An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

But take these few Motives to provoke thee to bless God for spiritual mercies, ¹which are of two sorts, External, as the means of grace, and the Ordinances; or Internal, the inward sanctification and justification of our persons. As

1. 1Motives to be more affected with spiritnal mercies than temporal.

1. That if thou hadst more mercies than Solomon, if thou hadst all thy soul can desire in these outward things, yet if without spiritual mercies thou judgest thy condition is cursed, and to be lamented. Therefore Psal. 4. when the natural persons of the world cried out, Who will show us any good? David, as knowing a better and more solid good, prayeth, God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him: And therefore he that hath the least drop of grace, is more bound to bless God, then he that may have all the glory and plenty in the world: Oh then, why art thou not more solicitous, saying, what is this wealth without Gods favour? What is it to say, this house is mine, this estate is mine, but am not able to say, God is mine? but if God doth evidence himself to thee, then over-look all thy outward comforts, put the Ecce, the Selah, upon what is spiritual. This is like the Sun, which is far above all the Stars. It is this that makes all outward mercies, mercies; they are no ways good to thee, but snares and temptations to draw out thy sins. So that thy condemnation in hell will be the hotter, if thou doest not enjoy spiritual mercies with them.

1. That if thou hadst more mercies than Solomon, if thou hadst all thy soul can desire in these outward things, yet if without spiritual mercies thou judgest thy condition is cursed, and to be lamented. Therefore Psal. 4. when the natural persons of the world cried out, Who will shew us any good? David, as knowing a better and more solid good, prayeth, God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him: And therefore he that hath the least drop of grace, is more bound to bless God, then he that may have all the glory and plenty in the world: Oh then, why art thou not more sollicitous, saying, what is this wealth without Gods favor? What is it to say, this house is mine, this estate is mine, but am not able to say, God is mine? but if God doth evidence himself to thee, then over-look all thy outward comforts, put the Ecce, the Selah, upon what is spiritual. This is like the Sunne, which is farre above all the Starres. It is this that makes all outward mercies, mercies; they are no wayes good to thee, but snares and temptations to draw out thy sins. So that thy condemnation in hell will be the hotter, if thou doest not enjoy spiritual mercies with them.