e ap.36. trigExpofitionopon the Book of j o B. \erf,25. 361 Secondly, Let us afcribe every work to God in exalcing us ; fuc? an eye had the Church toGod (`Pfal 44. 1,2,3. ) fathers have told us, whet work, thus didit is their dayes; Thou didff drive out the heathen by thy hand, and plantedfl them, they got not the land in poffeffion by their own [word, &e. but by thy :right hand, and thine arm, &c. Here is no mention at all of yo fhgsa s achievements and famous vi&oriel in fubduing the Canaanite!, &c. All is given to God, and he alone exalted for that exalting work. That's the fira anfwer:Then we magnifie the work ofGod, whenwe acknowledge him alone both in afi&ing and exalt- in; us. Secondly, Thenwe magnifie the work of God, when we beat out, as it were, and lift all the circunzflances of his work ( as we fay)to the bran, that fo wemay find out every perfection, every gloryof it : when wedo not only behold and fee thewo k, but when (as dire&ion is given, Pf. 48.) Wewalk abesct Zion-, tell her towers, and confider her pallaces , that is,when we do not look upon things only in the bulk, but make an exa& fcrutiny, or take afull view of every. part. We cannot magnifie thework of God bya bare beholding of ir, but by prying into every circumflance of ir, or by confdering what excellenctes,and rarities are in it, As we magnifie our fintul work"( in one fence we fhould magni- fieour fins,that is, aggravate them, not magnifie them to applaud them, or glory in them, but to make our felves afitamed of them, as (I fay ) we magnifie our finful works, or what we have done. finfully, when we confider all the ci cumfiancesof our fns, as committed againfi light and love, againfi mercy and goodnefs, againft the patience and forbearance of God, againfi our o.mpro- fetfions and promifes, againfi our experiences and priviledges, all which thouldoblige us to holinefs, and engage us ro a gracious circumfpeaion in allour wayes, and walkings, tell at any time we flaould fin againfi God and grieve his Spirit : So We magnifie the works of Godwhen we eye all the circutnflances of them, and confider them as done for us when we could do nothing for our felves, as done for us when we mull have peritlted and been un- done, unlefs God had appeared for us ; as done for us when we deferved noc the leaf/ good to be done for us; asdone for us when none would do any thing for us,noee caring for our foules;as done for us when none could do any thing for us. Thee and fuch like Aaa ci.-
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