The Saints Sacrifice, Section 65
§. 65. Of mans anſwering Gods mercy with dutie.
VII. *§. 58.MAnifeſtation of Gods good pleaſure to man muſt make man carefull to pleaſe God. Where God ſaith, aIer. 14. 7.I wilbe their God, which is an evident manifeſtation of Gods good will to them, this is thereupon inferred: They ſhalbe my people: which as it noteth a dignity (for it is a prerogative to be Gods people) ſo alſo a duty: for it is added, They ſhall returne unto me with their whole heart. Yea in another place where God is brought in to ſay to them, bZac. …3. 9.It is my people, they are brought in to anſwer, The Lord is my God. More plainely, cIſa. 38. 20.Hezekiah having thus expreſſed Gods good will to him. The Lord was ready to ſave me, maketh this …ference, Therefore will we ſing. And the Pſalmiſt yet more directly to the point in hand, ſaith to the Lord, dPſal. 138. 2.I will praiſe thy name for thy loving kindneſſe.
Tanto amplius timere Deum, & magis ſolicitus eſſe debuerat, quanto …ai…ra tius munera percepit. Bern. in pſal. Qui habit. Ser. 1▪Gratefulneſſe, and all equity requireth that they who taſte of the ſweetneſſe of Gods kindneſſe and goodneſſe, ſhould ſo walke before God, as to ſeeke in all things to pleaſe him. Kindneſſe requireth kindneſſe: goodneſſe, goodneſſe: eſpecially ſuch kindneſſe and goodneſſe as the Lord ſheweth and doth. But all the kindneſſe and goodneſſe that we poſſibly can ſhew, or doe to God, is to pleaſe him. Gods good pleaſure is the ground of all our hope: the ſpring from whence do ſlow all the good things which in any kind we have or can expect. Thereby God manifeſteth his mind and reſpect toward us. Our care to pleaſe him is the beſt evidence that we can give of our good mind and reſpect to God. We can really give nothing to him: wherefore the more and greater good things we receive from God, the more carefull we ought to be to pleaſe him.
That this generall duty may be the better performed, three or foure particulars are duly to be obſerved.
Admonition 1 To take notice of Gods kindneſſe.1 Take due notice of Gods good will to thee, and diſtinctly obſerve the ſeverall evidences that he giveth thereof. Kindneſſe not obſerved is as no kindneſſe. But when thou canſt in truth ſay of Gods goodneſſe, as he did who ſaid, That my ſoule knoweth right well, then will thy judgement Pſal. 139. 14.be convinced of the equity of the duty which thou oweſt to God: which is a forceable meanes to bring the will to yeeld thereunto. For this end learne to make *See The Whole Armour of God Treat. 3. Part 2 §. 63, 64, 69.a catalogue of Gods mercies, and to ſet them in order.
2 Enquire what can be done by thee, that may be pleaſing and acceptable to him, many are the admonitions of Eph. 5. 17. Rom. 1…. ….Scripture hereunto, as, Ʋnderſtand what the will of the Lord is; Prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. This doth the holy Scripture expreſly and diſtinctly declare. Well acquaint thy ſelfe with Gods Word, and thou maiſt be well inſtructed in Gods will.
3 Being thus inſtructed, ſtirre up thy ſp…it and whole man to do that which thou knoweſt ought to be done. I 1 Theſ 4. 1.exhort you (ſaith the Apoſtle) by the Lord Ieſus, that as you have received of us how to walke and to pleaſe God (thus they were ſufficiently inſtructed) ſo you would abound more and more: thus he would have them to ſtirre up themſelves to do what they had learned to doe.
2 Cor 3 5. Phil. 2. 13.4 Becauſe We are not ſufficient to thinke any thing as of our ſelves: but our ſufficiency is of God. It is God which worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleaſure: to thine owne endeavour adde faithfull prayer for Gods aſſiſtance. We have for this the patterne of an Apoſtle, who when he had declared a great evidence of Gods kindneſſe to the Hebrewes, namely their redemption by the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, he prayeth that God would worke in them that which Heb. 13. 21.is well▪pleaſing in his ſight.
If by theſe and other like meanes we ſhall indeed anſwer Gods mercy with doing our duty, and ſo walke worthy of the Col. 1 10.Lord unto all pleaſing, he will never repent him of any kindneſſe ſhewed to us, but will rather delight in doing more and more goodneſſe.