Ver. 14, 15 xxvth. Chapter of St. M A T T H É w: 8 3 folute power. This should be thought of by us, becaufe whatever was given us in Creation is not a matter of right, but the meer effe& of Gods good will and good pleafure. He might have made us Stocks and Stones, and_ not living Crea- tures, or among living Creatures Plants only, vtith a life of vegetation and growth or if a fenfitive life, in the loweft rank, Toads and Vipers, or at belt, but as Horfe or Mule, without underlianding, and not Men. Among men all the Bleffïngs and Priviledges we were born to, might have been withheld without any injuftice The various Conftitutions and Complexions of men, all their gifts and natural ca- pacities are the .fruits of his Sovereign Will. 2. A Right of having and poffeUng all things fo made and framed by him. A. tíiongft men, whofoever maketh any thing by his own proper Art and labour, and of his own fluff, mutt. needs have a full right to it, and a full power to difpofe of it ; yet no Workman ever made any thing without fome matter ; but God made all things without matter præexifting ; and therefore furely his right is greater : Wherefore God is called not only the Maker of Heaven and Earth, but the Paffeffer, Gen. 14. 19. God is the great Proprietor, and in a fenfe the only Proprietor' that bath dominium proprié diEfum : Gold and Silver are mine, Hag. 2. 8. And Hof Z. 9. I will return, and take array my Corn, and my Wine in the feafon thereof. Pfal. 5o. so. His are the Cattle upon a thoufand Hills : yea, The whole Earth is the Lords, and the fulnefs thereof, Pfal. 29..1. 16. All is Gods, in whatfoever hands it be ; the Lord bath need of him, is Argument enough. Now this doth mightily increafe our confidence, check our .ufurpations, quicken us to faithfulnefs, that the great Owner may not be deprived of his right. 3. He bath a Right of ufng and difpofing all things thus in his poffeffion, accor- ding to his own pleafure. Reafon will tell us, that the ufe, benefit and utility of any thing belongeth. to him whofe it is ; fo God is the foie, difpofer of all things As he made them for himfelf, fo he governeth them ultimately and terminative- ly for himfelf; tome things immediately, all things ultimately ; By whom and far whom all things were made, Prov. ib. 4. All the conditions of men, Riches, Poverty, Health, Sicknefs, Eafe, Pain, Life, Death : Now this Right of difpofing of us, is of great ufe to keep us in a quiet fubjefhion to Gods Laws and Providence, with- out murmuring or repining : We cannot fay to him, What makeff thou ? or Why do- thou thus? Ifa. 45.9 'Tis enough God did it. But to apply the whole. r VS E, It ferveth to check many fins. All mifchief and diforder cometh from looking upon our felves as Proprietaries and Owners, and not confidering who bath the great Intereft in us : Surely were thefe Truths well digefted and thought of by us, 'twould work a great cure upon Mankind, (r.) That nothing we have is our own. (2.) That whatfoever is given us by God, is given us for his fervice, to be done to him: (3.) That to this Lord of ours we muff be anfwerable, who will one day call us to an account. Or will you take one of them, if all be too many to be remem- bred by you ; and that one implyeth all the ref} : Te are not your own, rut are bought with a price. a man did think of this, My heart is not my own, 'tis Gods, and he mull have it ; he would not fill it with the drofs of evil thoughts : My time is not my own, nay Tongue, my Wit, my Language ; 'tis not my own, Would the Prodigal wafte his Eftate fo vainly ? reprove him, and he will tell you, Upend but my own. The Covetous man faith, Shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flefh and give it to men that I know not ? r Sam. 25. r r: How eafily might you perfwade him to Charity, could you convince him 'tis anothers Goods, and to be laid out when the Lord bath need of it. It would check our pride to confider who made us to differ, r Cot. 4. 7. Alas Mailer, 'twat borrowed, as Eli - fha's Servant told his Matter. A Groom is proud of his Matters Horfe : They are proud of that which is none of theirs, that are proud of their Parts, and proud of their Ef}ates. Yea, it would check our fpirtual pride, when we have done any thing for God, or fuffered any thing for God, or given any thing for Gods fake, r Chron. 29. 12, 13, 14. Of thine own have we given thee, for all is thine: 2 V S5, Is to prefs us to more faithfulnefs in Gods fervice ; to ferve him more with our Parts, Time, Strength, Wit, Wealth, Power and Intereft. All the good M 2 things
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