Chap. 34. An Expafition upon the Book of J o B. Verf.32. wicked man continues in his wickedneffe, yea,he blefferh himfelfe in his heart, laying,I fhall have peace, though I walkin the irna- gination'ofmiKe heart , to adde drunkenneffe to thirfl ( Deut: 29. 19. ) Every new fin is an addition to bis former fins , becaufe he alwayes liveth in fin. They who would not have the captives b: ought into the City, gave this reafon (2Chron: 28. i3. ) For whereas we have offended againi the Lord already,yeintend to adde more toourfins, &c. O take heed of finning fo , as to joyne fins together. As in Arithmeticke when we adde fumme to fumme, what an huge fumme may we quicklymake. Therefore breake off fin by repentance , that if thou finneff again, it may not be an adding of fin to fin. That's adreadful] prophefie and threat- ning ( Pfal: 69. 27.) Adde iniquity to their iniquity, and let tloem . not come into thy righreoufneffe. How doth the Lord adde iniqui- ty to iniquity ? will he caufe any to finmore ? or will he doe any, iniquity ? No ; themeaning is (as our margin intimates) the Lordwill adde the punifhment of their iniquity to their iniqui- ty ; or he will give them up to the power oftheir ovine luffs and vile affeífions, fo that they cannot but renew the as of fin, and adde one iniquity to another. It is ableffed worke when we are much in the additions of grace to grace, and of good workes to good. 'Tis thedefigne and bufineffe of a gracious heart to adde grace tograce, that is, the exercife ofone grace to another , till every grace be exercifed (2 Pet: t. ç.) Give diligence to adde toyourfaith vertue, and to venue knowledge, and to knowledge tem- perance, and to temperance patience. Here is a bleffed addition. When a goodman hash done well once, he adds to doe nmore, . lit adds more a&s ofthe fame kind,and he adds todoe good aels of any other itinde He adds patience to godlineffe, and to god lineff brotherly kindtaefs, and to brotherly kindnefs charity; thus he is buffed in á bleffedway of addition. But the addition of fin to fin, is the bitter fruit of rebellion againff God (Ifa. 30. a.) Wo to the rebellious children - that cover, but not with a co-- vering ofmySprit,, that they nrayadde fan tofin. They that make excufes for fin committed, adde fin to fin ; yet by there cover- ings, we may underffand not only excufes and pretences, for' fin, a&ed, but our owne good a&s ; for to cover fin with any thingof our owne, is to adde fin to fin. Yet Iconceive, the adding of one hindof An to another, is the additiontheremeant. The Ifraelites fayd 8299
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