Chap. Expofstiox upon the Book of o B. Verf.4. Hence note ; There is nothing that Both more fweeten and melifie God (or, 1 may fay, any in ;enssous adverfary) towards no, then an humble acknowledgement of our own vilenefs and unmoor- thinefs. When our hearts are truly humbled, mercy and deliverance are at hand. fob was no bonermade deeply feniibie of his vile- nefs, but mercy came in. Theonly skill of this excellent wreft- ler( as one calls him) was to call himfelf down at Gods foot. There is no way to get within God and to prevail with him, but Scíebat jobus byfubmitting tohim. The Lord layeth downhis rod, when we contrafiri- lay down our pride; and carts his ford out of hishand, when we rum humi/en cart our felves at his feet. And in all our a rletions, whether inermem Deï mznutnof. perfonal or national,till we acknowledge (not formally, but in a deep fence of our own vilenefs) that we arevile, in vain do we cry for deliverance, or hope for mercy. Whenwe are loweR in our own eyes, we are neareft to our exaltation ; when once we fay in our hearts we are nothing, we deferve nothing, we have fpoken lightly, we have done lightly, falvation will not tarry. (r Pet. 5.7. ) Humble your felves under the mighty hand of God, and he will lift you up in due time. If we would be lifted up out of any afliidlion, we mull be at this humbling work. We ¡hall never work (as I may fay ) upon the heart of God, unlcfs we are thus at work with our own hearts, or till this workbe done uponour hearts. Our great work lies within, efpecially in a day of tryal and tribulation, fuch as 7-ob was in. fob was fpeediiy re- duced to his former honour and greatnefs, when once ( through grace ) he had wrought his heart to this confeffion. Behold, 1 am vile ; 519 What ¡hall1 anfwer thee ? As if lobhad laid, truly d have noshing to anEwer thee ; Thou) O Lord, haft given fetch demonftrations of thy greatne(s, of thy power, of the excellency of thy wifdem, of thy goodnefs, that 1 have nothing to fay, but this, that 1 can faynothing. What (hall 1 an- fever thee ? 1 know nor what to anfwer, or I have nothing to an- fwer. As in a great Ilrair, when we know not what todo, we ufually fay, what (hall we do ? Sohere, it íheweth that Job was no.
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