Now may Beloved Lafs Serm,3. with her already in hu'he,,rt ; not will do it, but hehash done it already : there is a fpeedypagage tom the eye to the heart : And becaufe the eye and the hand are many Curies urea', as principal incitements to his fin, our Saviour gives his Difciples and us this ferions and holy advice in the words that I have read, If thy right eye fend pluck it out,and cafe it from thee, &c. The words contain a double Exhortation, together with a double Reafon and enforcement. I. A double Exhortation : If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cafl it from thee : if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and call it from thee. 2. A double Reafon and Enforcement: For it isprofitablefor thee,that one of thy members fhou/d perifh, and not that thy whole body fbould be caff into hell : and fo again,ver.3o. In the handlingof thefe words, I (hall frtt fpeak to them by way of Explication, and then byway of Obfervation. it. For the Explication of them, I would entreat you to take into your thoughts thefe particulars. I. Wemutt enquire into the meaning of thefe two exprei ions, the right eye, and the right hand: mot} Expo/itors by far carry it, that thefe words are to be expounded improperly and figuratively : and here I (hall not acquaint you, how Pop:Jh Writers abound in their own fenfe, con- cerning thefe words: there are fweet truths,that kindly and freely,wich- out ftraining may be deduced from this Scripture.; like the Bee, iwoald not tear the flower I light on. There are two Interpretations given of this place, that I (hall take no iceof. I. There are fome that by right eye, and right hand underfland onr nearett, and dearett comforts which we have in this world, which muff be parted wit h for Chrifts fake, yet nor abfolutey, but upon this confi- deration, if theyoffend ; If thy right eyeoffend theepluck, it out, and cafi it from thee, if thy right hand offend thee, cut it of, and call it from thee : Now this is bona expo/itio, a goo,i Expofition, as our Divines oittinguith, but nor recia Eapofitio, a right Expofition : agreeable to the Analogy of Faith, but not furable to the (cope, and defign of our Saviour in this place. Therefore, 2. There are others, that by right eye, and right hand under(tand beloved i.ufis, as bird to be parted with, as right hands, or righteyes : our saviour mentions the right eye, and the right hand, becaufe theyare rno(t prized, as having more than ordinary of fpirits and natural heat, and
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