668 Chap. 3 r. An Expelítion upon the Booke, of Jo a. Verf.33. or leaf' of it,a low hellifh thing,a thing as low as he! ; yet finners rife up to heaven in high and proud thoughts of themfelves ; and therefore they will hide their fin if they can, and when they have done any fouleworke, cover it. The kerning profits and vaine pleafures offin, they like wel, but they are coo proud to love the fharneand difgrace that ufually attends ir. As finbath that in the effteas of it which may cause a flout man to tremble, fo it bath that in the nature of it which may caufe an impudent man to blurb. It is a blot a reproach andadifhonour ; lt debafeth man in the eye and opinionof all godly wifeand holy men. And the more wife, holy, and godly any man is, the more are finners de. baled in his eye. That's one pa, t of his charader that (hail abide in the tabernable, and dv.rel in the holy hil'of God (P/a/.15,4 .11 kid eyes a vile ( not a poore but a wicked) perfon td contemned. And hence it is, that a wicked ptxibn will hide his fin as much as he can ; He likes his fin wel enough, but he likes not the con- tempt and flume that it expofeth himunto. He hath (orne care ofhis credit, though noneofhis confcience ; and would preferve his owoe honour, while he difhonoureth God. And therefore had rather run the hazzard of being covered with everlafting Shame by covering his fin, then take any prefent fhame to him- Idle hysonfeffing it. Secondly, This coveringof fin arifeth from want of faith ; He that cannot believe his fin fhall be covered byGod, will co- ver it binVelfe. True confeffion proceeds from faith, and is one of the bleffed fruits of it, He that faith he bath finned, and knöWes what he fall), fees wrath due to fin, and himfelfe ob. noxious to eternal death ; unbeliefe as to pardon caufethfeare of punifirment : and no marvaile if an unbeliever labour to hide that, which he fees will be his death. The unbeliever will never be a confeffor,eyther ofGods truth or ofhis own fin. Shame and feare caufemen to hide both their fins and themfelves; flame bids the proud man cover his fin, and feare the unbeleever. Or pride at once bids the fame man cover his fin for feare offbame , and unbeliefe bids him cover it for feare ofpunifitment. Secondly, When ?ob faith, 1f! have coveredmy tranfgreffi- J:11 ad Adam ; be intimates that Adam framed covers for his fin, or that it is the manner ofmen todoe fo. Hence obbtve. Tka
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