An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Secondly, Labour is taken sometimes for the fruit of labour, or for that which is got by labour; the reward, and wages given and received for work and service done, is called labour (Psal. 128.2.) Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands. No man can eat the acts of his labour, but every man should eat the fruit of his labour; labour brings in bread, and that bread is sweetest which comes in by labour. The Lord threateneth his people (Deut. 28.33.) strangers shall eat thy labour, that is, the increase that comes in or hath been gotten by thy labour, even that which thou hast laboured for. And it was a mercy bestowed by the Lord upon his Israel (Psal. 105.44.) that they inherited the labour of the people, that is, they dwelt in the houses, which they had built; and enjoyed the gardens, which they had planted; & reaped the fields, which they, the Heathen, had sowed; In a word, they had the fruit of all their labours. Some understand the word here in this latter sense, Wilt thou leave thy labour unto him? that is,¹ wilt thou allow him any of the fruit of thy ground, seeing he refuseth to work in thy ground? surely, thou wilt not. Labouring cattle have somewhat for their labour, they share in those good things which are the product of their labour (1 Cor. 9.9.) Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the corn. But though it is a truth, that labouring cattle eat of, and are fed with the fruit of their labour; yet here, by labour, I understand the very act of ⟨p. 372⟩[…] ⟨p. 373⟩[…] ⟨p. 374⟩labour, not the fruit of it. Wilt thou leave thy labour to him? that is, wilt thou leave thy business with him? wilt thou trust him with thy Plough or with thy Harrow? And (consider the dependence) if thou darest not trust him, then thou wilt not leave thy labour unto him.