4+6 Chap. Io. Eln Expofition upon the Book of J O B. prayer upon this argument (Pfal 138.$.) Forfak,ee not the work of sky own hands , all men love their own works, many dote upon them : Shall we think God will forfakehis ? See how the peo.. plc of God plead with God ;in greateft ditireCs (Ifa.i. 64.8.) But .1 ow, 0Lord, thou art our Father, we are the clay, and thou our Pott r, and we all are the work of thinehand, Be not wroth very f re, 0 Lord. Wilt thou be angry with thy work? Lord, be an- trywith the works of wicked men, and deltroy the work of Sa- tan , Do not defiroy thework of thine own hands; thy people are thy work, Haft thou not formed them for thy fell? They will thew forth thypraife. That invitation to prayer (IA, 45. I i. . feems to intimate, that this plea hath a kind of command upon God,Thusfaith the Lord,the holy One of Ifrael,and his maker; Ask me of things to come concerning my funs, and concerning the work of my hands,commandye me: while -ye come to me under that notion,thar thefe are the_work of myhands, I cannot deny you Dobut name this,andit is alawupon me,.yemay have any thing ofme, or do any thing with me,' hile ye (peak for the workof mine hands. Hence when the Prophet-had put the Jews from that plea, they were a loft people, and their care wasdelperate, Thu i1 a people ofno tsnderftanding, therefore bethat made them will not have mercy on them )and be thatformed them willfhery them nofavour(Ifa, 27.1 r.) As ifhe had laid, Ye were wont(I know)to come to God with this motive of mercy, when heafiiiéted you ; Lord, thou didlt make and forni us, therefore have mercy upon us, but this (hall prevail nomore : He that madeyou, will not have mercy on you ; Hethat formed you will Phew you no favour. There is but one argument Ilronger then this among all the Topicks ofprayer, and that never fails, namely, that God bath redeemed us, or that we are his redeemed ones. God bellowed much colt upon us in the work of Creation,and therefore underflat title he canhardly caft us, off, but he bath bellowed .fo much coif upon us in the workof redemption,thathe will never caft us off Further,. the Scripture makes frequent ùfe of this argument to reprers the prideand prefumption of man, and to flop hismouth when he begins tòqueflion, and call God to account about any of his.dealings,. with,. why is it thus ? Or, why am I thus? Thus the Prophet filences the murmurings both of mans heart and tongue (ifa.45.,9,10.) Woe unto him that flrivet h:mith his M.aker:Jhall the ,iayfay to bino thatfaJhioned it, Why haft thou made me thus? And when
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