Chap. 31. An expofltion upon the Boos, of Jo B. Verf. 5. whom is no fin, makes hafte withhis feete. Why then faith So- lomon, He that bafteth with his fette finsetb ? I anfwer, He leaves it indefinitely with refpea to man, because men are molt apt to make hafte about that which is finfull. Weehaveboth the tide ofcorruption and the wind of temptation carrying us orme fo Wily ro fin, that we fcarcely, no nor at all, but by grace, hafte with our feete to any thing but to fin. Or we may expound there latter words ofthe verfe by the former, That thefoule be with- out knowledge isnot good; but he that haffetb with his foot fn>ietb. Solomon condemnes only an ignorant rafhnes, or a rafh igno- rance. Aman who makes fuch hafte in a bufneffe that he will not Rand to examine whether it be right or wrong, nor take time to informe himfelfe whether his way be good or evils the man, I fay, who maketh fuch hafte with his feete, can hardy hit upon any thing but fin, and fo makes a great deale more hatte then good fpeed. So that, when Solomon faith, He that bafleth with hisfeetefinnetb, his meaning eyther is, that they who a& haftily, are in extreame danger to a& finfully,or that man makes fo little hafte toany thing but to fin, that when foever he makes hafte,we may fufpe& itis to fin. His hafte and fpeed that way are teftified by many Scriptures. Theirfeete run to evili ( faith the Prophet, ¡fa 59 7. ) andmake hafte to fhedblood. And the A- poftle from the Pfalone ( Rom. 3. 15. y Their feete are fwift to flied blood. We fee few haftning rigbteoeofnefe (as it was prophe- cyed Christ fhould, Ifa. is. 5.) But we fee too many haftnirg unrigbteoufneffe, that is, making hafte to doeunrighteoufly. As a godly manbath a bent and forwardneffe offpirit to that which is good ; I made hafte ( faith David, Pial. t t9 6o. ) anddelayed not to keepe thy Commandements. So a wicked man hath a bent to doe evil, The tide and ftreame of his Coale lets that way, and therefore he makes hatte to breake the commandements. Both make hafte from the fame commonprinciple, That futablenefe which is between the heart and the werke ; Though aheit'fpeciall chara&erifticall principles, are not only different .but utterly contrary. Why doth a godly man make hafte to-keepe the com- mandements of God ?-'Tis becaufe the commandements and his heart are futable. Grace conformes our will to the will of God, or"tis our conformity to his will. Grace is not only the confor- mity of our actions ( thays a fruit ofgrace) but the conformity of 343
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