604 TheGróivna fRighteoúfriefs, Viétory unto all Eternity : To which purpofe yemay dö well to meditate at Ieifi,ce a' thofe very appofite and pertinent Scriptures, t Pet. 5. q; i Cor. 5. t. Rev.2.1E. r Cor. 15. 545 55. compared with I'of. 53. 14.. and to this purpofe the places ofblifs are ft) led c mullions, or abiding and 'Tiling places, 3obn 14. z: ,And this is the reward,couched under this Metaphor ofaCrown,the Blurs where- ' of,. indeed, tranfceuds the skill, and tongueevenofAngels themelves to exprefs :! Saint Paul (peaking ofthe excellentgoodnefs was treafured up, burin the gifts and graces of Regeneration in this life, faith evenof them1 that the natural eye hats not seen,nor the ear Heard,nor hath it entred intotheHeáre of an un fprritualizcd' lan, ro conceive the things which God bath prepared for them that love lïitn;- t Cor.z.9.' Much lets finely can this bedone,' in regard ofthe d'Excellent glory abode in Hell- ven; Wherefore the joy thereofbeing foincomprchenfble, as it is, when it could', not enter into the faithfulfervantmentioned in the Gofpel, thenhe was hid to enter' into it, even into thatjoyofhis Maffei, Mat. zá.21. And 'thus far of the remu- nera!i.m it felfat large, both inthe Certainty and the Dignity thereof, It is a Crown I ofRtghteoufnefi. _ t. 1 come nextto confider theDonor,or theBeflower of the fáme,the i ord,fet'forrh untous here, under theperiphrafis of being !!,,.(0- The Righteous fudge. Whercnote,faith the Roman Catholique,that the Reward is a RewardofJullice, not of favour , rendred as a due debt, not given as s gratuitous benevolence, fo Cajetanon the Text, Dicendo, redder ,isfluu 7udeec, debitumjutfgnificate ; and,foi by confequent, the good works,to which its rendered,areproperly meritorious,and- God !hall be unjuft ifhe deny them.his due reward,evenduc ofdebt:: But whileft' theft overweening fpiders fuck poyfou,the HumbleBees drawhoney from thefe fra. granrand fweet flowers : To Cajetan (though noneof the meaneft Schoolmen ) we mayoppofe Prtmafruu,who bath this more folid expreflion,yuomodoiflacorona ;whits redderetur,nifiprise iliagratuita donaretur?.How can that Crown be laid to be ten,' deredasdue,unlefs firft it wasbeftdwedasfree ?: and again,opera Bona funs Deibona, The Lordin'crowningourgood deeds,doth but rewardus with his owngifts; inthis cafewe mull beall confirmed to fay as David, orsanotheroccafron, hron,i6.14: 1111 things come ofthee, andof thineown have wegayen thee; Wherefore, Saint Paul (thegreat Affentorof free grace) bath ftyled mote fitly life eternal it felt, (wherein the abfolute conlummation'ofallgraces) ,wer.toa, a freegift, Rom,6.z3. a word not ulçd in any Heathen Author,but peculiarized to the f inlpired penmen of Holy Writ ; befides, the manner of theApoltles expreffronis very remarkable, every in this very Text, where the word tá+sernq, [ is laid up ] and the otherof ,.Jhon Elhall give) both thefeexpre íonsimplyafreeDonation,nomeritoriouspurchafeat all; elfewhere, our-reward in Heaven is called-an-Inheritance, Ephef.t.t4. Ail. z6. 18., which is athing coming freelyby defcent unto the rightful Heir: Moreover, Works meritorious,. according to the determination of the Patrons ofmerit them- selves; Theymuff be, n. Noflra,ourown works,wrought out ofourown ftrcngth, anddone by our own power, whereasthe Evangelical Prophethathotherwifc allw- otheeplaces.. red. us,./fa.zó.tz. ThouO Lord, faithhe, baßwraughta/Iourworka inus, He means,- D. Saoughton. gracious works : Alas, weare not fuch Silk-worms as to (pin a thred ofFelicity our ofourownbowels; we mull remember that the higheftftyle, which theScripture givis theSaints, is but to be g Veffcls ofSalvation, to b receive thegraees of God diftilled into them fromabove ; Noti Springs or Fountains, to derive them to-our felves ; and by thevery Schoolmen themfelves, the graces of the Spirit, are called; Habits's enfu, Habits, not acquifite by frequent Ads, as moral venuesare, but in- fufed by God into the Heart, Everygoodandperfccî gift defcending-From above, as Saint James faith, Pam. I. tyi Yea, itwas thepoltiveafferrionof ourSaviour him- k, Per, a. s felf yob. 15. 5. se ithout me ye cando nothing, He means kAcceptably, ; He doth not fay; as SaintAuflinobferves, finesses.' difftculter poteflis, or, non pateftis perftcere, without meye can hardly do any thing, or, yearcnot able to bringany all untoper- t Cant. S. S. fätlion, but limply, and expreflythus, erithautme,thatis,without!leaning upon me, having my fpecial and gracious at3iftance, re can do nothingat all that isgoodand gracious ; andour Apoltlealfo,elfewhere,profeffeth,that all our fufficiency, namely, in c p,evai, zai ii da Pet, 5. 17. eTanquam ft[üa gratia Bradward in de S. Paulo. faTim. 3.iSS. z P. 1, 21. g Ad:9. ts. z Tì111.2. 2O4 h ROM' $ t7. i Our heart is as barren. of any good,. as they report the Ifle of Patina, is, where no- thing will grow, but on earth that is brdught (tom
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