Now follow the causes of his fear, which are two. The first is, his own pollution and sinfulness, and the sinfulness of his people: his own he freely 1confesseth in these words; I am a man of polluted lips: that is, I am a miserable and sinful man, and therefore I fear and tremble to stand in Gods presence: nay, I dare not look upon the Lord, for my sins. But it may be demanded, how could the Prophet say thus truly, for he was a holy man, and justified 2in Gods presence, by his true faith in the Messiah, and sanctified by repentance: can a man justified and sanctified, say, he is a man polluted? I answer, 3It is doubtless, he was so, he therefore complaineth here not of any great and enormous sins, which he had committed to the public scandal of the ⟨p. 70⟩Church, but first of the corruption of his 4nature, which in him as in all men is a very sea of iniquity, & which always appears the more, the nearer a man comes to God, and therefore did now most apparently discover it self in the prophet, when he was in the presence of the Lord himself. Secondly, he complaineth of some actual sins of his life, and it is more likely of some sins of omission, 5then of commission: for we find not that the prophet was ever touched with any great sin, & where we know it not, we are in charity not to imagine it. So that it is most probable, he complaineth of some smaller faults, or negligences in his Ministry: as not preaching to the people at some time when he ought, or not preaching so willingly or cheerfully as he should, or desire to leave preaching, because the people were stubborn & disobedient, or some impatience in his Ministry, when the people were rebellious and resisted his doctrine, which passion might the rather vex him (as we read it did Jeremiah) ⟨p. 71⟩the Jews were so stubborn & stifnecked a people: or it may be some want of zeal or forwardness, these, or some such were the cause of his fear: And the conscience of these makes him here cry out that he cannot stand in the sight of God. Where we learn, first, what a tender 6conscience godly Ministers must have above all men: namely, that they must make conscience, not of the great and gross sins only; but even of the lowest & least sins:
Now follow the causes of his feare, which are two. The first is, his owne pollution and sinfulnesse, and the sinfulnesse of his people: his own he freely 1confesseth in these words; I am a man of polluted lippes: that is, I am a miserable and sinfull man, and therefore I feare and tremble to stand in Gods presence: nay, I dare not looke vpon the Lorde, for my sinnes. But it may be demaunded, how could the Prophet say thus truely, for he was a holy man, and iustified 2in Gods prefence, by his true faith in the Messias, and sanctified by repentance: can a man iustified and sanctified, say, he is a man polluted? I answere, 3It is doubtlesse, he was so, he therefore complaineth here not of any great and enormous sinnes, which hee had committed to the publike scandall of the ⟨p. 70⟩Church, but first of the corruptiō of his 4nature, which in him as in all men is a very sea of iniquity, & which alwaies appeares the more, the neerer a man comes to God, and therefore did now most apparantly discouer it selfe in the prophet, when he was in the presence of the Lord himself. Secondly, he complaineth of some actual sins of his life, and it is more likely of some sins of omission, 5then of cōmission: for we find not that the prophet was euer touched with any great sin, & where we know it not, we are in charitie not to imagine it. So that it is most probable, hee complaineth of some smaller faults, or negligences in his Ministery: as not preaching to the people at some time when he ought, or not preaching so willingly or cheerfully as he should, or desire to leaue preaching, because the people were stubborne & disobedient, or some impatience in his Ministery, when the people were rebellious and resisted his doctrine, which passion might the rather vexe him (as we read it did Ieremy) ⟨p. 71⟩the Iewes were so stubborne & stifnecked a people: or it may be some want of zeale or forwardnes, these, or some such were the cause of his feare: And the cōscience of these makes him here cry out that he cannot stand in the sight of God. Where we learn, first, what a tender 6
- 11 His own. He was a man of polluted lips.1 His owne. He was a man of polluted lippes.
- 2A he was a polluted man.
- 3And he complaineth not of capltall sins.And he complaineth not of capltall sinnes.
- 4But of the corruption of his nature
- 52 Of some omission in his calling.
- 6Doct. Ergo, Ministers must be men of tender conscience.
