Chap. 13. AnExpofation upon the Book of jot.. Verf, to. things that appear : Juflice mull proceed (fecuardúm aNegata - probara) according to what is alleadged and proved. So that if you fecretly accept perfons, men cannot deal with you; but God can : he will find you out and makeyou fmart for it. Hence Obferve (I have opened before what it is to accept perfons, therefore I (hall not flay upon it. ) Firll, That to accept perfons is avery rovok}ngfin. Ilewillfurely reproveyou, ifyou do fecretly accept perfons. The accepting of, or the (hewing favour to a perfon, may be as great a finas theopprellìngof a perfon. And the reafon of it is, Firíl, Becaufe the opprel ionof one perfon is alwaiesjoyned with the acceptingof another : and therefore though the very atof accepting a mansperfon, or the (hewing more favour toa man then is due, may feem tohave no fault, or but a fmall one in it; yet becaufe the favour you (hew to one doth redoundto the wrong or opprellionof another,the fin mull: needsbe exceed- ing great. Secondly, It is a provoking fin to accept perfons, becaufe it is a fin that cannot be committed but with a great deal of refolved- nefs and premediation. A man mull know both perfons and caufes before he can properly be Paid to accept perfons. So that this is not a fin which a man falls into through inadvertencyor firmity : Now, that which puts a great aggravation upon any fin, is, todo it knowingly and premeditately. The moreof our un- derftanding orof ourwill is mixed with any fin, the more "finful it is ;I know no fin whichhath more ofeither,then theaccepting of perfons hath. Therefore God will furely reprove thofewho accept perfons ; what fin foever efcapeth, that (hall not; you cannot plead an excufe for it; nor is there any cloak for this fin. It cannot be committedout of ignoranceor infirmity, but ups will and eta-Eon. Thirdly, As theaccepting ofone perfon is a wrong to another, fo it is fuch a wrong asa man canhaveno repair for. He that bath thewrong knowsnot where togo tobe righted. The accepting ofperfons is a fin againft all laws, and yet we can hardly findany law againft it, Fourthly, They who fit in judgment perfonate and reprefent God himfelf; and therefore while they accept perfons , they make God a partaker, yea, an actor in that which he molt hateth. E e e 2 And 395
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