'Dire8ions for a. Jvell grou11ded Fait/1. will beVj(d as hU, as well as your felves~ f'or no m~n can have any good thing that is more hit On-n, than be i1 hU own himfelf. ~· 4· 2. Prvpriety difcerned doth endear m in affeliion to our Owner. As we loveour Own Children fo they JrJ:Jt their Own Father!. Our very Dog.1 1ove their Own Mallers better than another. Whe~ we can fay with 1hJmMJ My Lt)rd and nry God, it wiH certainly be the voice of Love. GodsCom. mon Propriety in us as his Created and Ra11[omed ones-, obligcth us to Love him with all our heart: But the knowledge of his peculiJr propriety by Regenerati~n, will more eifed:ually command our Love. , Deomm pco9· 5· 3• GodJ Propriety perceived, will help to fatisfie us of his Lfll!t and Care of us;, and wi!Lhelp v1dentis ~l:m- us to Trujt him in every danger ; and fO take offour inordinate fear and anxtetics) and caring fOr our ~~r~;GJ;~~'; fdve~. The A~ofilc proveth Chrift~ Love to his Chu~ch,. from his Propriety, Ephef. ~· 29. Nq man conftduntre- 1 ever yet bated h~ Oamfi.jh. God IS not regardlefs of hu Own: As we take care ot ourCattel to bus hum~nis preferve them, and provide for them, more than they do for themfclvcs; for they are more Ollrs than ne~1; fo\um thtir own; fo God is more concerned in the welfare of hischildren, than they arc themfelves ., they umverfi.s, vc· being more hU than thtir own. Why are we afraid of the wrath and cruelty of man? Will God be finr::u\~~~~i~ero mind!d5 and negligent of h~ Own? Why are we over·careful and difirultful of his providence? 11'?.~vh·in. Will he not take care of his Orvn, and make provifion for them? God, evtlt ourow11 Gad jhaUblrfr us, · Pfal. 67 6. God!~ interell in his Church, and Caufe, and S~:rvants, is an argument which we may plea~withhiminprayer,(r Chran. 17. 21,2::1:.) and with which we maygreatlyencourage our conhdcnce, lfa. -+8· 9, I I · Far my Names fa~e wiU I defer mine anger, and for my praife wlU I refrain for t:ur, tiJat I cut thee not off--For mine Orvn {a'<.e, even for mine Own [ak.,e, wiU I do it: Fgr h:m: flnHld my Name be poLuted? and I wiUnot give my Glary ta anotber. Ifa. 43· r, 2• But naw, thUG faith the L;rd that createdthee, 0 Jacob, and he that formed thee, 0 llrael; Fear nat, for I have Re~ dumed tbet; I have .caUcd thee by name; thou art Mine; When thou paffift through the waters, IwiU be with thee, &c. If God lhould negldl: Onr intertj!, he will not neglect hi1 Own. 9.6.4.Gods propriety in us difcerned,doth fo m•Jch aggravateour fin againfi hi'Tl,that it lhould great• Iy re(lrain us; and further our bwniliation and recavery when we are fallen: Lev. 20. 26. Ye jhall be Holy tmto me,far I tbe L8rdam Haly, and have flvered yau frrJm othtr peaple, that yau {hauld be mine. Ezek. 16. 8. I [ware unta tliec, and entered into a Cavena1Jt with tbee, and thau becamejl mint, faith the Lord, when he is aggravating Jemfalemr fin. 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20· Ye are notyoztr awn ; fo,. ye are battght with a price : thcrefare glorifie Go~ in your body, and in jo1tr Spirits, which are God!. Jufiice requirerh that every one have: his own. 9·7· 5·lt fhould tilencea\1 »Jurmuringrand repin~ngs again£\ the Providence of God, to confider that we arc IJU Own. Doth he a\flit£ you? and are you not hH awn? Doth he kjU yau l Are you not his own? As aRultr, bt: will fhew you reafon enough for it in your fins: Bur as your abfolute Lord andOwner he need not give you any other Rc:afon, ·rhan that he may dowitb his own as he Jjft. It js not poiliblc that he can do any wrong to that which is abfolutely bil Own. If he deny you health or weahh, or friends, or take them from you ; he denyeth you, or taketh from you nothing but his. own. Indeed as a Govermttr and a Father, he hath {ecured the faithful of eternal life: Otherwifeas their Owner he could not have wronged them, if he had made the moft innocent as miferable as he is capable ro be. Do you labour, and beat, and kill your Cattcl, becaufe they arc your awn ( by an impert<ct propriety ) > and dare you grudge at God for aillicbng his Own, when their Confciencos tell them, that they have defcrvcd it and much more ? · 9· 8. And that you rriay not think that you haveRrfigned your [elves to God entirely, when you do ~~~sa£:~~~~ bur h)pgcritically profefs it,obferve ; x.That that man is not thus Refigned eo God, char thinkethanyfer· pice toa much for God, that he can do: 2. Nor he that ·rhinketh anycaft lao grtat for God that he is called to undergo: 3· Nor he that thinketh that all is won (.of histime, or wealth, or pleafure, or nion. any thing) which he can fave or fttal from.God: ' For all u loft that God hath not. 4· Nor he that mufi needs be the Difpa[tr of himfelf, and his cpnditia;t and affairs, and God mull humour him, and accommodate his Providence to his carnal interell and will, or elfe he cannot bear it, or think well of it. 5· Remember that all that is befiowed in fin upon Gods enemies is ufc:d agtJinft him, and not as his Own. 6.And that he that hideth his Talem,or ufeth it not at all,cannot be [aid toVfe it tor God. Both idlenc{s and alienating the gifts ofGod) are a robbing him of his own. 9· 9· Ill. To help you in this work of felf-re}igiWion, often confider : r. That if you wereJ''"' Own, you were mOfi miferable: You could not {upporr, preferve or provide for your felves : who tbould fave yo~ in the hour oftemptation or difirefs ?- Alas, if you are humbled Chrifiians, you know fo much of your Own infufficiency, and feel your felves fuch a daily burden to your fdves, that you have furc enough of your {elves ere nOw : And beg ofGod, above all your enemies, to fave you from your [elves; and ofaU judgements to fave you from being forfaken ofGod, and given up toyour fllvu. 2· Remember that none in the world hath fufficient Power, Wifdom, and Goodnefi, to take the full care and charge of you but God : None elfe can fave you, or fanC'titie you, or keep you alive one hour : And therefore it is your happinefs and honour, that you are Hit. 3· His Right is abfolute, and none hath Right to you but he. None elfe did Create you, Rtdeemyou, or li.egenerate you. 4- He w•ll Vfeyou only in fafe and bonadl"abie fervices, and to no worfe an end, than your endlefs happinefs. 5· 'What you deny him or fieal from him, you ·give to the Devil, the World and the f\e!h : And do they bet<~ deferve It? 6. You arc his B~n in1itle, whether you will or not; and he will fulfil his will upon you. Your Con[en1 andRejignation is neceffaro/ to your good to eafe you of your cares, and {,cure you from ptcfent and emnal mifery. ' D_IREC T:J
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