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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	abraham_n	child_n	seed_n	2,807	5	8.0209	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66098	Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shewn the connexion which there is between the promise, on God's part; and duty, on our part, in the covenant of grace as it was delivered in several sermons, preached in order to solemn renewing of covenant. By Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston in New-England.	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1682 (1682)	Wing W2272; ESTC W37635	100,188	164

their Sins Judah had the Temple and Ordinances with them when the Ten Tribes by their Rebellion from the house of David and carnal policy of their own Kings were obstructed in and much hindred from enjoyment of these liberties God takes notice of it and sets a signal Caution upon it Hos 4. 15. Though Israel play the harlot let not Judah offend The summe is the more liberal God hath been to a People the greater accounts they have to make up with Him 4. Nothing sooner or more provokes God then the abusing or not well improving of visible Covenant-priviledges We shall find how God expostulates with Israel in these very terms Amos 3. 2. Thee only have 〈◊〉 known c. The greater the kindness is that is abused the greater a provocation it must needs be Now Covenant-priviledges are the best and most exeelent Priviledges which a People can enjoy It was the Jews advantage taken notice of by the Apostle with a Note of specialty put upon it Rom. 3. 1 2. Chiefly that to them were committed the Oracles of God And when David had enumerated the sundry favours which God had bestowed upon His People Israel He sets the peculiar emphasis upon this Psal 147. ult He hath not dealt so with any Nation It is not so great a Sin to abuse the Common goodness of God and yet this is to treasure up Wrath Rom. 2. 3. 4. These are little and low favours compared with the Gospel and Covenant in which eternal Life is exhibited and therefore whatsoever abuse God bears withall this He cannot away with If it once comes to a despising and undervaluing and not improving of such Mercies then God cannot hold His Peace but must declare His displeasure Deut. 32. 6. Do ye thus requite the Lord 5. When God purposeth to bestow His everlasting Mercies upon a People He shews it by enabling of them to keep His Covenant This is the plainest and clearest manifestation of God's intentions If He withhold this Grace the most excellent Priviledges of a People are to them Judicial It was a sad complaint which Moses made and it carried in it a very bad Omen to that so highly priviledged People of Israel Deut. 29. 4. God hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day And very observable is that expression of the Prophet Jer. 31. 31-35 The New-Covenant there mentioned was not another Covenant for the substance or matter propounded It was a Covenant of Reconciliation which was given to Israel when they came out of Egypt But it was to them only propounded and outwardly made with them but they brake it and thereby provoked God to swear against them in His Wrath that they should never enter into His Rest Psalm 95. ult But here was an inward and spiritual application of the Covenant a working of the Conditions of it in their hearts and an establishment of their Souls upon it by vertue of which they were enabled to observe His Commandments and to do them and thus they were made assured Owners of and Partakers in those everlasting Mercies therein exhibited God's treating with Men only in a visible or outward way will vindicate His Justice and leave them wholly inexcusable when found Despisers but it in only His gracious application of the Covenant to their Souls by the operation of His Holy Spirit working in them all that which is well-pleasing in His sight that brings saving good with it to His People This is Grace indeed 6. Hence a true grounded and permanent Hope must be established by an inward and Self-search Many are ready to boast of the Promises and comfort themselves with the Promises They hence Carve out for themselves large Consolations But who are they that so do There are some to whom God will say Hands off you have nothing to do with these things The Promise indeed is full everlasting Mercies are Soul-saving Mercies But what is all this to you You will say they are free Mercies and why may not I embrace them as well as another True but if God should ask you that question Psal 50. 16 17 What hast thou to do to take My Covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed What answer can you make to it It is a very great piecs of folly for a Man to boast of a favour without considering of the way of a Conveyance God saith if you keep His Covenant He hath endless Mercies for you and they shall be yours Oh yes say you Give me everlasting Mercies I need them I accept of them Yes no doubt But do you accept of the Covenant Will you freely close with Jesus Christ by a true and living Faith Will you depart from Iniquity and cast off your Vanities Will the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts What do you wince and boggle here Are these hard sayings which you cannot bare Let me say then What have you to do with Mercies Be not deceived God is not mocked If the filthy will be filthy still if the Proud Vain Profane Leud c. will be so still and hold on those courses let them not glory in Covenant-Priviledges and dream of golden Mountains of Mercies But the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him and He will shew them His Covenant Collect. 3. It may instruct us in the Nature and quality of the relation wherein Children stand related to the Covenant This Enquiry and Consideration both our Doctrine and Text lead us to For though I mentioned not Children particularly in the Doctrine yet they are included in the general expression of it and distinctly mentioned in the Text and God bears a respect to them in the outward dispensation of the Covenant of Reconciliation There are some that wholly exclude their children from the Covenant others there are who place too much carnal confidence in their relation to it And many Children too that Cheat themselves upon this account It is good therefore that they should know both their Priviledge and their Danger The Text puts Parents and Childrens Children 〈◊〉 the same relation and under the same Conditions I shall endeavour to clear up this Collection by opening three propositions Prop. 1. That the Children of Beleevers are equally interested in the visible Covenant with their Fathers By Beleevers I do not only intend those that are such by a true and living Faith but such also as are so by an open and acknowledged profession of their Faith for these also in the judgement of Charity are to be acknowledged for true Beleevers And it was to such and in such a notion that the Apostles wrote all their Epistles to the Churches as hath been before hinted and proved By Children also I do not mean only the immediate seed of such as firstly acknowledged and professed this Faith nor doth the Scripture so intend but their posterity in all Generations a a a Till for

Covenant that will secure you except you be keepers of it The Promise in our Text is not to them that are in it but to them that keep it There is in this Temptation no little danger that the Children of the Faithful are exposed to by being deluded by Satan There are many that have acknowledged it and bitterly complained of it when God hath a wakened them They are ready to lean the weight of their Hope upon the Covenant The Jews in Jeremiah's time deceived themselves with this pretence Jer. 7. And in our Saviours time Joh. 8. We are Abraham ' s Children Nay we have one Father which is God Many carry with them a strong confidence that they must needs do wel they have strong hopes of salvation their plea for it is their Parents were godly they themselves of the visible Church owned and acknowledged as the Children of the Covenant and hence they think the Gospel-Promises are theirs Christ is theirs by Covenant But this will not hold Remember there is a Jew that is so outwardly there are that are so inwardly there is a Circumcision of the flesh and of the heart a Baptisme of Water and of the Holy Ghost The one External the other Internal and that will never stead a Man without this Covenant-priviledges are to be improved not to be boldly relyed upon The Name of the Lord our God is a great and a fearful Name God is Holy and expects all should be so that will prove themselves His People Hence that counsel 2 Tim. 2. 19 Let every one that names the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity 3. Beware of rejecting or renouncing the Covenant of God Do not cast off your subjection to it by any wilfull act of yours And this may be done two wayes 1. By disowning your selves or withdrawing from owning your selves to stand engaged to God in Covenant Not to own is interpretatively to reject When we withdraw the shoulder pluck back the neck and are not willing to submit to the Order and Ordinances of the Gospel when Men count it a liberty to live at large and under no Church cognizance and controll and a bondage to stoop to the wayes and will of Christ in His Word There is a great deal of this spirit amongst us Men are loth to be so much as under any visible tyes of restraint from Sin and this provokes God to bring judgements upon us and therefore tells us that by them He will bring us under the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. 37. 2. By not hearkening or yeelding obedience to the institutions of Christ appointed for their good When by any Sin or scandal they have dishonoured the Name of Christ they submit not nor are willing to obey the Rules He hath set down for their humbling and reforming when they are impenitent and will not hear the Church Many will acknowledge this to be their Duty who do yet practically chuse rather to stand off and be from under watch and discipline so debar themselves posterity as much as in them lyes from visible Priviledges This is also a renouncing beware of it Though you cannot by so doing dissolve your Covenant relation yet you may provoke God to reject and cast you off 4. Be much and earnest with God in Prayer that He would afford you His Grace whereby you may keep Covenant with Him This is a great Duty encumbent on Children know therefore that it is no small thing to serve an holy and jealous God Remember that you are by nature averse and obstinate your hearts are estranged from God and Christ from the womb The power to serve God keep his Commandments is not a gift of Nature which is all enmity Supernatural grace is necessary to the doing so great a Work Faith is the great Covenant-Condition and that is not of your selves without this you cannot please God you cannot keep His Covenant Nor can you worke it in your hearts it must be wrought by a creating power and you must go to God for it it is His gift and He will be sought to As long as you live in your unbelief you do nothing but break your Promise violate your Covenant and thereby lay in wrath and condemnation for your selves except you be converted you cannot be true to God See then the sinfulness of your hearts and natures the impotency that is in you you are in your natural estate like Ephraim unaccustomed to the yoke bewail it with him and ask grace Jer. 31. 18. 5. Get as near to God as you can in all those visible and outward wayes of Communion which He affords you the advantage and opportunity of God hath appointed no Ordinance in vain It is a matter of just grief to see so few of the Children of the Covenant seeking after full fellowship in all the Ordinances I speak not this to precipitate such as are unworthy to make more haste than good speed but to rouse up the negligent who either take no care that they may be worthy or do withdraw and keep themselves back notwithstanding they are hopefully prepared for these Ordinances These are both part of the Covenant and helps to our keeping of Covenant I know that a form of Godliness without the power is a Cheat to them that please themselves with it But I know too that if the face of a visible Church cease or be taken away from us it will be a great and sore Judgement And if the Children of the Covenant withdraw themselves from this burden and content themselves without seeking it and setting their shoulders to it it is in great likelyhood thus to go to decay It is a great Sin and a crying shame to see such multitudes of Christians and Professours turn their backs upon the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper if they are unworthy it is their shame that they have no better profited under the Ordinances and a dreadful signe it is of God's departure from such a People If they are in some measure fit it should grieve them that they put such a contempt and undervaluing upon the love of Christ and the seal of the New-Covenant for it is the least that can be said of such an act that it is so practically and interpretatively And let me add this that if you rest in that that your Children may be baptized as your selves are and seek not after means of growth and strength if now you have no spiritual appetite to these things you discover a dangerous signe of much hypocrisie lodging in your hearts 6. Beware you do not wilfully overthrow the foundations which your Fathers have laid I know it is one thing to be charged for doing it another to do it indeed Many have been branded for this injuriously whiles they have asserted those things which though believed by our Predecessours yet there was no such occasion of practice as afterward Besides it 's certain that no pattern or president or precept of

in it the discovery of a way wherein fallen Man may be restored to the favour of God and the enjoyment of His everlasting Love which otherwise had been a thing hopeless Now this Covenant that we may at length come to the particular business here intended admits of a double consideration or is to be looked upon according to a different way of Administration viz. 1. It may be looked upon according the inward and spiritual application of it to the Elect as it is made use of to the bringing of them into the invisible Church and placing them among the number of God's effectually called Ones which is performed by the efficacious operation of the Spirit of God drawing of Souls home to Jesus Christ by the means of Grace making them powerfull to the end and so putting these into a state of Grace by Believing which is the prime designe of the Gospel And according to this dispensation of it it extends only to the Elect and is indeed nothing else but the application of the Covenant of Redemption to the proper Subject respected in it be the means of the Covenant of Reconciliation and in this sence the Word Church is often used in the New-Testament intending only the converted Elect. 2. Å¿ Å¿ Å¿ Ark of Covenant P. 394. It may be considered according to the visible and externall dispensation of it in the way of the Gospel as it is exhibited in the Ordinances and given out as an Edict from God unto those to whom the Gospel is sent and there carries in and with it the proposition of Life and Salvation and the threatning of Death and Damnation and these according to the tenor of termes and conditions which are therein made known and thus extends or bears a relation not only to such as are true Beleevers but others also viz. Vnto all those that are in the Visible Church with there seed professing Obedience to Gospel-Order and Ordinances To this Covenant or this manner of dispensation of it true Beleevers have truely and properly a relation so far as they are visible and stand under visible Ordinances Vnder this last Consideration we are to look upon the Covenant to be presented in our text viz. The Covenant of Reconciliation according to the visible and externall dispensation of it among such a People as are in visible Covenant with God and this differs from the same Covenant according to the internall dispensation of it in these thing 1. In the One the Covenant is firmly established and unalterably God is become the God portion of the Soul that hopes and believes in him and Beleevers are made His People really the soul is made to believe the Covenant is firmly settled and unmoveably whereas in the other it is only propounded with the command and threatning on God's Part and on the other hand as only outwardly professedly asserted submitted to by those concerned and that oftentimes deceitfully Psal 73. 35 36 37. not but that many in the visible Covenant have more than outwardly assented to it True Beleevers give not only their hands but their hearts also to God but that referes to the internall and not the visible dispensation of the Covenant 2. In the One the Covenant is ratified and confirmed by a surety and undertaker for the performance of it by all those that are related to it The Sonl having closed with Christ by Faith he becomes a never sailing surety for him that he shall do his Part of it and to him that all the Promises of it shall be fulfilled upon him In the other it is not so there is also Christ propounded as a surety and His readiness to undertake for us if we will by Faith close with and accept of Him to that end He tenders Himself to be a Corner-stone but withall threatens to be a stumbling-stone and Rock of offence if He be not believed in but despised In the one Christ is an undertaking Mediator in the other only a proffered Mediator In both we are assured that there is no treating with God but by a middle person the one tells a Beleever that Christ stands in his room responsible for him the other tells all that are the subjects of it they may have Him for such if they will Rom. 10. 9. 3. In the one the good and happy estate of the Soul is made sure and stands firmly built upon a foundation which is immoveable he that once truly believes in Christ is as secure of his blessedness as those that are now in full possession of it Rom. 11. 29. But in the other Man stands only upon conditions according to his performing or non-performing of which he must expect to stand or fall My meaning is the condition is in one performed or so engaged in that the Promise is ratified in the other it may yet stand unperformed and so the subject of it is yet upon a hazardous bottom and may be lost and perish for all his relation to it Rom. 3. 13. 4. In the one the Beleever is fully discharged from any challenge of the Covenant of Works the Law hath not any more claim to hold him under Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law i e. As a Covenant else Beleevers are under the Law as a Rule In the other a Man may be still held captive of the Law and ly open to condemnation only a deliverance is promised to him on conditions Job 3. 13. For it is certain none can deliver us from the Law but Christ and He delivers none but those that fly to Him and place their trust in Him if Men be not found in Christ more then by a visible claim the Law will seize upon them 5. In the one a Beleever is brought under the Promises and escaped from the danger of the threatnings Life is assured him and Death is removed from him it saith he shall not dye but live Rom. 8. 3. In Christ i. e. by a living Faith in the other a Person is lyable to both vers 13. Where the Apostle directs his speech to them under the notion and consideration of visible Beleevers and so they have a respect to threatnings as well as promises and the reason is because in the one the condition is looked upon as fulfilled being so in part and the whole undertaken for by Christ Hence he is escaped the forfeiture whereas in the other it is considered as a Covenant depending and to issue according to the carriage of the subject Now these are not essential differences such as should make it two Covenants but all only such as arise from the Modall dispensation of it The reason of which different dispensation is because God will gather up His Elect out of the rubbish of the World in such a way as shall tend to leave others also inexcusable if they will not come in Indeed the main reason of this visible dispensation is for the Elects sake that they may be gathered in a way

Apostasie rejected Hence the Text saith Childrens Children i. e. The succeeding Generations of them And so was Abraham's Covenant which in the substance of it is ours viz. The Covenant of Grace and Reconciliation see Gen. 17. 9 10. And if any do object that the Text speaks of those only that keep Covenant I answer It is true in respect of the Promise but keeping Covenant presumes being in Covenant And when I say they are equally interested I would be cautiously understood I do not therefore mean 1. That they are alwayes equally capable of actually enjoying the Priviledges of the Covenant Divines well distinguish between jus ad rem and jus in re A Child may have as good a right to his Estate when a Child as afterwards but he cannot take possession of it till he be legally of age So neither doth their being in Covenant bring them immediately to all the Priviledges but according to the Rules of the Gospel Nor 2. That they have alwayes an equal invisible right to the blessing of the Covenant The advantage here is secret and may sometimes be on the side of the Parents sometimes on the part of the Child according to the inward operation of the spirit It is only the visible Covenant then which these stand equally related to Nor 3. Do I dispute concerning the Parents conveyance of visible Priviledges or how farr they are to stand of fall with their Parents or whither Parents by bringing themselves under visible censures may obstruct the benefit in regard of their Children till they do remove these obstructions Some Divines are of opinion that immediate Parents do equally hold or lose outward Priviledges for themselves and for their Children whiles in their Loins But I speak of the Children of visible Beleevers standing right when their Children are born Their equality appears in these respects 1. When God extended the Covenant to their Parents He extended it to them at the same time though as to us who are Children of Time we must have an existence before we be actually in Covenant yet as to God who dwells in Eternity He engrosseth all Generations in one view and so He takes Fathers and Children together Though the Fathers may be possibly considered as Agents and Trustees for their Children whiles in their Loins God did not say to Abraham I make a Covenant with thee now and will make one with thy Children hereafter But He puts them both together Gen. 17. 7. And hence they are called God's Children Ezek. 23. 37. Sons whom they bare to me 2. The Covenant comes to each upon equal terms or propositions The Covenant stands visibly under the very same respects to the Father and to the Child The Text is clear for this Fathers and Childrens children if they keep Covenant have a promise of Mercy If they keep it the blessing is theirs if they keep it not they cannot expect it or challenge it Those therefore that object from such Scriptures that the Children are not in Covenant but only conditionally if they keep it are to remember as was hinted before that keeping of Covenant necessarily presupposeth a Covenant to be kept and the Person that so keeps it to be related to it for none can keep Covenant but one that is first in Covenant nor yet can any but such break Covenant He only breakes his Promise that first made one He only neglects his duty that was first obliged It is not the Covenant it self but the blessing of the Covenant which is the happiness of those that keep it We read also of those that dealt falsly in the Covenant i. e. promised and so were in Covenant but performed not Psal 78. 37. Jer. 6. 13. 3. They are equall in that the Father shall not suffer for the Child nor the Child for the Father in case of breach of Covenant but each being actually under it stands personally related to it The Child now born is to stand or fall for himself the Fathers Faith will not save the child nor will his Sin damne him God took it as a false charge when they counted their miseries to be for their Fathers Sin and not their own and hence used that Proverb The Fathers have eaten sower Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge and therefore declares against it professing that every one shall answer for himself see Ezek. 18. Per totum Children may by their Sin ripen judgement which God in patience delayed to execute in their Fathers dayes and thus He justly visits the Sins of the Fathers upon the children when they follow the same perverse courses and grow worse in them But yet in the Covenant every one stands upon his own bottom Children dying in their Infancy are saved by a Faith wrought in them personally and not acted by their Parents for them relatively Heb. 10. 38. The just shall be saved by His Faith And yet it is not to be denyed that Parents are instruments or Media of deriving the visible Covenant to their children and may also lay in many outward blessings for them David's fidelity was remembred in times of Apostasie many Ages after As we find in the History Though some interpret that of Christ which is true in the Antitype yet it respected the Type too But in these respects God Acts as a Sovereign Prop. 2. That there are great visible priviledges which the Children of Beleevers do enjoy by vertue of being related to the Covenant The objection which the Apostle saw reason to anticipate of old is much in use now adayes and may admit the same resolution Rom. 3. begin What advantage c Much every way A great enquiry is made about Priviledges and many ask of us what do we get by owning and acknowledging of the Covenant yea there are many that discourage those who would do it and tell them it is but a snare And the truth is Men may make snares to themselves of the best visible favours of God and turn that which might be for their advantage to be for their hurt yet the Covenant it self wraps up a great many Priviledges in it To name a few 1. The ordinary revealed way of dispensing Salvation being by the visible Covenant hence they are apparently nearer Salvation than others What God doth in a secret way by Sovereign prerogative is not our business to enquire Deut. 29. 29. But according to what is revealed in the Scriptures the way to Life is by the Gospel and dispensation of it and visible acceptance of and submition to it Not that it is in it self saving yet it is the outward way of Gods appointment Hence that Rom. 10. 14. God may save those that are at present out of visible Covenant but then He brings them under the bond of it now in as much as these in question are already under it this is their great advantage 2. By vertue of the Covenant they are priviledged with Gospel-Ordinances which are the means of Salvation Ordinances are