V E R. 7. Ephe/ì ns, Chap. 4. 469 As the lea rccciveth thewhole bodyofwaters, fo that it imparteth Howwe re to all rivers, which ferve for the more commodious watering ®f cave the earth: Nowwe receive not grace thus, but bymeafure,fo farraas our veffclis are capable ofir; for as God doth proportion our capaci- rie, fo cloth he replenifhus accordingly, as if twobottles be throwne into the Sea, each of them doth receive fo much as it can con- raine. a. Wee all receive fuch a proportion as is convenient to fit us for the calling wherein we are. Thus then it is with us, that none of us have all grace for kind, yeathat which we have is but in part. W hich fhould make us walke humbly, according to our meafure, pre T. not above, to undertake things within our compaffe. For as men that We muff not over-rent themfelves, when they have but fiftie pounds will live at ana,eYe ou- the rare of a 100.1. cannot hold out : So a man may over-lay the mea- mearure of Cure ofgrace which he hath received,prefumingon things for which grace. they are not fitted. Again,it Ihould perfwade us topeace in as muchas every oneof us fe Z, ha but our meafure; for if all men had one meafure of knowledge And live in with me, I might feparate my felfe from him that would not thinkeas. peace with my fella, becaufe I might know he did it malicioufly, convinced inhis `hCC,. confcience ; but when men have knowledge according to their mea- lure, tome more, Comekffe; I mutt therefore bfare,becaufe theyhave knowledge according to theirmcafure, God hath not as yet revealed that tothem whichhe bath to me. Again, it theweth the molt wife diftrihution of grace, for things Yfe 3, which are done in meafure, number, weight, are all exatly or- dered. The laft Circum(tance is; That the Authorofthisgracegiven us is Cbri115 Whence we frame, That all grace is receivedfromChrifl. Iohn a. 16. ofhis fulneffewe Dea. allreceivegraceforgrace. He is the head, full of grace, diffufing it into All grace is all hismembers; fo that our wholegrace is given us according to his Choi& from good. pleafure, Mar. i 1. 25, 26. Grace and truth come by lefus Chrift, loh. i. We are Meted withallfpirituall and heavenly blefsinQs in Chrift, Eph. i. 3. Fie is made of G'od,Wifedome,Righteoufnefe, Sanaiftcation and redemption, 1 Cor. i. 3o. No man can challenge any thing 'as dueto him, becaufe he is better bynature, worke, labour, or defers then others : but Chrift as free Lord meafures forth his gifts, giving to everyone feverally ashe will, and he Randsnot bound to any man for the goodneflcof his nature, labour or worke : Chrift is an abfo- lute Lord, and all men, porebaggers, his almefinen equally depen- ding upon hisgrace, to give them moreorleffe, according tohis owne Willand Free Grace. Asall ftarres f ,ine in the light of the Sunne, fo' all the Saintsof God by influenceofgrace received fromChrift; what elfediflinguifhed Iohnfrom Iudas, Simon Freer from Simon t9v(agus; but onely Chrift who fhined withhis grace up& the one, not upon the
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