is a fiducial knowledge of the promise of Grace through Christ Jesus I shall now shew you more distinctly in two or three particulars what is carried in the notion of believing in Christ 1 It implies a knowledge and acknowledgment of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appointed by God to be the Mediator between God and Man and a clear assent to all Gospel Revelations concerning him the Saviour of sinners touching his Person and Natures and Offices and touching his Mediatory transactions â—nd touching the necessary and saâ—ing effects of his Mediation This knowledge and acknowâ—edgment are necessary and essentiâ—l unto Faith there must be Faith doctrinal and assertive as a foundation of that which is fiducial and applicative 2 To believe in Jesus Christ implieth an utter denial of any other Saviour or Saviours Mediator or Mediators of any other way by which we may come unto God 3 It is not only a knowledge and acknowledgment of and assent unto the Revelations of God concerning Christ the only Saviour but it carries in it a fiducial receiving of Christ offered to us in the Gospel promise this is formalis ratio fidei the formality of true justifying Faith lies in this there are these two things formally constitutive of such a Faith 1 An acceptation of Christ in the promise 2 The Souls innitency or recumbency on Christ received This is truly and properly to believe on Jesus Christ and they who have such a saith are true believers the seed of Abraham and heirs of the Promise There is a carnal and a spiritual seed of Abraham Carnal Professors that have not faith or true grace are the carnal seed and such as do not only profess faith and repentance but are also real believers and truly gracious are the spiritual seed Now therefore that you may not be deceived in this great matter as we are alas too apt to deceive our selves and in danger to be deluded by Satan that you may know whether you be believers and may take comfort in the Doctrine which we are now handling I shall hoâ—d forth to you a few of the properties and effects of faith Faith low evidenced which are evidential of the truth of it True faith is a purifier of the heart and of the conversation Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 Faith purifieth as from the guilt 〈◊〉 sin by receiving Christ his rightâ—ousness so from the filth anâ— power of sin by conflicting againâ—â— corruption and by degrees inâ—stering it and working it out 〈◊〉 very one that hath this hope whicâ— is a concomitant of faith 1 Joh. 3.3 and thâ— daughter of faith purifieth himself and the heart being purifieâ— the conversation will he suitableâ— Faith in the heart purifies it anâ— reforms the life he that trulâ— believes in Jesus Christ washeâ—â— his heart from wickedness and 〈◊〉 careful to keep himself from thâ— defilements of sin 2 True faith is a living livelâ— active faith that discovereth it seâ—â— by action setting the soul oâ— working according to all the discoveries of the mind of Christâ— and this it doth because it is a loving faith True believers thaâ— by faith have taken in the love oâ— Christ are carried out in love tâ— such a loving Redeemer who hath purchased them with his own precious blood and are constraineâ— in themselves to give themselves up unto him who gave himself for them love sets the soul on work to keep his Commandments 3 Faith in Jesus Christ acted on him fetcheth virtue from him to make the soul to grow in every grace and encrease in all holiness Where Christ is made righteousness to the soul by imputation of God's part and by Faith's application on the souls part there he is also sanctification by the influence of his Spirit or an emanation of grace which Faith draws from Christ to whom the soul is united 4 True faith acted on Jesus Christ carries on believers to confess Christ and to own his Institutions and to stick to him in doing their duty against all discouragement by trouble and persecution in the world Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you Luc. 22.32 as wheat is sified but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not saith Christ to Peter Peter's faith did not utterly fail though it failed very much in the High-Priestâ— Hall and fell as I may say into 〈◊〉 swoon but certainly no fears oâ— dangers could have made Peter to deny Christ had Faith been active and done its part It was Faith that made Moses to chuse reproaches and persecutions for Christ rather than the glory of Egypt Faith is our Victory whereby we overcome the World it being that which raiseth the soul above all the hopes and fears of the World See faith's working in Paul and what power it had to carry him on thorow sufferings for Christ For the which cause also I suffer those things 2 Tâ—m 1.12 nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day 5 True faith is a joy-creating grace The Apostle prays for the Romans Rom. 15.12 that they may be fillâ—d with all joy in believing Joy is the Daughter of faith when faith lays hold on remission of sins through the bloud of Christ the soul must needs rejoyce in the Lord its Saviour who hath delivered it from the guilt of sin and the curse of the Law Peace and Joy in some degree is an immediate fruit and effect of true faith acted on Christ Thus I have finished the explication of the point shewing what the Covenant is and how it is confirmed and to whom it is confirmed I come now to prove our Doctrine That God's Covenant of Grace is confirmed to all Believers Proof You have seen the Position clearly grounded in the Text See further proof Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christ's the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus as ver 26. if ye be believers then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise To Abraham and his seed were the promises made Gal 3.16 he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed that is Christ viz. Christ complexiveâ—â— taken and in aggregation Chriâ—â— in his Mystical Body as you haâ—â— it expounded by the same Apostâ—â— 1 Cor. 12.12 So also is Christ 〈◊〉 you read the whole verse you wiâ—â— easily see that here we must understand Christ mystical the Bodâ— of Christ his Church The promises are made thâ— Covenant is confirmed to all truâ— Believers the Members of Christ Now for application of the point Applicat First I shall draw up two or three inferences for information next I shall give out some words of exhortation or counsel Thirdly I shall close up all with a use of consolation Vse 1 1 If the Covenant of Grace belong to Abraham's seed
give him praise makinâ— it not only the labour of our lips but the work of our hearts powâ—ing out our very souls unto him who hath manifested the gracious pâ—rpose of his heart towards us it the Covenant of Life and Salvation which â—e hath given us 5. Praising of God for the Covenant of his mercy and love shalâ— be the constant etâ—rnal work of Saints in Heaven when they shâ—â—â— bâ— fully made partakers of 〈◊〉 blessings of the Covenant being taken up to the fullest fruition of their God and made full of joy with the light of his countenance and is not Heaven work to be beguâ— by us here do we not pray that Gods will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven now this will argue a heavenly Spirit to be taken up with heavenly employment and action and this will be a means to make the heart more heavenly Oh let us now enure our selves to our everlasting work and labour to be as like as may be here to what we shall be hereafter 6. The more we let our hearts out to God in thankfulness for the grace of the Covenant praising him for the free donation of himself to us as prising him above all the more will he let himself out to us and communicate his goodness clearing up to us our interest in him shedding abroad his love in our hearts Psa 50.23 so making us glad with the Light of his Countenance Qu. How shall we shew our selves thankful to God for the Covenant of promise the Covenant of his love Ans In cleansing our selves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God This is the return which God expects from us for his love toward us that we declare our selves on his side against sin which is his great enemy that we freely give up our selves to him who hath engaged himself to us that as he is become our God so we should be his people a people of his holiness and that we strive to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing 2. Let us declare to others the preciousness of the Covenant and the comfort and sweetness of a Covenat interest in God tell them that this is infinitely more worth than all other interests and enjoyments seeking thus to draw souls unto God this is thankfulness for exhibiting grace cordially and affectionately to commend both the gift and the giver 3. 〈◊〉 us thankfully and with enlarged hearts bless God for the Lord Jesus Christ the root of the Covenant as I may say and the Mediator of the Covenant By his Blood the Covenant was purchased for us and by his mediation it is performed to us therefore let us set the name of Christ to all this grace God the Father delighteth to have his son honoured and he that honours not the Son honours not the Father therefore let Christ be great with us upon this account that he hath procured the love of his Father to us 4. Our prizing of the Covenant and our thankfulness for it will be shewn in our longing for a nearer communion with God and a fuller fruition of him in the accomplishment of all the promises of the Câ—venant We are not thankful to God for the Covenant whereby he is become our God unless we make him our â—rd our portion our treasure and have our hearts set upon him and desire carried to him O Lord thou art my God why have I no more enjoyment of thee why is my soul at such a distance from thee it contents me not to see thy back parts O shew me thy face O let the time hasten when I shall see as I am seen Thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee O blessed day when I shall come to appear before my God in Sion Thus you have had a seventh Counsel and some directions about it 8thly Let us constantly act faith upon the Covenant which God hath given us Couns 8. Act faith upon the Covenant and upon God in Christ covenanting with us This is the way to fetch sweetness from the Covenant to suck out the hony that is in it I shall hold forth some exciting considerations Incitements some arguments to perswade to the acting of Faith upon God and upon his Covenant of Promise 1. Consider that as God reâ—aires this so he is greatly delighted with the actings of precious faith upon such a precious object as himself who is the believers and and happiness This is very pleasing to God because it gives him the glory of his goodness and of his all sufficiency and of the truth and certainty of his Covenant by acting saith upon God's Covenant of promise and so fetching our comfort from thence we set to our Seal that God is good and that he is sufficient for us and that he is truâ— â—â—e real in Covenanting and faithful in performing his Covenant to his people now I say it must needs he that God is delighted with thesâ— actings of Faith while the soul rowl's it self upon him and fetches its comforts from him and satisfies its self with him because thus the sould gives him the glory of his precious Attributes which are so dear to him 2. This is a most sweet pleasant and delightful life to the believer himself to lie sucking by faith at the fuâ—l breasts of consolation to drink in the pure waters of the Fountain of Life to feed upon the marrow and fatness the honey and sweetness of the sweet Covenant of grace to be satisfied with God to have all in him There is a vast difference between Faiths repasts and the worlds refreshings between Covenant comforts which are received by faith and creature comforts which are apprehended and taken in by senses Oh how do they differ in respect of pureness and fullness and durableness and universality or extensiveness 1. In respect of pureness there is a mixture of wax in the most clarified honey of earthly delights there is some bitterness in the sweetest morsels of sublunary contentments they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter-sweets there is a mixture of dreggs in the purest liquors of the worlds comforts but the comfort of a Covenant interest in God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincere this is honey without wax it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweet indeed without any bitterness in it it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pure indeed liquor without any dregs 2. Great is the difference betwixt the comfort which the faith of a believer fetcheth from Gods Covenant and that which a worldling fetcheth from the Creature in respect of fullness Alass the bâ—st comforts which the world yields do rather provoke than fill the appetite do rather enerense than quench thirst no inferious good no sublunary enjoyment is adequate or proportionable to the capacity or desire of the Soul When Hannah wept before the Lord because she was Childless said Eâ—kanah to her Why weepest thou am not
I better to thee then ten sins as if she should be satisfied in him but suppose she had had ten such comforts as she longed for ten Sons and imagine her Elkanah to be an enjoyment ten times more comfortable then he was yet all this could not be satisfactory Ahabs Kingdom was as nothing to him till he had Naboths Vineyard and was he think you satisfied when he had that Could not a World satisfie Al xander no more would the whole World content us These things when we seek to fill our selves with them seem to say to us as Jacob to Rachael What are we to yâ—u instead of God The good that is satisfactory to the Soul must be aptimum maximum the best good that it may sistere appetitum fix the appetite there being nothing so desirable as it and the greatest good that it may implâ—re appetitum fill the appetite there being nothing needfull beside it Now when faith is acted upon the Covenant the soul takes up such a comfort such a good viz. Deum optimum maximum God the best good there being nothing so desirable as he is and God the greatest good even the all comprehending good that brings all with him and so is satisfactory to the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fed said the Epicure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found said the Philosopher there was a kind of a sudden ravishment with the enjoyment of their sensual and intellectual pleasure an empty delight but when the believer acting faith upon the Covenant as his feeds upon the goodness of God in it he may wel cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fed upon that which fills me with a gratful satiety My sâ—ul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found that which contents me which fills me with delight let David come in and attest this when acting faith upon the Covenant he had tasted afresh the consolation of his interest in God he cries out Ps 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth thâ—t I desire beside thee God is mine I have enough 3. Covenant comforts those which faith fetchâ—th from the Covenant have this excellency in them beyond all Creature comforts that they are durable abiding comforts Creature comforts have in them a vanity of Corruption as well as a vanity of emptiness they last but for a time even a short time like Jonah's gourd they are transient and momentary we can have no assurance of any worldly comfort no not for a day fâ—r who knows what a day may bring forth But now the comforts which faith doth fetch from the Covenant are streams issuing from a living Fountain that is always yeilding out they are day comforts and night-comforts summer-comforts and winter comforts to support and refresh the Soul in the night of trouble and the winter of adversity as well as in the day of outward peace and summer of prosperity Gods Covenant is an everlasting Covenant which yields everlasting comfort to those that are interested in it and if a Soul that hath an interest in it do at any time or in any case want comfort from it it is for want of a lively acting of faith upon it 4. The best of Creature-comforts are applicable only to some particular condition they are not a salve for every sâ—râ— but the comforts of the Covenant are suitable to every condition of a believer It is not the God of all comforts who hath given us this Covenant in which he hath given himself to us so that there is no case wherein the sould acting faith upon the Covenant shall not find comfort in its God 5. To urge one argument more that may perswade to the acting of faith upon the Covenant This will be a notable means of making a sweet and happy improvement of our interest in the Covenant I shall shew this in particulars 1. By familiarizing God to the Soul through the frequent constant actings of faith upon God in Covenant with us the thoughts of God will be sweet and comfortable to us The greatness and power and jealousie and justice of God when sâ—â—oâ—sly thought upon must needs be troublesom and terrible to those that are lirangers to him and have no apprehension of an interest in him but this will be matter of comfort to the believer that is interested in the Covenant of Gods love and frequently acteth faith upon it Why this is may God his greatness and his power and his justice shall be for my advantage put forth for my good and Oh! what a comfort will it then be to the soul to consider my God is merciful and gracious abounding in goodness and truth forgiving miquities healing diseasâ—s redeeming the life of his people from destruction and crowning them with his loving kindness and tender mercies 2. By thus acting faith upon the Covenant which God hath given us we shall be sweetly emboldned in our requests to God O Lord I come to thee now in a weighty case and in my great necessity to implore thy goodness toward me and why should not I with an humble boldness approach to the Throne of thy Grace being confident of acceptance through Christ seeing thou art verily my God and hast given me a promise to hear me and help me and to grant my requests for thy Sons sake 3. This will wonderfully sweeten all mercies When my heart is kept up in a believing frame and my acquaintance with God is encreased and assurance of his love toward me strengthened by renewed acts of faith what comfort may I now take in my enjoyments what sweetness may I find in inseriour good things and in those that comparatively are small matters why this is from my God and that is from my Father this is a gift of God's good will it cometh from a Father's love this is part of the blessing of the Coverant and all these gifts are the beginnings and earnest of everlasting mercies 4. By acting Faith upon the Covenant and by a frequent believing recognition of our interest in God we shall be enabled to bear afflictions patiently and to undergo them with chearfullness The sting of afflictions and the burden of the Cross is the apprehension of Gods anger in it but while this perswasion is kept up in the Soul that God is my God that the Covenant of his love is with me here is a surpassing comforting consideration in the greatest affliction Surely my God means me no harm he intends no evil to me in this he hath promised that all things shall work together for my good while he afflicts me he is my God still he threatens me and loves me still it is all for my profit I know that in faithfullness he afflicteth me all Gods ways are mercy and truth to his Covenanted ones O my Soul lye quietly under the red chear up under his affliction it is a fathers rod it is the dispensation of