Chap. t9,. An Expofstion upon the Backeof ) O B. Vert. z8. 4o7 not al:vayes deceived (ifhe be not) is onely this, becaufe he is not áiwayes tempted by deceivers. And hence it is that they; who loveerrours in opinion, or finfull wayes in pra&iee , doe not love to make doubts, or to raife quettions concerning et Cher their pra&ices or opinions. As the way to fatten our felves upon dutie, is to take upa refolution to doe it, yea to perle- vere in doing it ; and where there is no refolving about what we doe, there is nothing but unfetledneflt in doing it ; as the P.ophet toucheth(7er. 5.24 ) This people hat;oa revoltingback f iding heart ; They arealtogether unfixed, you know not where to have them, or whit they will beat. What is the reafen ? Neïther fay they in their hearts, let as nowfear( the Lordour god, that gives us raine, the former and latter raine inleafn. This was the reafon why they revolted, they did not fo much as fay in their hearts, or pitch upon this thing, Let its feare the Lord. Now as men are unfetled in good, becaufe they doe not refolve to doe this or that which is good, fo they fall into evill, be- caufe they doe not queflion, Why doe I d.,e this ? er is this which I doegoodor evill ? They doe not fo much as fay, is there not a lie in my right band ? They a ,ke no quetlion for confcience fake, (as in fotne cafes the Apoffie advifeth we thould not ) and therefore they ac`t fo much againft confcience. Thirdly, The words may have reference as well to what had beendone,as to what they intended lfill to doe,reJhouldfay,why, perfecute wehim? That is, why have we perfecuted him ? He may fpeakeof ana&ed or antecedent, as well as ofa fubfequent or in- tended perfecution. Hence note; To queflion ourfelvesfor what we have done, is anexcellent meaner to bring us to repentance,and tobreakour hearts for the evill we have done. What haveI done ? is the queflion ofrepentance. The Pro- phet 7eremie ( Cap. 8.6. ) brings in the Lord taxing that peo- ple for their impenitencie, and layes all upon this, I hearkened, andheard, but they f ake not aright,no man repented ofhis wicked- neffe,faying,what have Idone?Every one turned to hü courfe,as the horfe ruJheth into the batted : Theyfinned refoluteIy, becaufe they never queftioned themfelves about their fin. We can never re - turne, -,
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