Chap. 24. AnExpofttion ripen the Rook of JOB. Verf.t9 617 butthey fin out the tall inch oftime , even till they cone to the graves mouth. Whence Note. Wicked men will not ceafe tofin, while theycontinue to live. The Apoftle 'Peter (a Pet. a, r4,) faith of that generation, who haveeyes full ofadoeltery,and that cannot ceafefrom fin , fin is their nature, it is not what they have acquired, but what is nu- planted in them, and borne with them. And becau!e fin is natu- call to them, therefore they cannot get it off until! their nature is changed. And hence it is that converfon or regeneration is the changeofour nature as well as ofour anions. Aman unregene- rate.fins asnaturally as he lives : he fins as naturally as he fees or heares, or exercifeth any of thofe naturals faculties, fo naturally doch he fin, and therefore he fins to the grave. And this is a ra- tionali demonftrationof the lattice of God in aw.ardirg eternal! punifhment for fin committed in time, or in a (hart time ( the whole time ofamans life inwhich fin is committed, is but a (bort time, a nothing toeternity wherein 6n (ball bepurifhed,This, I fay, is a demcenftration ofthe Juftice ofGod in punifhing wick- edmen) becaufe ifthey could have lived to eternity, they would havedone evill to eternity, theydoe evil) as they can, andas long as they can. Seeing then,there is a principle in man to fin eter- nally,it is but juft with God ifhe punifh (inners eternally : did not the grave flophim, hisheart would never fophim from fin. In beate and cold they rob, they fin to thegrave. Further as thefe words are put into a fimilitude, they intimate the ea ineffe,and naturallneffe oftheir finning, as well as the con- tinuance ofit ; Likeeu the hot earth drinketh up the [now water, fo wickedmenfn to the grave : they fin to death, and they fin with as muchcafe andnaturalnes as the earth, whendry and Chie- fly, drinks up the (nowwater. Sinners are fain to drink. iniquity as skater, ( Job 15, i 6.) They are laid to draw inigwiry with cords of vanity, and fin ou it were with cart ropes, (1(a. S. i ß. ) The la(t of thele comparifons notes their ftrength and groffeneffe in finning ; The fecond notes their wit and cunning in finning ; The third ( which fuits with the prefent text) notes their ready- nes and'eafineffe to finne ; They can doe it as eafily as drinke, as eafily as the hot earthdrinketh up the (nowwater. Kkk k So
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