292 Life.( .4pparlt¡on, and Mans Di olutlon. The twomain evils which are the branches ofthis root, the Apoftle reproves in the eleventh Verfe. Firft, rail: judging of others, the fault of thofc that arc apt tofpeak evil ofothers ; Speak_not evil one ofanother, faith the Apoftle. That that commonly we call the fin ofDttraéhion, Aquinas faith, we ore guilty of two wayes, either reporting of another that evil we Ihould not, or in not reporting ofhim that good weIhould; inthe one we offend,wlen we do citheraccufe himof that illthat hè is not guilty ofat all, or aggravate againft him that ill that he is guilty of, making it appear greater than it is ; in the other we are guilty, when we do cut off all the good parts in a man, as if they were nothing at all, at leali when we ex tentiate that worth andgoodnefs that is in him, making it appear lefs than it is. From this the Apoftlediffwades us by three Arguments: Firít, becaufe they that do this,they do wrong the Lave: He that/peaks evilofanotherVeal s evil of the Lam ; for the Law vvould have us love. Secondly, they that do this, they do vvrong God, they take Gods office out of his hands, when they take upon them to judge others : for he isthe onlyJudge, andnone elfe ; for he is the only Law giver, that is able to fave us, and todeltroy us. Thirdly and laltly, they vvrong their Brethren, when they cenfure and judge their Brethren beyond their Commiffron, they take upon them more than they have Authority: as if he fhould fay, you exceed your Commiffion in this, you take that upon you, that you have no vvarrant for : Thus againft the rafh judgingofothers. Then againftvain-confidence in our felves, this the Apoftle Itrikes at too : at a confidenceout of vvhich a manprefixeth unto himfelf,vvhat he ;will do this day, and tomorrovv,vvhat hevvill do this year,and the next year ; vvhat be vvill buy,and fell, and gain. Go to now ( faith the Apoftle ) you thatfay thus among your felves, to morrowyou will go tofilchaCity, and tarry there ayear, andbuy andfell, and get gain : This is a foolith confidence, and the Apoftle endeavoursto reprove, and fupprefs it. Ohf. I. By vvay ofCorre&ion. Dire&ion. His Corre&ion is drawn, firlt from the ignorance of the perlons that make fach accounts as thefe : you fay you vvill do thus and thus to morrovv, you Ihevv your ignorance ; you knownot whatjhall be to morrow. Secondly, by the uncertainty of the thing they reckon upon, than vvhich nothing is more uncertain, nothing fee uncertain as that is, therefore it is not to be reckned upon : Confider, (faith the Apoftle) what is your life : you talk ofdoing this and that to morrovv : What it your life I it is even a vapour that appeareth for afittle while, and then vanifhetb away. His dikiingArgument is in the next verfe,vvherehe teachethus hovvvve fhould fpeak of things future, and things prefent. Ofthings ttiture,not to fpeak tooperemtorily ofthem, but vvith condition, If we live, and ifGod will. And then for things prefent, not to rejoyce boaftingly in them, for thereú nothing here to be boafiedof, or rejoyced in. Tue thing that 1 have lèle &ed for this prefent time andoccafionto dilcourfe upon, is only that argument of the A poftle, vvherein the ilsortncfs and uncertainty ofour life isreprefentcd : the Apoftlelets it forthto us by vvay ofQueftion,andAnfvvere Firft, he puts the Qeftion, what is your life ? as ifhe Ihould fay, it is a thing not vvorthy the reckoningof Build uponnothing tobedone to morrovv,upon to vain a foundation as that is : and to 'Chevy the uncertaintyofour life, he comparatively defcribes.it, and lets it forth, he faith, It is fibre a vapour that appearoth fir hide while, andvanifheth away. According to the method that theApoftlehath laiddown, fo (hall myDifcoucfe go on ; and firlt Twill fay fomething ofthe queftion he layeth down: And thenT will fay fomethingof the words of theText. Firft, to let us fee what a pooruncertain thing we truft to,wheri we build upon life, the Apoftle throws out this gaeftion, Your life, (faith he) What ieyour life? Jieré
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