A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne con∣ceite, and yet are not washed from their filthy∣nesse.

He complaineth of a vice that hath reigned of long time, and wrought much euil: that is, that in place that we shold be displeased with our filthinesses, wee haue praised & esteemed them, as if we were very pure and cleane, and that there were in vs nothing to be blamed. Cain had the like estimation of himselfe, when he sayde, My punishmēt is greater then I can beare. The people in the time of Noe, the messenger of righteousnes, which had no repentance, haue wel shewed they were cleane in their owne eies: euen so haue those of Sodome done likewise in the time of righteous Lot, which wold not receiue any exhortations: and the Iewes, which woulde not heare the preaching of the Prophets, who rebuked thē in the name of the Lord: as they are often reproched for it: and the Scribes and

Pharisees in the time of our Sauiour Iesus Christe, who bragged of their righteousnesse, and mocked our Lorde, and blasphemed both him and his doctrine.

Now that these people haue fallen into this abhominable vice, & were greatly giltie before God, the scripture doth declare vn∣to vs: First ofal, when God regarded not the offering of Cain. Se∣condly, when it is saide, Nowe the people of Sodome were wicked and greeuous sinners against the Lord. Thirdly, what haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices? Crie out with open throate, spare not: tel my people of their transgression, &c. Fourthly yee are they, which iustifie yourselues before men, but God knoweth your hearts, &c. Because of such hypocrisie, which was vncorrigible, great plagues folowed. The worlde was destroyed by the flood: Sodome and her neighbors were ouerthrowne with fire & brimstone: The Iewes were destroyed by warres, and the remnant caried away cap∣tiue to Babilon. And after the resurrection of our Lorde they were brought into great desolation, as he had foretolde, as wee also see it. And thus it is not without cause that the wise man complaineth thereof. In this he admonisherh vs that we should not brag of our purenes, as did the Pharises: but that we should humble ourselues, with the Publican: and that with Iob wee shoulde confesse there is none that is borne of an vncleane seede, that can bee made cleane. What is man that he should be cleane? and who is he that is borne of woman, that can bee declared righteous? And howe may a man be iustified with God? or ho we can hee be cleane, that is borne of a woman. Forasmuch then as wee can not washe ourselues from our filthines, let vs not therfore be so glorious, as that we should thinke ourselues to be pure and cleane: for if we say we haue no sinne, we deceiue ourselues and the truth is not in vs. But if we confesse our sinnes, he is faythful and iust for to pardon our sinnes, and to clense vs from al iniquitie. Let vs then bee ashamed of our sinnes, but not to confesse them, saying with Esay, Wee are all as filthinesse, and all our righteousnesse is as a polluted clothe, &c: and with Saint Paule, wee are carnal, solde vnder sinne. And in confessing them, let vs praye with Dauid, Haue mercy vppon mee OGOD after thy great goodnesse, and according vnto the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences, &c. When we shal do thus in good cōsciēce,

God wil accōplish his promise vnto vs, that he hath made vs, to wit, that hee wil powre cleane water vpon vs, and we shalbe cleane, &c. And albeit that of ourselues we are not cleane, (for sinne dwelleth continually in vs, & haue neede dayly to aske pard on for our sinnes and offences) yet if we truely humble ourselues, as hath byn saide, God wil accept vs for iust and cleane, hauing sprinkeled our consciences with the precious blood of his Sonne. And in this sort we shal not be cleane in our owne eies, and yet wee shalbe washed from our filthinesses, by the grace and mercy of our heauenly fa∣ther, who wil impute vnto vs the righteousnesse of his sonne: whom hee hath appointed to bee our righteousnesse, sanctification and re∣demptiō. We must therfore with al humilitie confesse Iesus Christ to be suche, least we be presumptuous, and puffed vp with our own righteousnesse & holinesse, as Simon: but let vs prostrate ourselues at his feete, as did Marie Magdalen. Thus doing, we shal condemne ourselues, and shal not be condemned, but shal obtaine remission of our sinnes, though they be neuer so many. Contrarily, if we thinke there be any cleannesse in ourselues, God wil blinde vs, and giue vs vp vnto a reprobate sense: as hee hath alreadie done the Iewes and the Papistes. In place then of iustifying ourselues, yea, though wee had done whatsoeuer God commaundeth vs: yet let vs say (as Ie∣sus Christ hath taught vs) We are but vnprofitable seruantes, &c.

Notes

• Gen. 4. 13
• Gen. 19. 7
• Gen. 4. 5. & 13. 13.
• Esay. 1. 11. 58. 1.
• Luke. 16. 15 Mat. 23. 25.
• Mat. 23. 35. & 24. 15. Luk. 18. 11 13. Iob. 14. 4. & 15. 14. 15. 16 & 25. 4. 5. 9.
• 1. Iohn. 1. 8. 9
• Esay. 64. 6. Rom. 7. 14. Psal. 51. 3. Psalm. 51. 1.
• Eze. 36. 25.
• 1. Cor. 1. 30.
• Luk. 7. 37. 39
• Luk. 17. 10