Vert l 3. the fixth Chapter of the Ro M AN s. 71 died. So fee David' refignation , 2 Sam. 15. 26. Let the Lord do unto me what feemeth good to him. So we fhould humbly fubmit to the good will of God. Dan. 3. i8. But if not , Be it known unto thee , 0 King that we will not ferve thy God' , nor worfhip the golden image that thou haft fee up. They yielded their bodies to be burned , that they might not ferve any gods but the Lord.' Secondly , To fubjeft our felves to his commanding Will, or to do what he will have us to do. This is principally confidered here, we give up our (elves to God, that our bodies may be imployed as inftruments of Righteoufnefs- All external Duties, or fruits of our Love to God in Chrift are afted by the Body , therefore we refign up our felves to him to obey him in thefe things : furely it is meet that God fhould rule the Creatures that he hath made; therefore we fhould be able to fay as the Pfilmift, Pfal, r 1g. 94 I am thine , fave me , for I have [aught thy precepts. One that maketh Confcience of his refignation to God , will be careful both to know and do his will ; Paul afro= as he was (mitten with Couvi&ion, cryes Out , AEIs 9. 6. Lord ! what wilt thou have me to do ? 5. When you have thus dedicated your felves to God , you muff ufe your felves for him; for the fincerity of our Dedication is known by our life. Many give up them- felves to God , but in the ufe of themfelves there appeareth no fuch matter; they ufe their tongues as their own , to talk what they pleafe , their hearts as their own to think and defire what they pleafe, their bodies, their wealth, their time, their ftrength, as if it were all their own , and the hand of Confecration had never been upon them : Pfal. 12.4. Our tongues are oar own, who is Lord over to ? This is the language not of their mouths, but of their lives , thefe re-affume the pófeffion of that which they had fur - rendred to the Lord, No , you have, as to difpofal , loft all property in your felves, and murk look upon your felves ever after not as your own , bui Gods ; they are veils fet apart for the matters ufe, 2 Tim. 2. 2 t. and accordingly we muft live not to our felves, but to God : 2 Cor. 5.15. And that he dyed for all that they that live , fhould not hence- forth live unto themjelves, but unto him that dyed for them, and role again. Nothing muft be alienated from him , but :Aid as he (hall dire& and appoint. All your powers and faculties are his, and to be imployed for him. II. Let me (hew you the Reafons of it. They are taken from the Right God bath in you and to you. Juflice requireth that we fhould give every one his own, to Cejar the things that are Cejars, to God the things that are Gods. We do but reftore to God that which is his before, when we give up our felves to him. Now we are Gods, a. By his creating us out of nothing , it is he that bath made us, not we dur felves, Pfal. too. 3. Surely God hath a propriety in all that we have ; for we have all by his creating Bounty, as the Potter hath power over his own Clay. So faith God in all the Veffels which he hath formed, hi formed them for himfelf, lithe Husbandman may call the Vine his own, which he hath planted in his own ground and foil , God may much more call the Creature his own , which he hath made. The Husbandman cannot make the Vine, but only fet it, and dreg it; but we are wholly and folely of him, and from him, and from nothing elfe, and therefore we fhould be wholly and folely for him, and nothing elfe. 2. By Prefervation, God is Lord of all, becaufe he preferveth all, Neben,. g. 6. Zhott even thou art Lord alone, thou haft made Heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hoft, the earth andall things that are therein, and thou prefervefi them all and the bolt of Heaven worfbippeth thee, Prefervation is the continuation of our Being by his provi- dential influence and fupportation, Alls 17. 28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' [deb. t r. 3, Through faith we underfand that the worlds were framed by the word ofGod, fo that things which are fien were not made of things which do appear. If we could any moment exempt ourfelves from the dominion and influence of his Provi- dence , we might be fuppofed to be exempted in that moment from his Jurifdi&ion and Government t But man wholly depending onGod for Being and Prefervation, we can - not lay claim to our time and ftrength, not kw one minute or moment; for we can hold neither Body nor Soul , nor any thing that we have a minute longer than God pleafeth. If you will ferve your felves, and pleafe your felves, live of your felves, if you can. 3. By Redemption, that Right is pleaded, ; Cor. 6. 20. Te are not your own, ye are bought with a price, thereforeglorifre God with your bodies and fouls, which are Gods. By Creation and Prefervation we are Gods; but Redemption eonftituteth fuch a new Right And
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