Chap. 3 t. . fin Expoftion upon the Booke of J o a. Vert. 33. 669 Thefinfull heart ofmanfuggefis andfinds out many mayes to cover fin. As manhath a mind to hide his fin fo he is dayly imagining how to hide it. Mans natural' corruption bath not (hewed it feite more pregnant or fruitful' in any thing then in this.(Eccl.7. ag.) Gedbath made man upright (or right, God is rightneffe it (clfé, and as heextendeth himfelfe into his workes, they are all right, man efpecialiy had the imageof Gods rightnes ftampt up- on him in his firft creation ) but they ( not only the firft, or this or that man, but all men ) haveflugvt out many inventions ; and . thofe bad ones, very bad ones. I here are many honed inventi- ons refpectingufefull arts and fcìences,which man bath found out by thecommon light whichGod bath given ; But here So.,mon fpeaks of inventions oppofed to uprightnes;and what are they but evil) inventions? And this is one ofmans worft inventions to hide that which is evil) and to make blinds for the covering of his fin. He hath been molt unhappily witty in thefe inventions. Mans trade fir-ice the fall ofAdam , is like that of Adam ; Gvñat was his ? Mofes tells us ofmans. Ell invention to hidehis bodily nakedneffe ( Gen. 3.7.) The eyes of them flesh wereopen'd , and they knew that they were nailed, and they fewed fig-leaves together, and made themfelves aprons. Before they finned they were cloa- thed with the robe of innocency, but when they had finned they cloathed themfelves with fig- leaves. A title after he tells us of mans fecond invention ( uponwhich I (hall infift further hereaf- ter) to cover the nakednes of his foule.And ever fince it bath bin mans moft natural trade to make fig- leafecoverings,poore fhifts and fhaddews to hide his foulenakednefïe from the eyes ofmen,, and ifit were poffible from the eyes of God too. Wee read in Scripture of tome very witty inventions whichwomen have ufed to cover and hide their purpofes. I will inftance in three, which are veryretnarkeable. Firft, was not that a witty invention of Rachel, who having taken awayher fathers images, hid them in the Camels furniture ? (Gen. 3 t . ; 4.) And the holy ftory tells us, how her wit wrought to keepe the Camels furniture from being fearcht, when her father came into her tent. The fecond inflance (hall be that of Bahak,who to hide the Spies carried them up and covered them with flax (talks on the roof of the houle ( le/h. z. 6,. )
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=