Chap. r t. trim Expofitionupon the 73ook of Jp $, 'Verf. in mind , and he forgot them. Know therefore that Godbathfar- g©tten thee becaufe of thine iniquity. To obey God is to remem- ber him , and none are fo much remembred by God , as they who obey him , tofin agatnft Cod is to forget him , and none are for- gotten of God, but for their fin. We trar.fl zte,Godexatleth ofthee lefe then thine iniquity deferveth, rtlr3) the word lignifies alto to lend (as was toucht before) fo we read Signifa`at enr it (Dear. is-. 2. Deut. 24. IQ.) in the laws given to the Jews a- d ®, ex g igere, satore bout releafing : to exact leile than due, is , to releafe fomewhat ofneratori,. what is lent. The adverb lef is not in the originali no nor the verb deferveth our Tranllators have added both in a different letter to fupply and clear their feñfe upon the place. The words being only thus, Know that God exaileth oftheefor thine iniquity. Agttofe fattens Mr. Broughton renders it roundly fo , Know that the Puiffant will exagere abs to call thee toan accountfor thine iniquity. Another learned Tranfla- mumaliquid torgives it thus , Acknowledge at leaft that God exallethfomewhat de ittiquitate oftheefor tbine iniquity ; As ifhehad laid , Doe not thine that all tUe. Jun. this evilis come upon thee without cau/e, forfhamefubmit, andcon- fef that thy finne bathdefervedfame ofit. Our rendring alludes ilk to the dealiçjofa mfrcifull Creditour with his debtour who is willing to becompounded with, for what is juflly owinghim. Or to the dealing of a merciful) Magiflrate towards a malefaltour, whenhe layes not the rigour of the Law upon him.Thus the Jews would not exact fomuch punifhment of Paid, as they fuppofed his iniquity deferved. The Law admitted fourty flripes : they wouldnot go to the utmoff line ofjuftice; they, to do him a cour- tefie, or to avoid the fufpition ofcruelty (though this mercy was cruell) abated him an ace and therefore gave him only fourty firipes fave one. The mercy ofGod to man' runs not like this or z Cor. I r, zq: any other mercy ofman to man. When we fay God exalted leflè then iniquity deferveth, we mean, God hath not exalted half, no nor a tenth of what our iniquity deferveth. He lets down but fifty in his bill ofchaftenings, for an hundred ,'which he finds in our bill of tranfgreffings. And this half which he exalleth is not taken either to fatisfie himfelf or properly to punifh us, but to purifieus, that we may glorifie him. God exaeteth fo lit- tle, that indeed he exaCteth nothing. The word is harilt and hears ill among men, but God is fo good to lfeael, that we know not how to call him an exaltour, but becaule he doch not exaa, H 2 Hence
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