An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Secondly, What-ever we do in a way of Righteousness, is not a gift, nor an advantage to God; for it was all first given us by God,¹ we and all that we have came first from him; whatsoever we have, we have had it of God. It is said in that place before noted (Acts 17.25.) He is not worshipped of mens hands, as if he needed any thing, (why?) for he giveth to all men life and breath, and all things; he gives all things, and therefore he needs nothing, nor can any thing properly be said to be given to him,² who giveth all things. We have that remarkable Scripture (1 Chron. 29.10.) ⟨p. 43⟩where David praiseth the Lord for the offering and gift which he himself and his people had brought towards the building of the Temple; And he desired that his offerings might be accepted of the Lord, not so much as they were given by his hand, as because they and the heart to give them, were received from the hand of God. Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the Congregation, and said, Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever, for all that is in Heaven and in Earth is thine; thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. And, now therefore, O God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious Name; But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort; for all things come of thee, and of thy own have we given thee. And again at the 16th verse; All this store cometh of thee, and all is thine own. We cannot be said properly to give another that which is his own already; whatever God receives of us, came from himself: And as whatsoever we give comes from God, so every action or duty which we perform to God, comes from God; he bestows the power to do upon us, before we can do any thing, and therefore it cannot be any addition unto him. There are two graces, which we exercise, very pleasing to God; first, Faith; secondly, Charity; yet neither of these contribute any thing to God. Faith is so far from giving God any thing, that its whole work lieth in receiving; And though charity be a giving grace, yet it gives to man only, not to God. So then, what doth God receive of man? surely nothing but his own. David enquires (