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First, Get sound knowledge of God, and of his infinite excellencies, Psa. viii. 1, 9, and absoluteness every way, Matt. vi. 13. Rom. xi. 36, and of his independency on man, or any other creature; whence it is that he needeth not any thing that man hath, Psa. l. 12, 15. 1 Chron. xxix. 14 - 16, or can do; neither can he be beholden to man. But know, that you stand in need of God, Acts xiv. 17. xvii. 28, and must be beholden to him for all things, Know, also, that whatsoever God doth, by whatever means it be, he doth it from himself, Isaiah xliii. 25. Hosea xiii. 4, induced by nothing out of himself, being free in all that he doth. Know likewise, that whatsoever was the instrument of your good, God was the author of both the good and the instrument, James i. 17.

Next, get a clear understanding of the full worth and excellent use of God's gifts, both common and special. Wealth, honour, liberty, health, life, senses, reason, &c., considered in themselves, and in their use, will be esteemed to be great benefits; but if you consider them in their absence, when you are sensible of poverty, sickness, and the rest; or if you be so blessed, that you know not the want of them; then if you considerately and humbly look upon the poor, base, imprisoned, captive, sick, deaf, blind, dumb, distracted, &c. putting yourself in their case, Heb. xiii. 3, you will say that you are unspeakably beholden to God for these corporal and temporal blessings.

But chiefly learn to know, and consider well the worth of spiritual blessings. One of them, the peace of God, passeth all understanding, Phil. iv. 7. To enjoy the gospel upon any terms, to have salvation, such a salvation as is offered by Christ, to have faith, hope, love, and other the manifold saving graces of the Spirit, though but in the least measure, in the very first seed of the Spirit, though no bigger than a grain of mustard seed, Luke xvii. 6, with never so much outward affliction, is of such inestimable value and consequence, that it is more than eye has seen, or ear has heard, or ever entered into the heart of man, 1 Cor. ii. 9. For besides that the least grace is