96 THIRD SERMON together for our good, and the praise of his justice by taking part with him against our own sins, and join- ing with his grace to revenge the blood of Christ upon them. A potsherd is good enough to hold fire, but nothing but a sound and pure vessel is meet to put wine or any rich deposit into. IV. As a principle of emendation of life, and of new obedience. Lord take away iniquity, and receive us into favour, then will we be thankful unto thee, and that shall produce amendment of life ; " Asshur shall not save us, neither will we ride upon horses," &c. A thankful apprehension of the goodness of God in forgiving, giving, saving, honouring us, is one of the principal foundations of sincere obedience. Then the soul will think nothing too good for God, who hath showed himself so good unto it. " What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits," saith the prophet David, Psa. cxvi. 12. and a little after it fol- lows, O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy ser- vant, and the son of thine handmaid ;" that is, a home - born servant, thine from my mother's womb. It is an allusion to those who were born of. servants in the house of their masters, and so were in a condition of servants. If the mother be a handmaid, the child is a servant too, and so the scripture calleth them children of the house, Gen. xiv. 14. xv. a. xvii. 12. Lev. xxii. 11. Ecc. ii. 6. His heart being enlarged in thankfulness, presently reminded him of the deep engagements that did bind him unto service even from the womb. True filial and evangelical obedience ariseth from faith and love. Faith shows us God's love to us, and thereby worketh in us a reciprocal love unto him ; " We love him, because he first loved us, ". 1. John iv. 19. This is the only thing wherein a servant of God may answer him, and may, as Bernard speaks, return back unto
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