Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v8

Chap. 29. an Expofition upon the Book of Jo B. Verf. i 5. 539 a tongue to judge and determine righteoufly for the dumb, that is, for them who cannot fpeak for themfelves. To doe all this, and tobe all thefe helpes to the people, is not only the duty and the burden, but the dignity and honour of the magiflrate. What fhall we fay,when we fee Magifirates,in(lead of being eyes to the blind, pulling out the eyes of thofe that fee ; inflead of being feet to the ate laming thofe that have feet ; and infiead of being tongues to the dumbwho cannot fpeak, making More who would fpeak dumb and tongue-lefs. As thereare merciful and releiving, fo there are cruel andopprefsing Magifirates. Fourthly, Obferve; Everyman ù that good which be loth to,andproerereth for ano- ther". He that feeds the hung/ y is their bread ; and he that cloaths the naked is their garment. He that guides the blind,is their eye; and he that_fpeakes for the dumb is their tongue. The Lord Jefus Chrifi, who procureth falvatioo, is called falvatian'to the ends of the earth (Ifa.49.6.) And indeed Jefus Chri(i is all this and more then this in the text. Chrifi was eminently all this,both literally andmythically (cMath.r r.y.) Go (faith he, to the MefTengers of Sohn) and tell him, The blind receive theirfight, the lame walk, the Leapers are cleanfed, the deafhear (thus he was healing to the difeafed) and (which is more, he was life to the dead) the dead are railed up : He was all this to them in a properfence : And he was all this in a mylical fence. Ir had been but a wall matter, comparatively, to have been eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, to have cured bodilyblindnefs, and lamenefs; if he had not done more;ifhe had not been an eye of underfianding to the ignorant; and a foot of power to the weak;if he had not cleanfed leprous foules, and opened an ear in deaf hearts, as he did in the heart of Lydia to receive the word of life. Thefe fpiritual cures are the noblefi cures : And thefe were long before prophefied (Ifa. 35. 5,6.) Then the eyes ofthe blind (hallbe opened (that is, they fhailperceive and underfiand the myfiery of Codlinets, and the mercyof God revealed in the Gofpel) and the ears of the death anflopped (that is, they (hall obedientially hearken to the minds of God delivered by his Meltengers) Then fhall the lame man leap as an Hart (that is, he (hall walk ftrongly, contiantly, Z z z 2 cheat-

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