1 oo The Natural Hiflory Part IL 



the left ufeful kinds of Plants : but 

 fliall give it its full fcope, and grant 

 that no lefs than an univerfal Reftraint 

 and Diminution of the primitive Fruit- 

 fulnefs of the Earth was intended by 

 it; this indeed (eeming to be the plain 

 and genuine meaning of the words* 

 But the Queftion is, whether this Curfe 

 was prefently infli£ted or not : vi^hether 

 it was fucceeded with an univerfal Ste- 

 rility,and the Earth's native and origi* 

 nal Exuberance all ftraitways check'd, 

 and turn'd to as general a Defblation 

 and Barrennefs. And here I entreat it 

 may be taken notice, that thi^ was but 

 one J and that much the leffer, part of 

 the Sentence paft upon -^^^m The other 

 was Death ^ ; which, 'tis moft certain, 

 ""conf, was not immediately inflided. And 

 "^T^and pronounced at the fame 



I Gor. X7. time and with the fame breath , that 

 21 J 22. the other was : Vnto dufi jh/ttt thou re'- 

 turn. Nay and much more emphati- 

 cally a little before |j , In the dity that 

 iQinXhiT.thou eatejl thereof thot^ jhalt furely dy^e. 

 This was exceedingly peremptory i 

 and the very day fix'd likewife, No^* 

 withflanding, through the Clemency 

 and Goodnefs of God, Execution was 

 delayed for a long time j Adam being 



reprieved 



