3 4.2 ' Sins Stipçnd, aid to our worksbut the free sift of God. When Godcrowns our merits, hecrowns nothing elfe bet his own tree gift: theft and many other (ententes we find among the ancientFathers,plainly convincing our advcrfaries,that in this point they fvrerve not only from Scripture, but from all found antiquity. Secondly, then to come to our fives, this thould humble us in refpeEt of our own defervings ; do all the good thou canft, take heed it do not puff theeup, think not tomerit heaven, alas thou canft not do it : for moatis it to the 4lmigh ty, ( as it is laid in fob) that thou art righteous. Thy well doing extends tot tó him,thou canft do him no good, therefore thou canft look for nothingat his hands fince thouBanff do himno good : but all that thou doff in his fervice, it is not for his but for thy good, ye he commands thee, and thou art bound todo it, but all thoucanft do is no more than thou art bound to do. Thereforewhen thou haft done all that thou canft, acknowledge thy fell to be an unprofitable fervam, and thou haft done no more than thy duty; If thou haft many good works, yet thou haft more fin and the leaft fin of thine in the rigour of juftice, will deprive thee of thy intereft in God. Therefore thy appeal muff be to the throne ofgrace, and thy only plea muff beto that of the Publican, every one of us, God bemercrfultome a finner ; When we have done all we can, it-muff bemercy,' and norany merit of oursthat muff bring us to heaven. Thirdly, here is comfort for the childrenofGod,in that thisineftimable ereafure of eternal life is not committed to our keeping, hut God bath it in his keeping. It is his gift, it is not committed to the rottenbox of our merits, then we could have no certainty of ir, the devil would eafily pick the Lock ; yea without picking he would Ihake in pieces the crazy joynts ofthe beff work we do ; he would (teal it fromus, and take it away, and deprive us of this excellent benefit : but the Lord hath dealt better for us, he bath kept it in his own hands, he hash laid it up in the Cabinet of his own mercy and love that never fails : for with everlaffing inert.? he bath compafon on us, Ifa. 54. he love seo with an everlafling love. It is hit mercy that we are not confumed, becaufe hit compelon fail not: and whom he loves he loves to theend. It is laid up in the mercy of God , he will have it his gift ; left we fhould keep it, and it fhould be loft, he bath referved it in his own. hands. Therefore in temptations when they drive usto doubt of our attaining of eternal life, let us calf our eye upon the keeper of it, it is the Lord, he is wary to difcern, and faithfulto bcffowit : therefore let us comfort our felves and fay every oneof us as Saint Taal, z Tim. t. iz. /know whom I have trufled, and lam per- fwaded that he is able to keep that which 1 have committed to him aping that day. Laftly , teeing eternal life is the free gift of God, it muff make us thankful to him for it ; which we fhouldnever do, if wedeferved it; doth a matter thank his (truant for doinghis duty ? So , if we did think heaven were our due, we fhould never be.thankful for it. Pride is a great enemyto thankfulnels ; therefore theway is to bumble our felves, and to confider that we deferve no good thing at Gods hands, then we will take this great benefit at Godshands molt thankfully. Efpe- cially when we 'confider , it is all that God requires ofus , as he faith , Tfal 5o. Cell upon me in theday of trouble, Iwill bear thee anddeliver thee , and what (halt . thou do ? Thou fhaltglorife me. Glorifying God, and being thankful to him, if all the tribute we are to pay to this our royal Lord ; and fhall wedeny him this? It is a fmall benefit that is not worth thanks ; We fet eternal life at too low a rate, if we forget to be thankful. Thére was never a precious Jewel afforded fo cheap as eternal life for our thankfulnefs. Ifwe did know what it were towant it,we would give ten thoufand worlds ra- ther than be withoùt it. Therefore as 7(aamans fervants faid to him concerning his waffling in fordan, if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater thin , would. off thou not have done it ? So ifGod had commanded us agreat matter foreternal life we fhould have donc it; how much more, whenhe faith take it, and be thank- ful; be but thankful. 7J(ä 2. To humble us. vfe 3. Comfort. vfe Thankfuluefs. Thus
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