Chap. 22. ifn Expofition upon the Book of J ó a. Verf. 2. 7 charge, therefore they are obliged to their Lord, not their Lord to them he is indeed profit <ahl; unto them,but they are not pro- fitable unto him : They by their floath and idleneffe might de- ferve to be fent fupperleffe and hungry to bed, but by all their pains and diligence they could not deterve their Supper ; Can a man be profitable unto God ? Secondly, Obfirve, Twit God is abfolstely Independent and perreil in himfelfe. If there be any impoilibility that man fhould be profitable un- to God, then he is Selffufficien, and altogether Independent, in reference toman : He that cannot receive anyaddition is perfe& in himfelfe,and he that is Pelf.Iufñcient, needs not : to receive any addition from another, is an argument of imperfection. And fetingGod neither receives, nor can receive any thing from ano- ther, he muff needs be perfe t inhimfelfe. David (Pfal. io. 2.) fpeaking ofhimfelfe (as the type ofChrift) faith, O my fettle, thou haftfaid unto the Lord, thouart my Lord ( that is, thou art my Portion and my All) but my goodneffe extendetb not to thee, I amnot able todoe anygood which reacheth to thy benefit, or encreafeth thy happineffe, for thou art mine, In the 5oth Pfalme the Lord afferts thishis own independency ; IfIwere hungry, I wouldnot tellthee, for the world is mine and thefulneffe thereof. If I had any hunger ( that is, any defect upon me) I need not goe- to the creature tó ask a fupply, I could' fupply my felfe if there were anyneed, but ther's none : TheLord he is infinitely above all hunger, above all wants and defects whatfoever. He indeed threatens Idolaters, that hewill famifh all their gods (Zeph. 2. I I. ) Idols Nil be hungry, they (hall be famifht, and have none to adminifter any thing to them. This theLord cloth, when he withdraws their refpei and worfhip, that name. and reputation which once they had in the world from them worfhip is the food ofIdols, that keeps l veieffe Idols(as it were) alive, and therefore falfe gods are farnA d, when their falfe worfhip is cats down; but who can famifh the Lord ? IfI were hungry, &c. I would not tell you.; Can man be profitable unto god ? But it maybe objected ; Cannot a man be profitable to God ? is man noadvantage, no helpe to him ? why then ( ?udg. 5. 23.) Sings Deborah, Curfele Meroz, faid the e4ngell of the Lord, saute 1
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