Be in you: this is the sowing; GOD must first prepare the ground, and then sow his seed in it. It is he that unlocks the heart, to entertain these graces. There are six keys whereby things are opened or shut, that GOD hath entrusted into the hands of no other, Angel or Seraphin. The key of rain, Deut. 28.12. The Lord opens the heaven to give rain to the Land in his season. The key of food, Psal. 104.28. Thou openest thy hand, and they are filled with good. The key of the womb, Psal. 113.9. He maketh the barren woman to be a joyful mother of children. The key of the Grave, Revel. 1.18. I have the keys of hell and of death. The key of the mouth, Psal. 51.15. O Lord open thou my lips. The key of the heart, Act. 16.14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia. In all thesey he openeth, and no man shutteth: he shutteth, and no man openeth. Now when he hath thus opened and prepared the heart, he sows in it this spiritual seed. Graces like good herbs, will not grow of themselves: vices like weeds, need no sowing. Man is no more borne with virtues in his soul than with apparel on his back. It is not generation, but regeneration that sows this seed. The seed is good, the sower is God, Gal. 5.22. Indeed there be ministerial deputies; so Paul plants, and Apollo waters, but still God gives the increase. This takes away from our best works all possibility of merit. A meritorious work must be Ex proprio, and Ex indebito. First, it must be our own: but every good gift is from the Father of lights, Jam. 1. Omne bonum nostrum, vel ipse, vel ab ipso. Secondly, it must be beyond our duty and debt: but alas, having done our best, we are unprofitable servants. Heaven is indeed often called a Reward; not factive, but pactive; of covenant, not of merit: God gives it us, not because we have earned it, but because he hath promised it. Justitia nec vestra, nec vera: woe to us if we had no more comfort than we deserve, Matth. 20. The last received, as the first, every man a penny. Not because they wrought harder, that came in later: as Paul that came in after the rest, yet abounded in labours above them all. But to show that God respects not Quantum but ex quanto; the love, more than the work. And that the reward is not of merit, but of mercy: for if it were of merit, he should have begun at the first: if it be of mercy, he may begin where he will.
Be in you: this is the sowing; GOD must first prepare the ground, and then sow his seed in it. It is he that unlockes the heart, to entertaine these graces. There are sixe keyes whereby things are opened or shut, that GOD hath intrusted into the hands of no other, Angell or Seraphin. The key of raine, Deut. 28.12. The Lord opens the heaven to give raine to the Land in his season. The key of food, Psal. 104.28. Thou openest thy hand, and they are filled with good. The key of the wombe, Psal. 113.9. Hee maketh the barren woman to bee a joyfull mother of children. The key of the Grave, Revel. 1.18. I have the keys of hell and of death. The key of the mouth, Psal. 51.15. O Lord open thou my lips. The key of the heart, Act. 16.14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia. In all thesey he openeth, and no man shutteth: he shutteth, and no man openeth. Now when hee hath thus opened and prepared the heart, he sowes in it this spirituall seed. Graces like good herbes, will not grow of themselves: vices like weeds, need no sowing. Man is no more borne with vertues in his soule than with apparell on his backe. It is not generation, but regeneration that sowes this seed. The seed is good, the sower is God, Gal. 5.22. Indeed there bee ministeriall deputies; so Paul plants, and Apollo waters, but still God gives the encrease. This takes away from our best workes all possibilitie of merit. A meritorious worke must be Ex proprio, and Ex indebito. First, it must be our owne: but every good gift is from the Father of lights, Iam. 1. Omne bonum nostrum, vel ipse, vel ab ipso. Secondly, it must be beyond our dutie and debt: but alas, having done our best, we are unprofitable servants. Heaven is indeed often called a Reward; not factive, but pactive; of covenant, not of merite: God gives it us, not because we have earned it, but because he hath promised it. Iustitia nec vestra, nec vera: woe to us if we had no more comfort than we deserve, Matth. 20. The last received, as the first, every man a peny. Not because they wrought harder, that came in later: as Paul that came in after the rest, yet abounded in labours above them all. But to shew that God respects not Quantum but ex quanto; the love, more than the worke. And that the reward is not of merite, but of mercie: for if it were of merite, he should have begun at the first: if it be of mercie, he may begin where he will.
- yRev. 3.7.
