719 Chap. 7. An Expofion upon the Book ofJ O B. Verf. 12. detiroyeth our guilt,and to us abolifheth the condemning power ;of the Law : in there the ftrength of tit lies. Hence when the pc() ple of / fragil had committed that great fin in making the golden .Calf, the fir(' thingMoles did, was, topray for the pardon of fin, .and he did it with a firange kind ofRhetorcike, Exod. 32. 32. Oh, this people have finned a great fin, and have made them gods efGold. Andnow if thou wilt forgive their fin ; what then Ms fes ? There's no morepaid ; Mo/is is tìlent in the yeti, it is an im- perfeCi: fpeech : a paufe made by holy pallion, not the fulnefs of the Sentence. Such are often ufed in Scripture, as Luk 13. 9. And if it bear fruit, what then Our own thoughts are left to fupply the event: Our tranllators add, well. The Greek tranllators fup- ply that in Exodus, thus ; If thou wilt forgive them their fin, forgive them: We may fupply it with the word in Luke, I fthott wiltfor - give them well, As if Mofes had laid, Lord forgive them, and then though they havedonevel ill, yet, I know it will be ver, well with them ? Godcannot with -hold mercy,where he bath granted pardon, for that with theoutecedents and rcquitìtes ofit is every mercy, Mojes knew what would follow well enough if they were poned, and what if they were not : therefore he adds ; And ifnot, blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou tuff written : If their fins muff hand upon record , Mfes would not ; he knew, if they were an unpardoned people, they were an undone people, all miferies would quickly brake in upon yea, overwhelm them; and he defired not to ont. live the profperity of that people. If Ifrael mutt bear their fins, theymuti alto beare thewrath of God, and if their' fin be bnt taken off, then his loft is fetled on them, God gives quailes fomtime, but he never gives pardons in anger. Fourthly obferve, Thegreatell finsfall with in the compafs of Gcdfpardoning.mercy The words in the text are of the,higheti fignification: Job fpeakes not in a diminutive language, he is willing to lay load upon himfelf s they whofe heart are upright will not 'land min - cing the matter, and fay they have fins, but theirs are frnall ones, fins not grown. to the tiature of other mens. As the fins ofagodly man, maybevery-great fins, fc, (when they are) he acknowledges that theyare. I know not where to let the bonds,in regardof the nature or quantityof finwhat fin is there which wicked:man com- rnits,buta godlyman(pofftbly ) may commit it, excepting that a- gainflthe litly CO ? Thefe yob , and the Saints may .but to God
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