Holy Ghost is the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. and he abides with us for ever John 14. 16. 4. The mercy of God is everlasting Psal 100. 5. his mercy is everlasting and Psal 103. 17. it is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and Psal 136. from verse 1. to 26. six and twenty times it is there said his mercy endures for ever 5. The goodnesse of God is everlasting it endureth continually Psal 52. 1. 6. The love of God is an everlasting love Jer. 31. 33. I have loved thee with an everlasting love 7. The kindnesse of God is everlasting Isaiah 54. 8. with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 8. The righteousnesse of the Covenant is an everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9. 24. 9. The forgivenesse in the Covenant is everlasting Jerem. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinnes no more Micah 7. 9. Thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the Sea 10. The grace or holinesse of the Covenant is everlasting it is called abiding seed 1 John 3. 9. and the immortal seed 1 Pet. 1. beiâ—g born agâ—in not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible it is living water John 4. 10. springing up to everlasting life ver 14. 11. The joy of it is everlasting Isa 51. 11. and none shall take it from us John 16. 22. 12. So is the Consolation of the Covenant 2 Thess 2. 16. Who hath given us everlasting Consolation and good hope throuâ—h grace 13. The life of the Covenant is everlasting Jâ—hn 3. 16. he that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life 1 John 2. 25. This is the promise which he hath promised us even eternal life For the opening of this excellent and comfortable adjunct of the Covenant remember 1. That the word everlasting hath two acceptions it doth denote Thâ— word everlasting aâ—eâ— for Aâ—ong duration A perpetual duration This Covenant is everlasting 1. Sometimes a long duration in which respect the old Covenant cloathed with figures and ceremonies is called everlasting because it was to endure and did endure a long time 2. Sometimes a perpetual duration and a duration which shall last for ever in this respect the new Covenant is everlasting it shall never cease never be broken never be altered 2. And it is an everlasting Covenant in a twofold respect 1. Ex parte faederantis in respect of God who will never break Covenant In respect of God with his people but is their God and will be their God for ever and ever 2. Ex parte confaederatorum in respect of the people of God who are brought In respect of his people into Covenant and shall continue in Covenant for ever and ever you have both these expressed in Jer. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Mark the place it shews that the Covenant is everlasting on Gods part and also on our part on Gods part I will never turn away from them to do them good and on our part They shall never depart from me how so I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me even that fear spoken of in ver 39. that they may fear me for ever There are three things which I would deliver concerning the everlastingnesse of the Covenant 1. Some clear demonstrations of it from the Scripture 2. The reasons why the Covenant of grace is and must be everlasting 3. Some useful applications of this unto our selves 1. The demonstrations of the everlastingnesse of the Covenant in respect of the The everlastingnesse of the Covenant demonstrated From the consideration of God himself in relation to his people The election of God people in Covenant I shall present unto you four arguments to demonstrate that it is so 1. The first argument I will take from the consideration of God himself in relation unto his people as 1. his election of them 2. His love to them 3. His power for them 4. His presence with them 5. His promises to them 1. The election of God all the people in the Covenant are the elect of God thine they were and thou gavest them me saith Christ John 17. 6. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13. 48. Now there are three things in election 1. It is a gracious decree not depending on any forinsecal causes 2. It is an unalterable decree not raised on any mutable causes 3. It is an effectual decree letting forth and communicating all the things which will infallibly bring unto salvation Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate which if it be so then certainly the Covenant is everlasting forasmuch as everlasting life and all that conduceth thereunto is unalterably decreed in Gods election and from that effectually communicated unto all in Covenant 2. The love of God that God doth love his people is most clear in the Scriptures The love of God After what manner God loves his people As he loves Jesus Christ but after what manner doth he love them we read five things of Gods love to his 1. That God doth love his people after the same manner that he loves Jesus Christ himself and with the same love John 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Ver. 26. I have declared unto them thy Name that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them 2. That God doth love his people with an insuperable and with and inseparable With an insuperable and inseparable love love Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakedness or perills or sword Ver. 37. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us Ver. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nâ—r Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. That God doth love his people with a most gracious love with a love With a most gracious love kindled only from love Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did set his love upon you because the Lord loved you Hosea 14. 4. I will love them freely that is upon the sole account and reason of my own love unto them yea his love was the only impulsive cause why he entred into Covenant with them and by oath engaged himself unto them Ezek. 16. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee saith the Lord
repentance nor will it make a new composition with you after your sinnings but as it will clear and acquit you upon perfect and stedfast righteousness so it will unalterably condemn you for any unrighteousnesse 5. Vse By no means sleight nor neglect Christ any longer but hearken Sleight not Christ any longer to his voice consider and embrace his offers he is the door at which you must first enter if you would be interested in the Covenant and by him you must be delivered from the Covenant of works Grace and truth mercy and peace love and life are by Jesus Christ CHAP. IV. The proper nature of the Covenant THe proper nature of the Covenant of grace in the absolute consideration thereof this I shall lay down in this description of it The Covenant of grace is a new compact or agreement which The Covenant described God made with sinful man out of his own meer mercy and grace wherein he promiseth that he will be our God and that we shall be his people and undertakes to give everlasting life and all that conduceth thereunto unto all who believe in Christ There are divers things considerable in this description which I desire And opened to open 1. This Covenant is a new compact and agreement betwixt God and man There was another agreement before this a Covenant of another nature and upon other It is a new Covenant with man termes and considerations and for another end But man stood not to that agreement he did voluntarily transgresse it and thereby deprived himself of all the benefits promised in that Covenant and fell under that death and curse which God had threatened for the breach and transgression of it Now the new Covenant is as it were a plank after that ship-wrack It is another Indenture for life it is not the same agreement renewed nor the former Lease or Bond renewed but a new one of another kind and nature made with man in another condition and capacity and upon another condition God presently made a new Covenant or agreement with fallen man different from the former made with created righteous man If he had not done so If it had not been so All man-kind had been lost 1. All man-kind had been eternally lost Sinful man could never have been recovered never have been restored to life but by a Covenant of grace nothing but grace can recover the lost sinner Rom. 3. 19. Every mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Ver. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne 2. The Lord had lost all the glory of his mercy if he had left us to the sentence God had lost all the glory of his mercy of the first Covenant Indeed there his justice and wrath and severity had been exceedingly magnified but his mercy had not risen and appeared at all unto us had not God made this new Covenant with us being become sinners and so fit objects of his mercy Now the intent of God was to exalt his mercy and that man should know the greatnesse and exceeding riches of it and therefore God was pleased to make a new treaty this Covenant of grace 3. There had been no news of a Christ nor thought of him else As Christ There had been no news of a Christ is never effectually given unto any but unto the lost so he was never made known untill the fall of man And remember it That as Christ was not so he could not be revealed in a Covenant of works whil'st life was held by that tenure Christ is not to be found there where life is claimed by a righteousnesse of our own he is only to be found in a Covenant of grace which gives life unto sinners upon the righteousnesse of another Rom. 3. 21. But now the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifested Ver. 22. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe These are the principal reasons why God made a new Agreement another Covenant a Covenant of grace with sinful man namely because he would not lose all man-kind nor leave them despairing and Because he would exalt his own mercy and likewise give his Son Jesus Christ and lay upon his shoulders the Redemption and salvation of his people 2. This Covenant is such an agreement with sinful man as springeth and riseth â—is Covenant springeth from the mercy and grace of God from the mercy and the grace of God Hence you have these expressions According to his mercy he saved us Tit. 3. 6. By grace ye are saved Eph. 2. 5. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ ver 7. This Covenant may be considered Mercy and grace appears in this Covenant several wayes and in all of them you may see the meer mercy and grace of God 1. In respect of the constitution of it Nothing out of God and nothing in God but his meer mercy and his own grace laid out and appointed this In the constitution of it Covenant of grace with sinners Grace was the foundation of it 2. In respect of admission It is the meer mercy and grace of God which In admission to it opens the door and takes in the sinner into this Covenant with himself I will love them freely I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 3. In respect of dispensation All the communications from it and all the In the dispensation of it impartings of the treasures of it are the flowings of mercy and the overflowings of the grace of God But I am now only to speak of the mercy and grace of God as the foundation Mercy is the foundation of it For the causa impulsiva these alone are the moving cause why God made this new Covenant For 1. There could be no cause or reason in us we were become sinners we were There could be no cause or reason in us become miserable Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ver. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine saith the Lord. This was our condition a sinful polluted loathsome condition when God set his love upon us and entred into a Covenant with us 2. There was sufficient and pregnant cause on our part why the Lord should There was cause in us to the contrary never have looked after us or accepted of us any more Jer. 3. 7. They say
not faithful you could have no comfort in any of his Attributes nor in any of his promises nor yet any confidence or assurance at all But this faithfulness of God gives life as it were unto all his Attributes and unto all his Promises and unto all our hopes and confidences What are a thousand Bonds and Indentures if they were not sealed what are a million of promises and protestations from a man who is unfaithful who regards not his word who will break his word with you faithfulness is all in all a faithful heart a faithful friend a faithful God and this is the great satisfaction of all our doubts and fears But will God do me good but will he performe what he hath promised if I were sure that he were sure he will not faile me this would stay me this would satisfie me I had enough Now you have it cleared out unto you that your God is a faithful God Quest But you may perhaps desire to know the particular portions of comfort from this that your God in Covenant is a faithful God Sol. I will present a few of them unto you 1. The faithfulnesse of God is a sure pledge unto you for all your enjoyments For This is a sure pledge of all our enjoyments It is if I may so express it the very seal of God to performe all the Bond of his Covenant the security which God gives you for all his engagements as full assurance as God can make for the performance of all his promises it is a sure foundation for your faith to rest upon a foundation that cannot be shaken and which shall never be removed you are as sure to enjoy all the good which God hath promised to you as God is God and as God is your God In hope of eternal life whiâ—h God that cannot lye hath promised Titus 1. 2. God hath promised to forgive our sinnes and to cleanse us from our sinnes and he is faithful to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 Joh. 1. 9. God hath promised to sanctifie us throughout And faithful is he who hath called â—s who will also do it 1 Thes 5. 24. God hath promised to establish us and to keep us from evil And the Lord is faithful who will establish you and keep you from evil 2 Thes 3. 3. 2. The faithfulness of God is a mighty and effectual and prevailing Plea This is an effectual and prevailing plea with God with your God O Lord This is my want and distress and that is thy promise for help and thou art faithful who hast promised in thy truth and in thy faithfulness to answer me keep Covenant with me remember thy word do not faile me why this comes close to God this concernes him near he hath taken his Oath upon it that he will not lye that he will not deceive that he will not fail his people 3. The faithfulness of God is enough to answer all your fears and doubts O It is enough to answer all our fears and doubts they are such great things and they are such hard things and unto sense and reason such improbable and impossible things and who am I c. Sol. Why dost thou find these things promised by God unto thee God wants not power to do them and he is faithful and will do them the faithful God will performe every good thing which he hath promised though thy unbelief many times saith He will not and thy fears dispute how he can though thy reason fail thee and though thy sense faile thee and though thy heart faile thee yet thy God will never faile thee thy faithful God will not fail thee God is faithful and he will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able c. 1 Cor. 10. 15. 4. The faithfulness of God is a support unto you under all his silence and under It is a support under all his delayes all his delayings of the good which he hath promised and you do so earnestly crave Your prayers are not in vain your waitings are not in vain Perhaps you have waited at the gate of heaven many a day yea and many a year for assurance of mercy for power over such a sinne for victory over evil thoughts and temptations and afflictions and yet you are not heard and still you are put off and hereupon your heart begins to faint God will not do me this good and he will not remember his promise O but do you remember that your God is a faithful God and a faithful God cannot lye a faithful God will keep his Covenant will remember his Covenant will perform his Covenant he may be silent unto your prayers he may delay you long but he is faithful he hath his time and he will surely take his time to answer and succour you 5. The faithfulness of God will break down all contrarieties and contradictions It will break down all contradictions and oppositions and oppositions Heaven and earth shall sooner fail and pass than that one Word or title of Gods promise shall fail or perish his Word of promise shall take effect though all the Devils in hell oppose it and though all the men on earth oppose it and though all the powers of unbelief oppose it this stands in the way and that stands in the way but yet God is faithful and his promise shall be made good Sarah was old c. But she judged him faithful who had promised Heb. 11. God should never be trusted if he were not faithful 8. Graciousness is another Attribute of your God your God is a gracious God is a gracious God God and he is and will be a gracious God unto all his people Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Psal 86. 15. Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious The graciousness of God is such an Attribute of God whereby he doth favourably and freely love and chuse and bless and do all good unto his people without any desert and notwithstanding any unworthiness on their part It is the reason and account of all his actings towards them It is all the Plea you have to all the good which God doth promise You must distinguish 'twixt the actions and blessings of God and 'twixt the ground or reason of them There are many and great blessings which God intends and confirmes upon his people and the cause of them all is the graciousnesse of God Gods graciousness the cause of all blessings Of The love of God Viz. 1. The love of God is an unspeakable blessing and the graciousness of God is the reason of that love I will love them freely Hos 14. 4. He set his love upon you because he lovâ—d you Deut. 7. 7 8. 2. The election of God is an unspeakable blessing and the foundation of that election is the graciousness of God Ther is a reward according to the
them When did you ever see any ungodly hardened sinner judging himself for his hard heart and begging of the Lord to heal it or willingly applying himself to a 〈◊〉 heart-breaking Ministery c. SECT II. Vse 1. DOth the Lord promise that he will take away the stony heart from his people and doth he really do so in his time Hence it will follow First Then they are none of the people of God whose stony heart doth They are none of the people of God whose hard heart is not removed still abide in them and compleatly raign in them and then in what a wofull condition are many people â— fear amongst our selves e. g. All those who are unsensible of their sinful estate all those who incorrigibly go on in their sinful wayes all those who were never wrought on by the Word of Christ all those who oppose and reject and slight the Word in the threatnings and precepts thereof all those who do continue impenitent and unbelieving notwithstanding all the offers and invitations of grace c. Secondly Then no marvel that the people of God are of another spirit and The people of God are of another spirit than other men of another temper than the common sort of people are that they dare not run into the same excesse of riot with others nor live so as other men do live that they are so much altered as to themselves Heretofore they were frequent in swearing and now they fear an oath heretofore they made nothing of great transgressions and now a small sin even a little neglect carelesness remisness doth exceedingly disquiet and deject their hearts heretofore they could neglect the Word as well as others and scoff at it and refuse to be ordered by it but now they stand in awe of the Word they are presently bound up by it and wholly moulded and fashioned and ruled by it The reason of all this is because God doth take away the hardnesse of our hearts c. Thirdly Then it is no sign of an evil estate to be troubled for our own sins or for the sins of others David did water his couch for his own sins Psal 6. 6. It is no sign of an evil state to be troubled for our sins And rivers of tears did fall from his eyes for the sins of other men Psal 119. 136. When your former sins are your grief and your present sins are your burden and future sins are your fear and other mens sins are your sorrow this is a clear evidence that the stony heart is taken away and therefore you stand in relation to God as his people To sin and not to be troubled for sin is a sign of an hard heart and of an evil condition but to fear sin and to be grieved for sinning this is a signe of a changed and broken heart They are not to be blamed who oppose Heresies and blaspâ—emies Fourthly Then it is very unjust to accuse and discountenance any of the people of God as ill affected for this reason only Because they do oppose the Heresâ—es and blasphemies of these times and because they doe so earnestly contend for the Gospel and Ordinances of Christ by Prayers and tears and speaking and writing c. Why are you angry with them that God hath taken away from them the heart of stone must we be sensible of Gods dishonour or must we not And if if Christ wept at the hardness of heart in Jerusalem because she would not receive the Gospel is there not much more reason to weep and pray because of the hardness nay of the desperateness of any man who endeavours to pull down and extirpate the Gospel I say the Gospel in which all the love and goodness of God is revealed and in which all the glory of Christ is interested and in which all the salvation of poor sinners souls is so necessarily concerned Vse 2. Will the Lord take away the heart of stone from his people what Blesse God for this cause then have those people to bless the Lord who do find this cure wrought in their hearts O it is an unspeakable mercy and favour whether you respect the evil from which you are delivered or else the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart First If that you do consider the evill from which you are delivered by being In respect of the evil from which you are delivered delivered from an hard hâ—art One saith it is the greatest sin in the world another saith it is the greatest judgement in the world Certainly it is one of the strongest holds of sin and it was the hardness of heart which kept up all the power of your sins and all the sinful practâ—ses it was the foundation of your long impenitency you had long ere this repented had not your hearts been hardned If the Lord had not in wonderful mercy by his exceeding power of grace taken away the hardness of your hearts your souls would never have been brought in to Christ but you would have gon on in your sins and dyed in your sins and been damned for your sins And yet again that after the long reâ—stance of Gods grace offers of mercy callings of the Gospel strivings and resistings of his Spirit the Lord shall pass by all this and mercifully cure thy foolish proud stout self-destroying soul O what mercy was this and what grace was this And the good which falls in with it Secondly If you do likewise consider the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart certainly you have great cause to blesse God c. e. g. 1. An immediate receptivity or capacity to have the Law or will of God written and engraven on your hearts Simile as when the wax is softned it is thereby made capable of any impression 2. A spring of repentance is set up in the heart to bewail all our sins and transgressions and fear to transgress any more 3. An obediential principle appears in making of us ready and willing to comply with the precepts of God liberty and ability c. 4. The great work of Faith to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts 5. Affectionate communions with God and a special delight in his presence and Ordinances and Services 6. A liberty and confidences in our accesses unto the throne of grace 7. In one word a newnesse of heart and a newness of relation unto God as our God and Father All these flow in upon the soul when God takes away the hardness of the heart and in time all the good of the Covenant and therefore unquestionably you have great obligations lying on your hearts to blesse God if he doth take away the hardness of your hearts Object I will some say no question it is a great blessing to be delivered from an hard heart but we feare it is not so with us for we finde sometimes such 1. A strange indisposition to what is good 2.
love as this is in every one who hath the Spirit of God Thirdly To all the children of God and servants of Jesus Christ 1 Thes 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another 1 Joh. 5. 2. Every one that loveth him Love to Gods children that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Pet. 3. 8. Love as brethren Col. 2. 2. Being knit together in love If this be the fruit of the Spirit then many men have not the Spirit for they Who have not the spirit hate the people of God The righeous are an abomination unto the wicked Pro. 29. 27. Yea and many who talk much of the Spirit have great cause to suspect their hearts because they do not love the people of God they do love men of their particular Opinion and men of their particular interest but if in these any of the people of God do differ from them now they cannot love them but they have very hard and uncharitable Opinions of them and speak evil of them and revile them and utterly shun and decline them SECT III. THus have you the discoveries of the presence of the Spirit of God by the qualities of the Spirit Now follows the last way to know whether we have the Spirit of God and that is 3ly By the properties of such persons to whom indeed the The spirit is known by the properties Spirit is given e. g. They that have the Spirit given unto them are spiritually-minded Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Here the Apostle gives a different character Such as are Spiritually minded of two different sorts of persons Here are some who are after the flesh i. e. who are carnal unregenerate in their natural condition the character of these persons is that they do mind the things of the flesh sinful sensual vain things And there are some who are after the Spirit i. e. who are born of the Spirit who are Regenerate converted sanctified by the Spirit and the character of them is That they do mind the things of the Spirit The things of the Spirit i. e. the things which the Spirit of God commands suggests the things which are agreeable to a spiritual nature holy and heavenly objects holy and heavenly wayes and works the things which belong to the kngdom of God and the Righteousness thereof the things which do conduce to the glory of God and the salvation of their souls They do mind these things they do Cogitare think much of them they do Curare lay out their greatest care for them they do Sapere relish these things above all other they are most sweet and delightful unto them Psal 4. 6. But Lord lift thou up the light c. Psal 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth Cant. 2. 3. I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my taste O what a discovery doth this one tryal make They that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Many men seldom or never think of the things of the Spirit God is not in their thoughts they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21. 14. They mind not God nor Christ nor Word nor Soul nor Heaven nor Repentance nor Faith c. If they do think of them it is but carelesly and coldly not with any care to get them not with any affections to desire them or to delight in them they are not suitable objects c. The things of God the things of Christ the thinâ—s of salvation the things of the way to heaven they savor them not they relish them not at all but their sinful lusts they do mind on these do their thoughts run and in these do they take pleasure and they do mind earthly things Phil. 3. 19. on these are their affections set who will shew us any good any earthly bargain any earthly gain and earthly discourse these they savor and relish c. Yea I doubt that many amongst us who presume their estates to be good have just cause to fear and suspect themselves because spiritual Ordinances and spiritual Communions and spiritual Conferences and spiritual Exercises and Imployments and spiritual Meditations and Cares are no way favoury and relishing and delighting but rather burthensome irksome and displeasing O where is a David to be found amongst us who can say with him Psal 119. 97. O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day And ver 111. Thy testimonies are the rejoycing of my heart Where is a Paul to be found 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Secondly They that have the Spirit given unto them they are presently in They oppose their corruptions opposition or conflict with sinful corruptions abiding or dwelling in them Simile As you can no sooner put fire and water together but immediately they are a conflicting with one another So as soon as any man receives the Spirit of God which is holy and good there doth immediately ensue a commotion a war a combat in the soul with it and sinful corruptions Gal. 5. 17. the flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other c. Before we do partake of the Spirit all is at rest and peace within us the flesh i. e. sinne doth reign and command and we do willingly yield obedience and service unto its lusts in the approbation and delight and execution of them But when the Spirit of God comes into our hearts and renews them now begins the conflict and war there being in us two natures contrary to each other and inclinations and affections contrary to each other and motions and services likewise contrary to each other For the work of Renovation We are renewed but in part from the Spirit although it passes through the whole soul and every faculty of it yet it is an imperfect work the whole soul is renewed but not wholly not a faculty but it hath renewing grace in it yet so that there is not a faculty but it hath sin also abiding in it And hence doth arise the Spiritual conflict from the presence and cohabitation of two such utterly different and irreconcilable adversaries as grace and sin the Spirit and the flesh Paul found this within himself Rom. 7. and so doth every regenerate person in the world The Spirit kindles such a war in a man renewed self against his sinful self as will never be quenched nor ended untill his course be finished and his life ended Thirdly They that have the Spirit given unto them for that very reason Such shall meet with great opposition shall meet with most deadly opposition from
betwixt God and his people 2. Neverthelesse though there be such a Covenant betwixt God the Father Yet there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people Proved and his Son Jesus Christ yet there is a Covenant made betwixt God and his people The places above mentioned do expresly prove it when God saith I will be their God and they shall be my people I will marry you unto my self and I will bring you into the bond of my Covenant 〈◊〉 20. 37. and we are said to enter into Covenant with the Lord Deut. 29. 12. These expressions plainly prove a Covenant betwixt God and us And truly unanswerable Arguments evince this Truth 1. Christ is said to be the Mediatour of this Covenant Heb. 9. 15. Now he could not be the Mediatour of this Covenant betwixt God and himself but of the Covenant Because Christ is the Mediatour of it betwixt God and us 2. To whom the seales of the Covenant are given with them is the Covenant made the seales of the Covenant and the Covenant go to the same persons The seals of the Covenant are given unto his people but the seales of the Covenant are for and to believers Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. 3. How can we plead the Covenant betwixt God and us if there were no such Gods people plead this Covenant Covenant Remember thy Covenant Oh how can God be said to remember his Covenant and to do us good for and according to his Covenant with us if there were not a Covenant betwixt God and us Lastly How is God said to be faithful in Covenant with us and how are we God is faithful in his Covenant with us and we are faithful with God Gal. 3. 16. opened and cleared said to be faithful in Covenant with God and why are we exhorted to be so and how can there be such a sinne as breach of Covenant for which God will be avenged if there were no Covenant betwixt God and us 3. The place mentioned in Gal. 3. 16. doth not contradict this truth where it is said The promises are made to Abraham and to his seed not seeds as speaking of many but seed as of one and to thy seed which is Christ This place surely will not carry it out that there is no Covenant with us but with Christ For 1. How do you read in this place of Promises made to Abraham the promises were made to Abraham if there were no promises but to Christ or how can the promises be made only to Christ and yet to Abraham 2. The promises were made to Abraham and then to his seed which is Christ if Christ here should be understood personally the order here mentioned could not hold for then Christ should come to claim the promises in Abrahams right and not Abraham in his 3. By Christ in this place is not meant Christ personally but Christ mystically considered the Church of Christ the company of believers and those are the seed of Abraham who is stiled The father of the faithful And truly I know not why men do so wrest this Text which the Apostle only mentions to prove that all that are justified are justified not by works but by faith forasmuch as the promise of Grace to this purpose was made to Abraham and his seed to all Believers as ver 29. If ye be Christs then are you Abrahams seed and Heirs according to the Promise SECT III. 4. BEfore I passe from the general consideration of a Covenant made betwixt Why God makes a Covenant betwixt himself and his people To put an honour upon his people Dut. 26 18 19. God and us it may be demanded why the Lord is pleased to make a Covenant betwixt himself and his people The causes thereof amongst many others may be these 1. To put an honour upon his people Some do derive the word Berith which signifies the Covenant from a root which signifies to purifie and to separate and to select and verily the Lord when he makes a Covenant with any he doth separate them from others looks on them takes them and ownes them for his peculiar people and agrees with them as the chosen and choycest of all others The first staffe in Zach. 11. 10. is called beauty and this was the Covenant And indeed it is a high honour to be in Covenant with God there is a fourfould honour to us in this 1. One in that God in this becomes ours and we are made nigh unto him A fourfold honour in this 2. A second in that God is ours and we his in a very peculiar way of relation 3. In that God in Covenant opens his love and all his treasures to us tells us of his special grace and love and great intentions of good to us 4. In that he obligeth himself to us in his faithfulnesse to performe all his Covenant In all this there is a great favour done unto and a great honour put upon us Hence when the Lord told Abraham that he would make a Covenant with him Abraham fell upon his face Gen. 17. 2 3. he was amazed at so great a love and honour and why It is a special favour for God to make a Covenant with us hence that of David Who am I O Lord c. 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. That we might know what to expect from God and upon what termes for the That we might know what to expect from God Covenant as it is a Declaration of all the good which God will bestow upon us so it is also a Rule or Direction what we are to be and to do here you may see all that we need and all that God requires 3. That we might be encouraged in our whole course of obedience there being sufficiency promised and security enough given by God in this Covenant for all To encourage us in obedience good unto all such who are faithful in Covenant with him Walk before me and be thou perfect and I will be a God al-sufficient unto thee Gen. 17. 1. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant Psal 25. 10. 4. That we might be bound fast unto himself the Covenant binds fast on both parts God binds himself to us and we also are bound by it to him Jer. 13. 11. To bind us fast to God As the girdle cleaveth to the loynes of a man so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah saith the Lord that they might be unto me for a people and for a name and for a praise and for a glory Thus you have heard in the general what a Covenant is and that there is such a Covenant betwixt God and believers and Reasons also in the General why God makes a Covenant with them CHAP. II. Of the Covenant in special I Shall now descend to something
He will forgive you though not others There are six excellent comforts unto you who have God to be your merciful God 1. That he will forgive you Though the sinnes of others are sealed up and stand upon record against their souls yet your sinnes shall be forgiven The sinnes of others are written and stand upon record but yours are blotted out He will forgive your great sins 2. That he will forgive your great sinnes as well as your small sinnes From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I clâ—anse you Ezek. 36. 3. That he will forgive all your sinnes though they have been many though He will forgive all your sinnes there hath been a multitude of them Your God who is rich in mercy and hath riches of mercy and multitude of mercies will abundantly pardon them Isa 55. 7. 4. That he will freely forgive them I am he that blotteth out thy He will freely forgive them transgressions for mine own sake and I will not remember thy sinnes Isa 43. 25. and Luke 7. 42. He will everlastingly forgive 5. That he will everlastingly forgive your sinnes so forgive them as never to mention them more All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Ezek. 18. 22. Though they be sought for there shall be none and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Jer. 50. 20. 6. That your God will certainly do this I will surely have mercy upon him He will certainly do this God is holiness Jer. 31. 20. 3. God is holinesse He is an holy God Joshua 24. 19. I am the Lord your God ye shall be holy for I am holy Levit. 11. 44. Holy holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 4. 8. Glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. Gods holinesse is his infinitely purenesse without all sinne yea hating of it Being also the cause of all the holinesse and purity in the creature This is one of the great excellencies and the glories of God He were not God if he were not holy and the more that any one partakes of holinesse the more excellent is he Six things affirmed of holiness It is a glory attributed to every person in the Trinity Unto the Father Unto the Son Unto the Spirit There are six things which we can affirm of holiness 1. It is a glory attributed unto every person of the Trinity It is attributed Vnto the Father Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me John 17. 11. Unto the Sonne that holy child Jesus Acts 4. 27. These things saith he that is holy Rev. 3. 7. Unto the Spirit who is called the Holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. and the holy Spirit Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God 2. It is a glory attributed unto all creatures and persons and things of excellency It is attributed to all creatures and things of excellency The holy Angels Matth. 25. 31. The holy Prophets Luke 1. 70. The holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15 The great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God Rev. 21. 10. Holy men of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. And indeed holinesse is our glory and therefore the Spirit of grace is called the Spirit of glory Heb. 10. 29. 1 Pet. 4. 14. And they who are stiled holy Isa 4. 3. are stiled the glory ver 5. 3. It is necessary unto glory unto that glory which shall be revealed unto It is necessary unto glory the exceedingly exceeding weight of glory unto that eternal glory that heavenly happiness as a means is necessary to an end as a lower step to arise unto an higher Heb. 12. 14. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 4. It is necessary unto your present communion with God He cannot take delight in you nor will he be neare you nor impart himself unto you unless It is necessary to our present communion with God you be holy What fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 6. 14. You read in the Law that all was holy which had a respect unto God the Altar was holy and the Temple was holy and the offerings were holy and the persons who offered them were holy To intimate unto us that there could or might not be any communion with the holy God without holinesse 5. It is the pawn and pledge of future glory the first-fruits of the Spirit It is the pawn and pledge of future glory Rom. 8. 23. The earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 22. The sealing of the holy Spirit is stiled the earnest of our purchased possession Eph. 1. 13 14. 6. It is the distinguishing character of the Covenant No people are an holy people but the people of the Covenant and all those people are holy It is the distinguishing character of the Covenant 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye are a spiritual house an holy Priest-hood Ver. 9. Ye are an holy Nation a peculiar people Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem 1 Cor. 3. 17. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are Now if God be your God He is and will be your holy God He will Comforts from this that God will be a holy God to you He will make you holy be an holy God unto you and that affords you many comforts 1. He will make you holy They shall call them the holy people the Redeemed of the Lord Isa 62. 12. He will give his holy Spirit unto you Luke 11. 13. Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him Isa 63. 11. As you read of Joshuah the High Priest The Lord said Take away his filthy garments from him Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment Zach. 3. 4. So the Lord deals with every person unto whom he is a God in Covenant He cleanseth them from all their filthinesses I will cleanse them from all their iniquities Jer. 33. 8. I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane Ezek. 36. 25. So Ezek. 37. 23. They shall not desile themselves any more with their Idels but I will cleanse them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 2. He will encrease your holinesse He will sanctifie you throughout 1 Thes He will encrease your holiness 5. 23. He will give more grace James 4. 6. He will strengthen what he hath wrought Psal 68. 28. Holinesse is like the waters of the Sanctuary in Ezek. 47. â— 4 5. To the ancles to the knees and then a river that could not be passed over It is the field which the Lord will bless and prosper It is
the garden he will water He will end forth â—udgement unto victory Mat. 12. 20. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory 3. He will preserve your holinesse and you being holy in holiness To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse 1 Thes 3. 13. and He will preserve our holinesse 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ver 24. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it Phil. 1. 6. He which hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ 4. He loves your holinesse and takes delight in it for it is his own Image and He loves your holinesse his own work the fruit of his own grace the birth of his own Spirit 5. He will crown your holinesse ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end He will crown our holinesse everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. Blessed are the poor in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Therefore is holinesse called a change from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Holiness at first is weak and little at length it is much and strong at last it shall be perfect and glorious At first it is like a spark of fire covered with ashes at length it is like a burning fire at last like a flaming fire at first it is in groans and desires at length it is in conflicts and combates at last it is in victory and glory 4. God is an Omniscient God he knows all things whatsoever and all persons God is an omniscient God and all conditions and all the hearts and all the counsels and thoughts and words and wayes of all men at all times and in all places and that most clearly and perfectly by his own infinite light he knows all that is past and all that is present and all that is future and all that is possible Heb. 4. 13. There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Consider this place seriously which declares Gods Omniscience There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight There be many millions of millions of creatures and they be farre and near over all the world but whatsoever they are and wheresoever they are they are manifest in his fight though they be hid from us yet they are known to God and though they be out of our fight yet are they manifest in his sight they are before his eyes which runne to and fro throughout all the world And all things are naked and open to his eyes there is no darkness twixt him and them no curtain is drawn over his eye they are as naked to him as the childe which is newly born is unto our eye or as every pile of grass is discovered by the Sun at noon day or as the parts of a diseased body c. Psal 139. 2. Thou knowest my down-lying and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off verse 3. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes vese 4. There is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Quest You will say This is granted it is very unquestionable that God is omniscient that he knows all things But what is this for the comfort and good of What comfort have we by this his people what good have they by being interested in an all-knowing God Sol. 1. The good and comfort thereby is exceeding great for Gods omniscience This is the key to open all his other Attributes is as it were the Key to open all his other Attributes it is the spring which sets them all to work and without which they could not work at all for your good Though the Lord be an All-sufficiency yet unlesse he were omniscient unlesse he did know all your wants what good could his all-sufficiency do you And though the Lord be of a very merciful nature ready to pity and help yet unlesse he did know your miseries he could not help you in your miseries It is his omniscience which doth if I may be so bold to expresse it acquaint and inform all his other glorious Attributes and put them on and draw them out to work for our good 2. That the omniscient God is your God this is an unspeakable comfort unto It is comfortable if we consider you whether you consider what he knows or how he knows as concerning your selves For what he knows as concerning your selves and your conditions The Lord What he knows as concerning our selves The integrity of our hearts knows who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. He knows the integrity of your hearts notwithstanding all your weaknesse and failings But the High places were not taken away neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chron. 15. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 20. Thou Lord knowest thy servant John 2. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee He knowes all your wants and all your distresses I know thy works and tribulation All our wants and poverty saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. 9. Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. He knows all your desires and prayers and tears Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth All our desires the heart knows what is the minde of the Spirit Psal 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 56. 8. Put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book He knows all your active and passive service in his cause for his glory all the All our active and passive service How he knows us and our conditions With a knowledge Of approbation good that ever you have done and all the evil that ever you have suffered Rev. 2. How he knows you and all your conditions He doth know all the conditions of his people with a knowledge 1. Of Approbation The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal 1. 6. that is he likes their way he approves of their way so Rev. 2. 9. I know thy works that is I like them exceeding well I am pleased to see them 2. Of Compassion The Lord said I have surely seen the afflictions of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for Of compassion I know their sorrowes Exod. 3. 7. If one loved us much but did not know our wants and conditions if one did know all our conditions but did not love us it were sad but God knows and loves c. As a father knows the distresses and wants of his childe and pities the childe in that condition his bowels are troubled for him and if he can he will relieve
as accepting of us in Christ as shining in his favour on our souls as our God in Covenant how satisfying how delightful a portion is this The small Ring with the rich Diamond cannot that delight and please you Object O but I have very little of these outwards Sol. A little of them is enough much is but a superfluity and is like the water that runs besides the Mill. Though but a little yet It is enough It is blest 2. Your little is blest it is the cluster of grapes with the blessing of the Lord a little wholsome food is better than a feast that is poysoned so c. 3. Your little will last As the Widows Oyle ran out still and ran out so much It will last as served to sustain her all the time of Famine so God by little and little will preserve you all your dayes 4. Though little in hand yet still sufficient and of the best in promise which will There is sufficient in the promise rain Manna down upon you all the time of your journying and travelling untill you come to Canaan 9. You who are the people of God should walk with all humility before God Walk with all humility before God Micah 6. 8. What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God There are four goodly sights 1. To see a pardoning God and a mournful sinner 2. To see a promising God and a believing sinner 3. To see a good God and a thankful sinner 4. To see a gracious God and an humble sinner No people are raised so high as the people of God and no people with such lowliness and humbleness as these To walk humbly is to walk 1. With a sense of our own unworthhyness I am not worthy of the least of all the With a sense of our own unworthinesse mercies of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant said Jacob Gen. 32. 10. Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto said David 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. With a sense of our own insufficiencies we are not sufficient of our selves to With a sense of our own insufficiency think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself It is not in man to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. 3. With a full acknowledgement of the grace of God as the reason and cause of With a full acknowledgement of the grace of God our all By the grace of God I am what I am And I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. 4. With a low opinion of our selves as 1 Cor. 4. 6. That not one of you be puffed up With a low opinion of our selves for one against another verse 7. For who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Why they should walk humbly Because They are saved by mercy Their enjoyments are the gifts of grace And there are five Reasons which the people of God have to walk humbly 1. Because they are all saved by mercy and brought into their high relation by the meere love of their God In his mercy he saved them and in your blood he set his love upon you and said unto you live 2. Because all the great enjoyments which they have they are the meere gifts of grace Ye are called by grace and justified by grace and adopted by grace and renewed by grace and saved by grace 3. Because you continually live in a dependance upon God All your actings are in his strength and all your communions with him are by his presence and by his power They live in dependency upon God your graces and your comforts and particular abilities would die in your hands if he should but withdraw and leave you 4. Because your God is a great God and you are but Dust and Ashes before him Their God is a great God And besides that he knows so much of you that you have cause to be vile in your own eyes and to lie low before him 5. Because you do so little for so good a God You make but poor returns in proportion They do so little for so good a God to your exceeding great receits your best performances and acts of obedience are so short to his mercies that you need mercy still to passe you by You should walk with all chearfulness and gladnesse of heart before your blessing Walk with all chearfulness and blessed God Psal 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladnesse Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things O how chearful should your life be who enjoy such a God to be your God This enjoyment should be like a good conscience which is a continual feast yet God is my God and Christ is my Christ and mercy and glory are mine Yea it should make you exceeding forward and chearful in the services of your God not calling them your burdens but delights you should rejoyce in him and rejoyce to obey him and delight to do his will account it your meat and drink and you should a bound in the work of the Lord. 11. You should be constant in walking before him you should never be weary of him nor of his works you should think a short life too short for the serving Be constant in walking before him and the honouring of such a God as the Martyr was troubled because he had but one life to part with for Christ so should we because we have no more lives or no longer time of life to blesse and praise our good and gracious God you should serve him in holiness and righteousness all your dayes Luke 2. Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23. 6. 12. You who ate the people of God should walk before him in all zeale for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured you as to make you his Walk before him in all zeal people What shall I do for my God! you should deny your selves and extend your selves and improve all your gifts and graces and powers for the services of his glory you should not count your time nor riches nor honours nor lives dear unto you so that you might honor and glorifie such a God as your God is and is to you you should speak and pray and study and act and enact for him who is so good a portion and will be your everlasting and blessed God SECT XV. Use 4 THere is yet one Use more
is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of sinnes Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance Ver. 17. A Testament is of force after men are dead It is called a Covenant and a Testament 1. A Covenant in respect of God and a Testament in respect of Christ 2. A Covenant in respect of the manner of Agreement and a Testament in respect of the manner of confirming Jesus Christ died as a Testator and by his death confirmed the Testamentary gift before made of life and salvation 5. I might adde more demonstrations of this truth as the sealings of the Spirit The sealing of the Spirit and sealings of the Ordinances and the sealings of the Ordinances Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are the seals of this Will and the sealings of the people of God in their continual experience of the truth and certainty of the Covenant in the performance of the Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Psal 119. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy Word 2. Quest Why God makes a sute Covenant with his people Why God makes a sure Covenant Certainty is a ground of faith Sol. The reasons are these 1. Certainty is a ground of faith We are commanded to believe and to be perswaded and to stand and rest c. and to rejoyce in believing Rom. 15. 13. If the Covenant were uncertain and unsure your faith would never be certain and sure Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw nâ—â—r with a true heart in full assurance of faith But how could we draw near in that fâ—ll assurance of faith Surely by believing and being fully perswaded to enjoy what God hath promised unlesse there were a certainty in the Covenant viz. That God will certainly performe what he hath promised unto us there cannot possibly be a certainty of faith upon uncertain promises 2. Certainty is a ground of peace this Covenant is stiled a Covenant of peace Certainty is a ground of peace because it settles and quiets and establisheth our hearts yea and the Covenant breeds perfect peace it stills all the fears and doubts and thoughts of heart and therefore it must needs be a sure Covenant and being so we have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. Two things are necessary to the settling of peace in the soul either 1. An actual fruition 2. A certain expectation Were the Covenant uncertain it may be God will be my God it may be he will not be my God it may be he will pardon my sins it may be he will not pardon my sins it may be he will save my soul and it may be he will not save my soul this uncertainty on Gods part would leave an uncertainty on our part and either of these uncertainties would certainly leave us to an uncertain distracted unsettled conscience O I can never be sure that God will be mine that mercy shall be mine c. 3. Certainty is the ground of hope and of patience God would have his people Certainty is the ground of hope and patience to hope in him and to wait for him to hope in his mercy and to wait for his promise Psal 130. 7. Lâ—t Israel hope in the Lord. Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Gird up the loynes of your mind be sober and hope to the end and therefore the Covenant is sure and must be so for hope is upheld by a sure and stedfast Anchor Heb. 6. 19. and patience by a sure word of promise wait for it for it will surely come Hab. 2. 3. God saith it twice in Joel 2. 26 27. My people shall never be ashamed and my people shall never be ashamed and Isa 49. 23. Thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me and Rom. 5. 5. Hope makes not ashamed O but we should be ashamed of our hope and ashamed of our patience if we should look for a God and wait for a God who either could not help us or else would fail us 4. The certainty of the Covenant is the great glory of the Covenant it is more The certainty of the CovenaÌ„t is the glory of it glory to God to make a sure Covenant than an unsure Covenant to be certain in his word than uncertain to be a faithful God than an unfaithful God and we glorifie him more upon the account of the surenesse of his Covenant here is mercy promised and this mercy is sure all the mercies in this Covenant are the sure mercies of David here is Christ promised and this Christ is a sure foundation Isa 38. 16. Here is grace and glory promised and they are sure and here are necessary outward blessings promised and they are sure waters O how this exalts the goodnesse of God! all of it is sure and our poore souls if they come into Covenant shall surely enjoy all the good thereof mercy and grace and righteousnesse and joy and peace and spiritual life 5. God makes a Covenant that is sure because he would draw the hearts of his God would draw the hearts of his people to himself alone people to himself alone There are four things which will draw and fix the heart where it can discover them 1. One is goodnesse this is the good which I need 2. A second is fulnesse here is all the good which I need 3. A third is freenesse all this good is to be had freely 4. A fourth is certainty I shall not faile of any part of this good why these are apt to work on the heart and to draw it and to fix it and all these God puts into the Covenant which he makes with his people it is good it is full it is free and it is certain I will do you good saith God and I will do you all good and I will do it freely and I will do it assuredly why then to whom should we go thou hast all the words of eternal life on whom should we trust but on thy self alone O Lord who art so full a goodnesse and so sweet a graciousnesse and so unquestionable a faithfulnesse and truth 6. This Covenant which God makes with his people is sure because none of None of Gods people shall ever have cause to complain of him the people of God shall ever have cause just cause to complain of him or to blame him David in a distempered fit mutters out Psal 77. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore But he corrects himself for this in verse 10. I said This is my infirmity c. But
God and thou becamest mine 4. That the Lord doth love his people with a most tender love therefore he is With a most tender love said to betroth them unto himself in loving kindnesse and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. Loving kindnesse is a most affectionate love and mercies are tender bowels of love his love is more tender than the tenderest love of the mother to her sucking childe Isa 49. 15. yea his love is such to his people that he delights in them Isa 62. 4. and rejoyceth over them ver 5. and doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. 5. That the Lord doth love his people with a love from everlasting With a love from everlasting to everlasting and to everlasting Jer. 31. 3. Yea I have loved them with an everlasting love Hosea 2. 19. I will marry thee unto my self for ever in loving kindnesse Certainly the Covenant 'twixt God and his people must hold and continue for ever it must last for ever where there is such a love of God to his people viz. such a love to them as to Christ himself such a love from which nothing shall be able to separate such a love as depends only upon his own love and which is so tender and so affectionate and is everlasting If a Covenant made only by love and if a people brought into that Covenant only by love and loved at such a rate and height even to the giving of the Sonne of God to save them I say if yet such a Covenant may be broken and if such a people may be cast off then is the truest and faithfullest love and bond never to be trusted more neither can be sure if this love be not sure 3. The power of God in relation to his people in Covenant which is a securing The power of God which is A securing power and preserving power 1. A securing power it secures their union with and relation unto Christ and that for ever peruse that excellent place in John 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Ver. 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Ver. 29. My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Here is a description of such as are believers and are in Covenant they are called the Sheep of Christ and such as he knows and owns to be so and they hear his voice and follow him here is also a description of their sure and safe condition they shall never perish they shall never be parted from Christ ver 28. and here is a description of the cause or reason thereof viz. the greatnesse of the power of God He is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my hands as if he had said If these should misse of heaven and if these should perish it must be for want of power in me that I am not able to keep them some other power there must be which is stronger than the power of God by whose hand they are held and kept but my Father is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of his hands therefore they shall never perish but they shall have eternal life and if so then the Covenant 'twixt God and his people is an everlasting Covenant 2. A preserving power that God preserves his people the Scripture doth abundantly A preserving power testifie unto us and if I can make it evident that he by his power preserves them unto everlasting glory I think then that the everlastingnesse of the Covenant will appear unto you and for that see 1 Pet. 1. 5. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Mark he speaks of the people whom ver 2. he calls the elect of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit and ver 3. begotten again and of those he saith that they are kept by what power by the power of God by what means through faith unto what unto salvation untill they come to receive that incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that fades not away which is reserved in heaven for them ver 3. 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome 2 Thess 5. 23. I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 24. Faithful is he that callâ—th you who also will do it why what can more clearly demonstrate the everlastingnesse of the Covenant with the people of God than this that they are kept by the power of God unto salvation that they are preserved unto his heavenly Kingdome that God will preserve their whole spirit and their whole soul and their whole body blamelesse unto the coming of Christ 4. The presence of God with his people he is so present with his people The presence of God with his people that he is said to be nigh unto them and to be with them and to go along with them and to hold them in his hand and to hold their hand and to bear them up nay so as to dwell in them and walk in them and this presence it is a watchful presence Isa 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day and it is such a powerful presence you need no other and no more but Gods presence if he be with you who can be against you I will tell you Gods presence is enough to comfort you and it is enough to strengthen you and it is enough to uphold you and it is enough to raise you and it is enough to protect you and it is enough to save you If God be present with your hearts this is enough to make your graces to act If God be present with your graces this is enough to strengthen them and enough to preserve them Now God is present with every one of his people as to their bodies as to their souls as to their graces and in a special manner and for ever I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the Lord is round about his people for evermore c. 5. The promises of God these also do cleare the everlastingnesse The promises of God God promiseth to work in his people what mâ—kes them stâ—dfast as A real work of grace of the Covenant which I shall shew unto you in six particulars 1. God doth promise to work in his people whatsoever conduceth on their part to the perpetuity or everlastingnesse of the Covenant There are five things which will make us stedfast and firme in Covenant 1. One is a real work of grace on the heart when the heart is indeed changed or renewed though counterfeit grace will faile yet real grace is permanent And God
of his grace and mercy unto his people Now there are foure things which magnifie God in these First his graciousnesse freely to make us to be his people A second is his goodnesse in the plentiful blessing of his people And thirdly his faithfulnesse that he will surely blesse his people And fourthly his everlastingnesse that he will never forsake his people and never will turn away from doing of them good Why this exalts his mercy indeed that it endures for ever and his love indeed that it continues for ever and his grace indeed that as it is free so it is everlasting In respect of his people The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of perfect thankfulnesse 2. There are reasons for this in respect of his people I will mention a few of them 1. The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of full and perfect thankfulnesse Psal 100. 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise Be thankful unto him and bless his Name Verse 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting Psal 136. 1. O give thanks unto the Lord for hâ— is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2. His people have cause now to trust on him for ever Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in His people have now cause to trust in him for ever the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us Selah Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people an everlasting Covenant then that opinion is very false which delivers out unto us such a Covenant of grace as is mutable and alterable and may be broken off and cease between God For confutation of that opinion that the Covenant is mutable and alterable and his people That a man may be made a child of God and yet may become the child of the Divel that he may be graffed into Christ and yet may be broken off from Christ that he may have true faith and grace and yet he may lose true faith and grace that he may finde love and mercy from God and yet may so sinne as actually to forfeit and that for ever all the love and mercy of God Certainly this is a very sad assertion that any person should be translated from death to life that he should be delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kingdome of Christ that he should be effectually called and become a believer and thereupon a Sonne of God and heire of glory that he should for a while believe and rejoyce in his God and be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise and yet upon a sudden notwithstanding all the love and promises and engagements of God unto him in Covenant his Sun should set at noon-day he and his God should part and be utter enemies again that he should cast off God from being his God and God should forsake and cast him off from being any of his people and as it is a sad opinion so it is an opinion utterly inconsistent with this truth of the everlastingnesse of the Covenant of grace A relation which ceaseth to be that relation is not everlasting and that agreement or Covenant which is broken and frustrated that Covenant is not everlasting to be temporary and to be everlasting are questionlesse inconsistent neither will that evasion of a temporarinesse on our part and everlastingnesse of the Covenant on Gods part any way patch up the businesse because there is no such Covenant of grace which God hath made with his people Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Ver. 32. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord Mark the place God makes no such Covenant as shall be broken on our part but such a Covenant as shall hold and be kept on our part as well as on his part verse 33. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people c. And cap. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The principal if not the onely ground of this breaking and falling opinion is a supposition of a power in the will of man according to the pleasure and use whereof the Covenant of Gods grace must stand or fall must continue or break off And to speak plainly according to the Arminian doctrine all the stability and state of a sinners salvation is made to depend upon the will of a sinner the election of God the conversion of a sinner the beneficial Redemption by Christ the perseverance in Christ and grace all of these do lie at the mercy of the will of a poor sinner and truly I must confesse that if the Covenant of grace had no surer foundation then mans wâ—ll it may quickly cease to be an everlasting Covenant But we read of other and better foundations for the perpetuity of this Covenant thâ—n mans will we read that it is grounded on the immutable counsel of God and on his absolute promises and on his Oath and on the blood of Christ confirming and establishing of it and on his power and intercession and presence and love and Spirit and faithfulnesse But as to the opinion of these men which indeed is none other but that of the To state the stability of the Covenant upon the will of man Pelagians and Papists and Arminians Give me favour to speak a few words 1. It is very improbable that God would make a new Covenant with us and state the stability and everlastingnesse of it upon the will of us sinners for hereby 1. There should be no difference as to the ground of safety and certainty Is very improbable 'twixt this Covenant of grace and that of works for if Adam had improved the power and liberty of his will he had continued and had enjoyed the life which God promised unto him Now wherein doth the grace of this Covenant exceed the other of Works if eternal life be left unto the pleasure of our will as formerly it was to Adams 2. Nay it should be harder and more unsafe for us to be in the Covenant of grace than it was for Adam to be in the Covenant of works because in that condition Adams will was created with a perfect righteousnesse and conformity and sufficiency to have continued in that Covenant but we are fallen with him and
so shall you and Christ was afraid and so shall you and Christ was in an agony and so shall you and Christ did drink the cup of his Fathers wrath so shall you and Christ was made a curse and so shall you Indeed a repenting and believing person may look upon the sufferings of Christ with joy and hope but an impenitent and unbelieving person must look upon them with confusion and horror The more he sees of Christ sorrows and the sharper he findes Christs sorrows the more perplexed may his soule be For what punishments Christ did suffer for sin as to the substance that same must the impenitent and unbelieving person suffer as to the substance yea and as to the circumstance of punishment Christ suffered death and thou shalt suffer eternal death Christ suffered shame and thou shalt suffer eternal shame Christ suffered wrath for a time but thou shalt suffer wrath for ever and fear for ever and separation from God for ever and the torments of hell for ever 3. Behold your Christ Pilate said Behold the man when Christ was brought in with his Crown of Thornes But I say behold your Christ look on him who Behold your Christ was crucified for you and look on him who was crucified by you There is a four-fold sight of Christ 1. One in Carne when he came into the world 2. A second in Cruce when he was leaving the world 3. A third in Caelo when he shall receive us unto himself out of the world 4. A fourth in Judicio when he shall tome to judge the world But the sight which I would desire you to behold is Christ on the Cross Christ suffering and dying for you O look on this Christ awhile as despised of men as forsaken of God as sorrowful to the death as wounded for our trasgressions as drinking the cup of his Fathers wrath as crying out as dying the cursed death of the Cross as made a curse for us I say behold your Christ in these sufferings so long untill 1. You see his infinite love to your soules thus suffering in your stead thus suffering what you should have suffered and thus suffering that you might not suffer 2. Your hearts be melted into tears for your sins which were the cause of all those sufferings by Christ Look on him whom you have pierced and mourn Let your eyes weep for your making Christ to weep let your hearts be wounded for wounding Christ let your soules be humbled for making Christ to poure out his soule 3. Your hearts can love this Christ who loved you and gave himself for you and washed you from your sins in his own blood 4. Your hearts can hate your sins which made Christ a curse or execration and untill you forsake your sins which made Christ to be forsaken for a time of God untill you crucifie those sins which did crucifie your Christ Beloved The more that Christ hath suffered for us the dearer should Christ be unto us his love should be unto us therefore the more sweet by how much the more bitter his sufferings were for us And our sins should therefore be the more odious unto our hearts because they were so grievous unto Christ The Apostle tells us in 1 Pet. 4. That because Christ hath suffered in the flesh we should therefore cease from sin and Chap. 2. 24. That he bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse And therefore we should purge the old leaven that is our sinful lusts because Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. Vse 2 Hath Jesus Christ as our Surety and Mediatour done and suffered so much for us what comfort what support may this be for all distressed penitent and believing Comfort for distressed penitent and believing persons persons Luther professeth that this is that Ineffabilis infinita misericordia Dei that Abyssus profundissima zelus ardentissimus divinae misericordiae towards us That the Omnipotent God Creatour of all things should be so good and solicitous for me a lost sinner a child of wrath and eternal death as not to spare his own Son but give him up to a most ignominious death that he should be made for me a cursed sinner sin and curse c. and therefore he urgeth us not to rest satisfied with believing only that Christ is purissima Persona though he be so and then know that he is God and Man yet stay not there for yet thou hast not Christ but then verè habes cùm credis hanc purissimam personam tibi donatam à patre ut esset pontifex salvator imo Servus Tuus who took on him thy sinful person and bare thy sinne and death and Crosse and was made a Sacrifice and curse for thee Object But you will say Where lies the stay and comfort of Christs sufferings for us Sol. In this it lies Then you are freed then you shall never suffer in a way of Then you are freed from suffering in satisfaction to Divine justice satisfaction to Divine Justice you shall never bear wrath nor curse for your sins And the reason is because Christ hath suffered already those things due unto you for your sins Object O but did Christ suffer that which was due for all my sins Sol. Yes He suffered all even to the worst and utmost for all that the Law threatned was a curse and Christ was made a curse for us Object But did he not owe something for himself and suffered for that Sol. Surely no for he knew no sinne of his own but was made sinne for us Object O but what if he suffered all may I not yet be made to suffer Sol. No for what Christ suffered he suffered as our Surety in our stead and therefore what he suffered for us is as if we had suffered all that our selves Object But did he verily intend our good in all these sufferings Sol. Ask the Apostle in 2 Cor. 5. 22. He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And Gal. 3. 13. He was made a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law Object But did God appoint him thus to suffer Sol. He did so Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood and 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is of God made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Object But did his sufferings appease God and satisfie him and reconcile him Sol. It did so For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. not imputing their trespasses unto them And Ephes 2. 16. He hath reconciled both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body on the Cross having slaine enmity thereby Why what a summe of comforâ—s are here Jesus Christ took upon him all our sins they were all of them laid upon him And he bare or suffered
that according to their Opinion they must expound the place thus God so loved all man-kind with such a love whereby he neither would nor could will the salvation of any man that he sent his Son to save all men before he did intend to save any man that whosoever believes should be saved This is the great love which they make in God to save all men by Christ 2. Again Seeing that word world is ambiguous sometimes being taken for those men of whom Christ is the Head 2 Cor. 5. 19. sometimes for those men of whom Satan is the Prince Joh. 12. 31. The Prince of this world it had been fit for them to have made out unto us that both of these worlds were so loved by God that he gave his Sonne for the Salvation of them both Thirdly the sense of the place stands evident of itself thus God so loved the world c. i. e. he was so mercifully affected towards mankind in their lost condition that he would not suffer all of them to perish but sent his Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life Whence it evidently appears that Gods intention in the sending of his Son was for salvation not of every particular man but of every one that believes And indeed there the restriction of Gods purpose for salvation doth lie In quisquis credit whosoever believes not that God would save every particular man in the world but only every one that should believe And questionless this was great love shewn to the world of man-kind universally lost That Jesus Christ was sent for the recovery and salvation of every one of those in the world that should believe on him Nor will any Arminian dare to affirm more than this unless he will maintain that there was yet a larger love in God and a larger intention in him effectually to save all the world by Christ distributively and collectively whether they believe or do not believe The Scripture plainly rejects this and so do they themselves Object Again they object that Scripture of John 6. 51. The bread which I will give you is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Sol. That Christ gave himself for the life of the world is granted and that he is the bread which giveth life to the world verse 33. is also granted but the Point to be proved is that Christ did give himself effectually for the life of every man in the world But this can never be made out any farther than for Believers in the world verse 35. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst And verse 5â— Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink of his blood ye have no life in you Object 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Sol. 1. Here is the same term again but the question is whether world in this place signifies any other but fideles in mundo for the Apostle speaks of an actual Reconciliation and of an actual forgiveness predicated of this world which are proper to believers 2. If you would have the word world in this place to be understood of every particular man in the world then it must follow that God is by the death of Christ actually reconciled to every one and every one to God which the Arminians themselves deny and that sin is not and shall not be imputed to any man whatsoever which is a notorious falshood 1 Joh. 2. 2. Object But another place there is unto which they much trust upon viz. 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the propitiation not only for our sinnes but also for the sinnes of the whole world Answered Sol. But this place which at first sight seems one of the strongest for them will not help them at all for 1. The Apostle speaks of a Propitiation conjoyned with the intercession of Christ verse 1. If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous verse 2. and he is the propitiation c. Now the Arminians deny the Intercession of Christ to be for all the world for so say they there should be an actual application of the death of Christ unto all and every man which may not be admitted 2. Again such a Propitiation as Christ is here said to be for our sins the same is here said to be for the sins of the whole world otherwise the comfort here given were of small force if Christ should be a propitiation for us and for the world in a different sense for our sins effectually but for the sins of the whole world ineffectually But he is a Propitiation for our sins i. e. who believe effectually therefore he must also be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world also effectually So that if by the whole world in this place all and every man in the world be understood Then Christ must be and is an effectual Propitiation for the sins of every one i. e. he hath so satisfied and pacified God that he is no longer displeased with any one sinner but this the Arminians will not maintain 3. The scope and purpose of the Apostle in this place is to comfort and support the hearts of believers in case of falling or sinning that they should not despair and for this he presents two Reasons 1. One is that Christ is our Intercessor or Advocate with the Father 2. The other is that Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of all the faithful whether Jews or Gentiles by which he means here the whole world not only for our sins who are Jews but for the sins of the Gentiles So that by the whole world is meant all believers whether Jews or Gentiles for his Epistle is Catholick and respects them both Nor is it an universal expression when the Jews and the Gentiles are spoken of in way of distinction and opposition then to call the Gentiles the world See at your leasure Rom. 11. 12 15. Object But the consolation given here is not so full and rising unless by a Propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he understood every man in the world Sol 1. I answer To me the Consolation riseth very full and high for the case is of some particular Christians or Believers sinnings if any man sin in this case he supports them not to despair but to hope for pardon and peace and that from Christ intercession and Propitiation he is the Advocate and he is the Propitiation for their sins and not only for their sins but for the sins also of all Believers that either do or shall live in the whole world whether Jews or Gentiles all Believers shall finde him so Ergo you shall 2. Yet suppose that by a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world were meant as the Arminians contend for for the
I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely Zac. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication c. Here only two Questions for the illustration of this Point 1. Why God himself undertakes to give the Covenant-blessings unto his people 2. After what manner he undertakes to bestow them upon his people Quest 1. Why God himself undertakes the Donative of all the blessings in Reasons of it the Covenant unto his people Sol. Reasons thereof are First No creature whatsoever can give them therefore it belongs to God alone Two things at the least are required for the giving of blessings No Creature can give them 1. One is Authority there must be a right in them as ours for what hath any one to do to give that which is none of his 2. The other is Sufficiency or ability to pass them over unto another and to make the blessings to be his Now no creature hath Authority to give any blessings why so because God only is the Lord of all blessings whatsoever they are his and of right belong unto him only Consider all sorts of blessings they are his he is the Lord of them Spiritual blessings are his mercy is his he is the God of mercy and grace is his he is the God of all grace and comfort is his he is the God of all consolation and peace is his he is the very God of peace and love is his God is love the Spirit is his and Christ is his Anointed and glory is his he is the God of glory And so for temporal blessings though they be ours many times for possession and use yet they are his for Right and Donation The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof saith David Psal 24. 1. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine 1 Chro. 29. 11. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all ver 12. And no Creature hath Sufficiency or Ability to convey or passe over blessings for Spiritual blessings can any man give them unto himself or unto another Can any man give faith unto himself It is the work of God saith Christ it is the gift of God saith Paul Can any man give Repentance unto himself no it was God that gave repentance unto the Gentiles and the Church prayed Turn thou me and I shall be turned Can any man make his own heart holy no it is God himself which sanctifies us can any man forgive his own sinnes no who can forgive sinnes but God only And for temporal blessings can we give rain or plenty or safety or health or life or ease or quietness can we make the Cloudes to drop down or the sword to be at rest or the sick to be at rest No Creature can do any thing of itself and therefore God himself undertakes to give all the blessings in the Covenant unto his people otherwise they could never have them Secondly God will have the glory of whatsoever blessing we do receive from him God will have the glory of all our blessings He allows unto us the benefit of them and the comfort of them but he reserves all the glory of them unto himself alone Thine is the glory saith Christ Matth. 6. 13. Now upon a double account doth the glory of all appertain to God viz. 1. In that he is the End of all his works and gifts and blessings all that God manifests about the salvation of sinners is to the praise and glory of his grace Eph. 1. 6. He himself is the ultimate End of all his works and of himself 2. In that he is the Efficient Cause of all good and blessings the Apostle joynes these two together in Rom. 11. 16. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Mark the place let glory be given to God for ever and unto him alone why so because 1. All things are of him and through him he is the Efficient Cause 2ly All things are to him he is the Final Cause for which they are You have another place to this purpose in 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption ver 31. That according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. If any man could be of himself the cause unto himself of any good then he might glory in himself and bless himself and say This hath mine own hand wroughâ— for me I gave life unto my self and grace to my heart and peace to mine own conscience and I wrought mine own Redemption No saith the Apostle you can do nothing it is of God that ye are in Christ and it is of God that Christ is made unto you wisdom c. therefore you may not glory in your selves but only in the Lord. If I be made high only by the favour of another and if I be made rich only by the bounty of another should I give the glory of these unto my self well then God hath a right unto all glory therefore he himself will give all grace Thirdly God himself undertakes to give unto his people all Covenant-blessings God would have the hearts of his people fâ—x't on him alone because the hearts of his people should be fixed and fastened on him alone There are two things which God cannot endure especially in his own people 1. One is a distrust of himself Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel My way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God! Isa 40. 27. 2. The other is a trusting upon the creature and now What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the water of Siber Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria to drink the water of the River Jer. 2. 18. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord Jer. 17. 5. No but this is it that the Lord doth require of his people viz. to take off their hearts their hopes and expectations and dependances from all other besides himself and to settle and fix them only upon himself Isa 45. 22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be saved for I am God and there is none else Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out the heart before him God is a refuge Selah In the Covenant God engageth his heart to us and one reason thereof is to engage our hearts to him in the Covenant he engageth his power and goodnesse and all-sufficiency
that God will not one time or another remember thy sins and judge thee for them O no he saith that he will forgive iniquity and remember my sin no more 4. But dost thou not see that he remembers thy sins when his hand lies now so heavy upon thee O no this is no judicial remembrance but a paternal chastisement 5. But certainly God loves thee not nay if he had not loved me freely he would never have justified me freely 6. But thou hast nothing to do with Christ nor ever shalt thou have benefit by Christ Why this is strange that my sins are forgiven me for his Names sake yet that I should have no part in Christ and no benefit by Christ 7. But God is still displeased and angry with thee No for he hath taken away iniquity and therefore his anger is turned away from me 8. But God will not hear any prayer which thou makest nor mayst thou be admitted into any communion with him O but this is false for God himself hath said 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and will heal their Land Ver. 15. And mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place 9. But what good will the pardon of thy sins do thee as long as thy sins rule and prevail over thee O but that God who pardoneth iniquity saith also that he will subdue our iniquities Micah 7. 18 19. 10. But I can and will charge thy sins upon thee and condemn thee for them O but what hast thou to do to charge sins when God hath discharged sins and what hast thou to do to condemn me if God hath forgiven me Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Ver. 14. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed SECT VIII Vse 4 DOth the promise of forgiveness belong unto all that are in Covenant with God The last Use then shall be for Instruction unto all the people of God Instruction Duties of such whose sins are forgiven Bless much whose sins God himself hath forgiven There are five duties which do in a special manner take hold of you First Bless much How should the heart be filled with the praises of so good a God and be enlarged in the blessings of him Psal 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Ver. 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Beloved 1. Set this mercy in comparison with other mercies and if you finde just cause to bless God for them surely you will finde more cause to bless God for this forgiving mercy You many times bless God for delivering your life from death and have you not more reason to bless God for delivering your souls from hell You many times bless God for delivering your bodies from pains and aches and have you not more reason to bless God for delivering your conscience from wrath and terror You many times bless God for a blessing which is but for a time and but for this life and have you not more reason to bless God for this blessing of forgiveness which reaches to eternity and unto everlasting life You bless God many times for peace with man and have you not more reason to bless God for peace with God Being justified by faith we have peace with God c. Rom. 5. 1. You bless God many times that all is well on earth and no cross befalls you have you not more reason to bless God that all is well at heaven and that no curse shall ever befall you You many times bless God that differences and suits are taken up between you and men so that you shall never be troubled and punished by men and have you not more cause to bless God that all differences are taken off betwixt you and God so that you shall never be questioned nor be damned by him 2. Set the unpardoned sinners condition and your pardoned condition together How cursed a condition that is and how blessed a condition this is and tell me then whether you have not great reason to bless your God When a sinner lives and dies an unpardoned sinner he lives under wrath and dies under wrath he lives an enemy to God he is a Christless person and an hopeless person all his transgressions stand upon Record and in their full power of guilt against his soul and all that curse and punishment which God hath threatned and which all his sins have deserved they shall certainly and perfectly and eternally be inflicted upon him God will question him and convince him and judge him and damn him and none shall ever be able to deliver him or help him he shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. Now all this would have been the portion of your cup had not the Lord in much mercy pardoned your iniquities and your sins for your sins were of the same kind and of the same guilt and of the same desert as the sins of others yet they are condemned and you are pardoned They dye and you live wrath is inflicted on them but mercy is bestowed on you they shall never see Heaven and you shall never see Hell they shall be damned for ever and you shall be saved for ever they have no reason to complain because the righteous God doth punish them only for their sins and you have reason to blesse because the gracious God hath mercifully prdoned your sins for his own sake Secondly Love much Love your God much who hath forgiven you much Love much He frankly forgave them both tell me therefore which of them will love him most Luke 7. 42. 47. There are six Reasons why we should love God 1. Because he is good 2. Because he doth us good 3. Because he loves us 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us 4. Because he sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sinnes 1 Joh. 4. 10. 5. Because he hath provided and promised a Kingdom to them that love him Jam. 1. 12. 6. Because he hath forgiven us our sinnes and that freely when we deserved it not nay when we deserved the contrary O how should this God be loved by you who alone share in his love in his Christ in his forgiving mercy how should your hearts be endeared unto him be knitted unto him be taken and affected with him The Schoolmen do distinguish of a twofold love Amor gratuitus such a love was Gods love to us in the forgiving of our sins Having forgiven you Col. 2. 13. the word signifies freely or graciously forgiven you all trespasses and Amor debitus such a love we do owe to God who doth
the Mosaical Law of divers Ceremonial sprinklings 1. Of the blood of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12. 7. 2. Of the blood of the Bullock Levit. 16. 14. 3. Of the blood of the red Heifer Numb 19. 4. And of the clean water with hysop ver 5. 4. Of the blood of the burnt-offering and peace-offering with which the people were sprinkled Exod. 24. 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you All this the Apostle summes up in Heb. 9. 19. Moses took the blood of Calves and of Goats with water and scarlet wooll and hysop and sprinkled both the book and people By all these is meant the taking away of sin by the shedding of the blood of Christ and the applying of the blood of Christ to the people of God that is meant by sprinkling Hence you read Isa 52. 15. He shall sprinkle many Nations Heb. 12 24. The blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling 1 Pet. 1. 2. We are elected and saved through the Sanctification of the Spirit and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ Now from all this there are two Propositions observable 1. That the blood of Christ is the Cause and it is the only Cause for which the people of God have their many and great sins pardoned that is the clean water which makes us clean 2. That the Lord will and doth make a particular Application even to the Consciences of his people touching the forgiveness of their sins by the blood of Christ He will sprinkle that clean water upon them CHAP. V. Christs blood the merit of pardon THat the blood of Christ is the Cause and it is the only meritorious cause for This blood of Christ is the cause and the only meritorious cause of forgiveness which the people of God have their many and great sins pardoned That is the clean water or according to the Original the clean waters which makes them clean SECT I. OF this Assertion there are two Branches It is the cause of forgiveness First That the blood of Christ is the Cause for which the people of God have all their sins pardoned This truth the Scripture clearly holds forth Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past Mark Christ is our Propitiation and he is our Propitiation by blood It is the blood that maketh an Atonement for your souls Levit. 〈◊〉 11. And without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9. 22. And therefore the High Priest who was a Type of Christ when he was to make an Atonement he alwayes came with the blood of the Sacrifice Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Rev. 1. 5. Who washed us from our sins in his own blood 1 Joh. 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Besides these Scriptures you shall find other places putting the forgiveness of sins expresly upon Christs account as the Cause Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God fir Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little Children because yovr sins are forgiven you for his Name sake Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the Atonement Beloved The people of God have a three-fold anchor to trust upon for the pardon of their sins 1. One is the free grace of God Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace 2. A second is the blood of Christ Rom. 5. 9. Being now justified by his blood 3. The third is the Covenant of God Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Before I quit this first Branch of the Assertion I would directly answer three Questions 1. How the blood of Christ can be such a Cause as amounts so high as the forgiveness of sins though very many and very great 2. What necessity there was for the effusion of his blood in a Causal order to the forgiveness of our sins 3. How it may be demonstrated that it doth reach so far c. Quest 1. How the blood of Christ can be such a cause as to amount How there can be such an efficacy in the blood of Christ Ansâ—eâ—ed and reach so high for the forgiveness of all our sins though very many and very great Sol. To this it may be answered that it doth arise from 1. The dignity of the person of Christ who was God-man 2. The Concurrence of both the natures of Christ in all his Mediatory actions and passions so that they were Theandrical sufferings both Humane and Divine and therefore his blood is called the blood of God Acts 20. 28. God purchased the Church with his own blood and the Lord of glory is said to be crucified they crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. And from these two Considerations there is light enough to convince us of the wonderful power and vertue in the blood of Christ to reach the forgiveness of all our sins because he was an infinite person and for him to suffer and dye was more than if all the sons of men had done so And because the vertue of his Deity did so extend unto and attend his Death or Sacrifice that thereupon it came to be of more than sufficient worth to satisfie Gods justice and to expiate our sins for although there was in our sins an abounding measure of guilt yet there was in the blood of Christ it being the obedience of one who was God a superabounding worth to weigh down and remove all the malignity and demerit in the sin of man there being no more proportion 'twixt the demerit of our sinnings and the demerit of his sufferings than there is 'twixt our persons and his person What necessity was there of it Quest 2. But secondly It is demanded What necessity there was for the effusion of his blood in order to the forgiveness of our sins Answered Sol. It was necessary that the blood of Christ should be shed to wash us from our sins because First Divine justice must be satisfied before sins can be forgiven till that Divine justice must be satisfied be done mercy it self if I may so speak is not at liberty therefore the Apostle tells us that God did set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Ver. 26. The meaning is that the blood of Christ reconciled both these Attributes of God justice calls for satisfaction there it is saith Christ my
object of my hatred I hate that which hath so much provoked God against me and which is the cause of all the evil upon me I will never love nor serve it any more Thirdly Then all our hopes are in mercy alone of which we judge our selves unworthy Fourthly Then it draws out the heart to make after a Christ who only can give peace and ease and bind up the broken in heart the Spirit of God leads out this humbled sinner to Gospel enquiries and to Gospel helpers As Act. 2. 37. What shall we do And Act. 16. 30. What must I do to be saved Fifthly Thus the heart strives earnestly with the Lord to give Faith that it may be able to close with Christ and the man is not and will not be satisfied untill he be by faith possessed of Christ how he prayes how he hears how he attends and waits till it be given unto him to believe 3. Union and Conjunction with Christ this is another choice work of the Spirit apparant in all to whom God gives his Spirit Union with Christ It is the Spirit of God who perswades and inclines and draws in the broken-hearted sinner unto Christ by him is the match made between the soul and Christ by him is Christ joyned unto us and by him are we joyned unto Christ Now the Spirit unites or brings in the humble and broken-hearted sinner to How the Spirit unites the broken-hearted sinner to Christ Christ on this wise First By opening the Gospel that word of glad tidings and of good news that good word of life and of hope unto the humbled sinner wherein as in a glass he doth see the great love rich mercy and free grace of God in Jesus Christ unto such who was sent and given by the Father to suffer for our sins and to take away our sins and to make our peace and to reconcile us unto God and to deliver and save our souls and that'â— the way to partake of him and all good by him is to believe on him this the Spirit of God makes evident unto the humble sinner and withall offers him that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Secondly By presenting strong and safe Grounds or Arguments to the humble sinner that he ought to believe and may lay hold for his particular v. g. 1. The express command of God 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his command that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ 2. The express offer unto the humble sinner and plain call of Christ Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden c. 3. The designation of Christ to this work of help and comfort Isa 66. 1. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted 4. The promises and assurances of Christ that he shall not be disowned if he comes to him Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out nay he shall be accepted and eased Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thirdly by answering and resolving all the doubts and fears and exceptions of unbelief from the greatest of former sinnings and from present unworthiness and multitudes of wants these the Spirit inwardly answers and takes off by convincing the sinner that Christ must be his Righteousness and will be so to every one that believes and that our unworthiness hinders not but he that is athirst may come and take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. And he that hath no money he may come and buy wine and milk without money and without price Isa 55. 1. Fourthly By making the Gospel at length through his own power an effectual means of faith so that the humbled sinner becomes a believing sinner his heart is perswaded and opened to Christ and he glorifies all the goodness and kindness of Christ he receives and embraces him takes Christ for his Lord and Saviour and Husband and Head and is joyned unto him and made one with Christ and Christ is one with him This is the great and notable work of the Spirit which he works in every one of the people of God in Covenant not one of them but he is by the Spirit brought in to Christ The Spirit doth not only in a preparative way convince and humble them for their sins but also he doth in an effectuall manner bring them in to Christ whom he hath before prepared for Christ Therefore let us look well unto our selves by this may you know undoubtedly whether God hath put his Spirit within you If his Spirit be in you then you are in Christ If the Spirit be in your hearts then Faith is in your hearts If you be possessed of the Spirit then you are possessed of Christ your hearts are overcome are perswaded are drawn to Christ he hath been the great desire of your souls and he is the very portion of your soules You are Christs and Christ is yours But if your hearts remain ignorant of Christ or undesirous of Christ and careless of Christ and stubborn and opposite to Christ you will not have Christ to reign over you and you will not come to him though you may have life and you love your sins better than Christ and you will sit down with the pleasure and with the profit of the world assuredly you have not the Spirit of God and if you continue thus you shall dye and perish in you sins Fourthly Regeneration or Renovation this is another eminent work of the Spirit extant in all the people of God they are all of them regenerated and Regeneration renewed by the Spirit Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Tit. 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost For the better opening of this I will shew unto you 1. What this work of the Spirit is what Regeneration or Renovation is 2. That this work of the Spirit is to be found in all the people of God to whom the Spirit is given Quest 1. What is this work of Regeneration or Renovation Sol. It is that work of the Spirit by which we partake of a new spiritual being What regeneration is even of the life of Christ yea of the same image of Christ and by which we are made new creatures As in every natural generation there is as the Philosophers speak an introduction of a new form as when the water is turned into aire or the are is turned into fire there is still another form a new form brought into them or as when a child is generated there is another new form brought into the matter which it had not before viz. a reasonable soul So is it in Spiritual
many times we know not what to do and cannot do any good that we would and now the Spirit of God comes and strengthens our feeble hands and supports our fainting spirits and puts out his power upon our hearts and carries us on in our wayes and works You do find it thus in several cases viz. 1. Frequently when we are to pray we are at a loss and cannot go on with Gods spirit helps us in prayer the heavenly work our ignorance our unbelief Satans temptations and distractions all these hold us down and bind us up and we cannot help and free our selves But then the Spirit of God comes in with his strength and with his help and stirs up our hearts and enlargeth our hearts and new desires flow and groans abound and affâ—â—ctions work and faith works with confidence to the throne of grace to find grace and mercy to help in time of need 2. Alwayes in our spiritual warfare with our own corruptions with Satans temptations In our spiritual warfare in these conflicts we feel our own weakness and their power and violence so that we many times cry out O wretched men that we are who shall deliver us Rom. 7. 24. Or as Jehoshaphat in another case We have no might against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to do 2 Chron. 20. 12. And verily we may say concerning our own corruptions what he spake of his enemies If it had not been the Lord who was on our side if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick Psal 124. 1,2,3 so if the Spirit of the Lord had not been with us and if the Spirit of the Lord had not strengthened and helped us sin had been too hard for us But in those conflicts the Spirit of God hath made us strong still to pray still to believe still to wait still to resist and at length to conquer 4ly The spirit of God which is given unto us is a reconciling and a restoring spirit He is a restoring spirit he restoreth my soul saith David Psal 23. 3. Even the people of God sometimes are circumvented by Satans temptations and are overpowered by sin that dwelleth in them what I hate that do I saith Paul Rom. 7. 15. They do many times fall very grievously and sadly and are not able by their own strength to rise again but there they lye with their weakness and losses and complaints and tears Now in this condition the Spirit of God puts forth his hand and recovers and raises them up again he doth not leave them when they are fallen but by the power of his assisting grace 1. He awakens them out of their sleep by a quick conviction upon their consciences He awakens out of spiritual sleep to see the great evil which they have done I have sinned saith David as soon as Nathan said Thou art the man 1 Sam. 12. 2. He melts their hearts into singular grief for that evil which they have done Melts their hearts into grief David watred his couch with tears Psal 6. 6. And Peter goes out and weeps bitterly Luk. 22. 62. he makes them to mourn and to be ashamed and to loath themselves 3. He stirs up their hearts to confess and acknowledge their sinnings and to judge themselves before the Lord for their unfaithful dealings and unworthy walking Stir them up to confess their sins and likewise earnest wrestlings and strivings with the Lord by prayer for pardoning mercy and restoring grace and a more stedfast spirit Psal 51. 9. Blot out all mine iniquities Ver. 10. Renew a right spirit witbin me Ver. 12. Vphold me by thy free spirit 4. He enables them by faith to lay hold on Christ to be their peace and to Enables by Faith to lay hold on Christ make Reconciliation and thus doth the Spirit of God recover and restore their fallen souls and assures them that their sin is pardoned Fifthly the Spirit of God which is given unto you is a comforting Spirit Christ He is a comforting spirit himself calls him the Comforter Joh. 14. 16. and you find him actually comforting the people of God Acts 9. 31. They walked in the comforts of the Holy Ghâ—st He is called the Comforter by way of Eminency and Excellency there is no such Comforter as the Siprit of God Psal 77. 2. For 1. He can comfort your very souls with proper comfors and consolations Thy Comforts the soul comforts delight my soul Psal 94. 19. 2. He can comfort you against all your discomforts 2 Cor. 1. 4. Who comforteth Comforts against all discomforts us in all our tribulations 1. From Conscience 2. From the Divel and the world 3. From Providence when it seems to be cross to us 3. He can comfort you under all absences when there is neither Father nor In all absence and wants Mother nor Husband nor Wife nor Child nor Friend nor Land nor House yet he can comfort you he alone can shew you the salvation of the Lord speak peace and joy and assure you of mercy and cause you to rejoyce in believing Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my Mother for sake me then the Lord will take me up 4. He can comfort you and none can hinder him nor men nor Divels nor fears nor doubts for he can create you peace and create you joy and create He cannot be hindred in comforting us you comfort he himself alone is a sufficient cause of comfort Object How so how doth the Spirit comfort Sol. 1. By opening all the springs of comfort unto you the fountain of mercy How the Spirit comforts By opening the springs of comfort By actuating our Faith Zech. 13. 1. the Fountain of grace the Fountain of the blood of Christ and of justification 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement 2. By actuating your faith to behold all these fountains of joy and to dig water out of the wells of salvation and making you to suck the brests of consolation 3. By applying them to your very souls clearing and witnessing your right unto By opplying them to our souls them your propriety in them that Christ dyed for your sins that God is reconciled to your souls that you are justified and accepted unto life and that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 4. By enabling conscience to testifie 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this By enabling Conscience to testifie the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation Sixthly The Spirit which is given unto you is dwelling and an abiding spirit He is a dwelling spirit in all the people of God Rom. 8. 11. By his Spirit that dwelleth in you Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he
the more able we are to trust God and to look on his Promises with as much chearfulness as others do If able to trust God without carking cares only in their performances If we can bless and praise God when he takes away as well as when he gives Psal 56. 10. In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word Sixthly The more complyance with and contentedness in all the changes which do befall us in our journey to heaven in these dayes of our pilgrimage certainly If contented in all changes this declares a presence of much grace The Lord saith of Job that there was not a man like him in all the earth he was eminently good and upright and he it was who blessed God in his great changes Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chap. 2. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil See Paul that strong Christian Phil. 4 11. I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content Ver. 12. I know how to be abused and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Fourthly A fourth duty which concerns you who have received the Spirit is Our hearts must be carried out to spiritual things this your hearts should be more earnestly and fixedly and entirely carried unto and laid out for spiritual things spiritual objects and treasures should be of more value with you and they should draw out your thoughts and affections to the utmost other things should be of small account with you If the Spirit be in you then the things of the spirit should be in you as wickedness is in the wicked man and the world is in the worldly man so should spiritual things be in a man of the Spirit In him i. e. his heart still in the mindings of his heart and in the projects of his heart and in the cares of his heart and in the desires and longings of his heart and in the delights and satisfactions of his heart he should be wholly given up to them and his soul should be resolved into them Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee The spiritual man should be so addicted to spiritual things that he should spiritualize all things he should spiritualize the world and all his dealings in the world and he should spiritualize all the comforts of the world look on them as from his God and raise his heart more to God have much more delight and sweetness in him he should spiritualize all the afflictions and troubles of the world learn Righteousness and more holiness by them and more to live by faith Nay he should spiritualize all his fails grow more fearful selfdenying mournful watchful fruitful well he should spiritualize his conference and converse with all men edifying the good and admonishing the wicked comforting the weak supporting the feeble But to the main thing his heart should lay out it self for spiritual things O more of the favour of God and more of Jesus Christ and more of the fruits of the Spirit c. 1. The great Promises are of thâ—se 2. And the Promises of them are only unto you 3. They are the best portion and your best portion and your only portion 4. These are eternity or for eternity 5. The Spirit is given unto you to carry out your hearts for these 6. These are most suitable to a spiritual nature Now in the desires of spiritual things remember to 1. Desire grace infinitely more than gifts 2. Desire strength and power more than joys and comfort 3. Desire the means as well as the end 4. Desire all for the honour and glory of God SECT VII 5. Use DOth God promise to give his Spirit unto his people Then let us all be Let all look after the gift of the spirit perswaded to look after this great gift of God not to content our selves under the want of it but by all means to obtain it For the managing of this Vse I will present unto you 1. Some Motives to excite us 2ly Some Means to enjoy 1. The Motives to look after the Spirit of God e. g. First The Spirit and Christ come alwayes together If any man hath Christ The Spirit and Christ come alwayes together he hath the Spirit if any man hath the Spirit he hath Christ if any man hath not the Spirit he hath not Christ Christ and the Spirit ever go together Should not this provoke us to strive with God for his Spirit what sinner on earth would not have Christ what will become of us without Christ how happy is every soul in the enjoyment of him how miserable in the want of him how longing are the hearts of some for Christ and for the knowledge that Christ is their Christ But if the Spirit of God be yours then the Sonne of God is yours Here is a double portion at once a double gift at once the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ at once If you mind not the Spirit for the Spirits sake yet mind the Spirit for Christs sake your desires after him must come from the spirit and your union with him must come from the spirit and your knowledge of the person 〈◊〉 propriety or interest in him must come from the Spirit A man may think he hath Christ but if he hath not the Spirit Christ is none of his Rom. 8. 9. A man may fear that he hath not Christ but if the Spirit be given unto him then assuredly Christ is given unto him Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 4. Secondly Forgiveness of sins and the Spirit alway are given together Though The Spirit and pardon of sin go together forgiveness of sin be one thing and the Spirit in us another thing yet they are both given together A man hath not his sins pardoned and yet he remains unsatisfied without the Spirit and a man is not sanctified by the Spirit and yet his sins remain unpardoned but both are given together at the same time 1 Joh. 5. 6. This is he that came by water and blood even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness 1 Cor. â— 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of of our God It is true that the blood of Christ is the only meritorious cause of the forgiveness of sins God forgives our sins for Christs sake but then it is as true that assurance of forgiveness and reconciliation of the Spirit are given together Hath God sanctified thy heart by his
thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand v. 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man Psal 16. 2. My goodness extendeth not to thee q. d. Thou art not benefited by any good works of ours c. I cannot add any thing thereby unto thee we receive all from thee but can give nothing unto thee by which thou mayest be bettered for thou art an infinite being and therefore we can add nothing to thee Secondly You must not do any good work thinking thereby to satisfie God for your evil works Many people when they have committed sin and injured Nor to satisfie God for our sins and dishonoured God then they fall a praying and a reading and a hearing and put on to works of piety and charity and their intention or end in doing of these duties is to make God amends and to make up the wrong which they have done him supposing that the good which now they do will ballance the evil which they have done and satisfie God Now though this be true that our sinnings do injure God and therefore its reason that after our sinnings we should be much humbled and be more circumspect in our walking and more diligent and upright Yet to act all these as satisfactions to God for the sinful injurious workes which we have done against him This is 1. Foolish 2ly Sinful First It is foolish forasmuch as nothing that we can do can amount unto It s foolish a satisfaction for the evil that we can do Because 1. All the good which we now do we ought still to have done and that which Reasons of it was still a duty can never be a satisfaction 2. There is more evil in the evil that we have done than there is good in the good which we do our sinful evil is perfectly evil and our best good is but imperfect good The evil that we do against God deserves hell and the good which we do deserves nothing the evil which is done needs infinite mercies to pardon it and the good which we do is so mixt with our sinfulness that that also needs mercy to pardon and accept it and that which needs mercy cannot be a satisfaction Secondly It is sinful For this is to take upon us the work of a Mediatour to whom alone that work of satisfaction doth pertain and he must be both God and It s sinful man or else he could not have satisfied for our sins Now to presume that our own imperfect obedience is able to satisfie God for our sins and to clear all our accounts and reckonings between him and us what is this but to lay aside the perfect satisfactions of Christ the only Mediatour and to set up our own weak righteousness as sufficient to compensate the Justice of God Thirdly You must not offer up any performances of yours as causes of mercy and Nor as causes of mercies and blessings blessings you must pray and you must mourn and you must repent and you must obey the voice of the Lord your God and you must walk in his statutes and do them and if you do so with upright hearts God will meet you with mercy and blessings Nevertheless you may not look on any performance of yours as causes meriting and purchasing any blessing unto you remember that excellent passage in Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Commandements and his testimonies Yet Ver. 11. For thy Name sake pardon mine iniquity for it is great Here is mercy and truth for them that keep his Commandements and then here is not our obedience but his Name the cause of our mercy not for my obedience sake but for thy Name sake pardon mine iniquity c. So when Daniel fasted and prayed in an extraordinary way for mercy and for deliverance out of the Babylonian captivity he impleads not those works as causes of them nay as so he rejects them Dan. 9. 17. Now therefore O our God heâ—r the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake Ver. 18. O my God encline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City that is called by thy Name for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercies There are four things to be observed about mercies and blessings What is to be observed about mercies and blessings 1. The Efficient Cause and that is only Gods own love and grace and mercy his own glorious love is the only efficient cause of all our blessings whether spiritual or temporal 2. The Final Cause and that is only Gods own glory all is from his mercy and all is for his glory he is the first and he is the last out of the sea of his mercy they come and into the sea of his glory they do return 3. The Meritorious Cause and that is Jesus Christ who by his blood hath purchased all things for us pertaining to life and godliness 4. The means by which not causes for which they are obtained and enjoyed They are means whereby blessings are obtained and such are our holy performances and walkings unto which God hath promised abundance of mercies and blessings and we shall enjoy them not Ratione facti for the worthiness of our doings but Ratione promissionis for the goodness and faithfulness of his promise unto our upright doing and walking Therefore take heed of looking on any doing and walking as meritorious causes of mercies and blessings For 1. All the good we can do is but what we ought to do and no duty of man can Why they cannot merit mercies be meritorious with God 2. All the good we do is done by the strength of Christ therefore it cannot merit seeing it is done not by our own strength but Christs 3. All the good we do finds acceptance only in and for Christ our prayers are accepted in him and our services are accepted in him and therefore they merit nothing of themselves 4. All good services must be done in faith or else they cannot be pleasing to God Heb. 11. 16. Now Faith and the merit of mans works are utterly inconsistent 5. Lastly All the blessings which you shall ever enjoy you must take them out of Gods promises or Covenant of grace and no gift flowing from that Covenant of grace but it is freely given unto us Fourthly You must not look upon any performances services acts of obedience They cannot make peace with God done by you as propitiations as able to make peace with God for the sins which you have committed against God When we have sinned against God we must humble our souls and repent and pray unto the Lord to pardon us and to be reconciled unto us and to take away iniquity and
and be alwayes compleatly and presently furnished for any acts of obedience Sol. Belike you would needs be in the Prodigals condition to have all your portion of goods in your own hands thinking that you are more wise and more able than your God to manage the stock of grace But First It is not only fitter but better that you should trust God then that God should trust you your grace and strength are safer in his hands than in yours Secondly God will not thus impart his strength unto you as you imagine or wish but he will impart it succssively and gradually according to your continual necessities of it 1. He would still keep you humble 2. He would still keep you in dependance Why God gives grace gradually upon himself 3. He would give unto you manifold experiences of his faithfulness in performing his promise unto you Thirdly To depend on God and to make him their strength for all the works which they are to perform Now because this is the principal Use which can be made from the choise and pretious promise here in the Text I shall therefore insist the more upon it and shew unto you 1. Why you that are the people of God should depend on God for his strength to enable you for all your works and services 2. When especially you should do so 3. Whether indeed you do so 4. How you may be enabled so to do 5. How one may know that it is the very strength of God which is with us 1. Quest Why the people of God should depend on God yea only depend on Why Gods people should depend on God for Grace God for his strength to enable them for all their duties for all their works and services Sol. There are three reasons for it 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of God First It is his command and will concerning you still to depend on him and It is Gods Command on him alone Psal 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him ver 6. He is my Rock and my Salvation ver 7. In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my strength and my refuge is in God ver 8. Trust in him at all times pour out your heart before him c. Prov. 3. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding Ver. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Esa 26. 4. Trust you in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength God you see calls on us for our dependance on him and only upon him and at all times in all our occasions Secondly It is his honor that you do depend on him to help and strengthen It is for Gods Honour your souls you do now declare and publish and put unto your seal that power belongs to God that he is the alsufficient and efficient God and that he is the faithfull God who will perform whatsoever promise he hath made unto you Unquestionably God would have his people to honor him he forms them for his praise and all the honor which God hath by us consists in this that he is acknowledged to be the only efficient and the only end of all that we have or do Thirdly It is the end why he makes this promise of causing you to walk in his It is the end for which he makes his promise Statutes As the end of his threatnings is our repentance and as the end of his precepts is our obedience so the end of this promise is our dependance Prov. 22. 19. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known unto thee this day Ver. 29. Excellent things in counsels and konowledge Fourthly It is his way of conveying or communicating his strength and help It is Gods way of communicating his strength all your sights of his mercy all your taste of his love all your experiences of his goodness and all the impartings of his help and strength are unto faith you must believe if you will be established and strengthened God will give strength to his promise but then his people must come and depend upon him for it Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord and he shall strengthen thine heart Object Indeed if you speak of the absolute power of God he can let out and convey sufficient help for our work without any praying of ours and without any beleiving of ours Sol. But God is pleased to set out this way of depending and believing to let forth his help unto us as the best way to his own wisdome both for the conviction of our own weaknesses and for the demonstration of his own graces and fulness 2. In respect of our selves First Necessity There is not bread enough at home nor strength enough in Our own necessity requires it our selves for any good therefore go abroad and look for it in God Quid es in te quid es de te spake Austin very well on Psal 42. Psal 119. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments ver 36. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies 1 Kings 8. 37. The Lord our God be with us Let him not leave us nor forsake us ver 58. That he may incline our heart unto him to walk in his wayes and to keep his Judgements I confess that there were no necessity of our dependance of God for strength to cause c. if one of these two things were true 1. That we had power and sufficiencie of our own 2. Or That any other besides God could be a sufficiencie unto us But neither of these are so 1. No man not the best is or can be a sufficiency unto himself as I have formerly proved 2. None besides God can be a sufficiency unto us or help unto us Object We do find much help and strength many times by publike Ordinances and private Conferences Sol. The Reason is because God makes them to be of help and strength unto you The conduit conveyes water into your houses but water comes not from the Conduit but from the Spring Therefore you finde sometimes Ordinances and Conferences can do nothing at all in any way of help that you may know that not they but God in and by them was the help Secondly Prevalency Dependance on God for strength will get you his strength Psal 84. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee ver 7. They go from strength to strength Psal 28. 7. The Lord is my strength and my shield my It s the way to prevail heart trusted in him and I am helped Thirdly Experience They that know thy Name will put their trust iâ— thee Psal 9. 10. For thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Isa 11. 2. Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and
so greatly loved c. IV. This universal Impetration only by the death of Christ cannot be admitted for those absurd consequences which depend upon it verse 9. 1. It lames Jesus Christ in his Prâ—â—â—â—ly Office which did as necessarily take in the Intercession of Christ as it did the Sacrifice and Oblation of Christ for when he was Annointed and Consecrated to be a Priest he was at the same time consecrated both to die and offer and purchase And likewise to apply the offering of himself and the purchase unto those for whom he died Oblation was not put on him and application upon another but both on himself he was to die and purchase as a Redeemer and he himself was to apply what he had purchased as an Intercessor but by the Arminian Doctrine these are severed and application denied to his Intercession 2. It frustrates the end of Christs Impetration for when Christ died and purchased his end therein was application of the purchase He did purchase a deliverance that sinners might be delivered not that they might or might not be delivered 3. Nor can I yet see how this general empty Impetration can stand with the honour of Gods Attributes Not with his Omnipotency that he would have a benefit procured which he is hindred from the applying of it by the perversenesse of mans will Nor with his Wisdom to intend that which he shall never accomplish or obtain Nor with his Justice to receive from the hands of Christ so full and absolute a satisfaction and yet after that never to admit many men into grace or favour nor to pardon them nor save them though satisfaction were made by Christ for those very ends Nor yet with the Lovâ— of Christ who laid down his precious blood and yet this should never take effect in many for whose sake it was so largely and seriously shed And that he should suffer the merit of his deaâ—h and the efficacy thereof to be so continually perverted by the free and proud will of sinners 4. It doth absolutely overthrow the Doctrine of Election delivered in Scripture and the limited subordination of redemption by Christ according to Election and the certain communication of all grace and glory to such who are Elected and Redeemed 5. So likewise doth it the Doctrine of the New Covenant of Grace which is particular 6. And leaves God after the great love and cost in giving of Christ yet to an uncertainty what the issue and fruit of all this will be perhaps men will accept of it perhaps not perhaps they that accept of it will persevere perhaps not perhaps I have lost all my love and charges c. 4. I should now discourse of a fourth Conclusion viz. that as there never was or shall be an universal application of the death of Christ so neither God nor Christ ever intended the same But here the Arminians will save us of this labour for they confess the same the application fruit or benefit of the death of Christ is only for believers And for any other death of Christ which is without any fruit or benefit to us let themselves if they like it take it only give us that which is fruitful and saving 3. There remains nothing more about this question but the answering of some Scriptures and some Arguments which the Arminians make use of to prove Objections answered their universal effectual redemption or that Christ died for all men and every particular man not only Sufficienter but also Efficaciter 1. Object Their first Batalio of Scripture for their Opinion rests upon From the word world the word the world Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 6. 51. The bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world to which they may add also Joh. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 12. 47. I came not to judge the world but to save the world Before we give a particular answer to these Scriptures it is necessary to premise a word or two 1. The word world is diversly used in the Scripture sometimes it The word world diversly used signifies 1. The whole frame of Creation Heaven and Earth and all the Creatures in them 2. The promiscuous and universal multitude of mankind 3. Only the wicked and unbelieving part of the world I pray not for the world Joh. 17. 9. 4. Only the Elect and believers Rom. 11. 12. If the fall of them be the riches of the world verse 15. If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world c. 2. That expression all the world and the whole world doth not alwayes import It doth not alwayes import every man in the world in Scripture every man in the world Luke 2. 1. There went out a Decree from Cesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed This cannot be meant of every particular man in the world nor yet of many Nations of the world for they were not all singly under the Roman power Joh. 1. 10. The world knew him not this cannot be understood of every one in the world for some in the world did know him Joh. 12. 19. Behold the world is gone after him is it meant that every man in the world did so 1 Joh. 5. 19. The whole world lieth in wickednesse can this be understood of every particular man in the world Rev. 18. 8. All the world wondred after the beast Neither can this be expounded of every particular man in the world I purposely bring these places because the Arminians impose on weak and ignorant men as if by the name world is alwayes meant all the men in the world and every particular man in the world you see that the Scriptures do not alwayes so intend it no not when they speak of all the world and of the whole world But now let us look on the Scripture alledged distinctly The Scriptures answered Object John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Joh. 3. 16. Sonne c. Sol. 1. Are the Arminians in good earnest in bringing this place for Gods intention of salvation for all by Christ 1. Do they not affirm that God neither would nor could velle salutem hominum before Christ had satisfied his Justice and yet this place shews a special love and will in God of mans salvation before he gave Christ 2. They deny the love of God in the Text to be any act of his will at all unless incomplicitly but here it is made the immediate and prime cause of the giving of his Son So