Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

Chap. 3 t. An Bxpoftion upon tbs Book of J 0 a. Vern 4. 331 I confcnt to doe this great wickedneffe, I can no more keepeout of the fight of God whileI doe it, then I can keepe to the rule or law of God while I doe it ; As therefore I hate to doe it in the latter re1peet, fo I am afraid todoe it in the former refpeft. The Apoftle exhorts fervants to obey their MR(iersaccording to thefelt, ( that is, their earthly Mafters) in all things, not with eyefervice ae men- pleafers, but in ftnglenes of heart, fearing God. To ferve men meerely becaufe or while th.°ir eye is upon us, proues us fuck as would pleafe men in our fervice, though the fer- vice offuck is indeed pleafing tono man who knowes or findes it to be fuch. And furely to ferve God in doing good or avoyding evil!,meerely becaufe he feeth us, or hath his eye upon us,is inch a piece ofeye- fervice as renders our perlons not onlyunpleafing but odious to God, howmuch foever the fervice we doe is in its owne nature pleafing tohim. And ifGod forbiddeth us to ferve one another with eye- fervice, then much more dot') he forbid us to ferve himfelfe fo. Nevertheleffe,though all eye- fervice be un- acceptable toGod, yet he accepts it wel that we fhnuid fet him alwayes before our eyes, doing every good ehieg as inhis fight, and forbearing to doe any evil' becaufe we are in his fight. A godly man abftaines from doing evil' not onlybecaufe he believes God kerbwhat hedoth, butbecaufe he hates it ; A wicked man doth theevill which himfelfe loves, becaufe he hopes God feeth him rot in doing it, or that he can hide from himwhat he hath done. That whichAdulterers do molt harden themfelves by.is,that as they are lure tin man fees them , fo they prefume God fees them not. And we may conceave that ?ob addes this as a reafon which kept his heart in empire, with fpeciall reference to that fin, which himfelfe bad difclain:,ed in the firft verle, becaufe uncleane perfons ufualiy flatter themfelves into this fallehope, that God doth not fee them in their darke retirements while they commit that fin. V u 2 j 31.

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