Chap. 45 AnExpofition upon the Book of Jo B. Verf. á o . oo then there is no (landingbefore,God in our ownwifdom. Secondly, There is no (landing before God in our own flrength or power. Our firength is but weaknefs, yea, rottennefs to his, as the Prophet fpeaks (Ifa. 5.24.) Their root 'hall be rottennefs, and thereblofome ¡hall go ap ere the daft. Thus it is with all fle(h; if they fland in their own firength, their root ( which is their flrergch) (hall be as rottennefs, and their bloffome (which is their beauty) (hall go up as theduff. Thirdly, There is no (landing beforeGod in our own righte- oufnefs, tobeacquitted, accepted, and ju(lified. Thereare many deficiencies and flaws in our righteoufnefs, therefore we can- not (landbefore God in it ; there is much unrighteoufnefs inour righteoufnefs, therefore we cannot (land before God in it ; and how righteous (if I may fo fpeak) foever our righteoufnefs is, or may be, yet we cannot Band before God in it , becaufe he bath appointed another righteoufnefs, or the righteoufnefsof another, even the righteoufnefs of )efusChrill,for us, to (land before him in . So then, if we would (land before God, all thefe mull be laid down we mull lay down our own wifdom, we muff become fools, chat we may be wife ; we muff lay down our own firength, wemuff become weak, that we maybe flrong ; and we mull lay down our own righteoufnefs, and look upon our felves as guilty creatures, as condemned perlons, as call and loll, in our felves : we mu(a have nothing, but the wifdom, and flrength, and righte- oufnefs of God to eland before God in, that is, we mull (landbe- fore Godby faith: God is not terrible to fuch, they mayRand before God ; the poorefl fanner may ['land before God_in the wifdom, and flrength, and righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrill. Thus wemay aaftver the queflion ;rfbo can fland before me ? faith God: Ican (land before thee, faith a believer; I can (land before thee with boldnefs, beingquit of ferf- wifdom, flrength and righteouf- nefs, and looking to Chri(l Jefus for all. How ['weer, how gracious, and howdelightful is the prefence of God to an humble believing foul, to a broken -hearted (inner t The Lordfaith, Iwill dwell with [ach a one; he (hai I not only come and (landbefore me, but I will come and fit down with him, I will take up my abode in anhumble foul, in an empty foul. who is able to flandbefore me ? (faith God) None can.iftheir own wifdom, V v v V firength,
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