Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes Isa 2. 3. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33. But many people they have no desire to hear the Word nor any heart to be taught by the Word Nay they think the Word is much beholding to them if they will vouchsafe him an hours time to come and hear have these men tender hearts to please God who care not at all to know the mind of God Secondly They will not walk according to the rules and prescriptions of it but They will not walk according to it esteem of them as burthens which they would cast off and as cords which they would break asunder Psal 2. 3. or as superfluous niceties and preciseness which they need not to regard Their wills are absolutely incomplying with the will of God and condemning the will of God and perking up above the will of God Can any rational man imagine that such persons have soft and tender hearts to fear the Lord to obey his voice whose heart will not yield to his Word nor submit at all unto it Object But will some say Are there any such men Sol. 1. There have been such amongst those to whom the Word hath come Jer. 44. 16. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee And ver 4. I sent unto you all my Prophets saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate ver 5. But they harkned not nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness to burn incense to other gods ver 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouthes c. Zach. 7. 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hâ—sts Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother ver 10. and oppress not the widow or the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart ver 11. But they refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Secondly And there are such amongst our selves who will not conform unto the will of God nor obey his Word The Lord saith swear not at all Matth. 5. 34. but they will swear by their faith and by their troth and by the creatures c. The Lord commands every man everywhere to repent Acts 17. 30. but they will not leave their sins he that was proud is proud still and he that was filthy is filthy still and he that was drunken is drunken still The Lord commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but men will not hearken to the Lord in this they will have their delights and will sell their wares and will have their pastimes and meetings on that day c. The Lord commands Parents to teach and instruct their children and to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord and Governours of Families to set up his worship and fear in their houses but men will not do this c. The Lord commands us all to walk strictly and circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. and according to the rule Gal. 6. 16. But we will not be bound up to the straight path of life we will allow our selves such a loosnesse of Opinion and such a loosness of speaking and such a loosness of walking which the Lord doth not only not allow but expresly forbids and condems in his Word assuredly this is farre from the frame of tender and soft hearts Thirdly They do slight and mock at the threatnings of the Word and misuse They slight the threatnings of the Word the Messengers of the Lord Isa 21. 11. Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night Jer. 23. 23. What is the burden of the Lord Chap. 5. 12. They have belyed the Lord and said It is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine Jer. 6. 10. Behold the Word of the Lord is a reproach unto them 2 Chron. 36. 16. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said These men are full of new wine Unquestionably such men as these are far from softness and tenderness of heart which when any have it they do fear the Word of the Lord and do tremble at his threatnings Nevertheless we do find it among our selves that many persons do slight and mock at the reproofs and threatnings of the Word and do misuse the Messengers of God when reproving their sins and applying those threatnings which God himself hath denounced against them for their sinnings As like Solomons fool they do make a mock of sin so like those hardned Jews they do make but a mock of Gods threatnings for their sins despise and laugh at them whereas they should humble their hearts under them and repent of their sins that so they may avoid that wrath which God threatens them for their sinnings Fourthly They will not be brought under the obedience of it let the Lord do what he will Hose 6. 5. I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slain them by They will not be obedient to the Word the words of my mouth and thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth ver 7. But they like men have transgressed the Covenant there have they dealt treacherously against me Zeph. 3. 5. Every morning doth he bring his judgement to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame ver 6. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passe by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is no inhabitant ver 7. I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwellings should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings Thirdly By untowardlinesse and untractablenesse of their hearts under all the mercies By untractablenesse under mercies of God and all the merciful dealings of God Beloved that man is certainly under the dominion of hardness of heart and without all softness and tendernesse on whom no mercies of God will work why nothing will work if mercy will not work Now there are six choice merciful dealings of God which yet work not to any purpose on the hearts of many men viz. 1. Gods merciful Providence 2. Gods merciful Treaties 3. Gods merciful Strivings 4. Gods merciful Waitings 5. Gods merciful Warnings 6 Gods merciful Repentings First Gods merciful Providence in manifold nay in daily fruits of preservation His merciful Providences and deliverance of goodness and blessings the Lord it is who gives us life and all things that pertain to life he feeds our bellies and clothes our backs and maintains our health and multiplies our seed sowen and makes us to prosper and thrive
Israel Jer. 31. 9. As the Sonne as God manifested in the flesh he is your Christ Christ gives himself to be yours And as the holy Ghost so also he is yours Oh what a Covenant is this wherein the covenanted have such a propriety The eternal God is my God The All-sufficient God is my God The holy Ghost is my God The merciful God is my God The omnipotent loving gracious God is my God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is my Father and Jesus Christ God the Sonne is my God and God the holy Ghost is mine I have an interest in him and them and I have a communion and fellowship with them 3. Engagement of himself with all that he hath and all that he can do What Engagement of himself a God can be or can do for your good Thus farre doth God engage unto his people when he makes a Covenant with them to be their God he makes over himself and all by bond unto you what I am I am to you and for you and what I have or can do it shall be for you I am the holy God I will be Holinesse to you I am the merciful God I will be merciful to your transgressions I am the gracious God I will shew favour to you and will freely love and blesse you I am the All-sufficient God and I will be a Sunne and a Shield unto you I am the Omnipotent God I will up old you by the right hand of my power I am All and will be All in All unto you I am God blessed for ever and I will be Blessednesse to you for my Covenant with you is the engagement of my self and of all good unto you 4. Perpetuity I will be a God unto you or I will be your God in a Covenant of Grace it is as if he should say I will be a God unto you as long as I am God Perpetuity I am God for ever and I will be your God for ever This God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48. 14. I will love you and blesse you for ever Did I not say aright when I told you that Gods engaging of himself to be our God in the Covenant was the soul the life the summe of the Covenant what can we have more or desire more A God to be our God a merciful gracious blessed blessing God to be our merciful gracious our blessed our blessing God and all this as long as he is God for ever and for ever 3. In this Covenant he promiseth that we shall be his people Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God and they shall be my people So Ezek. 11. 20. They shall be He promiseth we shall be his people my people and I will be their God Zach. 13 9. I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God This is the Covenant This mutual engagement on either side is it I will be your God and you shall be my people This is a Marriage I will be your Husband and you shall be my wife I take you to to be my Husband and I take you to be my wife This Reciprocal consent and this Reciprocal agreement Thou shalt be mine and I will be thine Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee Hos 3. 3. this makes the marriage So the Reciprocal acceptance consent and agreement betwixt God and us makes up the Covenant between us in the very formal and vital nature of it Here are two questions unto which I would speak a few things Quest 1 What this expression of the Covenant imports you shall be my people or what it is to be a people in Covenant with God What it is to be a pâ—ople in Covenant As there is some singular thing in that Covenant expression I will be your God or I will be a God to you So there is some special thing in that Covenant expression likewise you shall be my people or you shall be to me for a people And if I mistake not there are three things in it Sol. 1. A Separation you shall not be any others nor for any other but for my self Three things in it A separation and this is expressey declared Deut. 29. 12 13. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and chap. 7. 6. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a spâ—cial people unto himself and chap. 16. 6. The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Come out from amongst them and be ye seperate saith the Lord And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty 2. A dediâ—ation of our selves to God A kinde of consecration wherein we choose him to be our God and binde our selves to him to be his A willing A dedication of our selves to God choyce Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God verse 18. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people Isa 63. 19. We are thine thou never barest rule over them they were not called by thy name Isa 64. 9. Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Psal 116. 16. Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant Psal 119. 94. I am thine save me c. 3. An obligation to hearken unto him to obey him and to walk with him An obligation to obey him Deut. 27. 9 10. Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God Thou shalt therfore obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and do his câ—mmandments and his statutes which I command thee this day Jos 24. 22. Ye are witnesses against your selves that you have chosen the Lord to serve him and they said we are witnesses Quest 2 How we come to be his people whether by any voluntary act of our own or How we come to be Gods people in Covenant by the sole effect of his grace because he saith ye shall be my people For the resolution of this know that the Covenant may be considered two ways Sol. 1. As to the Platforme of its constitution which shews of what forme the contracting is when God declares that he as a God makes over himself unto his The Covenant may be considered As to the Platforme of its constitution As to the real execution of it people and his people make over themselves unto him 2. As to the real and effectual execution of this in an actual and mutual acceptation of each other and obligation of themselves to each other Thus considered you must distinguish betwixt the act of voluntary consent in the people or persons covenanting with God and betwixt the cause of that willing consent election and estimation There is a voluntary consent in
as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day The sun riseth in the morning and it holds on its motion or course untill it comes to the height And so the just man goes on in his course further and further untill he comes to perfection which is his end and rest The Apostle calls this the running of a Race 1 Cor. 9. 24. and Heb. 12. 1. Let us run the Race which is set before us when men do run a race they make no stop or stay but they are still passant in their motion never rest untill they come unto the goal for c. Therefore he saith of himselfe that he was following after it Phil. 3. 12. And reaching forth ver 13. And pressing forward ver 14. So David Psal 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keep it unto the end And ver 44. I will keep thy statutes continually for ever and ever Ver. 112. I have inclined mine heart to performe thy statutes alwayes even unto the end We read of Job that upright man who feared God and eschewed evil that he offered Sacrifice and Burnto-fferings for his sons and thus did Job continually Job 1. 5. The same we say of our obedience to Gods Statutes it is not a transient work but it is a continued course it is not the work of a day or of a year but it is the work of a life we must serve God in Holiness and Righteousness all the dayes of our life Luk. â—â— 75. Now I will give you some Reasons why they should do so why they Reasons for it should continue and persevere unto the end in doing the will God in walking in his statutes The Reasons are these First The Bond of the Covenant twixt God and them wherein there is From the mutual Covenant 1. A mutuall Agreement 2. The date of the Agreement The Agreement is that God will be their God And that they will be his people God will be theirs and they will be his They will serve him and he will bless them The date of this Agreement is Everlasting I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you I will never turne a way from them to do them good and I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from me Jer. 32. 40. Psal 48. 14. This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guid even unto death Hence I infer two things 1. If the Relation 'twixt God and his people doth still continue then the obligation The relation betwixt God and his People stiâ—l continueâ— The Covenant takes hold of God to bless them still continues if they do still own him for their God they must still obey and serve him as their God 2. If the Covenant takes hold of God to bless them and do them good it doth by the same reason take hold on them still to serve and obey their God It were absurd to think that the obligation should be only on God's part and not on our part or that it should be at all times on Gods part to do us good and only at some time on our part to do him service There are three things considerable in the Statutes or Commands of God What considerable in Gods Statutes A Bredth in them A Hight in them A Length in them 1. There is a Bredth in them for they are many and do require manifold duties and our hearts and lives must have a respect unto them all 2. There is a Height in them they are Laws of perfection and we should strive to come up fully unto them to the utmost of them 3. There is a Length in them they extend in their Authority and power from the first day of life to the last minute of breath and our obedience unto them should be constant unto them saith the Apostle Rom. 7. 2. The woman that hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liveth So say the people of God who are in Covenant with him and take him for their Lord and Husband they are bound to obey his laws and walk in his statutes prescribed to them as long as the husband lives at least as long as they shall live Thus you see that the people of God are to hold on and to continue unto the end in the duties of obedience it must be the work of their whole life to walk in God's statutes Secondly The force of Gods Law The morall law of God for of that â— From the force of Gods Law only speak it is an Eternal law it is not Temporary and Cessant set up to be of force for a time only No it is a fixed and standing Rule and hath authority over us not for some part of our life but for all the dayes of our life and we are to order not only some part of our conversations but our whole conversations according unto it order my steps in thy word Psal 119. 133. We do finde that the laws or Commandements of God some of them are affirmative and some of them are negative the affirmative do binde us Semper and the negative do binde us Semper ad Semper There is no time dispensed with to sin against God no time to take the Name of God in vain no time to commit adultery no time to kill or steal c. And though the affirmative precepts do not bind us at all times as to particular acts yet they do still bind us to some acts of obedience As though God will at some times dispence with sacrifice yet then it is in case of mercy As if a fire should break out on the Sabbath day God suffers us to omit his own worship but this is that we might observe him in acts of mercy at this time Well then the Law of God is never out of date and therefore our obedience should be never out of date This Command lies upon us for our whole life and therefore obedience lies upon us for our whole life Thirdly There is still an imperfection upon us and therefore still there is need Whilst we live we are imperfect of further obedience Take me the best Christian on earth there is still imperfection upon him and there is nothing which he doth but still he may do it better He doth not so beleive on God but he needs still to believe and still to believe better He doth not so love his God but he needs still to love his God and to love him more He doth not so sanctifie a Sabbath but he needs still to keep the Sabbath day holy and to keep it more holy He doth not so pray and hear and mourne but he needs still to pray and hear and to pray and hear better He doth not so mortify his sins and reform his heart and life but he needs every day to be mortifying his sinfull lusts and reforming and mending his
your transgressions I will cleanse you from all your Idols and from all your uncleannesses I will put my Spirit within you I will blesse you I will do you good I will hear you and deliver you He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly In hope of eternal life which God hath promised unto them that love him c. Again which way Christ goes that way the promises go Now Christ belongs to every believer therefore the promises also belong c. This truth no man can question but he who will question the Scriptures themselves or a distressed sinner who questions his relations unto God and thereupon questions the relation of the promises unto himself neverthelesse ex parte Rei it is certain if God be yours then his promises are yours c. 2. But now let us see the happinesse and comfort from this that all the promises Comfort from this that the promises are ours of God are ours There are twelve things which we may confidently affirme of the promises of God all which afford sweet comfort unto the people of God 1. They are bonds of love They are every one of them the draughts of The promises are bands of love Gods special love unto you God doth not first make promises and then love us but he first loves us and therefore draws his bonds of promises God doth not enter into these Bonds by force against his will unwillingly but c. The promises do plainly tell you how great the love of God is to you how great his goodnesse is to you they are the transcript of his minde and heart Because I love you I will therefore do all this good for you and in these I bind my self unto you 2. They are susceptions of grace whatsoever promise God makes to you They are susceptions of grace grace is the foundation of it and grace is in the performance of it It is freely made and as freely made good nothing moved God to make the promises but his own grace and there is no reason why we enjoy the good of them but Gods own grace I will do you good and all this good I will do for my own sake you shall have it as freely as ever child had kindnesse from a father 3. They are full treasures All my springs are in thee said David Psal 87. 7. They are full treasures So may we say of the promises All my helps all my goods are in you The promises as they depend for their constitution upon the love and goodnesse of God so likewise upon the prescience and wisdome of God God foresaw all the exigences aâ—d wants and straits of his people and drew up the promises with sufficient provisions and supplies and helps to answer all their conditions There is not any good whatsoever which you do actually want or can possibly want but there is a full stock and a peculiar supply for it in the promises 4. They are the best security All the promises are the word of a God and They are the best security given upon the honour of a God that they shall be made good The al-sufficiency of God the Omniscience of God the loving kindnesse of God the omnipotency of God and the faithfulnesse of God yea and the oath of God are full security sufficient pawnes and earnests for all the good which God promiseth unâ—o you 5. They are sure payments We say when an honest man passeth his word for They are sure payments a little money O it is a sure as if it were in the purse Gods word of promise is much more sure for as his nature or being is eternal so his word of promise is unchangeable The vision will speak it will surely come so Hab. 2. 3. I will plâ—nt them in this land assuredly Jer. 32. 41. My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89. 34. Therefore the promises are many times said to be performed before they be performed and the things promised are said to be given and done before they be given and done because when God promiseth to do his people any good it is as sure as if it were already done 6. They are present stayes Though you have not friends alwayes present They are present stayes with you to stay you and though you have not as yet the things promised present with you to stay you yet you have the promises of your God still present with you to stay your hearts and to uphold them There are four things still present with the people of God to stay their hearts 1. A good God 2. A good Christ 3. The good Spirit of God 4. The good promises of God Either God doth you good gives it into your hands or saith he will do good which is enough for faith to stay and rest your hearts upon 7. They are living and lasting fountains Wells still full of waters and stars They are living and lasting fountains still full of ligh Could you â—â—ve a thousand years or to thousands of generations there would be no diminution in the promises They are as full of mercy as ever and as sure a word of truth as ever though your wants be more or lesse higher or lower it is all one One promise hath as much mercy in it as will last as long as you shall live and another promise hath as much grace and another hath as much comfort as will serve you all your dayes and the same abundance still remaines for all the people of God as long as the world lasts 8. They are the quickest dispensations God comes not off slowly or hardly They are the quickest dispensations or unwillingly or sparingly in the performance of them Opâ—n thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. 10. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 50. 15. Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Isa 65. 24. One prayer many times melts these clouds as in Jacobs case one act of faith many times gets your supplies As in Jehosaphats case when you look by faith upon the promises you are then trading with the good and kind God by your mighty Advocate Jesus Christ In whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 9. They are seasonable helps The promises do contain our best good and They are seasonable helps They do alwayes dispense it in the best time Jer. 5. 29. Let us feare the Lord our God who giveth rain both the former and the latter in his season He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest Thus doth God with his promises unto his people they shall be made good in their season they are as the appointed weeks of the harvest Every week is not a harvest week when the corn is ripe then is that time come to put in
Christ is Man who is the Mediatour but it doth not say that he is Mediatour only as Man yea and the next verse may satisfie us that he must be considered as God as well as Man being Mediatour For it followeth in verse 6. who gave himsel a Ramsome for all c. Now Christ giving himself a Ransome was was not Man only but God also therefore the same Apostle saith that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. and that by his own blood he purchased the Church Acts 20. Ob. But it is there said The Man Christ Jesus and why is it said the Man but to shew that only as Man he is Mediatour So Bellarmine Sol. 1. By the same reason we may argue that Christ only as Man doth forgive sins Because it is said in Matth. 9. 6. The Sonne of Man hath power to forgive sins 2. But the reason why he saith the Man Christ Jesus is not that as so only he was Mediatour but that he might teach Believers not to despaire oâ— any sorts of men for whom he before wills them to pray Because Christ was made Man and sustained the person of all sorts of men 3. As it is there said the Man so it is said the Man Christ Jesus That Man is the Mediatour who is Christ the Annointed of God and Jesus who is so called because he saves his people from their sins But as meere man he cannot do so it is no meer Man but God who is the God of salvation And although Christ might die meerely as man yet as a Medâ—atour he must also conquer death which he could not do but as he was God Object But the Apostle distinguisheth the Mediatour there from God saying one God and one Mediatour thus Bellarmine argues Sol. And so the Apostle in another place distinguisheth Christ from man Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle not of man nor by man but by Jesus Christ yet hence it will not follow that Christ only according to his Divine Nature did call Paul to be an Apostle no more doth it here because he distinguisheth God and the Mediatour that therefore the Mediatour is not God But now to return to the proof of the Assertion that Christ is a Mediatour in respect of both his Natures as he was God and Man not as God only nor as Man only but as God Man many Arguments there are to evidence it Arguments to prove it Christ layed down his life and raised it again according to both Natures He is our Priest Prophet and King according to both Natures 1. According to what Nature Christ did lay down his life and raised it again according to that Nature is Christ a Mediatour this cannot be denyed because Christ as Mediatour died and rose again for us but to lay down his life and raise it again was an act of his Divine Nature as well as of his Humane Ergo. for he died as man and raised himself as God 2. If Christ in respect of both his Natures be our Priest and Prophet and King Then according to both his Natures he is a Mediatour But c Ergo. 1. He is a Priest as to both his Natures This will appear if you consider Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck Heb. 7. 2. This Melchizedeck was King of Righteousness and King of Peace and verse 3. Without Father and without Mother without descent having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but was like the Son of God and abideth a Priest for ever Why here is a clear Type of the Person of Christ as out Priest and Mediatour unto which Christ doth perfectly answer and if as thus considered he answer to Melchizedek then he must be as Melchizdeck was without Father and without Mother And indeed so Christ was in a different respect to both his Natures For as to his Humane Nature he was without Father and as to his Divine Nature he was without Mother And moreover as such a Priest he must be without beginning of dayes and end of life which cannot be affirmed of him but as God Again Melchizedeck as Priest is said to be like the Son of God if so then Christ as the Son of God is a Priest but as the Son of God he is God Ergo. as God he is our Mediatour Jesus Christ as a Priest must have not only a Sacrifice to offer but an altar on which that sacrifice must be offered The Sacrifice was himself in respect of his Humane Nature the Altar to sanctifie that Sacrifice was his Divine Nature and himself offering and sacrificing was the Priest consisting of both those Natures 2. He is a Prophet in respect of both Natures for in both his Natures he reveales the will of his Father unto us In respect of his Humane Nature he doth so Heb. 1. 2. God in these last dayes hath spoken unto us by his Son and in respect of his Divine Nature it is said Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and certainly to open the heart and mind as Christ did Acts 16. 14 Luke 24. 32 45. is the work only of God 3. He is also a King in respect of both his Natures nor can his Divine Nature be secluded in this for to call out a people to himself and to renew their hearts and to subdue their sins and to rule in their hearts by his Spirit belongs to Christ as King but these cannot be erected by Christ but as God Ergo SECT V. 5. I Now proceed unto the fifth particular viz. What did concern Christ to do and What did concern Christ to do and suffer for us as a Mediatour Whatsoever we were bound to do and suffer that did Christ do and suffer for us suffer for us as our Mediatour The answer is this That whatsoever we are bound to do or to suffer by the Law of God all that did Christ do and suffer for us as being our Surety and Mediatour Now the Law of God hath a double challenge or demand upon us One is of Active Obedience in fulfilling what it requires The other is of passive obedience in suffering that punishment which lies upon us for the transgression of it in doing what it forbids For as we were created by God we did owe unto him all obedience which he required and as we sinned against God we did owe unto him a suffering of all that punishment which he threatned And we being fallen by transgression can neither pay the one debt nor yet the other We cannot do all that the Law requires nay of our selves we can do nothing neither can we so suffer as to satisfie God in his Justice wronged by us or to recover our selves into life and favour again And therefore Jesus Christ who was God made Man did become our Surety and stood in our stead or room and he did perform what we should but
iniquity I never knew you saith Christ These things being thus premised I will now shew unto you 1. How a man may so perform his obediential works that he may please God and they may be accepted How we may so perform duties as to please God 2. How he is to walk in Gods Statutes so c. 1. Case How a man must perform obediential works so that he may please God and that they may be accepted of God Sol. For this take these answers First He must be in Christ It is a sure rule That the person must be accepted The person must be in Christ before his works can be accepted Now no persons are accepted but so far only as they are in Christ He hath made us accepted in his beloved saith the Apostle Ephes 1. 6. If the Lord looks on any person as out of Christ what shall he find him what shall he behold in him nothing but a sinful cursed enemy an object of his justice and wrath an offending and offensive displeasing and provoking creature and he cannot but loath him and what comes from him only in and by Christ doth he look upon uw with grace and favour Secondly He must have the Spirit of Christ For they that are in the flesh cannot He must have the Spirit of Christ please God Rom. 8. 8. The Apostle in the precedent verse saith That the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whence he instances in this verse That they that are in the flesh cannot please God A wicked unregenerate man defiles every good work which he takes in hand Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles saith Christ Matth. 7. 16. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit ver 17. That of Solomon is pertinent to our purpose Prov. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And ver 29. The Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth prayer of the Righteous By all which you plainly see that a person must be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ if he would have services or performances pleasing to God and accepted of him if God sees not something of his own work in our works he accepts them not but that cannot be unless our work comes from his Spirit within us c. Thirdly He must worship God in Spirit and in truth this our Saviour delivers He must worship God in spirit and in truth in Joh. 4. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him And ver 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth A bare external bodily service the Lord utterly dislikes if the soul and heart come not within our duties they are of no account to God Spiritual service is proper for God who is a Spirit and this pleaseth him Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit Ephes 6. 18. Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Fourthly He must perform all his duties of obedience in Faith For without He must perform them in faâ—th Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Now to perform our duties in faith implies 1. That we know and discern the will and command of God concerning the duties which we do perform unto him This is a certain truth That what God requires not that God accepts not He appoints all the paths of obedience unto the sons of men and will not be obeyed according to our mind but according to his own mind and whatsoever we do if we do it not with faith i. e. being not perswaded that this is that which God requires of us it shall not be accepted For Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne 2. That we rely upon the grace and strength of Christ to walk and perform the duties commanded For without him we can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. It was a good speech of Bernard upon that passage in Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon his beloved Frustra nititur qui non innititur no good can be done but by leaning on Christ from him is the strength of your sufficiency and not from your selves 3. That we offer them up to God in the Name of Christ resting on his merits and not on our own duties on his doings not on our own doings and expecting acceptance for his sake Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do Ver. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye shall do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The prayers that were offered up with the incense upon the Altar were pleasing Rev. 8. 3. and came up with acceptance Ver. 4. The brethren were kindly used for Benjamins sake and David shewed respect to lame Mephibosheth for Jonathans sake Simile All our services and duties are pleasing to God and accepted of him not for their own sakes but for Christs sake 4. That whatsoever we do in the way of obedience let it be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Do all to the glory of God For Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen 2. Case Now I come to shew you the choice Rules which do concern us Rules concerning our walking in Gods statutes in walking in Gods statutes or the manner how we must walk in them if c. Sol. The Rules which I will propound all of them shall be taken from the VVord of God and they are these First VVe are to walk in them willingly As Ephraim is said in a contrary We must walk in â—hem willingly sense to walk willingly after the command he was not compelled oâ— forced but freely of his own accord gave up himself unâ—o idolatrous worship So should we in a true spiritual sense willingly walk after the commands of God The willingness of our hearts is all in all in the duties of obedience and the more of that the more precious and acceptable is our obedience to Gods statutes 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts q. d. Look well to this for God takes special notice of this and looks more at this than any thing else Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power This is the choice Character of the people of Christ they shall be a willing people the word signifies they shall be
voluntaries freely offering themselves and freely serving without hire and pay people of a princely spirit and magnificent as if all their acts of obedience were their own free will-offerings Carnal men are but so many hirelings they are coacti serviles not servi but serviles men of a slavish spirit they are forced and driven to their duties out of fear of wrath and punishment and out of terror of conscience their hearts like not God nor his statutes nor doing of them they look on spiritual duties as their grievances and burdens But the people of God are a willing people they obey and serve him with a willing mind with a readiness and freeness of Spirit and well they may for they do discern and find that in their duties and obedience they have communion with God through Christ they speak to their God and their God speaks to them Object How may one know that he willingly walks in Gods statutes When do we willingly walk in Gods statutes When we make them our choice Sol Thus 1. When he rather chuseth them than any other wayes to walk in election is an act of the will Josh 2. 4 15. Chuse ye this day whom ye will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord. Psal 119. 173. I have chosen thy precepts 2. VVhen our obedience unto them springs from a love of them Psal When our obedience springs from love When we find a sweetnesse in them 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly all the service of love is a willâ—ng service 3. VVhen we find a sweetness in them and in our walking in them Psal 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver And ver 127. I love thy Commandement above gold yea above fine gold And ver 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 4. VVhen the great desires and requests of his soul are that God would enable When we pray for ability to walk in them and enlarge his heart to walk in them O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. And teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Ver. 33. And give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ver. 24. Make me to go in the paths of thy Commandements Ver. 35. Incline my heart to thy testimonies Ver. 36. I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Ver. 32. When we are not weary of well doing We must walk in them seriously 5. VVhen he is not weary of well-doing but his heart still holds â—ut and is in its element when walking with God and accounts it a special favour and happiness to mainâ—ain commuâ—ion with God Secondly VVe should walk in Gods statutes seriously carefully marking what they require of us and conscientiously endeavouring to conform our lives and actions unto them David calls this an ordering of our conversations aright Psal 50. 23. And an ordering his steps in the word Order my steps in thy word Psal 119. 133. As an Artificer puts every stone in the building according to rule and line Simile Or as one who goes in a narrow path 'twixt dangers on either side he hath a care how he sets his feet So a Christian should take heed unto his wayes and direct them by the VVord he should set and square them by the rule Solomon calls this a pondering of our path Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established turn not to the right hand nor to the left Pro. 4. 26 27. To ponder is to weigh and to consider well of what we are about to do whether it be agreeable or disagreeable to the will of God what the work or way is for the nature of it and scope and end of it Thus should we ponder the path of our feet i. e. the wayes wherein we walk and all the works we have to do and have a care that they be established i. e. set upon a good foundation and really allowed by God and commanded in his VVord and then we should go on in those wayes without swerving to the right hand or to the left A seriousness of consideration how God would have us to walk what his will is concerning us and then a seriousness of observation conscientiously to do what God would have us to do and to walk as God would have us to walk this is the right and acceptable walking in Gods statutes Now there are four Reasons why we should thus seriously and conscientiously Why we should be so serious Because God hath honour or dishonour by every action consider the statutes of God and every step of our walking 1. Because there is not any step not any one action or work which we do but God hath either honour or dishonour by it for either it is good or it is evil either it is conformed unto his will or it disagrees with his will if it agrees with his will this conduceth to his honour if it doth 〈◊〉 disagree then it is evil and brings dishonour upon him And should we be serious and conscientious in every thing wherein the honour or dishonour of God are concerned 2. Because there is not one moral work of ours but it hath our peace or comfort It bâ—ings either comfort or discomfort or our trouble and discomfort in its hand Let the good we are bound to do be greater or lesser if we do conscientiously observe and act it there will ensue peace of conscience upon the right acting of it Great peace have they that keep thy Law saith David Psal 119. 165. And this is our rejoycing â—â— the testimony of our conscience that we have had our conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity saith Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. And so on the contrary let our vvandering or swerving from Gods statutes by sinning be never so little there is enough in that little to disquiet conscience and to cause trouble unto us Simile If the foot tread awry but one step though a man fall not into the dirt yet the small irregular motion doth cause much pain So the irregularity or inconformity of any one action may disquiet conscience and may cost us a great deal of sorrovv and trouble Ergo. Every work is a step to eternity 3. Because every individual vvork vvhich vve do it is a step to eternity either to a blessed or to â— cursed eternity Simile Though men think not of it yet every motion or action done by them is a step tovvards eternity as every step that a traveller takes brings him forvvard to his journeyes end VVhen a man vvalks in paths of righteousness or in Gods statutes the further he goes every nevv step that he takes brings him nearer to a blessed eternity And vvhen