Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v4

Chap.z 3. n`Expofation upon the Book of Joe. Verf. i 5. Wecan 'fever milt God too much, becaufe as he is God, all our trait is but due to him. And we cannot trult creatures too little, becauft they are but creatures, and fono truft is due to them. There is a trust of charity or civility due to man ; it is not good to be alwayes jealous one of another ; butthough there may be a tract of charity, yet theremalt not be a truft of confi- dence upon any creature. Someealoufies of man are againp the rule of love toman, but all troef in man isagain,jl the lawofduty to God. Now, as it is a duty to truf't in God,fo if we look upon God, we have the greateft encouragements; if upon our felves, the greaten caufe to truft him. Firtt, Confider the Being and Efence of God, and there's e- nough to drawout truft. His Being is in and from himfelf. It is befi to dependuponhim who i-c abfolutely independent. Secondly, Confider theexcellency of his Being. Yob faid to his friends a little before, Doth not his excellency make youafraid ? I may fay here as truly, Dothnot his excellency make you confide, . or trufl ? The power, the wifdom, the goodnefs, the mercy, the faithfulnefs, the truth, the unchangeablenefs of God, thefe, all thefe 'excellencies of his Being, call uponus toquit in him. Who wouldnot trait in him that bath all, and is All ? Whowould not mitt in him that can do whatfoever he pleafeth, and will do whatfoever he bath promifed ? Thirdly, Confider him in his relations to us : He is our Crea- tor, that's the groundof--trua given by the Apoltle, Let us com mit our felves untohim in well doing as unto a faithful Creator. He that madeus will furely takecareof us : Wemay well give upour felves and our all unto him who gave us our felves, and our all. And if creation affure is of prefervation, then redem- ption affures us of it much more. God was at fo much colt in making of us, that he will certainly take care of us ; but hehath been at much morecolt in redeeming us, and therefore he will much more take care of us, upon the account of that relation. He hath been at too much charge with us, to lay us alide and throwus by. Again, He is a Father; earthly fathers lay up and provide for their children, and fhall not our heavenly Father? All the relations wherein we ftand to God are grounds ofour truf uponhim, and engagements of hisafiiftance to, andprovi- deuce over us. . Fourthly, Theoperations and workings of God call for this truil

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