Chap. 9; An Expofition upon the Book of J O B. Verf, 32. and let bum return undo the Lord, and be will have mercy uponhire, and to ourGod, for he will abundantly pardon. Now as when God calls upon man to obey his will, and do his Commandments, ha is ipt to fay, at leali in his heart, the duties are too many, and the burdens too great to be born : So when the Lord calleth upon wicked men , the woril of wicked men, to repent or turn unto and he will abundantly pardon, or he will multiply to par- don ( os it is in the ortginA ) they are ready to object, What i Pardon fuch as we are ? Weare too filthy and vile for wathing. Surely, he will not pardon us. Thefe mercies are too many for us, and thefe favours too great for us to receive. Well ( faith God ) I preconceive your conceits of me, yeare meafuring me by your felves, ye think it cannot be done, becaufe ye cannot do it; your heartsare too narrow to pats by fó many, fo great provocations, therefore ye fay; mine is too narrow alto. Do ye thus meafureme theLord, O fooiifh people and unwife ? I would have youknow, My thoughts are not your thoughts, nei- ther are your wayes my wayes, for as the heavens are higher then the earth, Jo are my wayes higher thenyour wayes andmy thoughts then your'tboughts, Verf. 8,9.. As if he had laid, Your thoughts are as much below my mercy, as your wayes were below my holinefo. Ceafe then from doubting what I have promifed, as I would have you ceak from doing what I have forbidden. Your unbe- lief that I will not pardon your fin, difhanours me as muchas your difobedience did in committing fin, Till we believe God is holy above us, we fear not to fin ; and till we believe God is merciful above us, we cannot believe he will pardonour fin. Thus we fee how the lifting úp of our felves in our thoughts to an equality, or to force firnilitude with God, or the drawing down of God to anequality,or force frmilitude with our felves, is the ground and caufe of all our unequal carnage towards God, of our boldnefs in finning,of our boldnefs in pleading with, and complaining againil him, of our ex reme unbelief in the point of deliverance from troubles, or of the pardon of our fins. Second- ly, Obferve, There is nocomparifon betweenGod andman. He is not a manas Iam. Man is lire xo man, faceanfwers face; and heart anfwers heart, ftrength aníwers thength, and wit an- fwers wit. Sodotnonconcludes chis Eccief, 6. ao j That which C lead* 379
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