Chap. r 5. An Expoftion upon the Bookof J O 1?. Vert' t 6 man faith, What have I to do with thee thou Son of Belial; 'Tis the fin ofthe wickedman to abhor the righteous, for he ab- horshim for his righteoufnefs : 'Tis the duty of a godly man to abhor the wicked , and he abhors him onely for his wick - ednefs. To do fo is a piece of his Charater, Who Jhall dwell in the ullountain of God : He is a man, kn mhofe eye a vile(that is, a wicked ) perfon is abhorred, Pfal. 15. 4. Much let's can he look pleafedly , or pleafantly upon a wicked man ; his heart rifeth againf him , not out of pride, or high thoughts of himfelf, or from the lownefs of his condition, if he be poor ; but from the odioufnefsof liisdifpofition, and his oppofition of goodnefs : Such a manis vile in'his.efleem ; how honou- rable fo ever he is in the eye of the World.' Again ( which thews yet further , that a man in nature is abominable) when any man repents and turnes to the Lord, he is an abomination to himfelf ; he is abominable to God, and good men, before he repents ; and upon the fame account, he is abominable to himfelf when he repents. For as God and good men , before , fo he then fees his own vilenefs', and de- formity, then he fmells the filthinefs of his own corrupt heart : This the Prophet affures us ( Ezek. 36. 31. ) where the Lord promifeth to pour out the Spirit of repentance up- on his people, To take away the heart of )1óìe, andgive them a heart of kb : and then They fhall loath themfelves for all their abominations , as not being able to endure the ftench of their own corruptions: When fob at the fight of God, faw himfelf more clearly, then he cries out, Wherefore I abhor my felf , and repent in duff and albes : If a good man feeing himfelf , is an abomination to himfelf, howmuch more is finful man abo- minablein the fight of God ? And ( which aggravates the point to the highefi) Not onely is aman repenting abominable to himfelf, but even a wicked man upon a clear difcoveryof himfelf to himfelf, becomes an abomination to himfelf, though he befar from repentance. That's the reafonwhy a wicked man cannot a- bide to fearch into his ownheart, or return into hisòwn bo. fome. ( /fá. 46.8. ) Remember this , /hew your films men', bring it again to minde;'The Hebrew is,Bring it toyour hearts: They who love theirfin,love'net to lookte theirfinful hearts : they darenot turn their eye inward or upward , not upward, be- > K 2 cattle
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