Several discourses tending to promote peace & holiness among Christians to which are added,…

2. If two Men do the same thing, it followeth not, that they do it with the same mind. Things may be the same, as to the substance or matter of the Action, yet Circumstances may be different. Christ knew this Man's Heart, and could interpret the meaning of his desire to go home first. He might make it a pretence to depart clean away from Christ. We cannot distinguish between the look of Abraham, and the look of Lot. One is allowed, the other forbidden. Abraham is allowed to look towards Sodom, Gen. 19. 28. And Abraham got up early in the morning, and looked towards Sodom, and beh•ld the smoke of the Country went up as the ⟨p. 371⟩smoke of a furnace. Yet Lot and his Family are forbidden to look that way; Gen. 19. 17. Look not behind thee. We cannot distinguish between the laughter of Abraham, and the laughter of Sarah; Gen. 17. 17. And Abraham •ell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a Child be born to him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah that is ninety years old, •ear? Now compare Gen. 18. 12. 'tis said, And Sarah laughed within her self, saying, After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord also being old? Yet she is reproved, For the Lord said, Wherefore did Sarah laugh? The one was Joy and Reverence, the other Unbelief and Contempt. We cannot distinguish between the Virgin Mary's Question, Luk. 1. 34. How can this be? and the Question of Zechariah, John's Father, Luke 1. 18. How shall I know this, •or I am an old Man? Mary was not reproved, but he was struck dumb for that Speech: But though we cannot distinguish, God, that knoweth the secrets of all hearts, can distinguish.