Afcrihing all to, race. Lt , as though by our owne power or holinciTe we had done this : The God of Abraham, Ifaac, and y,icob, bath glorified his fonne kefus, and his name through faith in his name bath done this thing : Be he never fo wellqua- lifed and fitted for the worke of the Lord, yet as the Lord laid of Ifrael, fohe conceives of himfelf, that without the Lord his firength is to fit fill. He that is moll fully fur- k ifa,; t.7. nifhed with fpirituall abilities, is moll feu!ible of his owne emptineffe, molt free and ready in the magnifyingofGod, and his grace. Who more eminent then `Paul forhis gra- cio:,s and minifteriali endowments ? yet who more efFe- duall in f lf-denyall, and in the exaltation of the grace of Cod ? r Are ye not carnali (faith he) andwale ao men; for l : Cor.3.3,4 g while one frith I am Paul, and another I am of Apollo, are ye not carnali, who then is Paul, and who is Apollo, but Minifers, fervants and not Lords, infiruments and not fupreáme agents, by whom ye beleeved as God Lave to every man. I have planted , Apollo watered, but God gave the increafe : fo then neither is he that planteth any thin, nei- ther he that watereth , not any thing , of no ability , of no efficacy of thetnfelves , but God that giveth the increafe : The choifeft inflruments prove unprof- table without the hand of God aflifting : The foule which .knowes and feeles its dependancy upon God , cannot but referre the fruit and worth of all its labours to the, grace of God. There was not a greater borne of woman then the Baptift , he farre furpaffed all the Prophets, yet how low doth he abafe himfelfe, to exalt Chrift, how freely loth he referre the whole efficacy ofhis miniftery to the grace of Chrift. I indeed (faith he) baptize with water unto re- pentance , but there is one that commeth after me is mightier then I, whole fhooes I am not worthy to beare, he fhaÍl ba-p- tize.you with the Holy:ähoft, and with fire. Ile that bath low thoughts cf the grace ofGod, and high thoughts ofhis owne abilities, is far from the felf=denyall which is proper to Gods children. 5. A loW prizing and Chriflian undervaluing ofmansfeife, and all things elfe in compariín of Chrifi. He that denyes P z him - 159
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=