7. It is a very humbling consideration, That the Mercies of God should work otherwise upon my Spirits than they use to do upon the Spirits of others, to whom they come as sanctified Mercies from the love of God. Ah Lord! what a sad consideration is this? enough to lay me in the dust: when I consider (1) that their mercies have greatly humbled them; the higher God hath raised them, the lower they have laid themselves before God▪ Thus did Jacob when God had given him much substance, Gen. 32. 5, 10, And Jacob said, I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and all the truth which thou hast showed thy servant; for with my staff […] passed over this Jordan, and now am become two Bands. And thus it was with holy David, 2 Sam. 7. 18. When God had confirmed the Promise to him, to build him an house, and not reject him as he did Saul, he goes in before the Lord and saith, who am I? and what is my Fathers house, that than hast brought me hitherto? and so indeed God required Deut. 26. 5. when Israel was to bring to God the first fruits of Canaan, they were to say, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, ⟨p. 45⟩&c. Do others raise God the higher for raising them? and the more God raises me, the more shall I abuse him and exalt my self? Oh what a sad thing is this! (2) others have freely ascribed the glory of all their enjoyments to God, and magnified not themselves but him, for their mercies: So David 2 Sam. 26. 26. Let thy name be magnified, and the house of thy servant be established. He doth not fly upon the mercy, and suck out the sweetness of it, looking no farther than his own comfort; no, he cares for no mercy except God be magnified in it. So Psal. 18. 2. when God had delivered him from all his enemies, the Lord (saith he) is my strength, and my rock, he is become my salvation. They did not put the Crown upon their own heads as I do. (3) The mercies of God have been melting mercies unto others, melting their Souls in love to the God of their mercies. So Hannah, 1 Sam. 2. 1. when she received the mercy of a Son, my soul (saith she) rejoiceth in the Lord, not in the mercy, but in the God of the mercy: And so Mary, Luke 1. 46. My soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour; the word signifies, to make more room for God: Their hearts ⟨p. 46⟩were not contracted, but the more enlarged to God;
7. It is a very humbling consideration, That the Mercies of God should work otherwise upon my Spirits than they use to do upon the Spirits of others, to whom they come as sanctified Mercies from the love of God. Ah Lord! what a sad consideration is this? enough to lay me in the dust: when I consider (1) that their mercies have greatly humbled them; the higher God hath raised them, the lower they have laid themselves before God▪ Thus did Iacob when God had given him much substance, Gen. 32. 5, 10, And Iacob said, I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and all the truth which thou hast shewed thy servant; for with my staff 〈…〉 passed over this Iordan, and now am become two Bands. And thus it was with holy David, 2 Sam. 7. 18. When God had confirmed the Promise to him, to build him an house, and not reject him as he did Saul, he goes in before the Lord and saith, who am I? and what is my Fathers house, that than hast brought me hitherto? and so indeed God required Deut. 26. 5. when Israel was to bring to God the first fruits of Canaan, they were to say, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, ⟨p. 45⟩&c. Do others raise God the higher for raising them? and the more God raises me, the more shall I abuse him and exalt my self? Oh what a sad thing is this! (2) others have freely ascribed the glory of all their injoyments to God, and magnified not themselves but him, for their mercies: So David 2 Sam. 26. 26. Let thy name be magnified, and the house of thy servant be established. He doth not fly upon the mercy, and suck out the sweetness of it, looking no farther than his own comfort; no, he cares for no mercy except God be magnified in it. So Psal. 18. 2. when God had delivered him from all his enemies, the Lord (saith he) is my strength, and my rock, he is become my salvation. They did not put the Crown upon their own heads as I do. (3) The mercies of God have been melting mercies unto others, melting their Souls in love to the God of their mercies. So Hannah, 1 Sam. 2. 1. when she received the mercy of a Son, my soul (saith she) rejoyceth in the Lord, not in the mercy, but in the God of the mercy: And so Mary, Luke 1. 46. My soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour; the word signifies, to make more room for God: Their hearts
