700 Chap. 41. Expofìtìon upon the Rook, of J o B. Verf.x t But faith not David (Pfal. 88. I ;.) Vnto thee have Icryed, OLord, and in the morning (hall my prayer prevent thee. Here David feemed tobe afore-hand wich God. Who bathprevented me? faith God; yet David laid, My prayerfhall prevent thee. Themeaning is onlychis, That David would pray very early and very earnefily, or that David would watch unto prayer, and fo, if poffìble, even prevent God ; not that his prayers did indeed prevent God, but he was refolved to fet fo hard to, and lit fo dole at the duty of prayer, that if fuch a thing could be, he would even prevent him, he would, as we may fay, take God before he was awake, as the Pfalmif fpake elfewhere, Arife, p God, why fleepeft thou ? Their prayer may be faid to prevent God, who pray early and earnefily, according to that of David (Pfal. 5. 3.) My voice Malt thou hear in the morning, QLord, in the morning will dirctt myprayer unto thee, and will lookup. And a- gain (Pfal. 119. 140.) (Mine eyesprevent the night watcher. He was at it very early, he fought the Lord very diligently. That's all we are to underl and by fuch expreff;ons ; for the Lord is then afore-hand withwin mercies, when we are moll early and molt infant in our duties. The Lord, who is the beginningand theend, and whoknowsthe endof all things from the beginning , of- tengives us our end, or what we aimed at inprayer, before we begin. Thirdly, Note ; C1odis ftlf-frsjficient, be can do his whole work alone. Take it in the inf}ance of the Text, he needs no help to create Leviathan, nor needs he the help of any creature to defiroy Le- viathan ; what he made without help, he can (as I may fay) un- make without help. The Lord, who is all- fufficient to do any work, or bring what he pleafeth to pafs for us, is alto Pelf-fuffici- cor, orable todo any work,or what he pleafeth, for himfelf, that is, to pleafe hitnfelf. It is a great honour to God that he can command what he will, and whomhe will, to help him in anyof his works; but it is a far greater honour to the great God, that he needs not any help to do or bring about any of his works. When theApofile had laid , Yt'ho bathgiven to him ? and tt/hag be recompenced unto him again ? (Rom. II. 35.) He prefently gives this reafon (which is the point in hand) ver. 36.) "r
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