True gain, opened in a sermon preached at Pauls, Nov. 9. 1656

2. We must not respect profit and reward as the only reason of our obedience, without which we would not do God any service at all, for this would be a mere mercenary and servile consideration. The chief reasons of obedience are, our subjection to Gods authority over us, because he is the Lord; our faith, love, and thankfulness for his Covenant of grace, because he is our God. These two are joined in the Preface to the Decalogue, I am the Lord thy God.

2. We must not respect profit and reward as the onely reason of our obedience, without which we would not do God any service at all, for this would be a meer mercenary and servile consideration. The chief reasons of obedience are, our subjection to Gods authority over us, because he is the Lord; our faith, love, and thankfulness for his Covenant of grace, because he is our God. These two are joyned in the Preface to the Decalogue, I am the Lord thy God.

3. We may not respect profit and reward, as the fruit of any merit in our services: when we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable servants unto God, and therefore he might justly make our services unprofitable to our selves. It is matter of comfort, it is not matter of boasting; we may rejoice that there is profit in serving of God, but we may not glory of it as any natural or necessary ⟨p. 14⟩consequent of our services, for Grace doth exclude boasting, ¹Eph. 2.8. and the reward is of grace, and mercy, not of debt, Rom 4.4, 5. and 11.6. Psal. 26. 12. Exod. 20.6.

3. We may not respect profit and reward, as the fruit of any merit in our services: when we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable servants unto God, and therefore he might justly make our services unprofitable to our selves. It is matter of comfort, it is not matter of boasting; we may rejoyce that there is profit in serving of God, but we may not glory of it as any naturall or necessary