3. Lastly, Our knowledge of the Holy Ghost must raise us to an high estimation of his works, a ready reception of his graces, and cheerful obedience to his motions. He sanctified our Head, who had no sin, by preventing sin in his conception, and he anointed him to his office, and came upon him at his baptism: he sanctified and anointed the prophets and apostles tc their offices, and by them indited the holy scripHe illuminates, converts, sanctifies, and guides all that are to be heirs of life. This is his work. Honour that part of it that is done on Christ, on the prophets, apostles, and the scriptures; and value and seek after that which belongs to yourselves. Think not to be holy without the sanctifier, nor to do any thing well without the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who is Christ's internal, invisible agent here on earth. O that men knew how much of their welfare depends on a faithful obeying of the Holy Ghost!

tures is from God, and therefore no one can be co-ordinate with him, or his rival, nor any thing limit his interest in us.

so shall there be no contradiction, but a perfect concord of all these in the exercise. He therefore that, as our king or governor, hath under

III. And the effects that this must have upon taken to advance the godly, and destroy the us, are these following.

1. Hence we must conclude, and reverently and willingly confess, that further than he voluntary doth oblige himself to us, it is impossible that God should be our debtor; and consequently that upon terms of commutative justice we should merit any thing of God. For what can we render to him but his own; and how should he, properly and antecedently, be indebted to and for his own?

wicked, will not, by the exercise of his absolute dominion, deny himself, nor be unfaithful to his people, or to his rules of government.

If you ask me, in what cases then this dominion is exercised? I answer, 1. In laying the foundations of laws and right. 2. In the disposal of the unreasonable creatures. 3. In abundance of things about his rational creatures, wherein, as rector, he is not engaged, nor hath in his laws declared his will; as about the various constitutions and complexions of men, their ranks and dignities in the world, their riches, or poverty, their health, or sickness, their gifts and parts, both natural and acquired; the first giving of the gospel, and of special grace, to such as had forfeited them, and had no promise of them: the degrees of outward means and mercies; the degrees of inward grace, more than what is promised, &c.

From hence also we must learn, not to repine at the providences of God about his church, which are strange to us, and past our reach, and seem to make against its welfare. Remember that as he may do with his own as he will, so we

2. And we must conclude, that antecedently to his laws and promise, it is impossible that God can do us any wrong, or any thing that he can do, can be guilty of injustice: for justice gives to all their own and therefore it gives nothing to us from God but what he voluntarily gives us himself, which therefore is first a gift of bounty, and but secondarily a due in justice. 3. And therefore we must hence learn, that God may do with his own as he will. Therefore we must take heed that we repine not at any of his decrees or providences, or any passages concerning them in his word. Much may be above us, because our blindness cannot reach the reasons of his ways; but nothing is unrea-have no reason to think that he will be lavish or sonable or evil; for all proceeds from infinite disregardful of his own. The church is not ours, wisdom and goodness, as well as from omnipo- but God's: and therefore he is fitter then we to tency; as no man must feign any thing of God, be trusted with it. and say, this is his decree, or word, or providence; and therefore it is good, when there is no such thing revealed to us; so when we find that it is indeed revealed, our reason must presently submit, and undoubtedly conclude it reasonable and good. Yet is there no cause from hence to fear, lest God should condemn the innocent, or break his promises, and deny us the reward; nor is there any hope to wicked men that he should violate his peremptory threatenings, or, as they call it in their selfish language, be better than his word: because though God have an absolute propriety, and therefore in regard of his interest or power, may do what he will, yet he is essentially also most wise and good, and accordingly hath fitted all things to their use, and taken upon him the relation of our government, and as it were obliged himself by his laws and covenants, and declared himself to be most just; and showed us hereby that he will do nothing contrary to these. As there is no contradiction, but most perfect unity, in God's omnipotency, wisdom, and goodness; his dominion or propriety, his kingdom and paternity;

And so in our own distresses by affliction; when flesh repineth, let us remember, that we are his own, and he may do with us as he pleases. If we be poor, despised, sick and miserable in the world, let us remember, that as it is no injury to the beasts that they are not men, or to the worms that they are not beasts, or to the plants that they have not sense, or to the stars that they are not suns, so it is no wrong to the subjects that they are not princes, or to the poor that they are not rich, or to the sick that they are not healthful. May not God do with his own, as he will; shall a beggar grudge that you give not all that he desires, when you are not bound to give him any thing?

4. Yea, hence we must learn to be the more thankful for all our mercies, because they proceed from the absolute Lord, who was not obliged to us. He might have made us idiots, or madmen; he might have made us beasts or insects, without any injury to us; and the mercies which are consequently from his promise, are antecedently from his propriety and dominion: for he might have put us into other capacities, and

have chosen not to have made those promises. | per to a saint: for sanctification hath these parts: And his promises bind us not to be less thankful one is the habitual devotion of the soul to God, but more. As his mercies are not the less mer- and the other is the actual dedication, and a third cies but the greater, for being promised; because is the relation of the person as thus dedicated, we have now the comfort and use of them in the and the fourth is the actual using of ourselves promise, before we have them. for God. These four are the parts of sanctification; so that all is but our giving up ourselves to God. But to be his in right, is common to the devils and most ungodly. The hearts of the sanctified do resolvedly and delightfully say, my beloved is mine, and I am his, and I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.' See then that you keep not any thing back, but resign up yourselves entirely to God, as those that know they are wholly his.

its own.

6

8. And with ourselves we must resign up all to God that we have. For if we are not our own but his, then our children, our wealth, our senses, our time, our abilities and all that we have are his. All is not to be used one way for God: not all to the poor, nor all to the commonwealth, nor all to the direct promoting of his worship: but all must be his, and used for him, in one way or other, and in those ways which he requires. Possess not any thing merely for yourselves.

5. Hence also we must learn, that there can be no simple, absolute propriety in any creature. No creature gave all the being and well being to another that it hath, and this originally as of We being not our own but God's, cannot have any thing that is absolutely our own. Human propriety is but derived, limited, and respective. Our goods, and lands, and lives are ours; that is, they are ours to use for God, as the instruments of a workman to do his work: but not ours to use as we think meet. They are so ours, as that men may not take them from us, but God may take them from us at his pleasure. And therefore think not you may mis-spend a penny if you were ever so rich, because it is your own; but know, that you must mis-spend nothing, because it is not your own but God's. 6. Principally, we must hence learn to deny ourselves, as being not our own, and having no thing in the world that is our own, in respect to 9. Especially see to it in the use and imGod, the absolute owner. And therefore above provement, that you use yourselves, and all that all the sins of your souls, still watch against this you have for God. Let this be your intention, selfishness; lest you should grow to look at your trade, and study. See that you be always at time, your strength, your wealth, your interests, his work; that if a man come in upon you any as your own, and forget that you are mere stew-hour of the day, and ask you what you are a ards; and say as the ungodly, our lips are our doing, and whose work it is that you are upon, own who is Lord over us? O take heed that you may truly be able to say, the Lord's. If you you use not your strength, or interest, or any be asked, who you are now speaking for, or spendthing for yourselves: no not so much as your ing your time for, or for whom you expend food and raiment, that is, for yourselves ulti- your wealth? You may truly say of every hour, mately, or not in subordination to the Lord. For and every penny, and every word, it is for the self as subject unto God, or as closed with him Lord. Even that which you give your children in the bond of love, is no longer self in enmity or friends, and that which you receive for your and opposition, nor that which we are forbidden support or comfort, may all be principally and to seek or serve. ultimately for God: 'ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.- Christ died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but to him that died for them, and rose again.'

7. And this knowledge of the dominion of God, must prevail with us effectually to resign ourselves absolutely to him. Our consent doth give him no title to us, but it is necessary to our welfare that we confess his title. All men, even the wicked, are his own; but that is against their wills but the godly are willingly his own, and disclaim all interest in themselves but what is duly subordinate to his: the name of God is put upon them, as you put your names on your goods or sheep. I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamiest mine.' And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels.' To be entirely his by covenant, is pro

10. This must be a stay to the souls of true believers, and cause them with comfort to trust themselves and all their affairs in the hands of God. When we have first made it our care to give to God the things that are God's, and heartily consecrated ourselves and all that we have to him, as his own; we have no reason to doubt of his acceptance, nor of his care, protection and merciful disposal of us. This is a wonderful comfort to poor Christians, to think that they

and so God is said to govern brutes and inanimate creatures: but that is but a metaphorical expression : as an artificer metaphorically governs his clock, or engine, or a shepherd his sheep. But we now speak of proper moral government. God having made man a rational and free agent, having an immortal soul, and capable of everlasting happiness, his very nature and the end of his creation required, that he should be conducted to that end and happiness by means agreeable to his nature; that is, by the revelation of the reward before he sees it, that he may seek it and be fitted for it: and by prescribed duties that are necessary to obtain it, and to his living here according to his nature and by threatened penalties to quicken him to his duty: so that he is naturally a creature to be governed, both as sociable, and as one to be conducted to his end. He therefore that created him having alone both sufficiency and right, doth by this very creation become his governor. His government hath two parts (the world being thus constituted the kingdom of God.) The first is by legislation, or making laws, and officers for execution. The second is by the procuring the execution of these laws; to which end he doth exhort and persuade the subjects to obedience, and judge them according to their works, and execute his judg ment.

have such an owner. Whoever is against you, Christians, be sure of it God will look to you, as his own. And if you but promise another that you will be as careful of his child, his horse, his goods, as if they were your own, he will think you say as much as can be expected. If you be poor, or sick, or desolate, you may be sure that yet God will look to you as his own. And why should you think that he will be careless of his own? Ground your prayers and confidence on this, as David doth: I am thine, save me.' And in all our labours, and the affairs of our lives, when our consciences can say that we live to God, and study to do all we can for him, and to improve all our time, parts, and other talents, to his use, it may very much quiet us in all his disposals of us. If he keep us in the lowest case, if we be his, we must rest in his wisdom, that knows best how to use his own. If he take our friends from us, he takes but his own. If he deny his saving grace to our ungodly children, a heavy judgment of which we must be sensible, yet when we have devoted them to God, and done our own part, we must be silent, as Aaron was, when his sons were destroyed, and confess that the potter hath power over his own clay, to make of the same lump a vessel to honour, and another to dishonour. All his disposals shall work to that end which is the most universal perfect good, and most denominates all the means. But those that are his own by consent and covenant, may be sure that all shall work to their own good. Let us die with Christ, | and be buried to the world, and know no Lord or owner but our great Creator and Redeemer, except in a limited sense, and then we may bold-law, against the eating of the tree of knowledge: ly argue with him to the quiet of our souls from this relation, 'I am thine, help me.'- Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even to my cause, my Lord and my God,' when faith and love have first said as Thomas, My Lord and my God.'

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CHAP. XIV.

His first law was to Adam, the law of nature, obliging him to adhere to his Creator, and to love him, trust him, fear him, honour him, and obey him with all his might, in order to the pleasing of his Creator, and the attainment of everlasting life: to which was added a positive

and death was the penalty due to the sinner: this law was quickly broken by man; and God delayed not his judgment, but sentenced the tempter, the woman and the man; though not according to their merits; but graciously providing a Redeemer, he presently stopped the execution of the far greatest part of the penalty, the Son of God undertaking, as our surety, to become a sacrifice and ransom for us. Hereupon the covenant of grace was made, and the law of grace

The next relation to be spoken of, is God's sovereignty both by creation and redemption he hath the right of governing us as our sover-enacted with mankind; but more obscurely in eign king, and we are obliged to be his willing subjects, and as such to obey his holy laws. He is the Lord or owner of all the world; even of brutes as properly as of man: but he is the sovereign king or governor only of the reasonable creature; because no others are capable of that proper moral government which now we speak of. Vulgarly indeed his physical motions and dispositions are called his rule or government:

the beginning; being cleared up by degrees in the several promises to the fathers, types of the law, and the prophecies of the prophets of several ages, the law being interposed because of transgression: in the fulness of time the Messiah was incarnate, and the first promises concerning him fulfilled, and after his holy life, preaching, and conquest of the tempter and the world, he gave himself a ransom for us, and conquering

death he rose again, ascended into heaven, being | King, must bring the whole man into subjection possessed in his manhood of the fulness of his power, and all things being delivered into his hands; so that he was made the general administrator and Lord of all. And thus he more clearly revealing his covenant of grace, and bringing life and immortality to light, commissioned his ministers to preach this gospel to all the world. And thus the primitive sovereign is God, and the sovereign by derivation is Jesus, the mediator, in his manhood united to the second person in the Godhead; and the laws that we are governed by, are the law of nature, with the superadded covenant of grace; the subordinate officers are angels, magistrates, and pastors of the church (having works distinct); the society itself is called the church and kingdom of God; the reward is everlasting glory, with the mercies of this life in order to it and the punishment is everlasting misery, with the preparatory judgments, especially on the soul, which are here inflicted. Subjection is due upon our first being; and is consented to, or vowed in baptism, and is to be manifested in holy obedience to the death. This is the sovereignty and government of God. Now let us see how God, as our sovereign, must be known.

1. The princes, and all the rulers of the world, must understand their place and duty: they are first God's subjects, and then his officers, and can have no power but from God, nor hold any but in dependence on him, and subordination to him. Their power extends no further than the heavenly Sovereign hath signified his pleasure, and by commission to them, or command to us, conferred it on them. As they have no strength, or natural power, but from the omnipotent God, so can they have no authority, or governing power or right, but from the absolute king of all the world. They can less pretend to a right of governing not derived from God, than a justice or constable may to such power, not derived from the earthly sovereigns.

Princes and states also must hence understand their end and work. God who is the beginning, must be the end also of their government: their laws must be but by-laws, subservient to his laws, to further men's obedience to them. The common good, which is their lower nearer end, must be measured by his interest in the nations, and men's relations unto him. The common possession of his favour, blessing and protection is the greatest common good. His interest in us, and ours in him, must therefore be principally maintained.

to him. Our understandings must be subject to his doctrine, and resigned to him, as teachable and tractable: when we know what is his law and will, we must rest in it, though we know not the reasons of it. We take not on us to be competent judges of all the reasons of the laws of men, but must obey them without disputing the reasons (with the limitations after to be mentioned.) How much more must we submit to the wisdom of the infallible law-giver, that cannot deceive, or be deceived. Our wills also must be fully subject to his will, revealed by his precepts. We must desire no more to move us, or to stop us, but to know what God would have us do. As the first wheels in a watch or other engine, moves all the rest, so the will of God must move all our wills, and rule our lives. We must take heed above all things in the world, lest our wills (which are the lower wheels) should have any such defects, distempers, reserves, any carnal bias, interest, or inclination, that makes them unfit to receive the law of God, or be ruled by his will. We must imitate our Lord, and learn of the prophet David, 'I delight to do thy will, O God.' With cheerful readiness to obey, we must stand waiting for the word of his command; and say teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God,' and as Samuel, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.' When a man's selfish, carnal will is mortified, and his will lies submissive before the Lord, and wholly applies itself to his will, and it is enough to a man to move him in the greatest matters, to know that it is the will of God, this is a state of true subjection. Thus must we be in subjection to the Father of spirits, submitting even to his sharpest dispensations, for all the church is subject unto Christ, and this is essential to our holy covenant and Christianity itself. When God is taken to be our God, and we give up ourselves to be his people; when Christ is taken to be our Saviour, and we give up ourselves to him as his members, and redeemed ones, it essentially contains our taking him for our chief governor, and giving up ourselves to him as his subjects. Take heed of that wisdom that would supersede the wisdom of God, and be your guide itself, without depending on his wisdom. This is the foolish, damning wisdom of the world. Take heed of that concupiscence or will that would be your ruler, and overturn the will of God. For this is the grand rebel, and greatest enemy of God and

us.

3. And subjection must produce obedience; 2. The knowledge of God as our sovereign subjection is the consent of the will to be sub