466 The Birth -Priviledge and Covenant holine Ch.48' pofe a people- .under any notion of Gods people, upon any fuch account as belonging to Chrift. A man may have his reward, gi- ving to any in the name of a difciple, though he to whom he gives be fuch as God will never own for a difciple, and anfwera- bly may incurre vengeance in oppofition of one under fuch a name, though ( with thofe on the rocky ground ) he be nothing leffe then fuch in deed and truth. Confolation. Fourthly Abundance of fweet confolations yet flow from this birth.priviledge and Covenant- holineffe, and that in feveral ftrearnes. d I. In regard of Nations. 2. In regard of Perlons. s. ToNati'ons In regard of Nations they have royal tranfcendency above all thus honoured others as alone worthy the name ofa people : Nigh unto God, A people of hope : Enjoying light ; when others are darkneffe, without hópe,and without God in the world. The P¡almift reck- ons up many and fweet blefrngs of Nation. That our fons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner- flones pollifhed after the fimilitude ofa palace that our garners may be full affording all manner of flore, that our Cheep may bring forth thoufands , and ten thoufands in our flreets that our Oxen may be firong to labour that there be no breaking in nor going out, that there be no complaining in our flreets, PJalme. i ß.4.i 2, r 3, 14. All thefe are fingular Nati- onal favours, but onely ferving to make up a comparative,not an abfvlute bleffedneffe. This one rifeth higher and makes it compleat, Bleffed are the people, whofe God is the Lord. The glory pertaines to a Nation thus honoured Rona. 9.-4. Of fuch a people (though otherwife mean and' defpicable, as was /fade/ in the Wildernefe, comparative to other Nations) it may be faid,What Nation is there fo great , who hath God fo nigh un- to them,as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for ? Deut. 4. 7. No people can fo bottome their prayers againfi adverfaries,as they who are thepeople of Gods holineffe; This mercy is a birth -mercy to all Inch perfons whole parerits with imothy from one to anotherhave been Beleevers , 2 Tim. I. s. and white notional provocations break not forth ( which alone with God, have feparating and deafening power ) his eare is ready to hear; and his hand to help while he fees not iniquity in
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