Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v7

Chap. 22. An Expojition upon the Book of J o B. Verf. 2. I I theffails ; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the godof my faÌvation. As if hehad laid, what ¡fall creature comforts are ta. ken away fromme, I can live upon God alone. The life ofa be- liever is much above the creature, howmuch more is the life of the Creator ? The Apoftle (i Cor. 6. io. ) !peakingof him felfe, faith, as havingnothing, andyet poffeng all things. If Paul by the high arclings of his faith and dependencies upon God could fay he poffffed all things, while he was as having nothing in the creature. Surely God hath all,when he bath nothingofor from the creature ; He may fay in the ftriáeft fenfe, having nothing (of thefe things) andyet poffe ing all things. Lay thefe two obfer. vations together. Firft, Tha the Creature cannot oblige god. Secondly, That Cod is Independent, abfolute, perfeEt Without the creature, and the refult of both will rife up in thefe eight conclu- fions. Fire, this will follow, That wefbouldnot murmur, nor be difcon- tentedwith our Efiate whatfoever it is, why ? we are not profi- table unto God, we have deferved nothing at his hand. Difcon- tent arifeth from Pride, from an opinion that we are not anfwe- red according to our worth ; we fhould never be difcontented, were we convinced that we are altogether worthlef e. Coo bue fit down in this thought that man cannot be profitable unto God in any Rate, and then be difcontented with your ¡late if you can. Secondly, If the Creature cannot be profitable unto God. Then, all that god dothfor man, yea for Angels, proceedeth from hisfree grace. Wegive him nothing afore-hand, nor any thing afterward, therefore it is grace before, and grace after grace in all. We receive grace when we have no grace, and we receive more grace when we have it ; yet by the grace we have we doe not cáe- ferve to receivemore ; Ak: we received the firfi grace, meerty ofgrace, fo we doe the tiro d. No man is afore handwith God ; if any think they are, let them thew their B lis, what they have brought in, and it flail be acknowledged. Rs311. i I. 35. 34. Who hark firJt given, and i fh 11 berecompenced to him again ? For ofhim, and through him, and to himare all things, to whom beglo- ryfor ever,, Amen. Thirdly, If man cannot be profitable unto Gad, then as C z none

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