Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

Chap. 3 i. An E.xpo/ition "pox the Book, of J ß a. Verf.33. 7o 7 teach met thy Statutes : and as hee prayed earneftly againft lying, fo he as earneftly datefted it (v. x63. ) Ihave and abhorra lying, but thy Law doe hove. Andhe tells us how he was affecged or afflided rather with that fin, whatfeever it was which was boo iniquity (Pfal: 31. i o.) .M3 life isfpent with griefs , and my yearn., withRising : my fi!rength faileth, and my bones are coafu= med ; ( here aredeepe expreffionsofa troubled fpirit) andwhy all this ? l'ee givesus the reafonofit in the fame verte, bccaufe of mine Inigaity;As if he had fayd,there is a bale Corruption which fo haunts and doggs mee, that my life is fpent with griefe,and my yeares with fighing : bee found (it feetnes) his heart running out toTome fin, which yet was fo farre from being a beloved finne0 that it was the breaking ofhis heart, andthe confumption of his bones. But fome will fay, howmay wee diftinguifh a fpeciat fin from a beloved finne ? I anfwer ; Firff, that is a mans beloved fin which bee dayly feeds andnouritheth, which he provides for, and towhich all his other fins are fervants. The beloved fin is that to which all a mans other fins doe minifter, they attend upon that fin, and all that he doth runs into it. The Pharifees had their beloved fin, and that was vaine glory, they loved to be highly efteemed and cryed tip in the world. Chrift takingnotice of that generation, tells es that what ever theydid had a refped to the feeding of their vaine glory, or defire of being uppermoft in the world, ( Math: 6. 2. ) they gave aimes and teemed to bevery charita- ble in feeding the poore, but the truth was, they only fed their owne pride and vaine glory, therefore they founded a trumpet that they might have praife ofmen; they did not give alines fo much to releeve poore men, as to get applaufe among rich men, or all men. And when they prayed (v. 5.) they did it that they might be feene of men, their very prayers alto were the nourifh_ ment of their vaine glory :yea they fed that luft when they fail- ed ; For ( faith Chrift, v. le. ) when they fat they diffigure their faces (that is theynfe artificial devices to make their faces ap peare as it were in another forme, they looked fowre;and why?) That they may appeare to rien to faft. Their very abftinence from food fed their fleth : yea Chrift concludes concerning the whole courfe ofthole Pharifees ( .ñgath: 23. g. ) cßll their works they Xxx%z doe

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=