,. . . s t Chap. 3o. An Expofttion upon the Book of Jo) a. Verf, °4, andgrowmore fpirituall in their lives by it. The living will by the death of others; a godly man counts the faddeft difpen rations of God upon his neighbour (in this fence) his profit, and a&wally profits by them. This is a good a bleffed way of profiting, by other mens harmes; it is well for us, ifwe can thus holdthe heavines ofothers aprofit ;but the fpirit of thefe wretches was ofanother ftraine, they lookt upon the Calamity of lob as a gaineor advantage to them, it was the Joy and rejoycing of their hearts, to fee him in heavines. Layboth thefe interpretati- sons together, and theyyceld us this third obfervation. Either tofet forwardandadde to the a f iEtion ofothers, or to de pleafed with their afflitlion, as a matter of advantage to our felves, u thefgne of, or argues a heart defperatey wicked. Nothing is more oppofire to the rules of common humanity then this, how oppofire then is it to the rules of Gofpel Chari. ey ! This overthrowsat once the whole lawof love,which reach- eth us, Firft,that it is our duty to comiferate and pity thole who are affli&ed, and not only fo, but Secondly, toComfort, relieve and fupport them in their afHi&ion,and Thirdly,to help,,deliver, and free them from their affli&ion,yea, Fourthly,to Count their Joffe our lolk, their afi&ion our of ietion, and their forrowes our forrowes. Now for a man to ter forward the affliction ofo- thers, and to hold their heavines a profit, this is a mighty aggra- vation asof the a& ofthat mans fin, fo ófthe finfuilnes ofthat roan s even as tohelp others forward in fin,or to be pleafed with others whenthey fin,is an evidence ofa heart defperatly nought; There is fuch a generation in the world, who helpe fin forward, and are well pleafed to fee others fin. Which was one of the blackeli Chara&ers, ifnot the blackeft Charafter thatwas given oftheGentiles in their darke Conditionof ignorance and unbe- liefe (Rom. I. 32. )who knowing the yudgement of JCod,tbat they who Commit fuck things areworthy ofdeath, not only doe thefame, but have pleafure in them that doe them. The very top (as it were) ofall the wickedneffe which they had donewas this, that they bad pleafuta in fuck as did wickedly ; and fowere not only ac- tors, but fetters on in fin, and promoters ofthe Devils caufe, and worke in the world. Now, I fay, as to fet a man forward in fin, and to be pleafed withhimwhen he is forwarded at it, ergues a vile
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