14a Hewmufï:vereprove, that we ,ny ,s.t Serm. I. Howeyon may be informed of the Equity and ?uftice of Gods pro ceeding in punishment : You of:-rimes fee God punishing one mans Sin upon another, or at lean hear of it, and you think it flrange : why this Oedipus will read you the Riddle. Thi< -Clue will condu6 you through the labyrinth, they have been fbme way or other partakers of thole Sins, either by contrivance, or by compliance, or by connivance, &c. oneway or ether, elfe, God would never puni(h t'. em , if they hwe nor been Abfo, s, they have been Abettors : Shall not the?edge of all the world do right ? God punishes Childrenfor theSins of their Parents, Exod. 34, 7. Aye but thofe Children have been xntvo,rbt, partakers certainly, by ap- probation, it may he by imitation: God punishes fervants for the Sins of their mailers, Gen. 12. 17. But fure the fervants Were r.m691.4t parta- kers by confulting, it maybe by executing: God punishes Wives for theSins of their Husbands, Gen. ao. i 8. But chafe wives mere x6t"rai, partal4rs Rill by admitting, by indtering: God punishes minifters for the Sins ofthe people, Ezek 3 3, 8. But then thofe mini.F7ers are xotvre- tòt, partakers fure enough, by not in(trul-fing, by not reproving ; Hill the Juflice of God is vindicated. Hence be informed what piety, and f riftoafs , and watchfulnefs, is more efpecialy required of thofe that have the care ofothers, e. g. Kings and Parents,and Mailers, and M igiirates,and ; they should be exemplary ingodlinefs : They have curam animarum , and there- fore t hey (hould have curana anima ; they have care of other mens fools, and therefore they íhoùld look well co their oa+n:. The want of this was her crime acrd complaint , Cant. 1.6. They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards , bat mine own Vineyard have I not kept. On chore that are Keepers of Vineyards had need to have fpecial ears of their own Vineyard. 3. Hence take an account why the wickedof tl e world do fo hate the godly, and reproach and revile them ; it is this , They will not he par= takers oftheir fins, theywill nor commit them, neither will theyconnive at them ; and this is the reason why the world hares them : Ahabhates Michaiah , and himself gives the re.ifon , becaufe he reprovedhirer, T Kirgs 22, 8. 1 hate him, he never fpeaks well of me. Herod hat:': john Baptift becaufe he reproves him. No wonder that rriinifers Of all kindeof men in the world are moil hated ; the cafe is plain,bec ,.Cc they are-reprovers. Godly minifiers are wicked mans reprovers, and wicked men areGodly Minifiers reproachers, I Pet: 4, 4. They thir,'l¿ )t f range you run not with therm to the fame e c:fs of Riot f , ^kina evil ofyou. f`'
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