Chap. 31, Aa E.xpefetien upon the Booke of J o B. Verf. 4O. 765 Hence note, Secondly. Sin ch:ngrth the narstr.alL c urje ofthings ; or, God to paniflo and chafe e the fin of man ch.sngeth the natural c carte of things. As God is theefficient, fo fin is the meritorious caufeof theîe changes ; it was fin whichbrought the fi; ft change upon nature ; the earth ( as created by God) had only a feminall verme in it for theproducftion of thofe things which were good, ufefull, and profitable for man. That was it which God implanted in the earth, or (Imay fay) that was the general! plant of the earth, A power to bring forth that which was good. But fin ( which is the worft weed) beingbrought forth,God commanded the earth to bring forth bryars and thornes, and mixed our bell fruits with weedes ; And as that Generali curie was layd upon the earth for the irft tranfgrefiion of man fo when men multiply their tranfgrefiions, and dayly bring forth evill in head of good fruits, when their lives are full of bryars and thornes, of Cockle and thiftles,they may looke that God fhould renew and !lighten that curie, and give them acrop ofthiftles in fiead of wheat, and of Cockle in fleadof barley. We read how the Lord expoll:ula- ted with his vineyard of old (Ifa. 5. 4, 7.) What coulel'i hava done more to my vineyard chat I have not done to it ? Wherefore, Taken Ilookedet Ibouldbringforth grapes, did it bring forth 'wild grapes ? What thofe wild grapes were, the 7th verle tells us ; When I lookedfor judgement, Beholdoppre ion'; forrighreeufnef]fe, Behold a Cry. ( That's the bad word in this text, a Cry ) Now (I fay) when particular perlons, Churches or Nations difap- poynt the Lords expet`iation thus fadly, and when he having wa- tered and dreft them, protefted and taken careof them, they in Read Judgement bring forth oppre(lion, and in Read of righter oufnefe a cry; Then the Lord in judgement may charge their vineyards to bring forth wild grapes infieadof grapes, and their fields to beare tkifles infleadof wheat, andC ckle in (lead of bar- ler. Looke toit, asyou would have an anfwerable retorneofany ofyour labours, or that the earth flaould bring forth that which is fowne by the Hefting of God upon it, or that any thing you take inshind fhould profper and produce a defired effcet ( every man.hálfí aground.totill, and a plow going, that bath a lawful!. catling;.
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