Chap 34, An Expoftion upon the Book of J o is, Verf.i 2. phet ( Pfal: 73. 13, 14. ) Verily in vaine have we cleanfed our heart, andwafbed our hands in innócency,for all the day long have we been plagued , and cla4ened every morning. Davidwas under a temptation when he was under hatches , he could hardlyper- ceive it worth the while to take paines in cleanfing and wafh.ing either heart or hand while God was fo confiant and frequent in correeling and chaftening him with fo heavy a hand. Yet `David foone after recovered out of this temptation, and concluded the Pfaltne, with this particular affurance, ( v. 28.) It is goodfor me to drawneere to God , as he had begun it (v. a . ) with a general' aiTurance, Trudy God is good to Ifrael, even to fuck as are of a cleane heart. God is good to thofewho have a cleane heart, even when they are in the greateft fufferance of evill, and therefore they who are cleane, hearted, have no reafon at any time to fay,', nòr fhall they long fay, they have cleanfed their heart in vain.. Though now they fmart , yet in due feafon they fhall.be well re- warded for their wafhing. The judgements ofGod are fetch, ae no 7,diciadeiple= man can fully comprehend, fetch a no man can jnilly reprehend, ve nemo com- The Almighty will not pervert fudgement. prehendit, jujle' Thofe foure things which caufe men to pervert Judgement, d= o. APT are at the furtheft'diflance or remove fromGod ; whereof the lib; 2. ;de cw; fàrft is envie at the good condition of others. The fecund isDei. cap; 23,. groundleffe and unreafonable love or hatred of their perfons. The third is feare of frownes from thofe that are great, or feare ofafter-claps; Many are deterr'dfrom giving but a jufl meafure, either of reward to good men , or punifhment to evill men, left themfelves fhould receive hard meafure from thole who like nei- ther. The fourth is hope ®f gaine, or their private advantage. For as foure pervert Judgement for bribes already received, fo others for bribes promifed, or upon expeElation of foure future favours. Now God ( Hay ) is infinitely above thofe foure , and all other imaginable by- refpels, upon which Judgement is per- verted everyday, by the funs of ,glen. God is above all envy, yea above all that hatredor love which perverts Judgement; he is above allfeare of evill, and hope of good. God path nothing to feare, feeing none can reach him, much lefle hurt him neither bath he any thing at all to hope for, feeing he. is in the full pof- feflion of all happineffe and blefl'edneffe , that is , of himfelfe. Why then, or upon what account tliould the,Almighty pervert Judge 573
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=