Chap. 22. An Expefîsien upen the Book of J OB. Verf. 2I,. 21 evills and burdens removed, is to acquaint our (elves with God, becaufe we cannot choofe,or becaufe wecannot be without him, not becaufe we have chofenhim, or delire to be with him. .As there is a patience, fo there is an acquaintance perforce. Though God Both not refufe acquaintance with many poore ioules,when their necetlitics drive them to him, yet it is belt co acquaint our felves with him for the love we bear to him,or the delire we have to enjoy him. rather then ( thoughwe all have need ofhim, and are bound tocome to him becaufe we have) for the nerd we have ofhim.And therefore,fecondíy,there is an acquaintance with God from pure love.As when we come to a friend, having nothing to do but to fee him, and to renew or ítrengthen our acquaintance with hirn.We do not come to load himwith our cares, or advife with him, about our bufincffes or delire a curteliie of him, but, meetly & purely to thew our love to him. Theo to come toGod when we are not prett with feares, nor pincht with wants, nor clouded with doubts,nor vexed with troubles,is the moti noble& ingenuous wayofacquaintingour felves with him. Whenwe (as it were) make a Journey toGod,having nothing to do with him, but to vilithim& to delire further communion with him,nothing to do with him but to beholdhis excellency & his glory,nothing to do with him, but to teil himwhat our hearts are towards him, how we love him, bowwe depend upon him, how we dc fire to pleafe him,and to commit our ways to him,to acquaint God with thole things wch only concern our holywalking with him, this is to_feek pure acquaintance with him.TheLord faithof e"Ibraham hisacquaintent or friend (Gen. t8.17.)SballI hidefrom .rbra- ham the thing that I ant to doe ? I thou;d not deale with him as with my friend, ifI did fo.A friend who is as our own foul (Deut. 13.6.) thouldknow all that is in our fouls.Nowas God(whether we will or no) is acquainted with all that is in our fouls;So a foul acquainted withGod,will let him know all;fhall-1hide fromGod the thing that I am about to doe ? (hall I not tell him how it is with me ? Toacquaint our felves thus with God is.a fWeete and precious duty. Much might be faid about it ; I (hall onely adde there two things;Firft,Thatall our acquaintance with God mutt be had through the mediator; There is no getting neer theFa- ther but by the Son. Secondly, Thatthe morewe are acquainted with God, the more we are transformed into his líkeneffe.Some E e 2. have
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