s28 Chap. 36. an Expofition «pon the Reoikof J o B. Verf. y. filtent with the Rate of a righteous man, that finfhould reigne in him, yet as to this or that a& it may reigne; fin may reigne over, and bring under a godly manby the violence of a prefent tempta- tion, though it cannot reigne over him (as is doth over the wick- ed) by a willing fubmiffion. As the belt fin alwayes, fo fame- times they have finned greatly, they have exceeded. David: fin exceeded, his fin, as to that aét,mafter'd and reigned over him. Solomon fin exceeded, when in his old age his wives turned away his heart toother gods, ( r Kings r i. q..) And Peters fin exceed- ed, when he denied his Matter. The righteous are not exempt from a particular reigne of fin, though through grace,they are de- livered from the teigne of any the leaf= particular fin. As there is no kind, fo no degree of fin, but a godly man may fall into ir, ex- cept that againft the holy Ghoft , and totali Apottacy from his profeflion. Secondly, God fheweth them that they haveexceeded, that's it which God fheweth them in their af8iáion. Hence obferve ; cwany fee their fin, that do not fee the exeeedixgxefs of their fn, er that they bave exceeded in fin. Not only natural and carnal men, who fee that they have fin- ned, do not at all fee the exceedingnefs of their fin, but forme good men fee that they have finned , but fee not prefendy the exceeding, no nor half, the evil of their fin ; therefore, faith Elibts, He/heweth thaw their tray.fgrefon, that they bave exceed- ed. Pail before his converfión, knew that he had finned , but he knew not the finfulnefs of his fin , which yet afterwards was to him exceeding finfull, (Roots. 7. t 3.) As it isthe height of our corruption to commit fins exceeding finfull , fo it is a very high poynt of grace, to fee the exceeding linfulnefs of our fin. You will fay, how is it that fin doth exceed, or wherein con- Os the exceedingnefs of it ? I anfwer, Firft, There is an exceedingnefs of fin, in the flrength that it bath over us, when it doth eafily command and prevaile,then we fin exceedingly,or then fin isexceeding finfull,it hash got a migh- ty hand over us. O how fadly do the fins of many exceed thus they are held down by their corruptions as fives and , they cannot get themfelves out from under the power of a bafe
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