The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher…The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher…

verse) Then was Abner very wrath for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dogs head, which against Judah doth show kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? So do God to Abner and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so do I to him: to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the Throne of David over Israel. (Mark Here was Self; he would be revenged of him: Indeed, he set God at the Hither-End of the action; but it was Self that was at the Utmost End of the action. And so it is with a wicked man; though he may have God at the Hither-End of his action; yet Himself is at the Utmost End of his action. 'Tis not so with a godly, gracious man; but though Self may be at the Hither-End of his action; God is the Utmost End: and if you ask him, Neighbour, Friend, why do you thus Pray, and Hear, and Read, and Meditate? ⟨p. 11⟩Oh! (says he) that my poor soul may be comforted; for I am one that am of a troubled spirit: Well, but why would you be comforted? I would therefore be comforted, That I might serve God the better. Here his own comfort is at the beginning of the action, but God is at the utmost-end. Take a wicked man, (I say) and though he doth act, and move, and work towards God; yet he wants a supernatural perfection, he is not united to Christ by the Spirit, he does not act, and move towards God as his utmost-end. But now, every godly, gracious man doth, and therefore He, and He alone is the living man, that hath this Spiritual life, that is in this state of life.

verse) Then was Abner very wrath for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dogs head, which against Judah doth shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? So do God to Abner and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so do I to him: to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the Throne of David over Israel. (Mark Here was Self; he would be revenged of him: Indeed, he set God at the Hither-End of the action; but it was Self that was at the Utmost End of the action. And so it is with a wicked man; though he may have God at the Hither-End of his action; yet Himself is at the Utmost End of his action. 'Tis not so with a godly, gracious man; but though Self may be at the Hither-End of his action; God is the Utmost End: and if you ask him, Neighbor, Friend, why do you thus Pray, and Hear, and Reade, and Meditate?