Chap. I t . eAni Expofation upon the Rook, of JO B. Verf. 13. i ot nefle of our bodies arife from the unpreparedneffe ofour hearts. The heart carries the whole man with ir, ifonce that be ready, all is ready. Fourthly, Obferve , Codwill not doe us good, until we arefit to receive -good. Grace is free , yet grace prepares us for grace. As the meer fa- your ofGod beftows the firft grace upon us, fo the exercife of grace fits us for further favour. If thouprepare thine heart , then, &c. In all the publike reformations recorded in Scripture, God calls his people to fet their hearts right (a Sam.7.3.) Put away . the f rangegods and .Ajhtaroth from among you', andprepare your hearts unto the Lord. The want: of this is complained of , as the caufe of all their wants. Hence the Prophet prayeth (Pfal.78.8.) that they might not be as their fathers . 4 flubborn and rebellious generation, Ageneration that fee not their hearts aright. While our hearts are not right with God, no marvel if things go wrong . with us. All the unevennefre of our lives , whether in what we do, or in what we enjoy, arifeth from the unevenneffe of our hearts. How can they expecì to receive good,whoare totallyunfit to do good?The lips ofthe wife difperfe loowledge,but the heart of the fooli(h (doth) notfo; or(nearer the original)is not right, Prov.I 5.7. This later tranflationexpounds the former, for the reafon, why he cannot do fo,is,becaufe his heart is not right,The lips ofthe wife di- fperfe knowledge, they fcatter or low the good feed ofknowledge but the heart of a fool is not right,therefore he cannot do fo,& be- caufe his heart is fo unprepared to do good, he receives no good. This Was the flop,or gave cheek to that good work of reformation 2Chr.zo.33 mush was done,Howbeit the high -places were not ta1Zn away, why what hindered ? Thepeople hadnot asyet prepared their hearts unto the godof theirfathers, they were not ready for God. And that may be the very reafon , why at this time wego on fo (lowly in duty,and why our mercies come on fo Ilowly;we are not yet prepared for the God of our fathers; (Mr pride, our envyings, our worldlines, and creature interefis, are fo great, & flick fo dole to us that we areiunfit for thework God calls for at our hands, and for the mercy which we are waiting for at the handof God. Fifthly, How is it that Zophar faith, If thouprepare thine heart? he puts the work upon Yob.. Who is able to prepare his own heart ? We may as well create a world, as convert our felves. We may as foonbe our ownS4vionrs, as our ownpreparers. It-
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