Psal. 7.4.with me. Psal. 13.6.The Lord hath dealt bountifully with me. Psal. 103.10.
& 116.7.He hath not dealt with us after our sinnes, nor rewarded us after our iniquities. Psal. 119.17.
& 142.7.Deale bountifully with thy servant. Isa. 3.9.
2 Sam. 16.36.
Psal. 103.1.
Judg. 9.16.And if a benefit freely vouchsafed be called a retribution, the retribution promised and of grace conferred upon the workers of righteousnesse, doth not inferre dignity or worth in the work rewarded. For when God doth performe his promise of meere grace, he is said to retribute, not that he oweth any thing to any man, or that he can receive any that hath the reason of a benefit, but because he doth good unto them according as of his rich grace he was pleased to promise. And if God be said to render or repay a reward, thence it will not follow, that good works can merit ought at the hands of God: Verbum גמל quod vulgò redditur, retribuere, non semper significat par-pari referre, seu idem reponere, nimirum beneficium pro beneficio, injuriam pro injuria, sed etiam priorem conferre in aliquem, vel bonum, hoc est, benefacere, &c. Kinch. ad vers. 4 c. 3. Joel. Mius in Psalm 13.6.for the word is of farre larger signification, and imports no more sometimes, but to restore to one, that which was his own before; as Matth. 22. 21. Render to Cæsar, the things that are Cæsars. Luk. 9. 42. It is said of the child that our Saviour healed, he restored him to his father. Luk. 4. 20. He gave againe the booke to the Minister. Sometimes it is to give without respect to merit or desert; as Matth. 27. 58. Pilate commanded the body to be given unto him. Acts 4. 33. With great power the Apostles gave testimony of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Numb. 3. 3. & 36. 2. 2 Chron. 6. 23. where the Hebrew hath nothing but give, the Septuagint translate it render or repay. Moreover, it signifieth to repay according to vow or promise, as is to be seen in many places of Scripture: Deut. 23. 21. Psal. 22. 26. Psal. 50. 14. & 116. 12, 17. Hos. 14. 2. Joh. 2. 10. Nah. 1. 15. In brief there is a retribution of justice strictly taken, which is according to desert: Jud. 1. 7. Jer. 32. 18. Exod. 22. 5, 6. and there is a retribution of grace and bounty, which is of favour according to promise, as Ruth. 2. 12. Prov. 13. 21. and 25. 22. not to adde, that he that first doth good or evill, is said to retribute; Psal. 137. 8. Psal. 35. 12. That a company of miscreant wretches should be beloved, saved, and a Sonne slaine; reason cannot reach it, religion doth not desire it, nature doth not require it, justice doth not exact it, only love has done it.So that if God be said to render or retribute according to our righteousnesse, it is not in respect of the worthinesse of our deeds, as if they deserved it, but of his free promise and rich mercy, whereby he hath bound himself to accept of our sincere obedience, and graciously to reward it.
As God was pleased freely to make these promises to Abraham, so also to confirme the same unto him by Oath. By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord. Wherein God willing more abun-dantly
