Fal(e Sips ofGrace. Sacre.IIl. ter the great things that belong to Gods glory ; and k isbut one Petition,where- as there aredivers for fpirituall things, fo that our Saviour would have usto be about thefe earthly things, as thofe fowls of the heaven are, which on a hidden fall on the ground for their food, but prefently fly up to heaven again: and then, it's daily food, or as the molt learned expound it, food convenient, and 'decent for our place and calling, not fuperfluity. Thus though thefe outward mercies are blefiings, yet we are tacircumcife our affeêlionsabout them ; lift as when the watersoverflow the banks, it getteth much foil and dirt, fo our á&eetionsitncoo- derare grow polluted. Secondly, Although thefe are 61.,Pngs and mercies', andfo good things; yet They fanfti- they are not pi.aifying of thole that have them: Dives faíd,be hadgood things fienot hole /aid up in'flora ; but how were they gcod ? which made h,ar bad ? how were that have they good which could not keep him out of hell ? Riches therefore are net- Mein. Cher good or bad, but indifferent in their nature, and faith A4t , Godgives Are of them- Wealth to wicked men, to fbew, that the nature of it is not good: and femetimes (elves neither to godlymentofhew that it is not evil[ in their nature. Therefore theft outward good vor evil mercies arenot good, as grace and holineffe is, which makes thetta good that have them. Hence though they come to the godly from the grace of God, yet the Scripture never cals them grace, as it doth the fruits of Gods Spirit ; to chat this may abut,dantly comfort thofe that are poor in the world, yet rich ingrace. Thou haft the heft good that' is in all Gods Treafure, in making thee godly, hebath be- flowed a greater bleuliing'uponthee then if hehad given thee all the riches of the world A man that hath gold, thinks not himlelf poor for want of clay or bralfe ; fo neither may a Cariftian that is inriched with holineffe chink himlelf poor, btcaufe he wants outward mercies. Thofe are good things which make us good. Thirdly, As outward wealth and encreafe are bleffings, fo they do belong by As they he- promifcuntogodltac tf=;G'odlineffe Lodthepromifeof this bp , and the lifetocome, lon, to Fodü- r Tim 4.S. Look over all temporal mercies that are in the Scripture, and you, ne& by pro- (hill finde themmade only to the godly man. Hence chef earthly mercies they Tfe, fo they are appendices to theCovenant of grace ; whenCod ptomifeth to be our recon- ac bteffins' cited father, then he promifeth us alto heaven and earth, and whatfoever is therein forour good. I dooat fay with fosse Divines, That w :eked men-have co right to their goods; That they are u(urpers, and (hall anfwer for every bit of bread they ear, as robbers and cheeses: No, it is a dangerous polìcion to hold civil' domini- on and right tobe.placed upon godlinefe. The earth bathhe given to the children of men, faith thePfahnift, to all men as well as to thegodly ; but as (here is a lawfuli, civil right, fo there is a fanélified ufe, and thofe only the godlyhad. All wicked men (hall indeed anfwer *every model[ of bread, every drop of drink, every peny in the pule, but not as if they were theeves, only as thofe that did not improveall they had for the glory ofGod. This is al fo of comfort to the god- ly, art thou poor, arc choir defpdeet, arc thouitnprifoned ? The.promif.. of wealth, honour, liberty, belongs to thee, as well as of pardon of finand grace, only theft are not fo abfolutely neceflary; if they were as neceffary as Chrifi, and grace, and heaven is, thou fhouldeft be no morewithout them then without Mete t Thouart rich in bonds and bits even wherein the Lord is obliged, though thou haft not the 8ual ufe of thofe good things: r 4; Fourthly, It is no wonder, that particular perfonsmay conclude oftheir good Wicked trier eliateby the outward felicity God befloweth uponthem, feting it's the proféffed have aright and maintained doétrineofthe learned men inthe ChurchofRome, that temporal[ to worldly felicity is a markof the true Church : Would ye know( fay they) what Church to goods. j;,yn to? joys co that Church which aboundech inoutward profperity and wealth ( fay they, ) and it cannot be( think they) that the Pope is Antichrift, and Rome .Ba6ylon, for if is were, theLord would have plagued is with ford deftruaions, and not fo wonderfully have birdied themfor many ages together:But this is a weak argument
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