692 Chap. 3 t. ein .Expáfition upon the Book! of J O B. Vert.; 3. quit us from fervingone another in our lawful! callings ; And therefore for any man to fay, his calling makes him fin, eyther by ding what he ought not, or byneg'eding what he ought, is to caft his finupon God, and toblame Gods ordinance with his owne difobedience. Fifthly , Some complaine oftheir poverty, or ofthe ftreights into which the providence of Godbath raft them, as the caule of their fin, of their ftealing or murmuring and difcontent. There alto rife up againft God and lay the dirt of their filthy hearts and wayes at the gates of heaven. For though there be indeeda great temptation in fuch a ftraitned and afïli&ed condition ( as both Agurs prayer, Pro: 30. 8, 9. and the experiences of many have taught us) yet it doth not at all neceflìtate any man to fin ; and filch a condition is appoynted us as an occa;on for the tryall of our patience, and dependance uponGod in the exercife ofall other graces, not to fet our corruptions aworke, or toex- cufe us when we are overcome by them. Thus we fee, that thoughmolt forbeare to fpeake this broadly andopenly, that God is thecaufe of their fin, yet they doe it by inferences, as Adam did, the womanwhich thou gaveff to be with rue (fayd he) was the meaaes ofmy fall ; and,fay they,ifwe had been borne under a better planet, if wehad lived in better times and places, or had not been brought into a lowcondition,where- in we knew not what to doe, we had never done thus. Oh learnt to accule the nanghtinefle and corruption that is in your hearts, as the fountaine of all your finful! tidings ; for kuow, it is not any ttarre, it is neyther time, nor place, nor calling, but the wick- edneffe of your owne hearts, which hath led you into fin, and endone you. There is yet a third head of excufe, bywhich that firft tranf- greflion ofAdamwas intended to be covered ; And I may call it The woman a covering ; For, when the Lord lawwhat fad fhifts the man had made tocover his fin, in Read ofconfeffing it ; then he put the Qeftion to the woman alto in the 13 th verfè; e/Inet the Lord God ¡aid to the woman, what it this that thou hagdone P and the woman laid, the Serpent beguiledme, andIdid eat. Here is nodenial( of the fats, the woman confeft Thee had eaten the forbidden fruit, but the Serpent beguiled me ( laid (hee) alas, ifI had been let alone I fhould not have eaten, but there was a cun- ning
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