Chap. 8. 15(n Expoftion upon the Book. o fj 4 B. VerC. 5. 3 I loathed fo much by God;that his real emptincfs fhall never lled. When Jacob held God fo fait that he "tivouid not let him go'with. out a bleflîng,he had quite let go all hold,yea,or opinionofhis wo.r- thinefs to receive a blefling,l am lefs then the haft of all thy mercies, (Gen. 32. io.) Then we are fit to receive great things from God, when we are little, and then fitted, when vi-re are lealt in our own eyes.Yeá,we muff fupplicate God, not onlyas a beggar; but as a traitor or a rebel doth a King : who bath not otrly 'nothing in him rocommcnd'him to his aceeptance,or,pìocure-his favour,but much to provoke his wrath,andincur the wLight ofhis difpleafure.Eve- ry fin in it felfrenders us rebels agaitik God.And thou h his own people, coming unto hiri. in Chrilf, are under another notion,they are his Cons,. yet, even they ought to have fuck a rehenfions of themfelves for lin, Abraham beleived in him that úptifi"eth the ten- godj';Rom.4. 5. Even Abraham, after he wa3 juftiiied in the fight ofGod through faith,looked upon himfelfas uugodly,in reference to his Own works. In all our approaches to God, we fhould re- upon our felves,not only as having many wanv,and no wor- thinefs, but as having many fins, and (of our' own) no good- nef God (in juftice) vi[îts iniquity upon them that hate him, (Exod. 20. 6.)A'nd he fheweth mercy unto th.:ufünds of them that love him, and'k ep hrr Ctominandme4ts ; they who love, God and keep 'his Commandthents, receive "all frommercy.julfice punifheth thole whobreak the Commandment, but mercy Both them good whokeep the Commandments. We have at .any timer en ugh to Merit thewrath ofGod; but we neuer have goodnef's ,enough to me- t hidfavour. And as noob;eCfion from our fìnfulnefs can obftruc`i the wayoffree -grace frommoving towards us : fo no argument from our hounds can open the way, for free-grace to move to- wards us. In all our dutyes we are,to lye in the duff, yea, we are, to lay our duties in the duff, and to feek all ofGod in humble fop_ plications. .Confider this verfe in connexion with the former, and then twopointsare obfcrvablefrom it. Bildadaffuring job,that though'" his Ions had fallen by their fin, yet, if himfelf would Peek unto God, and make his fupplication,it mightbe well with him, teach,' cthus, pirf,That thefalls ofothers, whether intofinor under judgement forfinfbouldbe warning to us. Thou feet} what is become of thyEons :let them be as a lóoking- glafs
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