8$ TheTignitieoftheScripture. Tonnes of men whole breath is in their nofthrils, not weighing this vn-vtterable kindnes, Moulddare to fetat noughtfuëh a mefl'age, and tolet itflip asWit were fomeidlefiuffe, norworththe lookingon ? Againe , whereas it is often touched in the Scripture,that theLord had a fpeciall regardoucrthe Icwi(lr natîon,more then to anyother vnder heauen;the liberty ofenioying ofthe lawofGod, is no- ted astheprincipalbenefitwhich the Lord voechfafed them: what rnstisnis there fogrear(faìth Mores) that bathordinances andleyes f righteous,as all the lawWhich d Dee .í.!. 1fetbeforeyosthis day 4 ? And David in the Frames basingfpoken at large tou- ching the providence ofGod ouerall mankind, commetti at lafi toPhewwhere- in the levees had thepre-eminence aboueall other, in there words ; he'hewedbis word onto Iacob,hisfäatutes irdgemea:s ento Ifrael,hebarbnor dealt fo with eaery ePGl.147.59 netiún =. And Saint Tan/ propounding tohimfclfe this quefion, whet is thetithe O. preferment oftheJew ?anfwereth it thus , Chiefly,becaufevntsthem waecomtnitted t.°.om.; r,a, the Oraclesof God t., So then , teeingamong all theblefsiogs that Godbellowed vponthem , this was the choice, that thegreat things ofthe Law were commit- ted veto them , it mull needs be anargumentofextreme vnehankfulnesin them tomakefo flight account of fogreat a farmer. The third esill of which this cullihere reprooned in them, wascompounded, was, negleft oftheir owneprivategood. For the Lord bath not commended to them, the things of the law,fimplyamean by which they might (hew their o- bedience veto his authority , but the intentof the Lordthereinwasthe furthe raneeof their good. ¡game them(faithGod)ffatutesandorùinanees ,Wbichifaman g Ezec,to.t r doe, heated huein the e. The glory fhould haue returned toGodby their obe- dience, but the cheife profite ()ouldhauebeene their owne: apd therefore for them to let the law lie, like tome oldebookeout ofvfe,or fomeother forlorneor forren matter, it could not arguea thoftmiferable negleâ , and bewray them tobee men ofa moll ptofaneand diffólute difpofrtion. So thenifyoudernanc what great matter this was, for whiclithispeoplewasfo highly blamed in there words, they honeaccounted the great thingsofteeLowe asa frags thing? I anfwer, it was an error comprifing.vnder it three,foule evils , firfk,rebellious difobedience toGodsexprelfe commandement ;fecondly , prefumptuous contempt and bale eftimation of Gods greatkindne(re;thirdly,thedefperateneglettofthefaluati - onoftheirowneroules. This is the fecondpoist. Nowfor the third. Which is, touching .the puni(hment due to this fault: ifwee haue obferued what bath beene laid before touching the natureof the finne, weecannot doubt, eyther thatit deferuesa punilbment,or thatthe Lord will Purely proceed against it in hisdue time : but yetifwe (hall confider what theScripturefaith ofit inpar. titular, it will much more afrett vs. Thus much thereforewe may generally vn- derltand,that the Lord punifhethno finnemore gricuonfly, then the control-, ping of his word ; and thereofwe hose nomore full and pregnantexample then this Iewilh nation. For whereas ;fundry times before thecommingofChriftin the flefhi the wrathofGod camevpon them, that thelodgements whet with they were visited, madeeuentheir caresto tinglethat heard them, and brought that verypeople , whom he hadcarried(as it were) in hisarmes out ofEgypt, tobe- come a hifsing and aby-word tothe whole world;whofoeuer obferuesthecourt oftheProphets, final] linde that the principali-groundofall this,was theirflight account oftheholy dofltrine ofGod,their prefcrrisg the isuenrionsofmes, the guifesofother nations, and the traditions oftheir fathers,beforethebleffed will oftheLord,manifelledand revealedto them inhis law. But left we ibould thinke this is nothingtons(though indeede it was left writtento admonifh vs)concer- ning this matter there are twoplaces ofholy Scriptureefpccially to be confide. red, and they are both in the bookeofthe Prouerbs, the one is, Hee that turneth bC}tap. aÉ, d, away his tarefrom hearing theLaw, exert hi prayerPoll beabhominble h t marke I pray you a there is noduty intheholy Scripture, to which the Lordhashpro- mired
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