396 Chap. b3. An Expofition upon the Bookof Jos,. Verf.' I o; And as this is a great tin in civil IuL er.,c:,t, This St fames thews (fam.2.z,3,4.) If there come one into your affimbly withagold ring, in goodly apparel, and youhave refped to him, andfay untohire, fit thou here in agoodplace; and there come inalfo apoor man in vile raiment, andyou fay to the poor,fiand thou there, &c. Areye not thenpartial in yourfelves, and are become judges of evil thoughts ? e8'e muß not have the faith of our. Lord Jefas Chrtf#, the Lord ofglory,with refpeEl- of perfons. The Apo- files refolve for himfelf andhis fellow Apofiles, is (2 Cor. 5.16.) Henceforth know weno man after theflefh, that is, we accept no trans perfon, in regardof anyoutward intereff, as to the fway_ ingofour judgement, to think well or ill, highlyor meanly of them. External relations and differences mull bear noweight at theGofpe! beam. It is as dangerous (if not more to accept peY_ Sons in fpiritual, as in civil judgment, and the Lord is a fevere revenger of both. But tome may fay, If it were between man and man, fo to ac cept perlons, the Lord might be angry indeed, but will not God`: favour, anaccepter of perfons, when it is in favour tohis own caufe? No, he will not. That's thecafe here, Pill you (faith yob) theperfonofGod ? Hence, Obferve, God will net bear it, that wefiould wrong the meanefi manfor . qtsfake. Neither indeed can we do him right by doing injury toothers. This doth infinitely advance the holinefs and purity of God ; and convince the falfenefs and wickednefs of man. The Judges and Magittrates of the earth will doright between man and man, in an ordinary cafe between fubjec`t and fubjeet of equal if it be thekings cafe, or if fomegreat perfon..be intref: fed in it, how apt are Judges to lean towards greatnefs, and to give fentencewith the prince,though they lay it heavy uponthe people! Now if God himfelf will not endure that any creature fhould be wronged under apretenceof doing him right : How (hall anymen be bornout,who favour the great ones ofthe world to the prejudice and undoing of inferiors? The Lord protefts (Ifa.61.8,) 1 the Lord_love judgement, Ihate robbery for burnt- offering : See how he reproves thofe who were very zealous to promote his caufe. But is it blame-worthy tobe zealous for God ? No, Their zeal was good, but the means they ufed to exprefs
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=