982 Chap. 4z. An Expofition upen tbeBook of Jos. Verf. t2 the.efore is is faid (Fleb. 12,17,) He foundno place for repentance, though he fought it carefully with tears ; that is, he could not make /Paw repent of blefsing Jacob (though through amiflake, yet) according to Godsappointment.; he could not prevail with 'him, .no, not by tears, to take of the blessing from his brother Jacob, and place it upon himfelf : And the reafon why the blefsing re- mained with Jacob, was, becaufe he was loved of God. The blef- fing mullgo, wherethe,love.goes. The loved of the Lord, areand .fhall be bleffed ; and they Who arebleffed, haveall good with a blefsing. (Read, Gen. 24. 35. Gen. 26.13. Gen, 28. 3. 2 Sams. 6. I r . Pfui. 107. 38.) Yea, as God give(h all good with a blef ling, fo he giveth himfelf, who is the chief good, bell of ail; and bleffed fot evermore, to tholewhom he bleffeth. Then how fhouldwe define the blefsing of God,ortobeblef- fed by God ? It is wonderful, how pafsionately, and even im- patiently, the Votaries of Romedefre the Popes blefsing ; they think themfcives made men, if they can but have hisblefsing. I have.read of a Cardinal, who feeing the people fo flran cly < e- 49an6 tuidovn firous of his blefsing, faid, Seeing this people will be deocivea, let populus hie them be deceived. But we cannot be too defirous of a bie:sing vult desipi,di- from the 'Lord ; ifwe have a blefsing from him, and he biefs us, cipiyassr. we cannot be deceived; we can never mils of comfort, if he blcfs us. But whence is it then, that Come look fo much after creature- 'helps, not minding the blefsing of God ? Doubtlefs it flows or fprings from one of thcfe three bad fountains or bitter roots. 'Firfl, From ignorance; theyknow not what theblefsing of God means ; for, as Chr ill told the woman of Samaria (Ads 4. to.) if thou knereefi the gift of God, thou nouldfi have asked, &c. So, did they know what it is to bebleffed of God, they would ask it above all things. It proceeds, Secondly, From a fpirit of profaneners inmany ; they defpife God in their hearts, and think it below them to call for hishelp or blefsing. Of fuch David fpeaks (Pfal. 14. 6.) Te have fha- lmed the counfelof thepoor, becaufe the Lord is his refuge ; or, be- caufe ('tisall one ineffea) he lives upon the blefsing of Ciod,you areafhamed of this; this is poor counfel, think you, as it is the counfel.of the poor; thistrufiinginGod, this makingGod our refuge,
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