Chap.. An Expofition upon ii God any thing. Whereas God cals for 2 Tim. 4. 8. 'Therefore it fbould ferme God our affeffions, Give me thy heart, Prov.2 3. iì not JO , except he recompenfe the godly and for our goods, Offer thy fubfcance for that which they have given him: lrp unto God, and he looketh for our Luke 14.14., thanks and praifès,iiender unto me praif cs, S i L. Whatíoever workes the Pfal. 5o. iq.. We are to know that we give God nothing,but what he fiat gave us. Allo by ourgifts he may be honuur- ed, but cannot be cnriched, being an in- finite perfeftion. And lafily, in our gifts to him,we exprefíe our duly, but make him no debter; for we owe unto him more then we door be. T i M. Voto what prsfit and ufe are we to turne this do£trine touching Go(1t at folute- neße S r L. Fiefi, it ferves for inffruftion, to teach that God cannot do Wrong, or offer injufiice to any,feeing he is in debt to none, and might do with his owne what he would: therefore, though he have no mercy on Cain, Ifmael, Efau, Saul, Ahab, Judas, or others, yet here- in is he not unjuft, for he oweth them nothing : nay, had he denied mercy to all mankinde,and appointed all the tons of Adam to endleffe and remedileffe mifery,(as he did the Angels which fell) this pleawould have freed and quitted God, that nonegave him &{t; and there- fore how can any complain of him, Gthence all was to his owne power to difpofe of them as he himfelf lifted ? Let then all mouths be flopped. Se- condly,this exhorts the deft and godly, to great and continuall love and thank- Doubt. faithful have, they be Gods gifts, who worketh in them both the will and deed according to his pleatu e, Phil. 2.19. they be no otherwife called our wot ks, but as our bread is rearmed ours, Matti). 7. 11. becaufe it is given us ; we are they which receive ir, to Life it by Gods libe- rality, and as his blefling upon our in- duflry.So good workes being wrought is us, and given us by Gods holy Spirit, are therefore named ours; and not be- caufe they proceed from our will: which made Augufiine to fay , Lord look not upon niy owne workes , but upon thy works which thou haft done in nee : and again, God crowneth in us his owne gifts, not our merits: and again, he doth us a double mercy, fief} he giveth us power to doe well, and then recompenfeth and crownes that worke which he did well by his grace. Now God having freely promifed a re- ward to good workes; hence he is cal- led jolt and righteous, not becaufe he oweth any thing to any perfons, but for that he keepeth his promife, which is the part of righteoufneffe. Wherefore popifh hypocrites and judiciaries are little better then nad,which preftime to make God obnoxious and a debter to them by their workes, as if they fulneffe towards God, becaufe of his gave hint fomething of their own,,and gracious favour, they hold themfelves ! fo were unjufl, except by order of jct. andwhatfoeverthey enjoy; they enjoy Rice (not of clemency) he did requite, it not only betides and without their defervings, but indeed direftly againft their merit, as being by guilt of fin wor- thy of the fame condition with the re- probate; it is the meer goodneffe of God, who bath feparated them and al- lotted then a better cflate; for they gave him nothing, they prevented him not by any merit or defect on their part. T te2.Yetthe Scripture often affirmeth, that God rendreth to the godly, according to their workes, Rom. 2. 6. and that he loth Solution. even for the worthyneffe of the worke. See lthemi(h notes on 2 Tim. 4.8. Heb. 6. to. Laffly, here is confuted predelti- nation upon faith and workes fore - feen, which bindeth Gods fore -ap- pointment to the quality of the crea- ture,as if it being the ftipream caufe of all things) did depend upon fomething in men which they should (as ye would fay give unto him. T i M. What doth the laft ver fe of this Chapter contain ? S i L. A proof of that which went this Of a righteous Judge, 2 Thef. 1. 6, 7. before, that he is debter to no man, becaufe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=