CHAY.Z.5. 398 Peofehì,n without rte. 8 (e caufcuh the holy name of God tobe blafphemcd. Reatons. z 2 2.3227.1 a.r.f. 3 biatth.g 6. a.Cor.6.3. t¡f Co7ltflcltt'dYt' the feflìng, but the word ofGod it ielfe which hedoth profeffe,by occaflo- ning the prophase to blafpheme and feoffe at Gods holy religion:Rom. 2.24. ThenameofGad isblafphonedamong the Gentiler through you. keaf. r. Such is the malice of the deuill , and his infiruments , that haringGod himfelfe,they curse whatfoeuer they can , againff God and his truth, which is a light difcoscring their darkneffe. Hence doe they not fo much maligne the perlon of a pooreprofef or,who perhaps neuer made nor medled with them as the light and truth fhining in him ; yea let God touch oneof their familiars, andcall him out of fuch a poifoned company,that perCon is prefently hated and defpiied for the truth,which if he did not now hold out , they would loue and embrace as formerly they did :and confequently a profeffor by his error, calleth not fo much difgrace and malice againif his owneperfon,as againíi the truth: for let anybut a profeffor finne , the more would the fluttersof the world loue them as their owne; but ifany fuchoffend or fleppe awry,eaily (hall a manperceiue where the bile is,oh (fav they) this is a goodly profeflion indeede, which giueth them leaue to doe this or that, and exclaime as though the profe(lion were not of God , becaufe the profcf ors fhewe' themfelues tobe but men. Secondly, the Lord imputeth this finne not fomuch to them who do blafpheme the trruth,who are the aEìorsof this flnne,as they who arc the moouers and occaf onersof thefame : Ezech. 36. 20. when they enured among the heathen theypolluted my name: that is,theheathen diligently watched the words and behaviours ofmy peo- ple,becaufe they beare my name,and came as it were out ofmy fchoole; but my people becing not Co careful) of my name which was called vpon chë blafphemcd it,iuftly caufing others fo todc.Although therfore men may conceiue that by their bare profeflion they endanger themfelues, yet indeed the difhonour returncth vpon God and his Gofpel : cues as Dauid might thinke that he onely finned againft Vriah,Bathfhebe, and hisowne foule, yet the Lord telleth him that his finne was yet more infeEïious,in that he had made Gods enemies to blafpheme. Thirdly, what a tut} difgrace is it for the profefl'ion ofChrill,to haue filch hangbyes as whole bues fpcake,that either they knowe not, or remember nor, or al- fed not,ornegled,yeadifpife that doefrine by which they expel Cal - oatiou. Vfe. s. Let euery profefror examinehis life whether it bring honour or difcredit to the Gofpel,whether his light aline among men, or whe- ther inany thing he give offence vnto any : for there is neuer a finne in a profeffor, but it is hereby doubled : in that he woundcth not his owne foule alone,but manyother Chriffians with himfclfe,yea & the Gofpell of faluation.No mcruaile then is it that the Lord is fo felons in the finites of
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