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vi. 19, 20.

We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness as filthy rags.Isa. lxiv. 6.

soon utterly perish from off the land, you clean, &c.-Isa. i. 11-18. Jer. &e. be utterly destroyed, &c. Ask of the days past, &c. Did ever people hear the voice of God, speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God essayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of a nation, by temptations, by signs? &c. Because he loved thy fathers, he chose their seed after them, and brought them out in his sight, with his mighty power, &c. Thou shalt therefore keep his statutes.Deut. iv. 7-10.16.23-27.33, 34. 36, 37. 40.

Speak not thou in thine heart, after the Lord hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness, the Lord hath brought me in to possess this good land: but for the wickedness of these nations, &c. not for thy righteousness, nor for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness, &c. the Lord thy God doth drive them out, &c. And that he may perform the word which the Lord swore unto thy fathers, Abraham, &c. the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness: for a stiffnecked people, &c.-Deut. ix. 4, &c.

To the wicked, God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee, &c.-Ps. 1. 16-18.

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt-offerings, &c. who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? &c. bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination to me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with, &c. they are a trouble unto me: I am weary to bear them; when ye make many prayers, I will not hear, &c. your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make

He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man: he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck, &c. They have chosen their own ways, &c.-Isa. lvi. 3.

Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, &c. If ye thoroughly amend your ways, &c. then will I cause you to dwell in this place, &c. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, &c. and come and stand before me in this house? &c. Therefore I will do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, &c. as I have done to Shiloh, &c.-Jer. vii. 4-10.12. 14, 15.

When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live: if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered, &c. he shall die. - Ezek. xxxiii. 13. 18. xxiii. 38, 39.

I hate, I despise use your feast days and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies: though ye offer me burntofferings, and your meat-offerings, I will not accept of them, &c. Let judgment run down as waters, &c.Amos v. 21-24.

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Hear this, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel; that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity, &c. The heads thereof judge for reward: and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be ploughed as a field. Mic. iii. 9-13.

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father, &c. -Matt. iii. 8-10. Luke iii. 8.

Many will say to me in that day, then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt. vii. 22, 23.

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied our father. Jesus said unto them, in thy name? and in thy name have If ye were Abraham's children, ye cast out devils? and in thy name would do the works of Abraham, &c. done many wonderful works? And They said to him, We be not born of

Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. - Mark iii. 33. 35.

I know ye not whence ye are. Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence; and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you I know you not, whence you are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, &c.-Luke xiii. 25-27.

Jesus said to the Pharisees, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your heart: for that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God.-Luke xvi. 14, 15.

When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke xvii. 10.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee, I am not as other men are; extortioners, &c. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all I possess. And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven; but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other, &c.-Luke xviii. 10-15.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, &c. the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abram's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus said, &c. Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin, &c. I know ye are Abraham's seed: but ye seek to kill me, &c. They said, Abraham is

fornication; we have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your father, ye would love me, &c. Ye are of your father, the devil; and the lusts of your father ye will do.-John viii. 32, 33. 37. 39. 41, 42. 44.

Behold thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, &c. and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, an instructor, &c. Dost thou steal? &c. Thou that makest thy boast of the law; through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God?-Rom. ii. 1723.28, 29.

Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. -Rom. iii. 20. Gal. ii. 16.

They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge: for they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.-Rom. x. 2, 3.

If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. Gal. vi. 3.

If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised on the eighth day, &c. yet I count all things but loss, &c. that I may win Christ, and be found in him; not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, &c.-Phil. iii. 4-10.

Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, &c. -James ii. 10, 11. The Son of man is come to seek, and to save that which was lost.Luke xix. 10.

CHAP. LXXV.

OF WORDS AND ACTIONS WHICH ARE NEITHER TRUE NOR GOOD, SPOKEN OR UNDERTAKEN WITH THE POLITICAL VIEWS OF COMPASSING OUR

DESIGNS, OR AVOIDING DANGERS.

ABRAHAM said of his wife (when he was in fear), She is my sister.Gen. xx. 2. 11, 12.

Isaac (in the like fear) said of his wife, She is my sister.-Gen. xxvi. 7.9. Rebeccah caused her son Jacob to go to Isaac for the blessing, clothed him with his brother's garments, and put skins upon his neck and hands, to make him feel rough to Isaac, that Isaac might think him to be Esau, and bless him: and Jacob said to his father (being asked who he was), I am Esau, thy first-born, &c. Isaac said, Art thou my very son Esau? and he said, I am, &c. -Gen. xxvii. 6.9-29.

Rachel having hid her father's images under the camel's furniture, and sat upon them, when Laban searched for them, said unto her father, Let it not displease my lord, that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me, &c. Gen. xxxi. 34, 35.

And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem, and Hamor his father, deceitfully, &c. They said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, &c. If every male of you will be circumcised, then will we give our daughters, &c. which when they had done, Jacob's sons fell on them, and slew them.-Gen. xxxiv. 12, &c.

When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will, peradventure, hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent messengers unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph: forgive, I pray thee now, the

trespasses of thy brethren, and their sin: for they did unto thee evil, &c. And Joseph wept when he heard it, &c. Gen. 1.15-17.

When Pharaoh had charged the midwives with breaking his commands, and saving the men-children alive, they said unto him, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, &c.Exod. i. 16-21.

When Rahab had hid the spies, and the king had sent for them, she said, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were, &c. when it was dark, the men went out: whither the men went, I wot not; pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them, &c.-Josh.ii. 1-6. When the inhabitants of Gibeon came to Joshua, they took old sacks, and said to Joshua, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us, &c. from a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, &c. Wherefore our elders, and all the inhabitants of our country, spake to us, saying, Take victuals, &c. This our bread we took hot on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy, &c. by reason of the very long journey, &c. And Joshua made peace with them, &c. and smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them, &c.-Josh. ix. 3, &c.

When the Moabites oppressed Israel, the Lord raised them up a deliverer; Ehud, &c. who going to Eglon, the king of Moab, with a present from Israel; after he had presented it, he said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep went out. And Ehud came unto him, and he was sitting in a summer parlour, &c. and said unto him, I have a message from God unto thee: and he arose out of his seat. And Ehud took the dagger, and thrust it into his belly, &c.-Judges iii. 14-22.

silence. And all that stood by him, a place, &c. Is there not here under

Samson said several times, That if they did bind him, &c. he should be weak, and be as another man: but it was not so.-Judges xvi. 6, &c.

When God said to Samuel, that he would send him to anoint David, Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord: and call Jesse to the sacrifice, &c. Which Samuel did; and said, I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord. -1 Sam. xvi. 1-7.

When Saul had sent for David, Michal his wife laid an image in the bed, &c. covered it with a cloth after she had sent him away; and she said, He is sick, &c. When Saul had said unto her, Why hast thou deceived me so? &c. she said, He said unto me, Let me go: why should I kill thee?1 Sam. xix. 11-19.

When Saul had a design to have killed David, and had inquired for him, Jonathan answered (as David had directed him to do), and said, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem; and he said, Let me go, I pray thee: for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren: therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.1 Sam. xx. 6. 27-29.

David, when he fled from Saul, and came to Ahimelech the priest, he asked him, Why art thou alone? David said unto Ahimelech, The king commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business, &c. And I have appointed my servants to such and such

thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste, &c.-1 Sam. xxi. 1-3. 8. 15.

When David and his men had invaded the country near him, and slain all, Achish said to him, Whither have ye made a road to day? and David said, Against the south of Judah, &c. And Achish believed David; saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him, &c.-1 Sam. xxvii. 8-13.

When Absalom designed to rebel, he said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay any vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron: for thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria; saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.-2 Sam. xv. 6, &c.

Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much: now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests: let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal, &c. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal, &c. which afterward he did.2 Kings x. 18-26.

When Zedekiah had ordered Jeremiah to conceal the discourse that had passed between the king and him, from the princes, when they should come and ask him concerning it: he also told him what answer to make, in the very words the king gave him, by which he concluded the true matter.-Jer. xxxviii. 24-27.

CHAP. LXXVI.

OF WORDS OR SAYINGS EXPRESSING CHOICE, BUT NOT BINDING US TO THEIR OBSERVANCE.

Lor said to the angels, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet; and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, &c.-Gen. xix. 23.

When the sons of the prophets had said to Elisha, &c. There be with thy servants fifty strong men: let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, &c. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they had urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. And they sent, &c.2 Kings ii. 14-17.

When Jesus was about to wash Peter's feet, Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Then Peter saith, Lord, [not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.John xiii. 8, 9.

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The full soul lotheth an honeycomb: but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.-Prov. xxvii. 7. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, &c. I will open rivers in high places, &c.-Isa. xli. 17, 18.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, &c. hearken ye diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good. Isa. lv. 1, 2.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.-Matt. v. 6.

am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.-Matt. ix. 12, 13.

Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden; and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, &c. and ye shall find rest unto your souls.-Matt. xi. 28, 29. Ps. xxxiv. 9, 10.

He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.-Luke i. 53.

The Son of man is come to seek, and to save that which was lost.Luke xix. 10.

He that cometh to me, shall never hunger: and he that believeth on me, shall never thirst.-John vi. 35.

When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said, &c. Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.-Acts ii. 37, 38.

The gaoler came trembling, &c. and said, Sirs, What must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.-Acts xvi. 29-31.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God; who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him. James i. 5.

I will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. Rev. xxi. 6.

And let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. -Rev. xxii. 17.

CHAP. LXXVIII.

OF MAN'S IGNORANCE OF THE MEN AND THINGS OF THIS WORLD, AFTER HIS DEPARTURE HENCE.

Thou destroyest the hope of man: thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his

They that be whole, need not a physician: but they that are sick. I countenance, and sendest him awav:

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