Chap. 2'7. ¿itated, or any meditated deceit. Toutter deceit, though inhaft and unmeditated, isbad enough, but to'utter amedicated deceit is asbad as canbe. Any evill which the tongue arceretb, hath by fomuch the leffe evil{ in ittbyhowmuch khath the leffe of the heart or meditation init. As they who'fpeattetafúrly, doe often fpeake falfely, fo it were well if they who fpeak falfely, did el wayes fpeake really, andcould fay that their tongue bath not ut- te red, as job laid his fhoiridnot utter, a meditated,deceit. Confidering thisverle with the former, whilemy breath' ¡sin me, while the Spiritof Godis in my nofirills, my lip's(hall not freak,. wickedneffe, nor my tongue utter deceit. Obferve, Firfl, Theparpofes and refolves ofagodly man, todoegood, or not to doevil!, are notfor a duty, or a tame, ,tot for ever. As the promifes of God its mercy,fo the purpofes ofthegodly in duty arc for ever. God is alwsyes doing usgood,and we fhould never be doing .viii; Sin is never in feafon ; There maybea time whereinwemay forbeare to doe this or that good,but there is no time inwhich we mutt not forbeare to doe that which is evil!. That which is unlawful! to be done, ought never to bedone. Someduties may be left undone at fome times, but nothingmay be done at any time againfl duty. Affirmative commandsart al- ways: binding,yet they doe not bind alwayes, but Negative com- mands reach both. As the duties of them are ever inforce,fo they ever force us to duty. Secondly, Note ; Though a gorily man be in apölibility tofin everymoment, and cannot butfin while be is rn this world, yet be may folemnely ingage himfelfe by vowand oatb,not,only to takeheedoffin in generali, ha alfo that be will not, wilfullyor knowingly, rein into thisor that particular fin. Not to fin at all is thecommand of sod,but no man can proä wife, much lette cake an oath or make a vow, that he will not fin at all ; we mull vow to do or nor to doe more than( according to the general! tenour of the Covenant of Grace ) (Sod bath pro- mifed us an ability to doe or not doe. We may fay,:that eve will depart _from all iniquity , and chat we will notwickedly depart from 1!n E.tcpoPritin Mori 'ibe.13btk of , os. -Yotf.',
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=