138 HommHfif we reprove, that rie may not Serna an Ido1- Prieff, is calie.i the Con of Gerfham, the fon of illanafeli i.e. the Grand- chi lde of MLlanaffet. Now is is clear in Scripture, that Ger- fh,,m was [he ton of Metes, and not of Mawffeh, Exod. 2. 22. 18. 3, r Chron. 23.15. And io Jonathan muff be the Grand-childe of Mofes, and not cf A1analeh. But the 7eivs and learned Critics tell us, that he is called cheGrand-childe of 4?anaffeh for a double reafon. i. Be- eaufe the Scripture confulting thehonour of Mofes, did conceal his pe- dig,ree as to Mofes, for it hid been a difgrace co Mofes, to have had upon record an Idol-Priefiin his linage; And a. W,-4ich is to my pur- pofe, he is called the Grand-childe of Manaffeh, and that by -- 1kti41,, and anticipation, becaufe he followed him in his Idolatry, he was no whit like Alofts, bu: rather imitated Manaffeh, and fo he is called his Grand- childe. For the other inflance, fee Ifa. I. Io. Hear the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodome , and give ear unto the Lxw of our God yepeople of Gomorrah. Why beloved, thefe that the prophet fpeaks to, they were the people of ]>adah, and the Inhabitants of l.erufalem. Why does the Prophet call them the people of Gomorrah? even for this reafon,they did imitate thofe filthy Sodomites and Gomorrhites in wick- ednefs and wan:onnefs , and loofenefs, and fo becameguilty of their fins,and worthy of their names. The lafl inliance you have in 2 Chron. 28. 19. The Lord brought 7adah lozv, becaufe ofAhaz Icing of Ifrael. Ahaz,,all know, was King of Tudah,tnd not King of Ifrael, but he is called King of Ifrael, be- caufe he imitated thewicked and Idolatrous Kings of Ifrael, he was not fo byfisccefon,but he was fo by imitation. Hence it is that God is faid tovifit the iniquity of-theFathers upon the children, becaufe they make rhemfelve.s guilty by imitation; and this may be a Key to unlock that place of the Apoflle, a Tim. 3. 13. Evil men and feducer, fhali wax worfe and worfe, deceiving andbeing de- ceived. Deceivers are worfe, but the Deceived are worfe and worfe; if they fee a bad Example , and will not avoid it , but copy ir, they are worfe than «orfe. The deceiver is guilty of the deceivecl's fin by inffi- gation, and the deceived is guilty of thedeceivers finby imitation. And this is the woful; intricate,perplexed Labrinth, intowhich fin loth precipitatecarelels andungodly Sinners. If thou commitrefl that fin, which none before committed bat thee, thou art gudcyof all the fins of future Generations by thy Example, as Adamwas in theWorld,' and jeroboam in Ifrael. And if thou committed any Sin,becaufe-others savecommitted it before thee, thou art guiltyof all the fins of former Gem-
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