Chap. 22. AnExpofition upon the Books! J O 13. Vert, 21. finde the Lord prefently,though they leekhim earneftly. So that both wayes there is an Ettrangement;fin feparates between God and the foule, not onely judiciallybest naturally. IfGod fhou!d not depart from (inners, or command them todepart from him, yet they wouldof themfeives depart from him. It is not polüble for one,who willingly lives in fin,to live willingly in the pretence ofGod : For as to be caP out of the prefence of God, is the ex treameft punifhment ofwicked men, fo alto is their being in his prefence.The fame thing is both their define & theirpunifhmenc. They are punifhed with a departure fromGod, and they deli: nothing more then to be out ofhis pretence. e4cquaint thy fe1fe now with god. Secondly, Whereas Eliphaz exhorting ?ob to repentance, counfells him to acquaint himfelfewith God. Obferve ; That Repentance is the renewing ofour Communion or acgte tance with god. As fin is a turningfromGod, fo repentance is a returning to God; 'cis a change firft ofour minde, and then ofour way. Im- pwnitency brings the foul into anacquaintance andunholy fami- liarity with Satan ; Repentance brings back the foul into its for- mer acquaintance, and holy familiarity withGod. As the firft converfion (which is from a fateof fin) fo the fecond andevery renewed converfion(wbich is fromour falls into fin)renewes our convene with the moft high. Thirdly, take this generalsobfervation; Agodly man o (as we may fay) one of god! Acgu.tintan,r.r or familiar!. God calleth Abraham his friend; friendfhipcannot be without familiarity, there mutt be acquaintance before there canbe love, iftherefore there be friendfhipand love between God and man, there mule be Acquaintance ; we cannot love either perfons or things, while unknown. But it may bePaid, how can we,who areat fuch a dif#ance,Ac. quaint our felves withGod ? I anfwer, we (who ofour felves area fareoff) are made nigh by 207
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