Ob/trv. I· . The Points are thefe : 1. !hilt an cxcellen.t way t~ difc.over our deceitful Je11ling ~ith God, u to pHt tbe cafe tn a fenjible m{lance; or to parallel it 'With oltr DWN dealings one with •mother. You will not count words li.. .berality, neither will God count pretences Faith : This is the Rea– fan of Parables; Matter~ between God and us are fiated by iniJ;an. ces oi like mattes:s ~tweenman and man. The judgment bath bet\ ·view of things waen they are carryed in a third perf9n, and is not fo blinded and perverted as in our own cafe. David could determine, 2 Sam. 12. The man that doth thu foal/ dye the death: If · the cafe had been reprefc:nted in a down-right reproof, no doubt he would have been more favorable. Again, by this means they are made more plain and fenfible ; for heavenly things, being repre– fented in an earthly form,come clothed with our own notions: We can fee the Sun better in a Ba(on, then in the Firmament ; and in-– terpret Heavens language, when it fpe-akech to us in the dialect of Earth. Well then, ufe this art, put the cafe in a temporal matter : M11.l. 1. 8. Offer it now to the qovernor; Will he be pleafed 'With thee? or will he accept thy perfon? Would men account this fair dealing, towrne withagift fo fickly and imperfect ? So.fometimes fuppofe the cafe your own; Would I be thus dealt withall? Thus Chnfl made the Pharijees to give judgment againfl themfelves, Mat. 21. Thofe that defpifed, abufed, perfecuted the Mdfengers, k,ill~d the Son,faith Chrifl ro them>Wh11t will the Lordof the Vim– .Jarddo With them? £hey anfwer, f'erf.4o,4r. He 'Will mi(eraHz dejlroy them, 11nd let aut hu V£nqari to other men. So will Go({ clo to you, faith Chriil:, Verf. 43· And rhus God appealeth to [ewsupon aParable.,[[a.5+ Judg between me andmypeople. We lli3ll foon fee the irracionaltty vf our inferences in divine matters, when we put che cafe in terms proper to humane affairs; as when . Grace is turned into 'Wanto1wej's, how abfl.ud and illogical is the . confequence, when we infer covnou(nifs of dut; out of the t~lllm• d.rnce ofgr11ce? ~~is as ifyou fhould ray, MyMafier is good,.there– fore I will offend htm, and dtipleafe htm. Thus you may do 10 ma.. . ny cafes, efpecially when .rhe Vvord giveth you the hint of a Meta– phor; onely take heed you do not reafon thus in the matter of be– Jeeving and expeCling mercy from God, left you tlraiten free Grace, which is not difpenfed after the m~~nner of ttnAn, 2. Sam. 7· 19, 9o~ ~!~~~cept ~ ~e~urning profiitu~e~ W~~~ IU_all wJU nor~ ~J, fYIT14
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=