66o Chap. 3 I. ./dn Expsftion tapon tke Booká of J o a. Verf.31. 1TUSaF1cV propitiatAYikln. tkxcptcç prepttiatie. Secondly Sin is covered as by the free favour and mercy of God, fo by the righteoufrtffe of Jefus Chrift ; God covers finne froni his juitice,yet hewill fuller coo dammage in poynt of juftice ;. though he átop the proceedings of jute ce, he loofah nothing by it , becau le as fin is coveredby his ovine mercy, fo by the merito- rious obedience ofChrift, which gives full farisfaetion to all the demands of ¡orrice. The mercyfeat or propitiatory ( which was an illuftuious type of Chrift) covered the Arke in which the Law was kept (Ex.d. 25. 20, 17, ) This mercy feat was ofthe fame length and breadth with the Arke, ALA Mores was commanded to put the mercy feat upon the Arke, implying that all our tranf- grefiions of the law ofGod, are "covered by the righteoufnef e of jefus Chrift, who is both our propitiatory (lt m. 3. 25. ) and our propitiation (z Yoh. 2. z. ) that is, who by the facrificeof bimfelfe hath made our atonement or agreement with God,, which was figured by the propitiatory or mercy fcat,covering all thole rranfgrtffions which we were any way chargeable with by the Law. Thirdly Sins are coveredas by the mercy of God, and the righteoufneffeofChrift,fo by thecharity ofman. Thus anygod. ly man may and ought tocover the finofhis brother (r ¶Pet. 4. 8.) Above all things have perfeEt charity amongyour (elves ; for charity!hall cover the multitudeoffinnes.True charity hath a gar- ment long and large enough tocover many, yea a multitude of fins. Charity cannot cover our own firs as to the jollification of our perlons before God, 'cis agarment too thin and too narrow for that porpofe, nor was it ever cut out & appoynted by God to tech a ule ; but charity fhould and may cover the fins ofOthers, as to the prefervationoftheir credit among men, and the main- taining ofour peace andcorrefpondence with them. 'Fis dange- rous as wel as unwarrantable to cover the fine es of others by fj:attery (fuch a covering of fin is not only an encouragement to- fin, but may prove the utter undoingof the Greer) but co cover a fin by charity, that is, while we are admonifhing or wifely re- proving our brother our (elves, toconceaie it from others,or not to publifh and blaze it abroad to his flume, or the provocation ofpafiion in him, isa great piece ofChriftian duty, and may be a meanes ofrecovering him from the power and praraice of his Sin. Thus Se/amen faith (Pro. ao. z z.) Hatred4irreth up #rife, ho
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