What shall I say of David, and of Solomon also, who, after he had
been twenty years at work for the service of the true God, both in
building and preparing for his worship, and in writing proverbs by
divine inspiration, did after this make temples for idols, yea,
almost for the gods of all countries? Yea, he did it when he was
old, when he should have been preparing for his grave and for
eternity.
All these were sins against mercies, yea, and doubtless against
covenants and the most solemn resolutions to the contrary. For who
can imagine but that when Noah was tossed with the flood, and Lot
within the scent and smell of the fire and brimstone that burned
down Sodom with his sons and daughters, and Gideon, when so fiercely
engaged with so great an enemy, and delivered by so strange a hand,
should in the most solemn manner both promise and vow to God? But
behold, now they in truth are delivered and saved, they recompense
all with sin: "Lord, what is man? how abominable and filthy is man,
who drinketh in iniquity like water!"
Let these things teach us "to cease from man, whose breath is in his
nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?" Indeed, it is a
vain thing to build our faith upon the most godly man in the world,
because he is subject to err; yea, better men than he have been so.
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