2.32 Chap. 22. AOExpofition upon theBook of JOB. Verf. z . ver after it recoverout of thine afflieted, thy ruinous condition, and thereforePurely thou didft never by it recover out ofthy fin. . full condition, or from thy fins, But now, I promife thee, if thou =return to the Allenighty, thou fhalt be built. Hence note. That, Truerepentance is afull, ahome returning to god. Much ofthe progreffeofa Chriftian is to got backward,back. Ward (I meane) from thofe fnsand evills towhich he bath (by temptation)been carried forth ; nor (having finned)can any man goe forward till he return to God. We read inScripture,ofGod returning to us, as well as of our returning unto God, in both there is repentance ; when God returnes tous, he repentsofthe evill ofpunifhment, that hebath brought uponus; and when we returne to God, we repent of the evill offin which we have com- mittedagainft him : onely be lure (as the points dire is ) thatye returnehome to God. The Prophet found Ifraels repentant de- fectivein this (Hof. 7. 16.) They returne (that is, they make a Thewof-repentance) but not to the m(J1 high. There is a repentance which brings the Ion] never the reerer untoGod. A nd that's a repentance (as we fpeake) never the were, or to no' purpofe. Thus another Prophet their falling (Zech. 7. 5.) When ye fafled andmourned in the,fifth andfeaventh month, even shore fe- ventyyeares, didyeat allfafi untome, even to me f Ob.ferve hcw he doubles it upon that point,as ifthe whole emphafis of repen- tance lay upon thatpoint ; To me, even to me. As David in con- felling ofhis fin (Pf. 5 t . 4.) eAgainjl tbee,thee,thee only have I finned, &c. Many fart, but not at all to God, they return, but not at all to God. They fail to themfelves, and return to themfelves, that is, their own intereft, not the honour ofGod is the motive and end of their farting and repenting. And hence the Prophet is plaine and downright with Ifrael in this cafe (Per. 4.1 .) Ifthote milt returne, O Ifrael, faith theLord, returne untome; as ifIfrael had ufed to returne, but alwayes fhort of God, or not to God, Ifrael made Tome flop inthe worke ofrepentance before hecame at God. Now then (faith the Lord by his Prophet) o Ifrael, if thou wilt returne, return to me. Ifthou haft any further purpofe to returne, be perfws ded to return to fome purpofe. Let nut thy re- pentance be any longer, ft./Lb as is to be repented of. All our re- turnings are but wanderings, unleffe we returne to God. But
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