III. Here is the Kind of his employment or Calling. The Lord God put him into the Garden, not to divide his time between sleeping, sporting, and feeding, though he was so great a Man; nor only to contemplate the excellency and goodness of his Maker, though he was so good a Man: But 1. to Dress, and 2. Keep the Garden. This word to Dress, in the Original, when it is applied to God, signifies to worship and adore him; when it is applied to man, to obey and serve him; when to the Earth, it signifies to till, to dress it: To ⟨p. 5⟩subdue it, that it may serve us; or [as the Dutch Annot.] to husband it †God had given Man a good estate, •nd his Calling was to make the best of it, which was by husbanding the ground, from whence he was taken. And also his work was to Keep it, which word is not used in opposition to selling or giving it, for in that age there was no purchaser to buy, nor silver to pay for land; and yet for all that this great Prince made all away, and put all his estate into his mouth at once, He lost all (no entail being made) at one unhappy throw. Nor is this keeping to be referred to Adam himself, *as if he were placed there, to keep himself: But the keeping here intended was to preserve it safe from danger. And though there were no imminent peril, nor visible enemy, yet it was proper to a Garden to be husbanded within, and fenced without, and this was his work. †Indeed his Authority then was an Hedge, and the hardiest Lyon durst not stir against his Orders, no hurtful Beast durst come into all that holy Mountain: while he had peace with God, there was a League offensive and defensive between him and all the Creatures, so that he could dress his Garden with delight, and keep it with ease when he had done; and yet work and care he must. Come my Creature and my Friend (says God) you must have a Calling; Dress me this Garden, and keep it well. Here we must gather up two or three fragments, that nothing be lost.
III. Here is the Kind of his imployment or Calling. The Lord God put him into the Garden, not to divide his time between sleeping, sporting, and feeding, though he was so great a Man; nor only to contemplate the excellency and goodness of his Maker, though he was so good a Man: But 1. to Dress, and 2. Keep the Garden. This word to Dress, in the Original, when it is applyed to God, signifies to worship and adore him; when it is applyed to man, to obey and serve him; when to the Earth, it signifies to till, to dress it: To ⟨p. 5⟩subdue it, that it may serve us; or [as the Dutch Annot.] to husband it †God had given Man a good estate, •nd his Calling was to make the best of it, which was by husbanding the ground, from whence he was taken. And also his work was to Keep it, which word is not used in opposition to selling or giving it, for in that age there was no purchaser to buy, nor silver to pay for land; and yet for all that this great Prince made all away, and put all his estate into his mouth at once, He lost all (no intail being made) at one unhappy throw. Nor is this keeping to be referred to Adam himself, *as if he were placed there, to keep himself: But the keeping here intended was to preserve it safe from danger. And though there were no imminent peril, nor visible enemy, yet it was proper to a Garden to be husbanded within, and fenced without, and this was his work. †Indeed his Authority then was an Hedge, and the hardiest Lyon durst not stir against his Orders, no hurtful Beast durst come into all that holy Mountain: while he had peace with God, there was a League offensive and defensive between him and all the Creatures, so that he could dress his Garden with delight, and keep it with ease when he had done; and yet work and care he must. Come my Creature and my Friend (sayes God) you must have a Calling; Dress me this Garden, and keep it well. Here we must gather up two or three fragments, that nothing be lost.
- †Pros•indere, irriga•, severe, et st• qua sunt ejusmodi. Trem•l. n loc.
- *To dress him, that is Adam, so August. but the Hebr. femin. makes against that.
- †Or to keep it in tillage, and in that dignity and beauty which it received thereby. Tremel.
