Chap. x 3. AnExpofitionupon the Bookof Jo LaRty, Take two characters of holy met. Fir$, It takes us off from all other dependences. As a man cannot ferve, fo neither can he trust God vid netnemon ; 'As in fpirituals, fo in temporals, while with the Apoille ( Phil. 3. 3. )' "We rejoyce ( which is an efleel of trust ) in God, we have v éonfadence in the fiefh, If God be not trailed alone, he is not trailed at all. Every thing we joinwith him disjoins us from him. He that takes hold of God lets go his hold of all other things : We may ufe the helpof creatures, but we mull trait none but God. He chat (in this fence) will needs be fo wife andprovi- dent as to get two firings to his bow, íhall find, when hecomes t shoot, that he path nat one. If we trust God and man toge- ther, God will not help us, and man cannot. Secondly, Holy trait acts in all eaves and turns : As true oladience refpeas allthe commandmentsJ.* true trill refpeEts allthe difpenfations of God, Trull repofeth uponGod,not only for fome, but for, and in every thing. Sorte fay they trait God for pardon, for heaven, and foreternal life, who do not, or think they need not trait him for the needs of this ,prefent life : For thefe, fame fuppofe they can help themfelves, and others fufpeet God wll not iloop fo tow as to help them. A true Believer de.. pends upon God as much (in proportion to the thing) for a piece ofbread, as for heaven and the Lord (in proportion to the thing) is as careful to provide Believers with thebreadof this life, ashe is to give them the bread and means of eternal /life.. Tnis is trait indeed, when we trait God for all, for temporals As well as for fpirituals, in the least as well as in the greatest mat- ters : Yea, the lets the thing is for which we trait God, the greater is the graceof Craft. As it argues thegreatef degree of holinefs, when we will not offend God by committing the leali fin, and when weare,thankful to him for the least mercy ; fo it Argues a greatdegreeof faith,when we depend upon God(being convinced wehaveneed to do fo) for his good will in receiving the least comfort, and foryhiss{rrength in performing the least duty. Some, when the have a great butnets to undergo, ftir up themfelves to trit God, and fo they ought ; but the fpiritualnefs of truflisfeen, when in the leali butineffes we undergo, and in the leali dutywe go about, we go out of our felves, and go forth in thestrength ofGod : For as it is thevery fame love- of,God that faveth us eternally, and preferveth us tempo® Ver`f, 15 445
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