Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v11

46 Chap. 35. eA Expofitionupon the Boob of Jos. Verf.7. wonderful goodneffe towards us, in that he is pleated to make fo great an account of, and let fuck flore by our fervices and righ- teoufneffe, even ofany, the leaf+ goodwe do in uprighrneffe. Is it not a ungular comfort that the Lord puts fo much worth upon what we do, though what we do be ofno worth to him ? and that God (hould bind himfelf to us, when he is not at all beholding to us ? The Lord doch not fay, what do yougive me ? or, what do I receive at your hands ? thereby to put a flight upon our perfor- mances and fervices ; "'tis far from theLord, that becaufe he bath no need of us, therefore tocontemnus ; no, he declares a great acceptance of any, the lean faithful! fervice tohimfelf, or toour brethren, which we do at his command. Though, Ihould we firetch our endeavours, and f }rain our wits to the utmoff, to do him good we cannot, yet he doth not undervalue what we do, but takes what is well done, well at our hands, and puts all our good deeds into his Book of Remembrance, and we (hall one way or other hear of them again toour comfort. Hence, Thirdly, We may inferre, How good isGod, who highly rewards as for thegoodwe do, though it do him no good! Man will {carte thank aman for any good that he doch, unleffe it redound Come- what to himfelf, much leffe will he pay or reward another for that fervicewhich Bands him in little, or no {Bead. Ifman make á bar- gainwith a man , he comes hardly off with him, if he gets no benefit by it : feeing then the Lord rewards us for thole fervices by which he gets no good at all, how wonderfully doch this de- clare his goodneffe ! Fourthly, How doth the goodneffe of God appear ; feeing though we can adde nothing to his glory, yet if we do good and righteous things, he tells us that we glorifie him, which is the highefl commendation imaginable of what we do.'Tis the Com- mand of Chrifi (Mat. S. a6.) Let your light foChine before men, that they feeingyour good work.!, may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven, The Apoflles Caution is, whatfoeveryedo, do all to thegloryofGod , I Co-. to. 3 I. Now though ( according to this and the other charge) we, in all we do, fincerely aime at the holding forth andmanifer`fing of that glory and geodnefs that is in God, yet he receives no encreafe of glory ; is it not therefore wonderful goodneffe ,that he is pleated to fay, we glorifie him ? '(which is the highefl attainment of the Creature, and the noble(+ i::.prove-

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