Chap. ;i. An Expofition upon the Book of J o s. Vert 39. 755 Verf. 39. IfI bave eaten thefruit thereof without money or have caufed the owners thereof te lo%their li+e. This verte enformeth us yet more particularly what is which caueth the cry of the land , or the complaint of the fur- rows of the field. if I ( faith fob) have eaten the fruit thereof without money. The bi=brew is, the ftrength thereof. Thus Mr. fila rouir Broughton tranflates ; If1 are bertrengtbwithoutflyer. And as parría, hkmor this word fignifieth Strength inGeneral!, fo that radical! moi- vioov, liure or native humour wherein the procreative ftrengthof thé rorporía coa(r= Creature loth confift : when the earth puts forth fruit, it puts flit' forth ftrength. One fpeciall curie layd upon Cain for killing his brother Abel was (Geni4.1z.) When thou tilleft the earth, it(hall not henceforthyeeld unto thee herfrength ; that is, it fhall not be fruitful!, nor anfwer (as it ufed) the cxpedation of the husband- man. The earth lets out its ftrength or keepes it in as the Lord gives order and fpeakes the word; As the fruit ofthe ground, fo the fruit ofevery thing is and fhewes the ftrengthof it. Sin is the fruit of corruption( the corrupt nature of man brings forth ne other fruit) and when we fin,what doe we but flew the ftrength or force of our corruption ; and frill the more wee fin the ftron- ger and more forceable doe our corruptions thew themfelves: When a godly manadsholyiy and is fruitful) ingood worker; he puts forth the ftrengthofhis inner man,tbe ftrengthofhis foule ; every at ofgrace is an effet& or fruit of the graceof God work- ing in man ; jefus Chrift eates the ftrength of a beleevers foule, when he Bates the fruitof his graces, or his gracious fruits, as the Church invites him to doe ( (ant: 4. 16 ) Let my beloved eoPine into kit garden, and ease bee pleafant fruits ; that is, the fruits of faith and love,which thorowmy abiding in him Y beare and bring forth(thefe fruits are the delight,the pleafure ofJefus Chrift)and we give Chrift our ftrength whenwegive him the fruitsof holy- nes, and are filled with thofefruitsof rigbteoufneffe which (as the Apoáles fpeakes, Phil: 1. 11.) areby him (that is, byvertue of our union with and abiding in him ) to the prat/eandglory ifGeol. Thus,as bygrace,the holy fruit of the foule is the ftrength ofthe route, fo by nature the fruit of the earth is the ftrength of the earth ; and the earth be$owes her ftrength upon us everyyeare, when it brings forth fruit : which ( as the Apostle told the then
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