682 Chap. 40.. An E.zpofition'upon the Boo of J oa Verf, i 4,... in all languages, itbeing ufual to compare great flaughtersof mere to the flaughteringof beans ; but of this by tbìe way. Now,whe- Cher we take our reading or this, either of them fens out thepre- fumptuous boafling;of theAjxgrran King, that theflrength ofhis own right hand had done all thole great things. Secondly, 'Tis flefhly confidence, fuck a confidence as God will rejeft (Jer. 2. 37.) ro think we cando any thingby our own hand. Thirdly, It is a (lighting of, and departing from God to think fo (fer. 17. g.) Curled be the man that trufleth`iñnaaìn,and ;yak.- eth f e(h his arm (whether his own "flefh or other mens flefh, what flefh foever it isthat he maketh his arm, turfed be he, and what follows) and whofeheart departetb from the Lord. As if he had faid, every time we think tofave our felves byour own right hand, we do curfedly depart from the Lord. The truth is, we can nomore fave our felves, than we canmake our felves; we can no more preferve our being, than we cangive our felves a being ; it is from the Lord that we have a being, orare preferved from"a n ;ferable being. Fourthly, They who, think-they can fave themfelves by their own hand, put themfelves into the placeof God, and rake upon themfelves to be God. The King, of Ifrael faid well (2ICing.5; 70) when the King of Syria feet Naamanhis fervant to heal him of his Leprolie, Am IGod, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth fend tome torecover a man of h4 Leprolie ? "Whofoever thinks he can heal, or fave by his own power, takes upon himfelf, as if he were God. Many make theirforce their God. That Hea- then King (Hab. r . s i.) afcribed hinpower to bit god. So we render the words; yet.fome expound them, as if Nebuchaduez,- zar, in the,pride of his heart, refuting at that time to acknow- ledge any God buthimfelf, afcribed his power to himfelf. But fuppofng according to the fupplement of our tranfation, and the expofition of manymore, that he afcribed his power not to himfelf, but to his Liol -god ; howgreat a rebuke will that ac- knowledgement of hisbe to any, who worfhipping the trueGod, íhall yet afcribe their power to themfelves, and fo take upon themfelves robeGod ? Jaco6 faid toRachel, when the was fo impatient for children,Am I in the'place,ofGod ? Togive effeEt the work of God; and therefore, for us, to think we_can give effe I:aciàn t vim fuasn, Meuse
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