s Vide w#F. 4. let. b. b This isa moſt ufqueſtionable Truth ; andJ*"-3 29 tho' perhaps ir may ſe:m otherwiſe in ſome caſes, yet could wee ſee 3” perfeQly the Connexion between Perſons and Perſons, and how they are one; could we ſee the Connexion of Sins and Sins,and how eafi} ,, ſecretly, and undiſcerned Men become guilty of the ſame Sins, we ſhould,'tis likely, ſee Father and Son, tho' perhaps one of them might not do the Evil, both guilty, and neither puniſh'd for the Sin farther than the Sin was his own : nor do the Scriptures, Ed. 20. 5. and Deut. 28. 18, »» Menace innocent Children, nor doom Perſons to Pt. niſhment for Sins from which they are fully and wholly fre ; bur if Children ſhall follow their Fathers in Sin, or juſtify chem in ic, or not mourn for it, or not deprecate, or whatever way there is by which Children may make the Sins of Progenitors become their own - then if they die for thoſe Sins,'tis for them as they are their own Sins, not as they are their Fathers. c 7/a. 3. 10. will fully exp'ain this Paſſage, Ir ſhall be well wlth the Righteous, for he ſhall eat the Bryir of his doing,he ſhall be rewarded as a righteous one, &d The Roverd of Wickedneſs, /. e. woful Punithmenc ſhall be executed upon ci22 Wicked, as ſa. 3. 11.
2T e But * the f wicked will g turn from + all 7 fins" Ch. that he hath committed, and keep & all my ſtatntes, and do ** that which is lawful and right, he ſhall / ſurely live, he
| ſhall not die, |
' e So far 1s God from puniſhing the Sins of nocent Parents on inno- cent Children, as in the laſt Inſtance, v. 14, to the ead of ». 25. appears, that he doth nos puniſh the Gnilty for their own Sins, which they repent of and forſake. Our God, who merciu'ly par. donerh the Penitent all their own Sins, will not, cannor be ſuppoſed to charge innocent ones with the Sins that are not their own. f Or a wicked Man, any wicked Man among you, O 7:ws-! who charge mz with ſuch Severity: If the moſt notorious Sinner. g 7. e. Rejcnry, for *tis expreſt by that word rrhich implies Repentance, and by th ſubſequent Fruits of Repentance. þ Ir muſt be a total rencvacing of Sin. 3 The Penitent are moſt afflited with the Remembrin:- of their own Sin, that which they committed, and watch'd moſt 2 7aintt it for the furure. & Reſolved to endeavour ſeriouſly an4 diiizncly, (For in God's merciful Judgment, a gracious peaitenc S041 keeps what he would keep, keeps all his Statutes in that he world crangret; nons of them.) 1 He ſhall be pardoned, «ſcape Puinithin nt, ic tha!t bs well with him : and this 1s the conſtant Mcthod of Goi's Proctzedings with his People ; He calls ta them to himſelf by Promiſes of Pardon, he never frights them from him by threatainy to punith others Faults 02 their Backs. Leave your own, and you ſhall aever juffer for others S1ns.
22 # All » his tranſgreſlions that » he 1atn cor they ſhall not be 4 mention'd unto him: 1n his ” rig! neſs that he hath done, he ſhall live.
1m Not one of all, ſo the Hebrai(#2 1s, every one ſhall be forgiven: » Perfonal, a&ual Sins, in which he was not acceflary, but principa). o Tho' great Sins. p Formerly did commir bur now repeateth tor. q Not remembred, 7. e. impurced to, or puni{h'd oa him, they ſhalt he co parJon, he promileth char or This Penitent, whoſe lat Works are Righteouſnes, proper Fruits of Repentance, ſhall live, be
[V] rewatded,
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rtath commicted,
J 23 FY?
FOSITS, Se
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reward, and bleſſed for his Righteouſneſs, yet without Meric. Life ſhould be the Fruit of his Repentance, and Righteouſneſs. * Ch. 33. 23 Have* I anyr pleaſure at all that the wicked ſhould 71. die? faith the Lord GOD : and s not that he ſhould return from his ways, and live ? - Now, O ye perverſe Jews ! if by theſe Truths you will judge of
EZEKIE L,
me, could it enter the Thoughts of any one of you, that I ſhould, 23 delighring in the Death of Sinners, impute other Mens Sins to you that you might die for them, when I could not ilay you for your own ? Think not thus of the God of Mercy, who pities, forbears, and tho at laſt hath puniſh'd obſtinate Sinners, yet nevergdelighted in their Death. 5s Is it not my Command that you and oth@' Sinners re- pent ? Have nor you and others found Mercy upon ſeeming Repen- tance ? And as for that Repentance which is ſound, it ever had a full Pardon : And the Promiſe of Life and Pardon hath been repeated and confirmed to you again and again; ſo that 'tis the moſt unjuſt, un- reaſonable and impious Quarrel, you O Jews, have taken up againſt your God, who would have you repent of your own Sins,and you ſhould live ; but if you repent not, you ſhall die burfor your own Sins, not your Fathers. Since therefore T have no pleaſure in the Death of him that dieth, ſaith the Lord God, turn your ſelves, and live ye, as 'tis ver. 32. for this 23d Verſe equally declares God's Mercy, and our Duty ; the one in his Pleaſure at our Return, the
other in our pleaſing him here in. |
24 T ? But * « when the x righteous y turneth away from = his righteouſneſs, and « committeth iniquity, 2d doth þ according to all the c abominations that the 4 wicked 2zay doth, e ſhall he live? f All his righteouſneſs that he
hath done ſhall not be g mentioned : in his treſpaſses that he hath 4 treſpaſſed, ws in his ſin that he hath ſinned, in z
them ſhall & he die.