AND MOTIVE hereof keep our souls in all humility and continual self- abasement: for what have we in or from ourselves, on 'the account whereof we should be lifted up? Wherefore, as the elect of God, let as put on humility in all things. And let me add, that there is no grace whereby at this day we may more glorify God and the gospel, now the world is sinking into ruin by the weight of its own pride. The spirits of men, the looks of men, the tongues of men, the lives of men, are lifted up by their pride unto their destruction. The good Lord keep professors from a shore in the pride of these days, spiritual pride, in foolish self-exalting opinions, and the pride of life, in the fashions of the world, are the poison of this age. Sect.' I7. (2.) Submission to the sovereign will and pleasure of God, in the disposal of all our concerns in this world: that this is an excellent fruit of faith, an eminent part of holiness, or duty of obedience, is ac- knowledged; and never was it more signally called for than it is at this day. He that cannot live in an actual resignation of himself, and all his concerns, unto the sovereign pleasure of God, can neither glorify him in any thing, nor have one hour's solid peace in his own mind. This public calamities, this private dangers and losses, this the uncertainty of all things here be- low, call for at present in an especial manner. God bath taken all pretences of security from the earth, by what some men feel, and some men fear. None knows how soon it may be his portion, to be brought unto the utmost extremity of earthly calamities. There is none so old, none so young, none so wise, none so rich, as thence to expect relief from such things. Where then shall we, in this condition, cast anchor? whether shall we betake ourselves for quietness and repose? It is no way to be obtained, but in a resignation of ourselves, and all our concernments, into the sovereign pleasure of God: And what greater motive can we have there- unto than this? The first act of divine sovereign plea. sure concerning us, was the choosing of us from all eter- nity unto holiness and happiness. This was done when we were not, when we had no contrivances of our own. And shall we not now put all our concerns into the same hand? Can the same fountain send out sweet and bitter water? Can the same sovereign pleasure of God be the free only cause of all our blessedness, and can it do that which is really evil unto us? Our souls, 4u UNTO HOLMNESS. 335 ~our persons, were secure, and blessedly provided for, as to grace andglory, in thesovereign will of God; and what a prodigiousimpiety is it, not to trust all other things in the same hand, to be disposed of freely and absolutely? If we will not forego our interest in mere absolute free sovereign grace for ten thousandworlds, as no believer will, how ready should we be to resign up thereunto that little portion whichwe have in this world among perishing things ? Sect. 18. (3.) Love, kindness, compassion, forbear- ance towards all believers, all the saints of God, how- ever differenced among themselves, are made indispen- siblÿ necessary unto us, and prassed on us from the same consideration. And herein also doth no small part of our holiness consist. To this purpose is the exhorta- tion of the apostle before-mentioned, Col. iii. 12. For, if God have chosen them all from eternity, and made them the objects of his love and grace, as he hash done so concerning all sincere believers, do we not think it necessary, doth not God require of us, that we should love them also? I-Iow dare any of us entertain unkind severe thoughts, how dare we maintain animositiesand enmities against any of them whom God bath eternally chosen to grace and glory? Such things, it may be, up- on provocations, and surprisals, and clashings of secu- lar interests, have fallen out, and will fall out amongst us; but they are all opposite and contrary unto that influ- ence which the consideration of God's electinglove ought to have upon us. The apostle's rule is, that as unto our communion in love, we ought to receivehim whom God bath received, and because God bath received him, against which no other thing can be laid in bar, Rom. xiv. 1, 3. And the rule is no less certain, yea, is sub- ject to less exceptions, that weought to choose, embrace, and love, all those, whoever they be, whom God bath chosen and loved from eternity. There is no greater evidence oflow, weak, selfish Christians, than to pre- scribe any other rules or bounds unto their spiri- tual evangelical affections, than the decree of God's election, as manifesting itself in its effects. I endure all things, saith our apostle, not for the Jews or Gen- tiles, not for the weak or strong in the faith, not for those of t'bis or that way, butfor theelect's sale. This should regulate our love, and mightily stir it up unto all actings of kindness, mercy, compassion, forbear- ance and forgiveness. 32
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