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Show · Thtttdifulnefr md furtherexercift, ~1 faitb, "Ocfs ismmer of Afrion, al\d,.relates to the ht~rt, the 1o11gue, the r~~bole m•n : fo far as it-r~fper:rth tbe ·heart, it lieth \1' ,the 1. Ag· nition, or acknowledgment of the mercy as corning from God. 2, The Mediwion and admiration of hisgoadlttfi for it. The heart ofa man is truly thankful for a mercy,when it owneth it to be re- ) <. ceived from God,and fecretly meditates of & admireth the good-nefs of God in it, judgeth icfelf ~bliged to God for it, and !ludies what it lhould render to the Lord; this is the inward thankfulnefs of the hrart. The thankfulnefs of the lip! lieth in the rrpeallnt of the mrrcy. teUing of G,ods "'ondroiH "'ork.[, as David\ Come ( faith he ) I wiU ttUyou what the Lord both done for my foul; as the Spoufc her<, I:Ji< lefi-IJJ~d i4 rmder mt. 2. In fpeakjng weO of hi< NJme, predicatiQg his l!)orioU< Attribute!, his nmcy goodnef,, rruth, up· on this occafion, of which you ·have many inllanccs, both in the fong of Mo{r1,a~d of• Deborah, and in th< Pfalmi{l in many PfJhns. Tne thJnkfulnefs of the Converfation lieth in the direCting oft be whole Body and Sou! to the glory of God. This is now the Duty of the child of God upon the receit of the leafi Difpenfation of dillinguiUling Love: but this is but the fidt part. The fecond fol-lows, t•i:t:, The ex trci[t of faith toncludi•g to the Rwit nf fm· tber a~d greater manifrf1atio>tl of divif!t goodnefs from the rrceit of former; This 1 fay is the Chri!Hans Duty. The Lof!.icianJ tell us, that the rule ofR.eafon guideth us in comparate •rgttmenlr to argue (J majori ad minJH affirmando, a minori aa majU< "'gando from the greater to the lefs by affirming: thus the Apo!!le argue;, If Gotl bat~ given JH _Chri/f, bow (baO he not with him J/[o give u1 aU things? ,Chrill is; the greater bleffing. Thus our Saviour argnes, that God . will provide fur us meot and drink.,, becaufc br cloathetb the grafs pnd fudeth the Ravens. It is a greater act of divine condefcen· lion and Love, for God to take care of Grafs, and Lillies and Ra· v~ns, than of his elect rational. Creatures, and becaufe he provi- •vtdetn for tbe Bod], &<. he will take care for Raiment &c. llut as Logicians note, we may argue .from the ldfer to th~ greater in many cafes affirmatively, I intend not to difpute that que/lion at large: It is certainly a good argumentation, as to th•fe a81 ,.bich "'' d• from a r.ot of iHte•fo andfervmt love, fuppoling all circum· llances equal: as now among<t men, it is a rational conclufion for a child to conclude thus, If my F qtber will give me money to [pend, ht wrU furely give me brtad terat, and cloath1 to [pend, becaufe tbe love of the Father mufi necdfarily con{lrain him more to ferve his 011r D11tieJ 11pon the recei# of the le":ft fJICrcie!, his child with neceffaries than with fuperflui ties. 2. ltu w·tail:ly true where tke tbing1 which are ltj];r are but pledge! of greater, or neceffary mean! ill order to the greater.' All tokens of divine Love which we receive here, are but the earn eft of a far greater and more glorious inheritance, they are likew ife as means in order to it. P, s therefore a man may conclude thus; here is the fir/1-fruil!, therefore lfhallhave an I:Jarvrft, or I have eArmjl, thmfore I !hall have the bargain fulfilled : So a Chrinian may conclude thus, I have the earnefi of grace, therefore I U1al\ have fuller me411re nf it. 2. But yet in the prefent cafe there is alfo a further flreng,th in it: as both theformer and the Iotter are equal fubjeC!s oft he divint Prol!'ife in"the performance of Gods fairhfulnefs,in which the Soul recetveth both the one,and the other: So that the Souls conclufion is this, If God batb hem fa ithful in tbi< little tbing , then forely be will not be uttfaithful in the greater thingr which my So11l J!andeth in 11eed of a11d waiteth for. So that the {lrength of the gracious Souls argument lies in two things: 1. That tbe root of ill prefi'nt mercy i< 11othi11g bt<t divi11e Love, free Love, and that fame root hath vertue and fap enough io it to fend forth more branche>. 2.Up<;m theconfideration that the mercy already received is an iffue of divine truth & faithfuln<'fs, and that faithfulnefs ftands engaged for all thofe further performances, in the eJ<peC!arion of which the gracious Soul liveth. Hence you !hall find the fcrvants of God ordinarily thus concluding from, Thou haft, to, Thou wilt. David concluded, 1 Sam. 17. That becall[i: God hod delivered him from tbt Lio>t and the Bear, he would alfo deliver him from Goliab • Pfalm 3. 7. A rife, 0 Lord, and [ave mt, for thor< ba(l {mitteH all minememiu.nthecbeek,-hone. SoPfalmf. 1. v.8,7. Pjolm27, I, 2, 3· Pfalm 56.13· Thou hail delivered mySoHI from death, wilt tim< not de/rver myfeet fromfaUmg l 2 Cor.r.Io. who delivered 111 from fo great a death, and doth delivtr, in wbom we truft th>t he IPiU dtlrvtr. Indeed, thefe infiances do not eJ<adly prove the Propo· fit ion that it is the Duty of Chrifiians, to conclude from the receit of the Ieifer to the receit of tf1e greater ; but they teach n> to conclude from the receit of fame mercy to the receit of more: and the reafons mull be -the fame before-mentioned becaufe the fame root. of Love will fend forth bo~h, and the fam~ faithf,.lne[t, from whtch _the fir[f filM produced, w1ll wzftrain the prodt~Bioll of tb• l•ller. I !hall conclude with one branch of Application, Calling T To |