,6 Chap.6, e.4Commentarie epos regard oforiginall : for from thewombe theyCarrie a woluifla nature, which prepares them to the fpoile , though they neuer didhurt : the Scorpion lath his fling within hun,thoughhe doe not alway flrike : and though a Serpent may be ha-ndled whilfl the cold path benunamed him ; yet when he is warmed, 5. he will hitfe out his venomous poifon. Mans prafìife loth dleare God ofvniuflíce in this behalte, inkilling the young cubbes,as well as the old Foxe : the wolucs whelps , aswell as; the damme. Albeit ifwe fpeakeof their finall eflatc,and come) to particulars , weare to leaue fecret judgements to God. The t, example ofAchan is more difficult, feeingthat for hisfinnc,36 ofthe people were flaine,Iofh.7.5. and his whole familieroo- ted eut, v.25. whowere not confenting to his fact, nor guiltie ofhis fanne. Yet fomething mayprobably be Paid in this cafe. Fírfl,that they were guiltie of this his finne in part , innot pu. r5 nifhing theft fo feuerelyas theyought tohauedone,which was a mcanes to embolden Achan to íleale the execrable thing. Secondly, that private good muff yecld to the publike; as the hie of euery particular perfon to the generali good of the whole Commonwealth : thus fouldiours in the warres, re- at deem the pubhkepeace by the loffe oftheir own hues:now the manifeflation of thegiorie,ofthe wifdome, power, and iuflice ofG od, is thepublike good.ofthe whole Church : therefore mens private good,euen their liues,mufl giue place to it:efpe- cially confidcrunghe neuer inflifts temporal! punifhment for 2t the publike good, but he refpc is therein the private good of his Elea,vvilorr.e hecorreas in indgernent,notinfurie.Third- ly,howfoeuer Achandid beare theburdenof his ovine (inner this iudgernent might be inflifled vpon them for theirgood : for temporali punifhment,yea death it felfe, is focnctimes ínfli- 30 ¿ìed for thegood of thofe that are punifbed , as we fee in the ¡ childrenofthe Sodomits,many whereof(no doubt)were taken { away in mercie, 1eí1 malice fhould hauc changed and corrup- led their minds : and fometime for the terrour ofothers , to be i a warningpeece to make them take heede; and fometirrc for 31 both : as it may be it was in this particular. Fourthly , frone committed by a particular man , that is a memberof a pohtike i Iodic, doth aftera fortbelong to the whole bodie: thus the; Lord faith,that 6food defiletb the land,whichcánotbe (Tiled ofthe 1 Modtimewets f eddetherein,IHtbythe6le eiofhimih.etfhedderev Numb
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