Owen - BS2775 O8 1668

74. Compared Iritb that of the 73manis, it was not fo forely revenged, as we plead it to have been. Ark an Heretick ( a Chriftian ) faith Lipman in his Nizzacbon, how it can enter into their hearts to thinkthat God fhould ufe fò great feverity againJi the Sinof Adam, that heJhould hold him boundfir fo (mall amatter, namely, for the eatingofan Apple, that he fbouid deejb oy him in this world, and that to come, and that not him only but all bis Pofferity. But the blind Pharifee difputes not fomuch againft us as againa God himfelf. Who was it that denounced death in cafe he fo tranlgreffed? Who was it that pronounced himmiferabl, and the world accurfed on the account thereof? Are we to blame if the Jews are not plelfed with the waycs ofGod ? Betides although to eat anApple be in its felfbut a fmall thing, yet to difobey the command of the great God, is no filch fmall matter as theJew fûppofeth; etpecially that command which fit boundaries unto that excellent condition, wherein Adam in the right of all his Pofterity was placed. But thefe Exceptions owe their Original unto a difcovery of the Tendency of thatTruth, which otherwifeas we have (hewed they areconvincedof; and which we have fufficientlyclearedfrom theScripture. 4. Io. The fecond confequent of the fittt fin of man, is the .Moral! corruption of Nature, the fpring ofall that evil of affuál fn that is in the world. And herein we have a M finll confent from the. Jews, delivered after their manner,both in the Targums,Tilmudde, and private Writings of their principal Matters. For an Evil Concupifcencc in the heart of man from his very conception they generally acknowledge. The name they give unto it, is Inn 1Y+ figmentum malting ; the evil figment of the Heart ; properly enough, from Gen. 6. v.5. And Godlaw that thewickechid; ofman was great in the earth ; t]lt rr 7 In pm Sao rattrT 1Y+ t;71, and chat the whole figment of the thoughts , or computation of his heart was only evil, every day. Hence have they taken their 71;1 1Y ; amore proper nu-hell-Ian that ufed by Chrifti- an Divines of Originate Peccatum. And it is a ludicrous ignorance in fome of the late Rabbins, who profefs themfelves to deny Original Sin, as loth the Author of the ueftions and Objeéfions, publifhed by Brenius, cud others of them, and yet in the mean time grant this Evil figment in'all mankind, whichwas not in Adam in his inno- cency. And hereunto they oppofe thkt 11171 that Good Concupifience, which they fancy to come on every one at the Age of thirteenyears, whenhe becomes Filius Pro- ceptì, or liable unto the commands ofGod. The Targumitls terin, it in the Chaldee Tongue, fttu+1 lily+ to the fame Purpofe. And it is mentioned by them, Pfal.r 3.g. That NtU+1 tilt ,, the Evilfigment fly not have ruled over him; iuftead of the Enemy; for it is the chief enemy of men. Twice alfo it is mentioned in the Tgrgunz of Pfklm 5o. v. 14. itt n ti1Y+ ID111 refrain the Evil figment, and it!hall be accounted bofnre God at a Sacrifice. Doubtlefs none more acceptable; and to the fame purpofe the words are alfo v. 23. And in Pflilm 91. 12. that thy footjlurnble not at the evilfigment which is like a /lone. That is, that it feduce thee not, that it caufe thee not to offend, to fumble and fall into fin. See James 1. 14. And Pfalm 119. v. '70. they call it abfo- lutely 1'ti tilt+ thefigment, or evil fumes, of the heart. ¡,rt 111 1ilY+ aìrl -roi tAzzsz ; the figment rf their heart is made thick or hard as with fatneff; an expreflion not un- ufual in the Scripture to fen out impenitency and fecurity in finning : Ifa.6. io. Arvid in Ifa. 6z. V. to. they mention tioYr orn i, the thought of lull, or of the figment; which is that conceivingof it, mentioned by James, Chap. t. s4.. For irr t is thé inward evil thoughts of the heart, or the firfi motion of tin. Moreover they do not. unfitly defcribe it by other property ; as Ecelef. 9. 1q, titD + +1 ti ìY+ al 17104 `Trium; The evil figment or concupifcence which is like unto a great King; namely becaufe of its power; on which account in the New Teltament it is faid Baerad;HV, to raign as a King, becaufe of the fubjeétionuntoit, w váu gsev0c/u,i, in the Lullsor Concupifcence ofthe heart, Rom. G. tz. and xvtrEcrv, or to have Dominion v.14. which is to the fame purpofe with that of theTargumiill; evil conciapìfcence is like a great King. And this Teftimony we have givenunto this Moral corruption ofnature in the Targums, the molt antient Records of the- Judaical Apprehenfrons about thefe things, that arenow extant, or have been fofor manyAges. TheTalmudiftshave expreiTed the fame thoughts about this inbred and indwelling fin; and to fee forth their conceptionsabout it, they have given it feveral names not unfuited unto thofe defcriptions of it, which are given its by the Holy Gholl in the NewTeftament. As, Firfl, They call it 1r, that is, malrmEvil ; a Naine as they fay given by God him- felf; Gen. S. 21. Hence is that Obfcrvation of R.Mofe:Haddarfhan, from R. Jofe in Berefbith

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