IX. *Passion makes men judge all alike. True it is that by reason of that natural corruption which hath infected all mankind, all are alike. aThere is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Thus ba Prophet, and an Apostle also, not in passion, but by immediate instinct of the Spirit, said, There is none righteous, no not one. Yea, in this sense cthe Apostle useth the very words, that are here used, Every man is a liar, and yet no man unjustly blamed. But to judge such as have the Spirit of ⟨p. 151⟩God in them, and are in what they speak guided by the Spirit of God, yea and bring their message from God, to judge them to be as natural unregenerate men are, liars, this is a most unjust imputation. Yet thus did passion make this Prophet judge the Prophets of the Lord that came to him in the name of the Lord, with the word of the Lord, to be. Both passion and hardness of heart made dPharaoh judge Moses and Aaron to be like to the sorcerers and magicians of Egypt. So did eSennacherib judge Hezekiah and his people, and kingdom to be no better then the Kings, people and kingdoms of other nations. fIt is oft noted of the Jews, that they gave no more heed to such faithful Prophets as the Lord sent, then to such false Prophets as ran of themselves, and were not sent: who spake a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Yea many times gmore credit was given to such false Prophets, then to true ones.
IX. *PAssion makes men judge all alike. True it is that by reason of that naturall corruption which hath infected all mankind, all are alike. aThere is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Thus ba Prophet, and an Apostle also, not in passion, but by immediate instinct of the Spirit, said, There is none righteous, no not one. Yea, in this sense cthe Apostle useth the very words, that are here used, Every man is a lyar, and yet no man unjustly blamed. But to judge such as have the Spirit of ⟨p. 151⟩God in them, and are in what they speake guided by the Spirit of God, yea and bring their message from God, to judge them to be as naturall unregenerate men are, lyars, this is a most unjust imputation. Yet thus did passion make this Prophet judge the Prophets of the Lord that came to him in the name of the Lord, with the word of the Lord, to be. Both passion and hardnesse of heart made dPharaoh judge Moses and Aaron to be like to the sorcerers and magicians of Egypt. So did eSennacherib judge Hezekiah and his people, and kingdome to be no better then the Kings, people and kingdomes of other nations. fIt is oft noted of the Iewes, that they gave no more heed to such faithfull Prophets as the Lord sent, then to such false Prophets as ran of themselves, and were not sent: who spake a vision of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Yea many times gmore credit was given to such false Prophets, then to true ones.
- *§. 66.
- aRom 3. 22, 23
- bPsal. 14. 3. Rom. 3. 10.
- c—4.
- dExo. 7. 11.
- e2 King. 19. 11
- fJer. 5. 31. Lam. 2. 14. Zac. 13. 4. Mic. 3. 5.Ier. 5. 31. Lam. 2. 14. Zac. 13. 4. Mic. 3. 5.
- g1 King. 22. 8. Jer. 18. 18.—37. 19▪ Passion like coloured glass.1 King. 22. 8. Ier. 18. 18.—37. 19▪ Passion like coloured glasse.
