25 b Chap. 9. An Expofition upon the Bookof JOB. lVerf iq., had power to deal with him. Or fecondly, I would not reafon with Godupon my own worth, as if there were any tr iug.in me upon which i were tomake it Out thatGodought not to deal thus withme; and that's clear by the words which follow,Thougb I were ril hteous,yet would Inot anfroer ;that is, I would not at all fpeak with God 'landing upon this bottome, or under the title of my own worthinefs. In either of thefe wayes it is finful to rea- fonwithGod.But we reafon with God in the way of dccla® ration before fpoken of. In prayer there is a reafoningwithGod;andthe reafonmgs arid pleadings that are in prayer, arc the life and ftrength of prayer. Prayer is not onlya bare maniteflation of our mind to God, by fuch a luteor petition;but in prayer there is,or ought to be a holy arguing with God about the matter which we declare,which'is a bringing out andurging ofreafons and motives whereby the Lord may be moved to grant what we pray for. The prayers of the Saints recorded in Scripture are full ofarguments. I 'hall 'hew it in one example, as a tall for the reff ; Jacob in lnís dittrefs at the approach ofhis brother Eface, flees to God in prayer (Gen. 32.) and he doth more then fpeakin prayer,he ar= gues, yea, he wreftles with God in prayer. The fum of it is let down (verf a r .) Deliver me Ipray thee; to the undertaking of this deliverance he urgeth the Lord by no fewer then (even argu-' mcnts. Firil, From Gods Covenant with his Anceitours,0 Godof my father Abraham, &c. As if he had laid, Remember thofe names with whom thou made'l folemn Covenants of protedioia both to them and their pofterity. The fecond is from Gods par- ticular command for his journey, Thou faideft untome, Return; I departed not on my own head, but by thy direction ; and there- fore thou canfl not for thy honour, but free me from danger, fee- ing at thy word I am fallen into it. Thou O Lord, art even en- gaged to give me defence, while I yield thee obedience. Thirdly; He puts him ill mind of his promifes, thou faid'l, I will deal well with thee, and that includes all other promifes made unto him, thefe he n arcs as a bulwark to defend, or as his anchor in the florin. Thisanchor mull fail, and this bulwarkbe broken down before the danger come to me.lf thy promife'land, I cannot fell. The fourth is the coufeflion ofhis ovin unworthinefs. Faith is a!wayes hunb'e, and while we are moiiconfident in Gods word, we are mots dittruftful of our own defrrt, I am not erorthy of the ;e4-
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