Y 676. Chap. 31. An ExpeftttOn upon the Rook! of J o B. Vert.; 3. and let that beare the blame , which deferves it. As fome make excufes when they fhould cyther doe or receavegood : when the great offer ofgrace by thrift is made in the Golp,el, molt'excufe themfelves from receaving it ; The parable of the Supper ( Luke 34. 18. ) Thews that plainely ; eslnd they all with one confent be- gan to make excufe: the fr ftfayd I have bought a piece cfground and 1 muff reeds foe andfee it , Ipray thee have ere excufed, &c. They did not rudely and uncivilly deny tocome, but their bu1ì. ntfs would not permit them , they had o:her occafions at that tune, they werenot at leafwe to looke after fuch poore things as fouie-taatters.Now as many plead excufes for their not receaving that which is good, fo others plead excufes for the evill which they have done ; and will needs lay the Marna force where elfe. This was the covering which Adam our fitti parent made for his fin ; whenGod called him to queûioñ about eating the forbid. den fruit,he did not deny ir, he did not goeabout to jufi fie him- felfe in it, he did not fo much as extenuate or lefCen it; all that he did,was this, he excufed hirnfelfe about it ;It was a great fin, but hewas not fo rntvch in fault as the woman;TkJ woman which thou gaveft to be with me, Ate gave me of the tree, andI did eat. And when the Lord dealt with the womanand call'd her toaccount what fay you woman ? fhee did not deny ir, but Thre had h:erex- cule too, flee hoped to cafe and unburden her felfe of the fault, it fhouuld not Rieke upon her, nor ly at her doors, The had this to plead for her Idle, Me Serpent beguiledme, and I dideat. I did not tranfgreffe ofmy own accord, nor was this a finof my feek- ing. If the Serpent had`not coufeo'd me, I might have been long enough before I had medled with or toucht the forbidden fruit. Neyther Adam nor the woman denyed what theyhad done; but both ofthem thought they were verypardonable in doing it. Both made a confer on ofthe fault, yet theirs was a faulty con- fetlion, They covered their &n while they did acknowledge it, and hid it in their bofomes while they held it out upon their tangués. Thus did Adam the firft man, and thus doe the Eons of Adam dayly cover their fins. And I Thal! (on this occafion) yet a litle further open the fubtleryofAdam the firft man and of all men naturally defcending from him, in covering their tranfgref= lions; for as much as yobdoth fo exprellely difavow the imitati- on cf eyther in covering his,while his purpofe was boldly toal- fitme, that he bad not covered them at all. Nor .
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