34 / 808
22
Ephefians,Chap.
r.
VE
13.3,
leaft bleffing
feeme great
toward
us.
The
humbled poore, takethe lean
fcraps
thankfully.
The
Ufe
of
this,
is
firft,
to rebuke ourdeadneffe,
in
whole
hearts
are
no affrétions,
in
whole mouthes
are no
words, magnifying the
Lord,for
his
continuall mercies
:
If
men
doe
us
fmall
favours,
efpecially
ifthey
be
of
countenance and
authority
;
O
how
we
think our
felves
beholding
f'
ourmouthes run over
in
fpeaking
of
their courtefie,we
give
them
a
thou
-'
fandthanks
,weprofeffeourfelvesattheir
commands;
Out
alas,
that
being thus one
to
another,we
fhould offer
God
fuch meafure
as
we
doe:
But
this exceedeth
all
the
reft,
that
becaufe
God doth conftantly
conti-
nue
to
us
benefits,
that
therefore we
fhould flacken our thankfull
duty.
If
one give us
twenty
pound one time onely, we thank him
;
but
to
give
it us
yearly for twenty years together, this
is
far more
thankfworthy
;
to
give
it
us as
an
inheritance for ever, this
is
molt
of
all obliging
us
Thusit
is.with
Gods benefits,which
he
conftantly
leafeth out to
us,and
maketh
them
as it
were
a
free
-hold with
us.
We
for thefe,
even
in
this
confideration, fhould
molt extoll
him.
Let
us
in
the
fecond place ftirre our felves up
to
be thankfull ;
It
is
Gods
fine
and
rent, every thing which he requireth for
his benefits
:
Call
on
me
in
the
day
of
thy
trouble,
I
will
deliver thee,andthenß,eltglorrfie
me.
We
would not forfeit any thing
worth the holding
for non-pay-
ment
ofrent
:
Let
us
take heed left
for want
of
thankfulneffe
we give
God
occafion to re-
enter,
and difpofíeffe
us
of
all
good things
we
enjoy.
Do£l.:a.
The
God
and
Patherofour
Lord
le
fin Chrr/1.]
Obferve
firft particular
-
ly,
that
every Chriftian heart
is
to
magnifie
God,
in
that
he
hath
been
theGod
of
Chrift our Lord. This
Both
the Apoftle, who doth not
fay
;
Ble
fled
be
Godthe
Father
for
bleßing
of
us,
but
Eft,
Bleffed
be
the
God
of
our
Lord
lefuo
Chrijl
:
Before he
commeth to confider what God
was
to himfelf, with
thereft ofbeleevers,hedoth
extol(
him,for
that
he was
to
Chrift the
head.
Which
doétrine before we
can
profecute
profita-
bly,
it
is
fit
to unfold what this
doth comprehend,
to
be
the
God
of
any
;
for this
opened,
we
(hall
conceive more clearly,
the equity
of
this, that
we are
to
be
thankfull
in
this
regard.
This
is
a
fundamentall favour,
whence
all
other
doe fpring,
and it
conraineth the eternall love
of
God,
loving
us,
and
predeftinating
us
to fupernaturall happineffe,
as
likewife
every fubordinate grace,
by
which
it
is
executed. Firft therefore, the
fore-
knowledge andpredeftinating
Chrift
as
man, to the grace
of
per
-
lonall union, and glorious
office
of
a
Mediator,
of
which
we
have,'
Pet.
r.2o.
this
commeth here to
be conceived.
I
have
fheep,
that
are
mine,
which are not
of
this
fheepfold,
faith
Chrift:
where
we
fee
that
we are
Gods,
and
God ours, before
we are called, even
by
predeftination.
Se-
condly, Chrifts calling,
of
which
is
fpoken, Heb.5.
r.
and
the
confede-
ration
entred with ourMediator, wherein God required
on his parr,
the
fulfilling
ofrighteoufneffe,
fo
farre
as
ferved to qualifie his perron,
that
líe
might
be
a
fit
high
Prielt,
and efpecially the offering
his
body, that
is,
his'foule and
body by the
curfed
death
of
the
cro(fe,
wherein
God
promiled
rpa;
John co.18
Heb.z.xo.
Heb.7.x6.
Heb.q.8g.
Ir3.43,10,x:.