Chap. 21. An Expofition upon the Book, of J o a. Verf. 15. 693 man bath no will to know, yea refills all the meansofknow- ledge. When he not only doth not know the evill which he doth, but therefore refufeth knowledge, that he may more freely doe evil!; and may have this to fay for himfelfe whenhe doth evil!, that he knew not how to refisfe the evill and chufe the good. As that is a high wickedneffe fpoken ofby the Prophet ( Ifa. 5.20.) knowingly, to call evil! good and good evill,to put light for darkneffe, and darknefìe for light, fo it is not a wickednefs ofa lower flature, willingly to refufe knowledge; that fo we may not be able in our aâings todiflinguifh light from darkneffe, good from evil!, but may run blindfoldupon any thing which our own lulls and advantages prompt us todo. The Prophet (Ifa. 58,2.) fpeaketh of force whodelighted to know the wages ofGod, as anation that did righteoufneffe, and forfoo( not the Ordinance of their Clod. Such are hypocrites. But there are a fort who delight not toknow the wayes of God, that fo they may doe unrighteoufneffe, and never be engaged to live up to the Ordinances ofGod ; Such are prophane.Both fall into the fame condemnation ; the one for notdoeing what they pretend a delight to know, the other for not delighting in theknowledge of that which they ought todoe. The pro- phaneneffeof this latter fort is perfonated in this verle, and is yet fet in a more open light in the verle which follow- eth, Verf. 15. what ie the s4lneighty, that we $ouldfervehim ? and what profitJhall we have ifwepray unto him ? r This verle affignes the reafon ( Inch as it is) which lyeth in the bottomeof the hearts of wicked men alwayes, and fome- times appearethat their lips,as the reafon why they fay to God, depart from ut, &c. They who bid God be gon from them, have Paid in theirhearts, and are ready enough to fay it with their mouches What to the e4lmighty, &é Some read it in theMafculine Gender, who io the Almighty? we in theNeuter ; the fence ofboth is one; and that as bad a one, as is imaginable or utterableAs ifthey had-laid ,What is there in God more then in another ? we fee nothing in him eac- N
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