532 Chap. 32. An Expofitiom upon the Book of J o .s. .Verf.zz. ufed toflatter. As ufedoth not only make fitneffe, but encreafeth- our knowledge, fo difufe doth at once unfit us to doe a thing,. and diminitheth our knowledge how to doe it. And therefore what we ufe not todoe, we are rightly fayd not to know to doe.. I know not to give flattering titles. Hence note. - 2kef iirit of agood man is fet againfe'all that is evil', he can- ;oeclofe nor complywith it. His underfianding alfenteth not to ir, his will chufeth it not,. his conscience cannot (wallow ir, though not a camel, but a gnat, the leaf+ of fin-evils, much leffe doth he give himfelfe up to the free and cuftomary prac.ife of great fins.A good manmay well be fayd, not to know to fin, becaufe though he knoweth the nature . of all fins, yet he knowingly declines the doing of every. fin.. Iknow not togive flattering titles,. Info.doiwg my Maker would fame take me away. Thofe words, in fo doing, are not expreffed in the Originall,, but fupplyed tomake up the fence ; and yet we may very well . read the text withoutthem ; I know not togiveflattering titles,. my Maker would foone take meaway, or-as Mr Broughten renders,. my Maker would be my taker away. - c:í`i'l'y cvtaker. Elibuexprefferh God, by the work of-creation, or by his rela- tion to God as acreator ; Elihu Both but include himfelfe in the . number of thofe whomGod hath made, he doth not exclude'Q- thers from beingmade by God , as much as himfelfe, while he faith, MyMaker. God is the maker of every man, and is fo in a three-fold confideration. Firf+, He is the maker of everyman, in his natural' conl+itu tion, as he is a man, confif+ing of a reafonable foule and body. I am (earefully andwonderfully made, fayd David, with refpe& to.boih, (Pfal: rig. 14. )- Secondly , God is every mans maker, in his civili (late; as well as in his. naturali ; he ffrmeth us up into fuch and fuch a conditi- on, as rich,or as poore,as high,or as low,as Governours or as go- verned, according,ta the pleafure of his owne will, (Prov.22.2.)1 2iie.
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