SECT. II.

I.

Of Gods Abfolute Soveraignty.

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HE first propofition that God is debtor to no man, is too clear and apparent to require much of illustration: for as he is a free agent and may act as he pleases, fo he is the fole proprietary and can wrongfully detain from none, because all original right is in himself. This has bin fo much acknowledged by the blindest Heathens, that none of them durft make infolent addresses to their Gods, challenge any thing of them as of debt, but by facrifices and praiers own'd their dependance and wants, and implor'd fupplies. And fure Christianity teaches us not to be more fawcy. If those Deities who ow'd their very being to their votaries, were yet acknowleged to be the fpring and source of all, we can with no pretence deny it to that fupreme power in whom we live, move, and have our being, Acts. 17.28. For if it were merely an C

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act of his choice to give us a being, all his fubfequent bounties can have no other original then his own good plefure. We could put no obligation upon God before we were: and when we began to be, we were his creatures, and fo by the most indifputable right owe our felves to him, but can have no antecedent title on which to clame any thing from him: fo that the Apostle might well make the challenge which he doth on Gods behalf, Who hath given any thing unto him, and it fhall be recompenc'd to him again? Rom. 11.35.

2. Now ordinary difcretion teaches us not to be too bold in our expectation from one to whom we can plead no right. It has as little of prudence as modefty, to press impudently upon the bounty of a Patron, and do's but give him temtation (at least pretence) to deny. And if it be thus with men, who poffible may fomtimes have an intereft, fomtimes a vanity to oblige; it must be much more fo towards God, who cannot be in want of us, & therefore need not buy us:our good, as the Pfalmift fpeaks, extends not to him. Pfal. 16. 2. He has a fundamental right in that little we are, which will stand good tho it fhould never be corroborated by greater benefits.

With what an humble bashfulness fhould we then fue for any thing, who have no argument to invite the leaft donation, being already fo preingag'd, that we cannot mortgage fo much as our felves in confideration of any new favor? and furely extravagant hopes do very ill be fit people in this condition. We fee the mo defty of good Mephibofheth, tho he was by a flanderous accufation outed of half the estate David had given him, yet upon a reflexion that he deriv'd it all from his good plefure, difputed not the fentence, but cherefully refign'd the whole to the fame difpofure, from which he received it, faying, Tea let him take all, 2 Sam. 19. 30. A rare example and fit for imitation, as being adapted to the prefent cafe, not only in that one circumstance of his having receiv'd all from the King, but also in that of the attainder of his blood, which he confeffes in the former part of the verfe, for all of my fathers boufe were but dead men before my Lord. And alas we not fay the very fame? Was not our whole race tainted in our first Parent? So that if God had not the primary title of vaffalage, he would in our fall have acquir'd that of confifcation and efcheat. C 2

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And can we think our felves then in terms to capitulate and make our own conditions, and expect God fhould humor us in all our wild demands?

3. THIS is indeed to keep up that old rebellion of our Progenitor, for that confifted in a difcontent with that portion God had affign'd him, and coveting what he had restrain'd him. Nay indeed it comes up to the height of the Devils propofal, the attemting to be as God Gen. 3.5. For 'tis an endevor to wrest the managery out of his hands, to fuperfede his Autority of difpenfing to us and to carve for our felves. This is fo mad an infolence, that were it poffible to ftate a cafe exactly parallel between man and man, it would raise the indignation of any that but pretended to ingenuity. Yet this is, without hyperbole,the true meaning of every murmuring repining thought we entertain.

4. BUT as bad as it is, who is there of us, that can in this particular say, we have made our heart clean? Prov.20.9. 'Tis true we make fome formal ackowledgment fomtimes that we receive all from Gods gift: cuftom teaches us from our infancy after every meal we eat to give him thanks (tho even that is now thought too

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much respect, and begins to be discarded as unfashionable: ) yet fure he cannot be thought to do that in earnest, that has all the time of his eating bin grumbling that his table abounds not with fuch delicacies as his neighbors. And yet at this rate God knows are most of our thanksgiveings. Indeed we have not fo much ordinary civility to God, as we have to men. The common proverb teaches us not too curiously to pry into the blemishes of what is given us: but on Gods gifts we fit as Cenfors, nicely examine every thing which is any way difagreable to our fancies, and as if we dealt with him under the notion of chapmen, difparage it, as Solomon faies buiers ufe to do, it is naught, it is naught, faith the buier, Prov. 20. 14. Nay we feem yet more abfurdly to change the scene, and as if God were to make oblations to us, we as critically observe the defects of his benefactions, as the Levitical priests were to do thofe of the facrifice, and (like angry Deities) fcornfully reject, what ever do's not perfectly answer our wanton appetites.

5. AND now fhould God take us at our words, withdraw all those bleffings which we so fastidiously defpife, whata

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