Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

But here lies one objection: Paul seems to go ⟨p. 489⟩¹otherwise; for he wished himself accursed, or anathematized from Christ for his brethren, his kinsmen after the flesh, so that it seems St. Paul did wish the glory of God in others, more then any grace in himself.

But here lies one objection: Paul seems to go ⟨p. 489⟩¹otherwise; for he wished himself accursed, or anathamized from Christ for his brethren, his kinsmen after the flesh, so that it seems St. Paul did wish the glory of God in others, more then any grace in himself.

1. 1Object.

To this I answer, That separation from Christ we must understand rightly; we are not to understand by ¹separation, that he should be separated from the Spirit and grace of Christ, but that he might be separated from the comforts of Christ, that he might not have that comfort and that happiness that comes in by Christ: If he had desired to be separated from the grace of Christ, he should have sinned in it; Gods glory and our good are so annexed together, that though we may suffer much for the good of others, yet we are not to desire to be in any sinful condition, though it could save all the world: If it could be conceived, unless I sin the least sin in thought, all the men of the world should be damned, I should suffer them all to be damned, rather then to sin the least sin. I remember St. Augustine hath a tractate about an officious lye, to tell a lye for no hurt, but for good; says he, We are not to tell such a lye, though it were to save all the world: Christ had rather all the world should have been damned, then that he should have committed the least sin.