394 Chap. 28.' 'An Expofztion upvey the Book of J B. Verf;82. Secondly,VVe are to underland it of finfull evil+ of all degrees and tneafures. VVemull depart not only from grofs and palpa- ble evils, but from thole which are fpun with fo fine a thread that t ey are almóll i'tdi cernable, not only from open prophanenefs, b clofefl hypocrifië, not only from aloft fins which lay waft our hope,which devour our faith,andmake chipwrack of a good confcience, not only from monflrous fins, from fins of the .fir i magnitude, but we are to depart from the leaf+ and !owe., the meanel and ballet/ fins. The real finfull evict, and the teal of it,, (is too big and .toobad for our company, we mull depart from it. Indeed he makes confcience of no fin , who makes tint confcience_ of all and he is in danger of the greater+, who departs not from the leaf+. Thirdly, VVe muff depart not only from the tra& or trade,, from the courte and cuf+ome of evil, but from any one a&+, or at- tempt of evil. No man can excufe himfelf when he doth evil, by Paying, I will not do it often, I will not do it al.vayes, I intend slot to live in it, nor to make a bufinefs of it, I'will do it but this once ; for(befides,that he who fins once, runs a hazzard of finning often) he that fins but once, fins too'often by once. The bell of mencannot chufe but fin often, but no man fhould chufe to fin, no not once. Fourthly, VVe marl depart from, or as the Apol+te expref eth it (a Thef. y, az.)'Abfiain from all appearance of evil ; that is, fromwbatfoever bath fo much as a thew of fin, or wherein fin makes ` any the leal Phew. Suppofe fin appear not in a full body, yet if itput out but a little finger, we mull not have to doe with (ir.Some thewsand appearances of fn are real,fome areonly con- ceited and imaginary,, and thee imaginary appearances of fin are of two forts flit+ , fuch as appear to us through our 'ignorance, or want of information, or,fecondly, fuch as appear to to others, either upon the fame grounds, or upon chufe fuperadded ones, their jealoufies of us, or prejudices agaiñfl us. Firti, As for the reali appearances of evil, we mull alwayes abflain or depart from them, upon the utmof+ peril of our own confciences. Secondly, Rs for thofe imaginaryevils which appear tous through our ig- norance as evils,though in themfelves they arenor, we mull ab Rain from them while they appear fo; an erring confcience binds eta t4 docnothing again+{ it whatfoever is aiot of faith is fin to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=