ttpon the Epifllt of JAM ! s. VEttS.I. ··a1ent -and Mafierthip. ·. Therefore I_ thaU enquire; t. wh~rt ref}efl of perfo~JiJjinful. 2 • The pilrticular abufe, ,Which the .Apo.ftle t{fXeth 11nd noteth in this expre.f!ion. ·. Firfi, wht~t , rerpea of ptrjons is finful. There is,an holy and warrantable refped of pe.rfons either byGodor men: 1. By God; He is faid to f1Ccept the faces of his people, Gene[. 19. 21. N As– e HAT 1 PAN Ji c HA, fo ~ds in the Hebrew; and .fo elfewhere God is often faid to re.fJnEl their perfons; th('jr perfom firft, and then their ferviccs. 2. By me11, when we prefer others out -of _a due caufe, their age, calling, gifts, gracu : yea,'•tis lawful to•ptit a tefped: upon them> becaufeof that outward glo.ry and ex-cellency wherewith God haeh furnithed them t There is a refpetl proper :and due to their pt·rfons, though not fo much for their own Jak....et, a:; for the bounty of God to them; as they that bowed btfore the :t\fs th:rtcarryed about the Rites tlf ljis, Nov tibi, fe.d Religioni, did obeyfance to the Religirm, not the beaft• . But thenthue is a vicious refpeet of perwns, when the Judg– mant is blinded by fome excernal glory and appearance, fo that we cannot difcern truth or right; and a caufe is over-ballanced by fuchforreign circum(fances as have no affinity with -it: Thus ~ds faid, Levit. 19. I 5'. Thot4 /hal-t not refJ)(:Cl the perfon of the pQor, nor honur the mighty; but in righteoufnefs {halt tbou judg thy m#ghbor: Neither fwayed with foolijb pity, on ·the one hand ; nor with refpetl: to might, power,friendfhip,gre-atnefs, on the o– ther: as ufually rho re· are the tWoprejudices againil: the ·execut(on of Ju.fiice; either carna./ pety faith 5 He i:s a pdor man; or elfe car– nal fear faith, He u a great man ; and fo tbe out»ard accidents cf life are rather valued then the merits of the caufe. So Deut. I. 17. Thoujb~tlt net refjell perfom in judgmen-t, but hear the[mall IU . 'WelliUgreat. · , · , Secondly, What is this particular offence :whi<;h the Apofile call– eth; T;he having'thr:faitbof Chrift in r-ef}elt ·(lfperjtms, which w.a,s the fin of tho{e times? I ~nfwer: 1. In the general; Their ha~ing too great a~a.re of. ~he(e d!Her~ncc-s .~nd outward regax:ds in thetr Church-admmtllrattons, both m thetr Worfoip,and Cf/Hrts, and ~enfor'.es, as we fhall iliew in the ne!'.t ·verfe. In the things df God., all are equal; rich and po0r fiand upen the fame level ·and termsof advantage: oor Sa.lv.ation is called: ·tt iommon S11/vt~tion, [ude
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