Chap.q.o. ,4n Expofition open the Book of J o B. Verf.9. 5 5 Thirdly, E is the will of God to do whatfoever is for the real good of his people, though (poffibly) they ask it not. It is the will of God, not only to dowhat we ask, but many times, . more than we ask. MGod is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph 3. 20.) fo he a&lually cloth for us much more than we ask or think. The Lord expels we fhould pray for every good thing which he bath'promiCed ; and there- fore he had no fooner made many large andmoft gracious promi- fes of doing great things for the Church, with this aflurance (Ezek. 36. 3 6.) 1 the Lord bave f pakt it, and I will do l will yet prefently he adds (verf. 37.) f i h thisbe enquired of by the boufe of Ifraei, to do it for them. We fhould extend our prayers and our fee kings co the utmofl line of the word, or our prayers fhould be commenfurate both to prophefies and promifes : Prayer helps them all to the birth, and they feldom bring forth alone. And indeed prayer isnothing elfe, in the matter of it, but a turning or putting the promifes intope- titions , cis a Cuingout the good of the promife: Yet there are fome good things in the promifeswhich we cannot reach, or at leaf} are not mindful of. There isa great latitude in the promi- fes ; TheCommandement$ of God are exceeding broad (Pfal. 119. 96.) Who can findout all the duty ofthem L And doubtlefs the promifes are exceeding broad ; who can findour all the mercy in them! The Apofile Peter (z 60. t. 4.) calls them exceed- ing great and precious promifes ; they are exceeding good ,, and they are exceeding great, they are as great as they are good;and who batha heart great and good enough to fee and fue out all the good and great things in them ?Now 1 fay,though(poffibly)we ask not for all the good of the promife (at loft not exprefly) yet it is thewill of (hod to do all that for us, and tobelow all that good upon us which he bathpromifed. Hebath preventing grace ; his firft grace he alwayes giveth unasked. When he begins to mani- feft himfelf to a poor foul to bring him out of a flare of dark- nefs, is fuch a foul begging this of God ? no; he is running from, and rebelling againft God. I am found of them that fought me not, faith the Lord (Ifa. 65. g .) Now, as they who are not the Lords, receive grace to becomehis, unasked ; fo they that are the Lords, through grace, receive many mercies unasked. God will not fail in giving all that he bathpromifed, though we fail in asking;
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