6 2. 2 Ver; 2,3. n Expofition upon the l3ool; of j o a Chap, 37, fees, he tells them, re pay tythe ofAnife and Crtmmin , and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law,fe dgment,Mercf;chat i', either they did not n a right judgment according to Law,. or their legal-Ju ents weregiven with rigour, not at all attem-. per'd., ntixc,and moderated with mercy. 0i fuch the, Apostle 1anees fpeakech ( Chap. t. i ;. ) He!hall have judgment without mercy that hath [hewed no mercy ,. and mercy rejayceth again 5 judgment. In this fence the Lord is excellenttn judgment ; For as he hash iCdóme and undetflandirg to fee what is jufl & fd in Judgment he remembers Mercy : His patience is great fore he givesJudgment ; and his moderation is great when he gives ir. Ide dealethnot withwit according to ourfns, nor rewardeth Its according to our iniquities,( Pfal. 103, ro. ) Char is, his Judo moms arc not proportion'd tó the greacnefs of our fins and iniqui- ties ; For, ( as it followed) at the a r th verfe of that Pfalsoe ) ou high as the Heaven it above the Earth, fogreat is his mercy to- wards them thatfearehim. Therefore theProphet brings in the Churchpraying thus (Pr . 10. z4.) OLord,Correttme (l con- ceive it is not a dire& prayer for Correeìion, but a fubtniflion to it: A's if he had, (*aid,I will nor trurmur,nor rebell again;l thy Cor- rection'; O Lerd,Correcl Erse) but with Judgment, that is, with due moderation : Ir cannot be meant of Judgment, as it notes the ef- fe& of divinedifpleafure, but Corred me moderately, or, as ano- ther text hath i',in meaJure,.as thou ufef to corred thy people. This meaning, is plain f;®m the oppofirioti in the next words, Not in thine anger,leaft thoubringme is nothing. Anger tranfparts men iodo things undecently &washout moderation;wequickly exceed our limits, if carried out in paffion ;.and though, that anger which the Scripture attributes often to God, never tranrPorts him 'be- yond the due bounds of his wiCdome and jullice, yet when God is laid to do a thing in any,er,it notes his going, as is were, to the utmofl bounds of juflice ; thiscaufed the Church topray,nLord, if the cup tray not paÉs fromme,if it cannot be,but I mull becor- re&ed, then I humbly and earnefüy beg, thouwouldil be plea- ted to correEi me';lodgment, not in anger, lea.I thoubring me to nothing. What the Chinch prayed for here, the Lord prop;ifed elsewhere ( Jet. ;o, a t ) I will rot makea full end of thee, but I willcorrea thee in meafure, andwill rot leave thee altogether unpu- nished. Thus God is_exceilent in Judgment o He abates the feve- city
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