2. Ascribe unto Jesus Christ the glory of ⟨p. 190⟩all the grace you have been made partakers of. Thus did Paul upon all occasions,1 I laboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me, and by the grace of God I am what I am. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, 2and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. It was well done of that good and faithful servant to say, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds; 3he doth not say, Lord, my pains, but thy pound hath gained. When we give God the glory of his grace, God will give us the comfort and increase of our grace. Learn therefore to ascribe unto Christ, the initial, progressive, & consummative work of grace in your souls, Jesus Christ only, who hath begun a good work in you, 4will perform it until his own day. 5Jesus Christ is the author and finis•er of our faith. 6He is the Alpha and the Omega. And therefore the Apostle prays, The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish• strengthen, and settle you. 7Grace is rather like Manna that comes from heaven, then the Corn that grows out of the earth. Grace is inspired from heaven. Gifts and parts are acquired by industry and pains here on earth. What God said by way of comparison between Canaan and Egypt, is very applicable to this purpose. For thus the Lord speaks to Israel, 8The Land whether thou goest in to possess it, is not as the Land of Egypt, whence tho• camest out, where thou sowest thy ⟨p. 191⟩seed, and waterest it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs, but the Land whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven, a land which the Lord thy God careth for. Thus it is with grace and nature; nature may be, and is improved with industry and pains, and is like Egypt, which might be watered by the foot, i.e. with digging gutters and trenches, which is the labour of the foot, to let in the streams of the river of Nilus, when he yearly overflows his banks, but grace is like the rain from heaven, which only falleth where God doth appoint,9 who causeth it to rain upon one City, and not upon another, and one piece is rained upon, and the piece whereupon it raineth not, withereth.
2. Ascribe unto Jesus Christ the glory of ⟨p. 190⟩all the grace you have been made partakers of. Thus did Paul upon all occasions,1 I laboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me, and by the grace of God I am what I am. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, 2and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. It was wel done of that good and faithfull servant to say, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds; 3he doth not say, Lord, my pains, but thy pound hath gained. When we give God the glory of his grace, God wil give us the comfort and increase of our grace. Learn therefore to ascribe unto Christ, the initial, progressive, & consummative work of grace in your souls, Jesus Christ only, who hath begun a good work in you, 4wil perform it until his own day. 5Jesus Christ is the author and finis•er of our faith. 6He is the Alpha and the Omega. And therefore the Apostle prayes, The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish• strengthen, and settle you. 7Grace is rather like Manna that comes from heaven, then the Corn that grows out of the earth. Grace is inspired from heaven. Gifts and parts are acquired by industry and pains here on earth. What God said by way of comparison between Canaan and Egypt, is very applicable to this purpose. For thus the Lord speaks to Israel, 8The Land whether thou goest in to possesse it, is not as the Land of Egypt, whence tho• camest out, where thou sowest thy ⟨p. 191⟩seed, and waterest it with thy foot, as a garden of hearbs, but the Land whither ye goe to possesse it, is a land of hils and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven, a land which the Lord thy God careth for. Thus it is with grace and nature; nature may be, and is improved with industry and pains, and is like Egypt, which might be watered by the foot, i.e. with digging gutters and trenches, which is the labour of the foot, to let in the streams of the river of Nilus, when he yeerly overflows his banks, but grace is like the rain from heaven, which onely falleth where God doth appoint,
- 11 Cor. 15. 10.
- 2Gal. 2, 20.•
- 3Luk. 19. 16
- 4Phil. 1. 6•
- 5Heb. 12. 2.
- 6Rev. 1. 8.
- 71 Pet. 5. 10.
- 8Deut. 11. 10, 11, 12.
- 9Amos 4. 7.
