.20 Clap. 2.2. z.tp; Expofition upon floc Book of JOB. Verf by the bloud of Jefus Chrift, and being thus made nigh in our ftate, we draw nighor acquaint our felves with him by feverall ACts. As firft, To thinke or meditate of God,is to acquaint our (elves with and drawnigh to God ; meditation is an inward dif- courfe and convenewith God,it is a Soliloquie betweenGod and the foule ; acquaintance is got by Conference:when friends meet and confer, that doth not oneiy begin, but confirmeaftrengthen, and heighten their acquaintance. Saints have many thoughts of God, and that's their acquaintance with God. How precious are thy thoughts to me, O God 1 ( faith 'David, Pfal. 139. 17.) how great trg the rumme of them! when Iawake I am frill with thee. Howwas David ffil or ever with GodaElewas fo in his thoughts, and meditations, in the aetings &goings forth ofhis foul to him. Now he that is ftill or ever with a perfon, muff needs be acquain- ted with him, lam jitil with thee, a lwayes meditating upon thee. We finde him againe in the fame holy frame ( Pjal. 63. 5, 6. ) iffy foulfhall befatiefiedds with marrow andl'atnefe,&my mouth ¡hall 1,raife thee with joyfoil Eps;while I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. As the Lord is ever thinking upon his people, they are written upon his s heart, and graven upon the palms ofhis hand,and when his outward actings towards them are filch, as may feeme to intimate that his heart is withdrawn from all intimacy with them, yet even then he thinks melt of them. This he acknowledgeth concerning Ephraim (Jer. 3 1. zo.) Since I Sfiakeagainfi him I doe earnef Hy remember him fid.Since 1 fpake againft him, that is, lince fpake againft him by words ofrebuke and corredlion, lince I fpake againft him by rods ofchafiifement and correttion, (as Ephraim found and con- feffed he had Thou dia'fl chafiile me, and Iwas chaflifed) lince I fpake thus againft hinajdo earnefily remember him fill.I remem- ber him,& I remember him ftrongly, my heart is muchupon him. And when the Lord faith thus, we are not to underiand it as a man will remember an Enemy, when he fpeaks againft him; heel rememberhitn indeed, and that carnally to plot mifchief againa him, and toexecute his revenge, but the meaning is, I remem. ber him in mercy, my affections goe out to him, my bowels are moved towards him.Such is the remembrancewhich God had of .Eploraim,evenwhen he was fpeaking againft him & fmiting him. Now as the Lord doth remember his people at a.. times, and car- nally
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