38o DI what things muit we rife 1i?oderation, Seri, 16. For the general Object of Afoder4tion,orabout what it mull be exercifed and appear. Negatively. I. Not filch things as are materially good. About fuch thirgs,or it fuch actions as are materially good,Moderation hash no place; becaufe all the good we can poffibly do, is too little, fo that there can be no excels in thefe, and therefore no Moderation ; for the Office of Mo- deration being to refirain excels , where there can be none of this, that can have no imployment. e,g. we cannot believe in , hope, love God and Chrifl too much, nor hate fin, and Sathan ( as the School - men affirm,) in regard of his wholly loofr.g the Image of God too much. In all our internal religious duties, and aclinps of Grace as fuel], no Moderation therefore can or ought to have place. 2. Not about /tech things as are materially evil. for herein we can. not be defective. Where the objefì is abfolutely forbidden us and no circumllances can make the action good,there we are wholly to ab- ftain, or fupprefs the a &ion if in it ; there being inordinacy in the principle or faculty ; for though Moderation is to govern even the principle, yet not in the choice of it's object, but in it's exercife about a due object chofen that it exceed not.And though we call any great acing upon an undue objc6t,or great omiflìon towards due,im mode- rate, becaufe of their excefs,yet this is not properly immoderacy, for fo every fin would be it formally,whereas thofe only which refped the moral quantity of our adions, are properly immoderzcies. Both thefe fufficiently appear by what's laid before. Pofitively. But about fuch things as are in themfelves of an indifferent nature, and neither abfolutely commanded as things materially good, or abfolutely forbidden,as thole materially evil, but only conditionally according to jr circumfiances we are ìn.Which though of an indifferent nature, yet become morally good or evil ro us, as we are actually con - verfant about them.In thefe properly may be excefs,in regard of which Moderation is to take place to reftrain,and keep all within due bounds, being formally the modification (to ufe the School term for once) of fuch a &ions. Wherein we muff carefully diflinguith of the feveral for- malities of the objed, Grace and Nature being converfant about the fame objed,but not in the famerefpec't. For it's exercife therefore, or what, wherein, and how we mull pra- élice it. Which I (hall fpeak of I. Abfolutely in reference to our felves, for preferving peace within, as it is to be exercifed towards the good and evils of this life, z. Rela-
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