Chap. 2x. An Expofition upen the Book of J o a. Verf. t. 819 ceitfuli ; that is, they teftifie his deceitfulneffe. Manybetray their friends with there metaphorical) kifles, as ?udaa did Chrift with a literal kiffe. There are killingkiffes, bloody kif- Íes. Davidprayeth for fmitings,inoppofition to there killings, (T(al. t q.1. ÿ.) Let the righteous finite me; how ? with his hand or (word? No ; yet fuch fmiting is far more eligible then that kind ofkiflìng, but let the righteous finite me with his word, withhis tongue, as the next words explaine his meaning) Let him reprove me and it Jhallbe an excellent vile that /hall not breakmy head. This Law was given the yetves, that they fhould exercife their love in rebukes,(Lev.s9. 17.) Thou /halt not hate thy Brother in thyheart, thou (halt in any wife rebuke thy neighbour,and not fufferfansse upon him.To hate a brother and not to rebuke him are equivalent expreflìons in that Law ; and we may thence alto inferre, that as it is a fin to hate our neighbour,and an affliction to be hated by ourneigh- bour, fo it is a fin not to rebuke our neighbour, and an afflict- ion (when there is caufe) not to be rebuked by him ; And he whowifely declares a mans fin to him, declares his love to him; and beftowes as many kindnefTes upon him, as he loth deferved reproofes. W!oJhall declare hisfinto his face ? Yet further, when yob faith,who/hall declare, &c.Vv'e may expound it not only ofdeclaring by reproofe, as one friend declares the fin ofanother to him,oras the fins ofmen are de- clared by the Minifters of the Gofpel. But we may take it for a judiciary declaring, and that two wayes; Firft, by way of evidence ; Secondly, byway offentence; A witneffe declares the way of a wicked man to his face ( for the witneffe and he that is witnef ed againft,ought to come face to face)by giving evidence.AJudge declares theway ofa wicked man to his face by giving fentence. Thus tis as if7eb had Paid; Who dares either be a witneffe to accule, or a Judge to condemn this wicked man. Which fencedoth arife more fully from the laft words of the Text. e/ind whofhall repay him what he bathdone ? That is, who fhall punifh him according, or up to the de- fert ofhis deeds. This followes clearly from what was faid before; ifno mancan be found to declare his way to him, or to tell him what he bath done, then futely none will be Mammal 2 found
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