Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v7

Chap. zz, tln Expofsiion ripen the Rookof JOB. Verf 12. i r t" But if God be every where, why Both Chrìft teach us to pray, Ourfather w ich art in heaven, ( Mat. 6. 13. ) And when the Heathen made that fcofling demand, where is now their God Why,did David Anfwer,. Our God is in heaven, (P :al. t'z 2, 3.) To thole and all ocher Texts of like impost, we may anfwer,heaven is not there fpoken ofas bounding the pretence ofGod, but as guiding the faith and hope of man. In the mor- 'ling (faithDavid,Tfal. 5. 3.) roil/ IdireE my prayer unto thee, and willlo,kup. t\ hen the eye bath no fight of any helpe on earth, then faith may have the cleareft vitions of it in heaven. And while God appeares.fo little in any Gratious difpenfation for.his people onearth, that the enemy begins to fcoffe, Where it nowyour God? Then his people have,recourfe by faith to hea- ven, where the Lord not only, is,but is glorious in his appearings.. From whenceas he teeth how it is with as, fo he feems to have a kindof advantage to relieve us. But as force Scriptures feeme to confine God to heaven fin other Scriptures feem to deny that he is every where on earth. Thus Mofes Paid to the people oflfraell (1 Thumb. 14. 42.) Goa not upfor the Lord is not amengyou. And againe, (Deut. 7. 21:) Th>u¡halt not be affrighted at them, for theLard thy Ged u among you ; with fume the Lord is, with others the Lord is not ; and he is with the fame perlons at one time, not at another ; How then can it be Paid, that the Lord is every whereprefent ? I an- fwer, when Mofes faith ( and many other Texts which fpeake in the fame forme ) that God was fometimes with his people, and fometimes not ; we are not to underhand it at all of a local/ prefence, or abfence, but of a favourable pretence or abfence. Thus God is with foine_perfons, and not with others; thus he is fometime prefent with, fometime abfent from the fame perfon. It was this favourable pretence for which (Motes did fo earnefily encreate the Lord (E,xod. 3 3 . 15,) If thy pretence goe not withus, carry us nofvrtber; That is, unlefTe thou pleafe to be with u=, to profper our way, and protea us in it, let u flay where we are. This pretence of God is a high favour indeed ,a, d God is thus prefent but in fete places ( comparatively) of the whole earth. Once more, thofe Scriptures may feeme to imply that God is,fo in heaven, that he is not alto upon the earth, which fpcak of

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