Again, Labour to set God Continually before you; ⟨p. 52⟩the greatness of God, the Majesty of God, the power of God, the goodness of God, labour to set these before you, thereby to draw your hearts to seek after your making your peace with God. There is an excellent Scripture in Isa. 27.5. That hath some difficulty for the understanding of it, but it is very sweet if rightly understood. Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me, and he shall make Peace with me: it is a strange kind of Phrase, and I find a great deal of difference amongst Interpreters about this text. I find Mr. Calvin, that usually hits as right as most, carrying of it by way of interrogation, and so he saith you may read it thus. Will he take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me? as if he should have said, what will he do? will he stay so long till he come to be made sensible of my power upon him, and of my strength to bring him down? and then it may be he will make peace with me. Thus many do, they stay till God comes to make them sensible of his power, and of his strength, and then they will make their peace with God. But I can hardly think this to be the scope, only it is a very good meditation to set God before you in his power, & in his strength, & in his glory, and to meditate with your selves thus: O, if the Lord should come now, and make me apprehensive, and sensible of that power, and strength of his, indeed this will stir up my heart to seek to make my peace with him. What is the reason that there comes so many shrieks, and cryings from souls when they are sensible of Gods power, and strength? O! they well know what a mighty God they have to do withal: the truth is the reason why men do not make it their work now to seek Reconciliation and peace with God; it is because they are not apprehensive of the power, and majesty, and glory that is in God, how God is above them, and can bring them under, and make them vile, and base when he pleaseth. Therefore it is a good interpretation of the words, Will he take hold, or apprehend my strength, ⟨p. 53⟩(so the word signifies) that he may make peace with me? But to me, the meaning is rather this, will he rather make use of my goodness, and my mercy, and so make peace with me? For that is the strength that is here meant, and that I shall show you from the dependence;
Again, Labor to set God Continually before you; ⟨p. 52⟩the greatness of God, the Majesty of God, the power of God, the goodness of God, labor to set these before you, thereby to draw your hearts to seek after your making your peace with God. There is an excellent Scripture in Isa. 27.5. That hath some difficulty for the understanding of it, but it is very sweet if rightly understood. Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me, and he shal make Peace with me: it is a strange kind of Phrase, and I find a great deal of difference amongst Interpreters about this text. I find Mr. Calvin, that usually hits as right as most, carrying of it by way of interogation, and so he saith you may read it thus. Wil he take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me? as if he should have said, what wil he do? wil he stay so long till he come to be made sensible of my power upon him, and of my strength to bring him down? and then it may be he wil make peace with me. Thus many do, they stay til God comes to make them sensible of his power, and of his strength, and then they wil make their peace with God. But I can hardly think this to be the scope, only it is a very good meditation to set God before you in his power, & in his strength, & in his glory, and to meditate with your selves thus: O, if the Lord should come now, and make me apprehensive, and sensible of that power, and strength of his, indeed this wil stir up my heart to seek to make my peace with him. What is the reason that there comes so many shreiks, and cryings from souls when they are sensible of Gods power, and strength? O! they well know what a mighty God they have to do withal: the truth is the reason why men do not make it their work now to seek Reconciliation and peace with God; it is because they are not apprehensive of the power, and majesty, and glory that is in God, how God is above them, and can bring them under, and make them vile, and base when he pleaseth. Therefore it is a good interpretation of the words, Wil he take hold, or apprehend my strength, ⟨p. 53⟩(so the word signifies) that he may make peace with me? But to me, the meaning is rather this, wil he rather make use of my goodness, and my mercy, and so make peace with me? For that is the strength that is here meant, and that I shal shew you from the dependance;
