Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v11

tr, accreffir ei nogra tia, que tora graruittan efi' iIliUJ donum. Seirtun eft Mud ppientir He- kr illj Chap. 3 S. an Exrfition upon the 13ookof Jo Is, Verf. cannot at all better God, or God is never the better for them That is the meaning of David , r6 a. ) fpeaking as a, type of Chrifi ; Mygoodnefi extendeth not to theerbut to the Saints which are on the Grab, and to the excellent, inwhom is all my de- light. Jerome was of opinior, that thefewordsof the Pialmewere taken out of this place of fob. (AIygoodnefs ) that is, my good deeds extend not to thee ; the good deedsof Chrift did not add any thing, to' God, they did notgive any thing toGod ; for it is irnpoffible that any good, or any goodnefs fliould fo be made an addition to him, who is all , and hath all : but ( faith he ) to the Saints, to them my goodnefs extendeth,I can and will do good to them. Thus St Paul ipake to the Athenians, (Ads 17.2 i..) God isnot worflnpped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing :- God calls for worfhip,but he isnot worfhipped,becaufe heneeds our wor(hip,or becaufe he would receive foiebenefit at the hand of worfhippers. The fame Apoffle puts the queffion, ( Rom. I I. 35. ) whozkathgivenunto him, and it Nil e recompensed unto, him again ? As much as to fay , no man hath given any thing to God, he is' above and beyond all the gifts, and givings of the creature. There is a three-fold groundof ir, why nothing can be given to God, either. CO oblige him, or to add any thing to him. rirft , All is due tohim, what-ever we do is a debt to him;; we cannot make the payment of a debt a gift. Be as holy and as righteous as you will, as exaa in your walkings as you can, it is ail of debt, and therefore not a gift. CLoe 17. io.) When you have done all,( when you have run your whole Courfe of obedi- enc, both as to firft and fecond Tableduties, ) fay youareunpro fitable fervante, we have done no more than was our duty to do. There is no gift,where all is due. Secondly,. What-ever wedo in a way of Righteoufnefs,-is not a gift, nor an advairage to God; for it was all firft given us by., God , we and all that we have came firfl from him ; whatfoever we have, we have had it of God. It is laid in that place before noted(Ash 7. 2 5. ) He is not worfhipped ofmew hands as ifhe needed any thing, (why ?- ) for hegiveth to all men life and breath, and all thingr ; he gives all things,and therefore he needs nothing, nor can any thing properly be laid to be given to him, who giveih all things. We have that remarkable Scripture ( irbron.29 10.) where

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