Chap.: Ait °ExpojtiPnM.tbe Bookof' O B. Verf. i5. and pr is on to thatwhkch.is before:Aid in reference to the wholes grace of juflification, we muft forget sii our fanc`lification. The lets we remember our own righteouCttiefs,the more righteous we are in Chrifl. As we abate inour felves, we encreàfe in him.Ciìritt draws the picture ofan hypocrite to the life ( Luke' iS.) in that parable of a Pharifee and a Publican, going up to the Temple to pray;and the defign of Chrifl in that Parable, is held forth at the ninth verfe,to be theconviction offuch as truited in themfelves that, they were righteous, anddefpifed others. Now what did this Pharifee ?He thanks God'hewas not as other men, extortioners, un- juj, adulterers, or as that Publican, and then he minds;God that he gave tithes, andkept fafts twice a weak, And fo makes a goodly re_ port-of himfelf,.both in the negativeand in the affirmative, what he was, and what he was not. Never did anygood man tell God fetch a flovy.ofhis own life, as this Pharifee told. The Saints love to do well,more then to hear well from others, much more then to hear welláfrotrrthemfelves; they love to do good, more then to receive good much more,then'to fpeak good of themfelves. when Chrif is reprefented fitting in judgement ( Mat. 25.35.) he tells the faithfull of all their good deeds, or as of charity, 1 MIS- an hungred,attdye gave me meat;I was a thirfty,andyegave me drink; /was a ftranger, andye tookme in ; naked, ane ye cloathedme, &c. Hear'how theSaints anlwer,as ifthey had done no fuch thing;tvhen was this Lord whenfate we thee hungry andfed thee ? &c.We have forgot the time. They did fo little mind the good they had done, that they remembred not they ever did it. The Lord keeps a faithful recordofwhat his people doe, but themfelves do nor. Ir is our duty to remember to do good, but let God alone to re- member the good we have done, The Lord is not unrighteous to forget our labour of love (Heb. 6. to) but welofeour righreouff nefs, unlefs we forget it. If we much remember what vve do, God will, remember it butlittle: The fervants'ofGod knowwell enough when they do good ( todo good ignorantly, is a degree ofdoing evil) They know when they do good, and they _know'" what good they do ; but when 'tis- done; 'tis to them as un- known. Hezekiab. (Ifa. 38: 3.) put God in mind of his good deeds,, Lord (faith he) remember how tl walked before thee troth an uprigt7t heart, &c.Hezekiah defired,theLord to remember his uprirhtnefl. So Nehemiah in divers paffages ofthat book(Ch.13.14.22.29.3 r,) Mm puts.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=