An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

Secondly, Boldness in pleading with, and complaining against God, when he doth what likes not us, arises from thoughts that we are like him. None would quarrel what God doth in cutting out and proportioning their own estates to them: or in casting down the humble and meek; in exalting the proud and vile, if they did fully believe God had as much right and reason as they see he hath power to do what he doth. Man draws God into his own compass, and then wonders to find him work so out of compass. If I were as God, saith one, I would do thus and thus; surely, God is as I am, he hath such thoughts as I have, saith another, then why doth he thus? Till we have fully studied this point, That God is not as we are, we shall never rest fully satisfied in what God doth, if he doth what we would not.

Secondly, Boldnesse in pleading with, and complaining against God, when he doth what likes not us, arises from thoughts that we are like him. None would quarrell what God doth in cutting out and proportioning their own estates to them: or in casting down the humble and meek; in exalting the proud and vile, if they did fully believe God had as much right and reason as they see he hath power to doe what he doth. Man draws God into his own compasse, and then wonders to finde him work so out of compasse. If I were as God, saith one, I would doe thus and thus; surely, God is as I am, he hath such thoughts as I have, saith another, then why doth he thus? Till we have fully studied this point, That God is not as we are, we shall never rest fully satisfied in what God doth, if he doth what we would not.

Thirdly, Unbelief springs from the same muddy fountain: unbelief of the power of God to deliver us, when we are in outward straits and dangers; and unbelief of the mercy of God to pardon us, when we are in spiritual straits and desertions. What's the reason why, when great dangers encompass us, we cannot believe deliverance? Do we not make God like to our selves? Do we not shorten his hand to our own measure, and think it cannot be done, because men cannot do it? And for mercy about the pardon of sin; man being awakened sees how he hath provoked God, sin stares upon his face, and he finds out many aggravations upon his sin: then he begins to collect thus, certainly if a man had so provoked his neighbour, he could never pardon or forgive him; Can then such sins as these be forgiven by God? Mans mercy cannot reach so high as this, therefore surely the mercies of God will not. We have a very gracious promise, backed with a caution to prevent these jealousies (