig nifies,opencd to the water c it is poffible for a tree to be planted by the watir, and the water not come at it ; therefore yob faith,.. My roet was opened orpasfpread by the water. A treeplanted by the water is often put in Scripture as the Emblemof a flouri(hing efiate,both in temporalls and fpiritualls. And that's the fcope of Job here ; I did once flourifh, and it was mot+ probable my earn fhould flouri(h;why?becaufe my root was fpread out by the wa- ter.It is a Oblaxim,that where fe cient caufes are in aët,tbere of axeccftj the effclZ mufti` follow. A good root with proper and plen- tiful moyflúre coming to ir, are fufficient caufes of a trees growth and fruitfulnefs;and therefore where theft are, we may conclude (according to the courte of Nature) the tree will flouriíh. It is laid of the godlyman (Pfal. c. 3.) He ¡hall be like a tree plan,-. ted. by the rivers fade, that-bringetbforth hisfruit in bis feafon,hes leaf
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