Secondly, He leans upon his duties. Could we suppose true grace leaned on, that could not stand. Nothing is a sufficient strength for us to stay upon, but the free grace of God, and Jesus Christ: Lean to these houses, for they will stand for ever. Of all other houses you shall say as Adam did of his wife,1 Gen. 3.12. (and it is the word here used in the Text) The woman which thou gavest to be with me, to stay by me, to be a helper and a support to me, this woman hath given me, and I did eat, she hath been the cause of my ruin. The same will be said of all the gifts, and duties and graces, which we stand upon. God hath given them us, and he hath given them us as meet helpers, but they will deceive and ruin us, if we lean on them. We shall fall by them, if we hope to stand by them (Psal. 23.4.) Thou art with me in trouble (saith David) therefore I shall not fall; it is this word, Thou standest with me. Christ will stand by us at all times, Thou standest with me, or by me: When the world faileth, and when gifts fail, and when duties fail, yea, when graces fail, in degree and activity, then Jesus Christ, and free grace will stand by us, Isa. 26.7. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. Christ is the only lean-to.
Secondly, He leans upon his duties. Could we suppose true grace leaned on, that could not stand. Nothing is a sufficient strength for us to stay upon, but the free grace of God, and Jesus Christ: Lean to these houses, for they will stand for ever. Of all other houses you shall say as Adam did of his wife,1 Gen. 3.12. (and it is the word here used in the Text) The woman which thou gavest to be with me, to stay by me, to be a helper and a support to me, this woman hath given me, and I did eat, she hath been the cause of my ruine. The same will be said of all the gifts, and duties and graces, which we stand upon. God hath given them us, and he hath given them us as meet helpers, but they will deceive and ruine us, if we lean on them. We shall fall by them, if we hope to stand by them (Psal. 23.4.) Thou art with me in trouble (saith David) therefore I shall not fall; it is this word, Thou standest with me. Christ will stand by us at all times, Thou standest with me, or by me: When the world faileth, and when gifts fail, and when duties fail, yea, when graces fail, in degree and activity, then Jesus Christ, and free grace will stand by us, Isa. 26.7. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose minde is staied on thee. Christ is the only lean-to.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew] Deducitur à Gnamad, mulier quam dedisti mihi, ut adstaret, juvaret, essetque vicarium auxilium, ipsa author hujus mali exstitit. Fagius in loc. [Greek or Hebrew] Quafi apud me stans.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Deducitur à Gnamad, mulier quam dedisti mihi, ut adstaret, juvaret, essetque vicarium auxilium, ipsa author hujus mali exstitit. Fagius in loc. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Quafi apud me stans.
