An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

that is, he did not deal severely and strictly with them, when they sinned, because they had no means, or so little means to keep them from sin. And there is a truth in it,¹ for though ignorance doth not totally excuse sin, yet it doth abate the degree and measure of sin. But there is another sense, which I rather embrace, The times of that ignorance God winked at; that is, in those times wherein there was so much darkness and blindness in the world, God let men go on in their sin; they sinned, and he never called upon them, he never opposed them, or sent any to teach them better. God did not manifest his will to them as unto the Jews, Psal. 147.19, 20. He showeth his word unto ⟨p. 24⟩Jacob, his statutes and judgements unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any Nation, &c. So that this winking is opposed to favour, rather then to justice. To have the eye upon a place, or upon persons, is to show them favour, 1 King. 8.29. The later branch clears this meaning, But now he calleth all men every where to repent: now he doth not leave men in the hands of their transgressions: He doth not wink and let them do what they list; now Gospel-light is risen to the world, and there are many sent out to call in and reclaim wandering prodigals, many to cry, Return, return. He speaks of it as of the mercy and privilege of that age, beyond what the former ages had enjoyed. That of the same Apostle hath a parallel sense (Rom. 1.20. & 26.) where describing the dealings of God with the Gentiles, who sinned against the light of nature, he concludes, Therefore God left them in the darkness of nature, in the worst of nature: they came not up so high, as the principles of nature might have led them in the worship of God, therefore he left them below the principles of nature in the things of man, He gave them up to vile affections, which is as much as to say, He put them in the hands of their transgressions. And, ver. 28. He gave them over to a reprobate mind, to a mind that could not judge aright, which had not a true understanding of any thing: Hence they elected the worst, and reprobated the best things. The like we have (