°}rap, 4 r 4nExpofitionupon the Rook. of ] o B. Veg..' a . 69g in way of duty to the Lord, he is ready to reward us for ir; we Gltall nor lofe our labour, thoughGod be no gainer by ir And though it be through his grace, firength and afhiflance, that we do any good, yet we (hall be rewarded as ifwe baddone ir alone, Surely, then God wouldnot be in our debt, if we could do any thing alone, or that did in it fell oblige him. Secondly, Note ; gal is afore. handwithus, not we withhim. TheLord prevents us, we do not prevent him : That's it which the Lord would then have rob, and now us tounderfland, by this queflïon, Who bathprevented me ? even that himfell bath pre- vented us all, and in all, by his grace and goodnefs, in anygood wehave received or done. Davit waited for this preventing grace (Pfal. 59, so) The godof my mercy físall prevent me, be ¡ball let mefee my defrre upon mineenemies ; he (hall prevent, not only my endeavours, but evenmy delires and wi(hes. Yet what in this Pfalm he txofe(fed an durance of, in another Pfalm (to (hew that our ailurance of mercy mufl not give a (lop to duty) he puts into a prayer (Pfal. 79.;.) 0 remember not againft ses former iniquities, let thy tender mercies fpeedily prevent us, for we are brought very low, The Lord hath preventing mercies for his people, in their low elate. Though we do not prevent the Lord, though we are not before-hand with him by our preparations and prayers, by our repentings and reformings in our low elate, yet he bath mercies ready and prepared for us ; yea, though we come forth to meet the Lord (aswe areadvifed, Amos 4.1 a.) humbling our (elves before him, in prayers and tears, yet this doth nor prevent the Lord, but he prevents us by his grace and favour, helping us to mournand pray. And as the Lord alwayes prevents us by helping us to pray, fo he fometimes prevents us with an anfwer to our prayers, before he helps us to pray Ufa, 6q.14.) It ¡hallcome topais, that before they call Iwill anfwer, and while they areyet (peaking, Iwill hear ; that is, they (hall have an an- fwer to their prayers, before they have made their prayers fo that, when we have made many prayers, and have been long in prayer, much fafling and humbling our felves, yet mercy pre- vents us. Mercy comes ufually,before we arc well fitted for met- alwayesbefore we have merited or deferved ir. But
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