Word
of God
Man
does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from
the mouth of God
Matthew
4:4
The
Book of Daniel 9:18
18
O my God, incline thine ear and hear: open thine eyes, and behold our
desolations, and the city whereupon thy Name is called: for we do not
present our supplications before thee for our own righteousness, but
for thy great tender mercies.
Brethren:
We do not present our supplications before thee with hope to speed for our righteousness, as if we were worthy to receive thy favour for any good in us, or done by us, or could demand any thing as a debt; we cannot insist upon our own justification, no, though we were more righteous than we are; nay, though we knew nothing amiss of ourselves, yet are we not thereby justified, nor would we answer, but we would make supplication to our Judge. Moses had told Israel long before that, whatever God did for them, it was not for their righteousness. Likewise Ezekiel had of late told them that their return out of Babylon would be not for their sakes. Whenever we come to God for mercy we must lay aside all conceit of, and confidence in, our own righteousness. They take their encouragement in prayer from God only, as knowing that his reasons of mercy are fetched from within himself, and therefore from him we must borrow all our pleas for mercy, and so give honour to him when we are suing for grace and mercy from him.
We do not present our supplications before thee with hope to speed for our righteousness, as if we were worthy to receive thy favour for any good in us, or done by us, or could demand any thing as a debt; we cannot insist upon our own justification, no, though we were more righteous than we are; nay, though we knew nothing amiss of ourselves, yet are we not thereby justified, nor would we answer, but we would make supplication to our Judge. Moses had told Israel long before that, whatever God did for them, it was not for their righteousness. Likewise Ezekiel had of late told them that their return out of Babylon would be not for their sakes. Whenever we come to God for mercy we must lay aside all conceit of, and confidence in, our own righteousness. They take their encouragement in prayer from God only, as knowing that his reasons of mercy are fetched from within himself, and therefore from him we must borrow all our pleas for mercy, and so give honour to him when we are suing for grace and mercy from him.
Not
pleading their good works and righteous actions, and the merits of
them, which had none in them, and were no other than as filthy rags,
and could not recommend them to God, or be used as a plea and
argument to obtain any good thing from him; but throwing themselves
upon the abundant grace and mercy of God in Christ, mercy they
pleaded, and not merit; and made mention of the righteousness of
Christ, and not their own; as all good men, who are truly sensible of
themselves, and of the grace of God, will do.
No comments:
Post a Comment