Jacobs thankfulness to God, for Gods goodness to Jacob A meditation on Genesis 32.…Iacobs thankfulnesse to God, for Gods goodnesse to Iacob A meditation on Genesis 32.…

(or he may choose whether he will do or no.) But yet when he hath promised once to do it, he cannot now but do it, though not simply and absolutely, yet in respect of his promise. ⟨p. 83⟩Hence is that that Augustine, and ⁿothers after him, so oft have. ^oGod, saith he, albeit he be debtor to none, yet hath he made himself a debtor to us. But how? Not by receipt, but by promise. Not by receiving of ought from us; but by promising what he pleased and thought good himself unto us. In regard whereof very pithily and piously saith Bernard, ^pMy Judges will (or good will) is my right. What can be righter? What can be richer? What righter for merit? What richer for recompense? Now ^qit is one thing to say to one, You owe me this or that, because I have bestowed somewhat upon you, or have done this or that for you, and have thereby deserved it: and another thing to say, You owe me this or that, because you promised to bestow it on me. In the one, the ground of the debt ariseth from the work or deed and desert of the party that claimeth it: in the other, from the word and promise of him, of whom it is claimed, ⟨p. 84⟩^rIn the former sense, saith Augustine, can no man claim ought of God: because no man can by any such means tie or engage God to himself. But in the latter sense some may, in regard of his promise past to them, by which, though free otherwise, ^she hath bound himself to do for them, to the performance whereof, his truth and his justice do now tie him. By virtue of which truth and justice Gods Saint• oft require that of God, which in justice otherwise they durst not, nor could claim or challenge at his hands as of due debt or of desert.