Chap. 3o. An Expo/lion upon the Backe of J o a. Verf. 3. 3 3 dred here, famine, is Syriack, and is not found elfewhere inall Fam,,b, I<J the Bible ; For though in the oldTeltament famine is often fpo- o`¡Yiaeabu- ken of, yet alwayes by anotherterme. I amine is want in tri- gt;Gf Hs,Srarc umph, want in the height ; there may be much want, andyet P-f tpp¿;ta no famine, but wherefoever there is famine, there is a want of pod: all"things, or want to the uttermoft; life cannot flay longwhere famine enters. Famine is caufed three wayes. Firft , By the Common fcarciry anddearth of vital' fupports in the places where we live when God makes the heavens as brats, and the Earth as Iron; when he withers the grafs, and Burnes up the fruits of the earth, famine follows : and this the Lord often threatens among his foreft Judgements , Which are three, Plague, Sword, and Famine; and we may well call fa mine, though the fecotid or third roamed , yet the Firff of the three. Secondly , As there is a Common Judgement of famine upon Nations, fo there is private famine upon tome perfons or fami- lies :. when there is publique plenty enough, tome are not only in a wanting buc in a ftarving Condition ; and that fometimes becaufe they are either unable to labour, or have loft the fruit of their labours. Thirdly, Famine comes uponothers through theirown Idle- neffe and default ; as Soloman fpeakes ( `Pro. z 3. z r.) Sloathfirl- nefe, or Jdleneffe, Cloaths a man with rags. And as Idleneffe Cloaths a man with rigs, fo it "feeds himwith ícrapps,and they are better fare thenany man can carneor deferve, bydoing no- thing or (landing idle. The Apoftie gives the rule to the Church (z chef 3.a r.) He that will not labour, neither let himBate. And as he bath no right to eate,fo we fee by frequent experierce,that they who labour not, have little or nothing to Bate ; I grant that which was the fin of Salome , is at this day the finofmany. But what was the fin ofSodom ?the Prophet tells us ( ez.ek r6. 49. ) Fr:llneffe of bread, and abundance of Idlenes; We at this day have fullneffe of bread, great plenty, let us take heed that abundance of Idleneffe be not found amongus too . Sometimes there is in this Conjunc`kion, fullnes of bread and abundance of Idleneffe ; yea many are abundantly Idle, becaufe they abound with bread, But ufually and veryoften, abundance ofIdleneffe F brings
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