Chap.'. for the letter ofthe word is the veffel wherein the Spirit is con- tained ; and unlefs we fpeak the letter to the ear, the Spirit can- 'notin'an ordinaryway come into the heart ;therefore understand the Apoftles meaning thus, he bathmade us able Mïnifters,not of the letter,but of the Spirit, that is,he bath madeus Minifters rather ofthe fpirit thenof the letter, or more of the fpirit ,then of the letters hecaufeof the promife of the plentiful effufion of the fpirit, after the afcentión of Christ. will have A further infiance we have in this fpee'ch of God, I mercy, ,andnöt'Scccrifice ; That is, rather rnercy,then fàcrifice. Sa- crifice is not rejeEled, but mercy: is preferr'd. So Rent your hearts, andnot your garments ; that is, rather rent your hearts then your garments : For otherwife you find that, not_only it was lawfull (as in the former places) in ;times of repentance and forrow to rend the garments, but they are taxed becaufe they did not repent and rend their garments. The not renting the garment is charged as a conviction of an un-reflt heart. When the roll of curies that Jet 36. z4. Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah was read before Je- hojak¡m and his Courtiers, the King cut the roll with a pen-knife and call it into the fire ; their impenitence is thus defcribed, yet they were not afraid,' nor rent their 'garments, neither the King nor any ofhisfervants that heardall 'thof e words ; as if it had been laid, this was a time that called them aloud to rend their garments, to humble themfelves and repent before the Lord, when they heard fuch words as there (cloathed with their own fin and Gods wrath) read unto them ; but they did it not ; ) et th,y were not afraid, neither did they rendtheir garments. 'So then rentingof the garment was ufed as a cereinony of repentance,as a shadow of godly forrow; it had nothing in it self to move God, only it tefti- tied the greatness oftheir grief, that their hearts did rent as their garments were rent. Further Rentingof the garment was tired in cafe of cxtream indignation.Indignation is anger &forrow boyl'd up to the height; It is as it were the extra and fpirit of them both .And it is ftirr'd cfpecially when the ear ofa man is filled with a voice of blarphe- my, or his eye with a fpetacle of bold tranlcendent wicked- ednefsagainfttheLord. Wordbeingbrought to Hezeltiah of the - blafphemy that Rahfhakeh had belched our against God when he heardhowhe had reproached the livingGod, in laying, who is the z King, rç.rr; Godof Jerufalem that-be fbould deliver it out of my hand? the Ifa.37.i A 3 text An Expofition upon the BookofJ OB. Verl 20. i$I
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