Chap+Sed: 11. liZll1iti: 111ft!) 3IDC1JfiS'. Book II. 6) 1 • for grace<\ confiJ. r, rb·cy will not j<>flifie, they cannot Cave, why then art thou proud of chy own n,•'H<ool ;~efs ) thofe who have had more eo !hew then thy [elf, have rhro>vn away all, ~nJ ;;•)ne 1'be:;~ing eo J:fus Clyiil. R•:ad Pau1 I Inventory, though I might lut·c c<w'i·lw ci;r tbe ftc.fh if any m'~ thinkph that he btb whereof be mi,ht trst/1 in tbe jlc(h, T""'"'' Cirwmcijid tbe cigbrh d,'.Y, ofthc ftock_oflfrael, ofthe 7 ribeof Benjamin, an fi"'cbrcrr nf tbe Hchcr:u, aJ toucbin7, the Law aPbariftc, cfjnceril'· Phi.I.3.4,S>6, i11g ze~ll perfEcutint, tbe ClmrciJ, touchiiiJ!. the rif!../.ll~'oufne,'J wbicb is in the Law blamelefi; 7.8. and wh,tt of all ehis) Why, all thi>was nothing, wbat tbiugi were t'in tome, thrfe I counted /nji for Cbliif, )V dmbtlcji, and l e<ullt all thi11.~.r bur foji, for the excellency oftbek_•owlcJgiofChrijl jcfiu my Lord, forwbom lbave fitjfmd the lnfi . of aU ~hint/> a11tl do cormt tbtmM dun.~ tbdt [ nuy rriil Chrijl, a11d bef ound in bim, 1101 havmg my V. 9· orv11 rij(bteott[mji, r;bicl; is oftbc L•n-, bw thal wbicbinhtoltt,hthefaitb•fChrijl, the ri%htmtji1([! rvhicb if nf G,.J bv f'-'i:h. l am nor ag,1inil graces, and gracious aCl:ings, but 1am again(! pride in them, or trttiling eo them; Certainly grace will never thrive thi;; Wdy. 0111! obfetV(..F, tbJt J.~uu /.,,we a lrmJ!. timr been Projl(Jors, andyet cnmebztt to a little GurnAil in his gr~,wtb inluvt taG.Jd, bwniliry, bea-;;edymi,tclcdmfi, mortificatim; and tis rvortb tbe dig Chriftian war.. giilg, t :1 fte wb.:tt liu at tbe r.nt of tbdr pr.{t'}j.mt r:rbetbcr tbcre be not a legal principle fare. tlut b1th t!JO much Jlltr! :hem·, didtlnJ' ifOt tbi11~t:J c..1ny :rlt !~'itb Godfrom tbtir dutieJ,fervi.· ccs, graccs, t:r j,Y.t.cir~su allings? Aids ! tbiJir af fo mucb deuti e:rrtb, which mtt]f be tbrown out, and Gr{pct priucipt~·s be l.1id in tb.: room tiJercof. Mcth inks lam in this taken with the Author ,and thctCfore hcarkeu to his odvicc, rry but ·this courfe, and fee whether the Spring ofthy grace will not come on ap>ce. ])avid g,ivcs an account how he came ro {laud and llou1 i(h. '-'hen fu>ne rha c were rich •nJ mig~tty, on a fuddea withered, and came to nothing; Lu this iJ the m.:m tb,lt made not Grd hiJjfi'engtb, bttt trujltJ in the [; 1 , qb:mdJitCC tf l;ir ricbct, but' I ;m li~c agtem Olive tree intbe bouji of God, I trujl in r a •1 2 ' 7 • 8 • the mercyof Godf r eve' a11d cvtr. Whik1l or he rs trull in the riches of their rightecuf:-:ds, and G:rvices, at,d mJlie nor Chrilt their ftreng,th, do thou re-nounce -.ll,and truft e11ly in themercy oi God in Chrii\, and then Onlt tholl be like agreen Olive tree in the houfc o! God. 3· For privilcdg", fuch as fpirituJ! comfnrts, fenfc of p1rdon, manifeilations of Gods love, '&c· coufi·ltr, thefe were given (ifever they were given) to humble thee, 3nd r.ot ro m1ke thee proud. le is true, that in the bdl of S1inrs, there remaines fu<h drc~sof corrupti>lll unpurged, thlt the devil often makes chefe priviledges an occalion ,of pride; and iudced, the Lord lets ns fee our pronenefs to this fin, by rhe thort il•y he u:iully m1kes w!.en he comes in with any fuch difcoveries : A fhort en– terview of heaven now and then chcar; up a Chrillian, who had he but acon(lant lhioc, he would forget himfelt; and grow coo wanton: Was not P,ml in danger of pride from his !bore rapture? but rhcrelore it was but Chore, and God g,ave him~ prick in the 1\dh to keep him down : If ever comfort abounds, and God dandles thee on the knee ofhis low, CJke heed then of this fin ofpride ; it is Gods meaning by this rochcar theta littlt, b<.~r rhcn to humb!c rhec, and not ta pulfthee up: As when he gave M•nwa to Ifrael in rhc Wildcn;ds, it wa. not to (well them, but co humble rhem, "'"" {tdtbtt int!Je wi!tlerncfirvitb Ma1111.1 rrhicb tby fathers k,_ncw not,tbat D 8 6 he mightbumble thee: So whtn God gives out hi• fpiritual comforts, his end is, cut, ·• • and his meani"t; is to hnml>lc thee; how, cm tine be> why, if not in the gift, yet in the manrer ol his giving tr, thou tmy'il fee it: (f the 1{>-aeliw could not le:: any' thingin tbe Ma•nato humble them, for it was nor mean food, but delicious food, called Angt/1 (Odd, yet in the manner of difpenfing it from hand eo mouch, in giving thetn every.by their portion, and no more, in keeping the key of their Cup-board Pfal-78·•3· (as cnc fpeaku) and making them eo {land eo his immed iate allowance, in this I~)' lllighc kno<~ thu _his p'Jrp,>fc was to humble them ; thy priviledges -are preC10<i> and u re d11n:s; 1t may 1x thou arc weak tn grace, or thou art in the beginning c_fa ocw and Chrilti~tl courle and ktl thou hi'" iu the way, the Lord is pleafed femeumu toraketht< up m h,;a~ms, aud eo give thee the kiffes of his mouth, but prefen~ly belt~~ thee do~n ."f.·lllt, aud makes thee feel thy feet in the ordinary way of duu:-s an<i h!s v<rychcr!!l"'!fl I he. ts to humble thee : Daft _thou not lee thy weaknds, byhtl canywgoh~e~ •ninsann>'Weak children arc oltnerti! the mothers lap, then thofe thll~rdiroog,>ud IllS but J wh.le, a very little while,ct;ac he thus deales with thee. Oh cllfiJ take hwl ot pridt!ldi ht ftn.,! thee a prick in the ftc[h co let thee blood,or a devil out ofbcll !U blffccrbce li>undly for thy prici·c; if he thu1 dealt with P.wl, how much more may be lh~Bdcal wirh <~cc> Oh contider ofchi1! 'K · SECT,
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