upon the Epi{Ue of J A M B s. VliR.S.It. 493 . cafe; ·The Law forbiddeth rafh jndgmeor, and fpeaking evil one of another, buc the Dc>craelor approve rh that which che Law con– demneth, and fo in effed juclgeth the Law to be not good or equal. From hence obferve, 'That fin uajudging of the Lt~w. 'Tis faid to Obflrvat. David, , ,Sam.. I 2·9· wherefore haft thoude.fpi[ed the Command-. me)'lt ofthe. Lord, to do evil in hisjight ? In the rage of his lufi Da-.. vid looked upon it as a flight Law. Obferve it when you will, you wilt find that in finning there are fame implicite evil thoughts by which the Law ofGod is.difvalued and ~ifapproved; we chink it unworthy, hard,or envious, or unequal. Thofe wretches fpeak out that which is the filenr language of every finful action; Ez.elz.I8. 2)· The Ways ofthe Lordarc not eq~al, theWays of the Lord are not equal. The heart ofman is by nature obfiinacely and vehement,.. . -ly fee upon lufi, revenge, cenfuring ; therefore in all thefe cafes we . are mofi apt to think the Law of Godl.hard, and iJ;~ jttrious eo theli.,. ' bertyof m~n, ar,Jd that God hath de~lc enviouOy with our· natures . to deny them the pleafures which we fo firo~gly puriur:".' This was ·the Devils firfi in!inuation ag\linfi God, he feeketh to work d dam. i_qto hard thoughts of Gods refhnint; . qm. 3·5. God /z14oweth , tha t • in the.day peat thereof, your eyes foal! be opened.. And Hill 'cis Satans great pplicy to reprefent God as an hard.Task-mafie r 1 and to make us think evil ofthe Law: Therefore Paul feeketh to pre– vent fuch thoughts, when the Law checked his lufis and brought f)an into a fenfe of inevitable mifery;Rom.7.U.Thc Zaw is holy,and the (o_mmandmmt juft andgood: but \V.u that good Which 'cau[td . dcat.h to hjm? Yes, (aith he, I look upon it fiill as a Rule ofRight; " / 'tu I am~a.r.nal,mJ-hcar:t u 'Wick_td,&c. Well then, you fee how , to make fin odious.; 'cis a de.rpiji.ng of t.he Ltlw, a[peakjng evil of the Law, itjlit_hteth that Rule which it violateth. Secondly, Thus.: .They were wont in that Age to condemn one,, another for things indifferenc,meerly upon thetr own will and fen [e, . without any warrant and fentence.from the Word, as .you may fee . Rom. 1 4• Now this was a kind ofcondemning of the Law, as if it were not full and.exact enough,.but needed .to be pieced upbymans . Infl:itutions. Obferv~, That to mak,: mNre fins then God hath ob{crvru; , made, is,t61 judg the Law. You imply it to be an imperfect: Rule: . . Men will be wifebeyond God, and bind .others· in chains of their , ownmaking. ~Tis true, there is an obedience off~tith,by.which the ~. unde~fia~~ing ,~~ Q~ ~a.ptivated, to G~d~ but ~p; to men; to the, · ~ -~ r 3 , - · Word... £
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=