upon the Epiflleof J A Jr'l B s. fure of his difpenfations: God difiributetb gifts and bleffings as he will, not as we will; Oar duty is to be contented, and to beg grace tom1ke ufeofwhat we have received. . . . . 2.. Wh~ttever we.have from .4bove, \Ve hav: z,t tn the W>fJ of a Qb[er'llat.~' gift: Wehave no~hmg but ~hat We htn~e recewed, and what we have received,we hav_e received freely : There is nothing in us that could oblige God to be.fiow it; The favours ofheaven are not fet . to fale. When God invjteth us to ·~ercy, he clothnot invite us as an Hoft, but as aKing; not tobuy, bat to tak.!; they are mofr welcom that have no monry,Ifai.55· I. that is,no confidence in their own merits. SomeDivines !ay, That in innoccncy we could not merit ; when the Covenant did feem to hang upon works, we could, in their fence, impetrare, but not mereri; ohtainby vertue ofdoing,but not deferve: Merit andde{crt are improper notions to exprefs the relation between the\\1 ~Prk. of a crellture, and the )rew~trdofaCreator; and inucb more incongruous are they fine~ .the Fall: Sin bringing in a contrarinefs of defert, maketh mercy much more agift; fo that now in everygiving there is fomewh1t offorgiving, and grace is the more: obliging, 5ecaufe in every blef– fi~ there is not only bomJ~ but apardon. ..Iwas long fince de– termined by the Schools, That Penitents had more reafon to be thankful then Innoce-nts: Sin giving an advantage to mercy tobe doubly free ingiving and pardoning, and fo the greater obligation is left upoo us. Oh then,that we were fenfible of this l That in all OJr ad:ions our Principle might be a fenfe ofGods love ; andour , End, or motive, afight of Gods glor)• ' --,, 3· That among all the gifts ofGod, [pirifual Pleffings are the Obflr'llat. 3· befl ; thefe are called here good and perteCl,_ becaufe thf!fe make us good and perfeCl:: ..Tis very obfervable, ~hat 'tis faid, Mat.7.1 I. If ye being evil, /(_now hoW to give good gzfts to you.r children, much morefhallyour Father. Which u in heaven, gtve good things to them that .ask. him. Now in the parallel place in Luks .1 I. I 3• ..cisgive the holy Spirit to them that ask_ him; that's the gi~ing of · _ goodgifts,togive the holy Spirit:*Nihzl bonumJinefummo bono, •Aug. lib ~ There can be nothing good, where there is not the Spirit ofGod; ctmtra Jul•. . other bleffings are promifcuoufly difpenfed, thefe are bleffings for Favorites:. Themen of gods hand,Pfal. 17.J 4• may h~ve abundance · oftreafure, that is, violent, bloody men ; but the me!l after Gods ket~rt have abundance of Spirit : A man may be weary ofother · , . · S gifts,
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