'240 Chap. 3 3. An E.vpofwian upon the Book of J o . Verf a z, that God is righteous, yet when they reft not in his dealings with them, they imply Tome un,ighteoufneffe in God. Many fayGod is wife, only wife, yet while they will be their owne carvers, and are unfatisfiedwith Gods allowances andprovidences,they make themfelveswirer then God, or at kart imagine things might be ordered with Greater wifdome then they are. Many _fay God is great inmercy, greater infinitely then daan,yet when they fhouid a& faith about the pardonof their fins, they a& it as if God had but themercy of aman, or as ifhis thoughts were as our thoughts, and his-wayes (in difpencing favours_) like our wages, and fo they bringGod .downe to their owne fire and fcantlings. Ifthefe -had been asked the queftion, whether God bath not greater mercy then man, they would have anfwered,doubtleiTe he path ; andyet they are no more inbelieving, then if the mercyof God were of the fame meafure with themercies of narrow-hearted man. Thus we modlethe Great God, and our Idea's or apprehenfions ofhim according to what we .fee:inour felves, not according to what he is and bath faid ofhimfelfe. And what are our righteft notions of God, but.hoverings in the gyre, till we bring them down into praoîife, or live up to them, till every thing wedoe bean expo- fition of what we.fpeake andbelieve of God. And when we be- lieve indeed that God isgreater then man, we make our felves jufl nothingbefore God : if we are any thing to our felves, or glory in any thing ofour owne, be it little or great before God, we donot gave God the oloryofhis greatneffe. The Lord fpeak sing of his owne greatneffe by the Prophet, faith, All nations-are .hutas the drop of thebucket to him, yea they are as a little thing, .su nothing, leffe then nothing ; if therefore you make not every thing little, yeanothing before God, youdetra& from the glory of his greatneffe. Agarne, they only acknowledge God in- his greatneffe, who both agree to all hedoth as juif, and receive it as good, yea asbelt, howbad foeverit be tonature , or bitter to their fence. Oncemore, they only acknowledge God fully inhis greatneffe, who though God changeth and varieth his difpenfa- tions every day with them,though he empty them never fo often fromveffell to veffell, yet fit downe and fay, God is unchangea- ble to them. It is becaufe the Lord changeth not that we are not confumed ( Mal: 3. 6.) thereforewhat changes foeverhis people meete with, his heartand thoughts towards them are not cban;,èd. Secondly,
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