Senn. 7. partake of other mens f s ? 141 the foul, as it were, here fhould be lifting and plucking indeed. Theneglea of this duty of keeping one another from fin, the Scri- pture calls an hating ofour Brother, Lev. 19. 17. Thou 'halt not hate thy Brother in thine heart,Thou fhalt not Pufferfan upon him.I obferve in corri- pany,th at if many perfons fit together by a fire and a Spark file upon any one of them,every one is ready to (hake it ()Wandbear it off ; and why fhould not we be as friendly and charitable to mens fouls, when Sin, which is as Hell flakes, liesfmothering in their confciences, or burn- ing npon,theirfouls ? 2. Out of piety toourfelves , that we may keep our felves from the bloodof other mens fouls ,and fecure our felves from the judgements of other mens fins. For the former , fayes Sc. Paul, Ats 2o. z6, 27. 1 take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men , for 1 have not fhunned todeclareunto you all the coun(el of God : Had the Apo- file connivedat,or confented to their fins, God would have made indui- fition for the blood of their fouls at his hands. For the latter Cayes ya- cob,Gen.49.5,6,7. Simeon and Levi are Brethren,inflruments of cruelty, are in their habitations. Ohmy Soul, come not into their fecrets, unto their affembly,mine Honour benot thou united. Why ? Oh, I will divide them in Yacob,and fcatterthemin Ifrael. He would not have a hand in their fartftel union, becaufe he would not have a fhare in their dreadful divi- faon; they were united in fin, and they mull be divided in puni(h- ment. 3. Out ofpiety towards Gcd ; God forbids ir, Ephef. 5.7. Be not par- takers with them,and God forbid that we fhould do it ! Nay, God ab- hors it and condemns ir, Pfalm 5o. 18, z 1. when thou fawef a Thief, thou confeutedft withhim,and haft been partakers with the e,4dtrlte'rers, &c. Thefe things haft thou done, but 1 will reprove thee, and fet them in order beforethee. This Sin is a breachof all the Law at once , being againit the rule of Charity. He that bath his own fins alone, loth onely com- mit them, but he that takes other mens fins, Both highly approve them ; and this greatly difhonours God; it is worfe partaking of fin, than committing of fin, Rom. 1. 3 2. They do not onely do the fame, faith the Apof+le, but have pleafure in them that do them, that's worfe. Where., fore Zelophehads daughters pleaded in mitigation of their Fathers of- fence, that he died in his own fin, he was not partner with Korah, but died in his ownfin : It is worfe to be a partner, than to be an Ac7or, Num6.27, 3 . 3. Application. I. Information : Is there fuck a thing, as partaking of other men ßns after this manner. I .fleasce
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