ways of worldly advancements and advantages But the rule which a renewed heart sets up to guide and prescribe him is none other but that which God himself sets up for his people to walk by and that is his written Word Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word This rule he sets up for all matters of faith and for all matters of fact this I must believe because God reveals it and commands me to believe it this I receive for truth because God delivers it for truth and that I reject as erroneous because the Word of God condemns it as contrary to the truth And this work I do and that way I walk in because God sets it out in his Word for me and that I do not do and so and so I dare not walk for I have no Word of God for it nay the Word of God is against it why mans heart is right indeed it is renewed by grace but if a man will walk contrary to this rule if he will not speak and live according to this Word it is because there is no light in him Isa 8. 20. SECT V. Vse 4. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him a new heart and a new spirit then there is comfort and joy to Comfort to those that have a new heart all those who finde the new heart given unto them it is true that when the Lord doth renew the heart of any by his grace and separate them from the world unto himself that 1. They shall meet with many troubles and scoffs and reproaches and persecutions from the world All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 2. They shall meet with many temptations and oppositions from Satan if he cannot hinder grace and conquer grace yet he will molest and disquiet grace 3. They shall meet with many conflicts and warrings within their own hearts and with many weaknesses and failings and tryals nevertheless their condition is a very happy and comfortable condition and there are eight Eight comforts proper to them choice comforts which are proper to every renewed person and which may cheer up his heart all his days v. g. 1. Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of the greatest matters which can concern the soul 2. This newness of heart is an unquestionable effect of our union with Christ 3. It is the noblest and highest elevation of the soul here on earth and the clear evidence of the presence of the Spirit of Christ 4. It enables you for all heavenly communion and serviceableness to Divine glory 5. God will own and accept of it and the fruits of it though but little and weak 6. He will strengthen and uphold and perfect it unto the day of Christ 7. He will poure upon every person who enjoys it all necessary blessings for this life and will take special notice of him and care for him in the days of adversity 8. Renewing grace shall without all doubt bring us at the last to eternal happiness First Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of It is a clear testimony of the greatest matters which can concern the soul the greatest matters which can concern the soul There are six things which do concern the soul as nearly I think as any can and of every one of them is renewing grace a sure testimony 1. The love of God 2. The election of God 3. A relation to God 4. A change from death to life 5. The pardon of sin 6. The hope of glory 1. Of the love of God that the Lord doth indeed set his special love A testimony of the love of God his very heart upon a person 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Psal 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous for any to be made the sons of God this is an effect or fruit of the love of God now all the sons of God are new born they are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses hath quicked us together with Christ As it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods hatred and wrath for any to be left to his old sinful heart and lusts and ways so it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods love when he pities them in their sinful condition and delivers them out of it and gives his Spirit to enliven and renew them by grace 2. Of the Election of God for this see two places 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Of election Brethren Beloved your Election of God Ver. 5. For our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy Holiness or renewing grace it is as one speaketh the counterpane of Gods decree of Election God by his own eternal prescience knows whom he intends for salvation and we by that work of renewing grace in our hearts come to know that eternal purpose of his grace concerning us it being given unto us an effect flowing from his Election and in order unto that happiness unto which he hath chosen us 3. Of our Relation to God as our God and our Father as none but his Of our relation to God people and children are holy so all his people and his children are holy Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. an holy Nation and a peculiar people 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Ver. 18. And I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 4. Of our translation from life to death See Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Of our translation from death to life Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Luk. 15. 32. This my son was dead and is alive again Rom 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God Renewing grace is one of the strictest differences between men of death and men of life not any man hath it but he who is made alive by Christ and is in the state of life no profane person hath it nor doth any hypocrite partake of it 5. Of the pardon of our sins if any
on him on his death on his blood O blessed Jesus thy Person have I accepted thy blood have I relyed on on that precious and purchasing blood I have relied hitherto on it and it hath brought grace into my heart and peace into my conscience and joy into my soul and forgiveness of sins and the taste of much mercy and goodness I read and I do believe the future inheritance purchased by thy blood and reserved in heaven for me I die in the faith of it I believe also to enjoy the Crown of Righteousness the Kingdom of glory that eternal life which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ my Lord. 6. I will super-add one great benefit more which results from Christs Suffering The suffering of Christ is the confirmation of the Covenant as our Mediatour which shall be the close of all the rest and that is this The sufferings or death or blood of Christ is the confirmation of the Covenant you read of a two-fold confirmation of the Covenant 1. God confirmed the Covenant and he confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6. 17. and Psal 89 35. Once have I sworn by my holiness c. 2 Jesus Christ confirmed the Covenant Gal. 3. 17. The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ and Jesus Christ confirmed it by his Oath therefore his blood is called the blood of the Covenant Heb. 13. 20. And the blood of the New Testament Matth. 26. 28. In a two-fold respect His death gives force unto it Now Christ confirms the Covenant in a two-fold respect 1. In that his death gives force unto it To this agrees that of the Apostle in Heb. 9. 16 Where a Testament is there must also of necessary be the death of the Testator verse 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead In this place the Covenant is called a Testament or a last Will wherein Estates and Legacies are bequeathed and which cannot be challenged untill the Testator dies but upon his death the Testament is of force that is all concerned in the Will and Testament may come and demand and take out the Legacies bequeathed unto them Object And whereas you may object that the Saints before the death of Christ obtained all blessings Sol. It is answered that Jesus Christ was a Lumb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13. 8. Jesus Christ was reckoned both with God and with his Church of old as dead and the promise of laying down his life for his people accepted in their time as if it had been performed and his very death appeared unto them in the Sacrifices of the Law and accordingly the Testament was of force unto them 2. In that his death seals the Covenant as firm and stable and unalterable His death seals the Covenant saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 15. Though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto There is now no question to be made of the intentions of God or of his promises in the Covenant for they are all of them Yea and Amen in Christ they are sure and stable the blood of Christ hath confirmed and ratified all there cannot possibly be an higher confirmation of the Covenant than this If a man offers you his Oath to assure you this is high but if a man will lay down his life upon it if he will take his death upon it he cannot give an Higher Testimony or Confirmation unto a Truth Now to take â—ff all doubtings on our part and fully to settle our perswasions concerning the Covenant as God gives us his Oath swearing by himself Heb. 6. 13. And God could go no higher than to swear by himself So the Son of God gives us his life he takes his death upon it that all shall be performed and further he cannot go Object But will some say What if Christ did die why must there be thereupon a confirmation of the Covenant must all the Covenant be sure for performance because Christ died what was there in his death for such a purchase Sol. I answer The death of Christ was the death of a Surety and of one who was therefore to die that the Covenant might be established There are three things considerable in the death of Christ One is Satisfaction to Gods Justice The other is Merit of all the good which we do need and God will bestow And there is also Efficacie Jesus Christ will see all made good and in these respects his death comes to be a confirmation of the Covenant but I will not stand any longer on this Point only I will make a little Use of it and so passe on Vse 1 Hath Jesus Christ as Mediator confirmed the Covenant not only established it to to be unalterable but made it firm and sure and unquestionable for the performance Why do you that are in Covenant doubt of all the good which God hath therein promised Then you who are brought in to Christ who are the people of God in Covenant you whose treasures are laid up in the Covenant and whose whole portion is setled there why do you doubt and why are ye afraid and why are your hearts troubled you cannot possibly have a better or fuller portion than God hath already setled upon you in this Covenant and you cannot possibly have a better or stronger assurance to confirm you in the expectation of all that good of the Covenant then the Oath of God and the death or blood of Christ You have the Promise of God and the Oath of God and the blood of Christ to assure you what would you have more and what can you have more It was a sharp aggravation of the infidelity of the Jews in John 12. 37. But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him And verily it is a just exprobation of our unbelief that though we have the promise of God to perform his Covenant and though we have the Oath of God to perfoâ—m his Covenant and though we have the Blood of Christ to confirm the Covenant unto us yet in every occasion and in every strait we are calling all into question we doubt and fear and suspect and question whether the Covenant of God with us be a faithfull word as if God who cannot lie would deceive and faile us as if the God of Truth would forswear himself as if the Lord Jesus Christ having sealed the Covenant with his own blood might be found a deceiver and a false witness The Lord humble us for this unbelief and cause us to fear and to abhor this sin of unbelief as that which is most dishonourable to God and as most prejudicial and dangerous unto our own soules Vse 2 Hath Christ our Mediatour confirmed the Covenant by his own death Then you who do believe in Christ and therefore are interested in the Covenant make Make out to your God for all your souls do need
people Ver. 34. And they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more Jerem. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their children after them Ver. 40. And 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 into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and I will put a New Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Ver. 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and keep my Ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse and in mercies Ver. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. Hebr. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. Quest But why is God pleased to promise to give unto his people in Covenant Why God gives spiritual blessings as well as â—emporal His people have souls as well as bodies spiritual blessings as well as temporal Sol. The Reasons are these First Because his people have souls as well as bodies and their souls do stand in as much need of spiritual blessings as their bodies do of temporal blessings Every mans soul since the fall of Adùm is in a fourfold miserable necessity which cannot be relieved but by spiritual blessings 1. In an estate of spiritual death out of which it cannot be relieved but by the donation of spiritual life a quickning by the Spirit of Christ is necessary for a soul dead in trespasses and sins 2. In an estate of spiritual enmity and that enmity cannot be slain but by the death of Christ nor any atonement peace or reconciliation enjoyed but by his blood 3. In an estate of offence and guilt which expose the soul unto wrath and punishment by reason of which the soul needs exceeding riches of grace and mercy to forgive and acquit the sinner 4. In an estate of pollution and bondage being held under the power of sinful lusts in which regard the soul needs the Lord Jesus to be redemption and liberty unto it and the soul can never be freed nor free but by Christ and his Spirit John 8. 36. If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death If a man had all the blessings of the world riches honour friends health pleasures c. they could be of no help or relief unto his soul at all notwithstanding all these the soul still remains sinful and miserable Give the soul Christ and grace and mercy or else you give it nothing it must perish for ever without them And therefore doth God give unto his people spiritual blessings because the soul needs them and they are sutable to the spiritual necessities of the soul Secondly His people are people of another life they have the promise of eternal His people are for another life life 1 John 2. 25. This is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life Titus 1. 2. Inhope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens But what of this will you say why hence it follows that therefore God will give unto them spiritual blessings and why spiritual blessings because spiritual blessings are necessary for them in relation unto that eternal life Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name given under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Loe here is a necessity of Jesus Christ for our salvation John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Loe here is a necessity of faith for salvation Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God Hebr. 12. 13. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Loe here is a necessity of holinesse and regeneration for salvation and they are congruous and fitting us for salvation or eternal life Colos 1 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light It is meet to enjoy grace before we come to enjoy glory it is meet to have a conformity to Christ on his Crosse before we come to have a conformity to Christ in his Crown c. Thirdly His people are designed and set apart for special duties and services His people aâ—e set apart for special duties the which they can never performe without spiritual gifts and blessings They are to glorifie their God Isa 43. 6. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name for I have created him for my glory Ver. 21. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise They are to deny themselves and to take up the Crosse of Christ and to follow him they are to crucifie the lusts with the affections thereof they are to suffer losses and reproaches and persecutions and perhaps death it self they are to fight the good fight of faith to resist temptation to quench the fiery darts of Satan to overcome the world they are to live by faith against hope to believe in hope to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. They are to have daily communion with God and their hearts are to be set on him and on things above Can any of these duties and services be performed by them without spiritual strength or can they partake of spiritual strength unlesse and untill God doth give unto them spiritual gifts or graces Fourthly All the people in Covenant with God they have his image restored They have Gods image restored to them unto them they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. They are made partakers of the Divine nature
Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him Ver. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Father dwells in us 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The Son dwells in us Ephes 3. 17. Christ dwells in your hearts by Faith The Spirit dwells in us Rom. 8. 11. Fourthly That all the people of God have the Spirit of God may plainly appear by the works â—f the Spirit which are to be found in every one of them 1. They are sanctified by the Spirit Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2. They are led by the Spirit As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God Rom. 8. 14. 3. They are upheld and strengthened by the Spirit Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Ephes 3. 16. To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 4. They are partakers of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first fruits of the Spirit 5. They are helped by the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered 6. They are taught by the Spirit Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things 7. They are comforted by the Spirit Acts 9. 31. They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 8. They are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Quest 3. Why doth the Lord put his Spirit within every one of his Reasons of it people Sol. There may be assigned six Reasons for it viz. 1. Necessity 2ly Congruity 3ly Conformity 4ly Excellency 5ly The love of God 6ly The purchase of Christ First Necessity The presence and enjoyment of the Spirit is necessary for The necessity of it them in many respects 1. For applying of Christ unto them and for the applying of them unto Christ For applying Christ that there is a conjunction or union between Christ the Head and his Mystical body the Church is an unquestionable truth And how Christ who locally in heaven should be joyned or united to his Church here on earth this cannot be done but by the Spirit who doth knit or joyn Christ to us and us to Christ as really as the head is joyned to the body and as the body is joyned to the head But take the instance in any particular believer that Christ is his and he is Christs it is certain but how comes Christ to be his what is that on Christs part which makes this union it is the Spirit and none but the Spirit and what is it on our part which makes this union it is faith and it is caused by the Spirit So that the Spirit is necessary to this union on either part on Christs part to apply or unite him to us and on our part in causing faith which applyes and unites us to Christ And unto this reciprocal union the Spirit is such a necessary agent that without him there cannot possibly be any union at all No man can be united to Christ but by the Spirit neither can Christ I speak it with reverence unite himself to us but by his Spirit 2. For conveying of spiritual life into them or a new being into their souls For conveying of spiritual life Naturally all men are dead in trespasses and sins and every faculty in them is totally defiled and polluted and corrupted and is deprived of the glory of God nor can any man help himself in this case nor can any creature do it None can raise him from his death but that Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of life and the Spirit of grace forasmuch as he is the authour of both unto our souls it is the Spirit who quickens them by infusing the life of Christ into them and who renews them by changing of them into the image of Christ 3. For all the actings of grace Take me any Christian though endowed with For all the actings of grace all the principles of grace and great measures thereof now put him upon any particular acting put him upon believing put him upon repenting upon mourning upon any acts of obedience why looâ—â—s no member of the body can move or strive but from an influence from the head no more can we act any grace we have but by an influence from the Spirit of Christ our Head Joh. 15. 5. And we find it in experience that it is with our souls Simile as with a ship which stirs not if the wind stirs not and it stirs more or less as the wind is greater or lesser so if the Spirit of God stirs not in us our graces stir not c. For all our receptions 4. For all our Receptions Would you know any truth of God you cannot know it unless the Spirit of God give you his light to know it 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. would you be acquainted with the love of God you can never perceive it unless the Spirit shed abroad that love in your hearts Rom. 5. 5. would you be clear and satisfied in your relation of sonship unto God as your Father all the men in the world cannot perswade and satisfie as to that unlesse and untill the Sperit beareth witness with your Spirits that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Secondly Congruity It is meet and fit that the people of God should have the Spirit of God For Congruity 1. They are his children and is it not meet that the children of God should have the Spirit of God should they not bear his image if they were led by the same spirit by which the children of this world are led had they not another Spirit they could not be his children 2. They are his servants and therefore they have much to do for him and they have much to suffer for him Is it not meet that the Lord should help his servants The services of the people of God which they are to do for him and to suffer for him are above all their own strength and therefore God will give them his Spirit to enable them for all their services whether active or passive the Spirit can supply them for every work 3. They are his Heirs and intended for eternal glory and is it not fit that they should have the Spirit of grace who must have the Spirit of glory Heirs of God Rom. 8. 17. Before a person comes to heaven it is fit that he should be fitted for heaven be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. And who
been and are the cause of all our troubles The troubles which the Spirit causeth in us for sinne is a meanes to deliver us from sinne and the eternal troubles for sinne 2. The troubles which the Spirit causeth in us for sinne do end in much joy They end in joy and peace and peace The joy and peace of the Spirit are very precious and they cannot be delivered out unto us unless we be first troubled for our sin The Spirit comforts mourners and them that are cast down Now the Spirit troubles us for sin 1. To make sinne bitter to us 2ly To make Christ sweet to us As he troubles us for our sins so he leads and draws the troubleâ— soul to Christ that in him he may find deliverance from those sinnes and his peace made with God c. Trouble is not all the work of the Spirit it is an inceptive work and a preparative work he troubles you for sin that you may not be damned for sinne and that you may make out for Christ to save you from your sinnes Object We should be willing to have the Spirit but that then we must bid farewell to all our sins the Spirit is a mortifying Spirit he will not suffer us to love our sins nor to take pleasure in them as heretofore we are affraid of the sword of the Spirit Sol. I answer First It is granted that the spirit will do this as you do speak it will cast sin The second prejudice removed He dethrones sin The death of sin is our life out of the throne it will take off love and service from sin and it will be more and more â—â— mortifying of it Secondly But then where is the hurt the danger the prejudice which you have against this Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Here is death and life If you keep your sins alive ye shall dye if you through the spirit mortifie your sins you shall live The life of sin is your death and the death of sin is your life Saul spared Agag but it was his ruine and Ahab spared Benhadad but it was his ruine c. Object O but the Spirit will make us holy and we must then live holily and not so lâ—osly and freely as heretofore Sol. First Will the spirit of God make you holy and should you not be The third prejudice removed so 1 Pet. 1. 16. Be holy for I am holy and should you not walk so As he who hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. Secondly Consider only three places of Scripture for this 1. Isa 4. 3. He that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every We should be holy one that is written amongst the living in Jerusalem 2. Heb. 12. 14. Follow holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 3. Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Object But I shall be a derision and a mock if I should pretend to the Spirit c. Sol. 1. Who will mock you those that are led by the Divel wicked graceless The fourth prejudice removed ungodly men 2. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 3. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of Christ resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4. 14. Secondly if you would come to partake of the Spirit you must not then resist We must not resist the spirit the Spirit Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resâ—st the Holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. Men resist the Spirit two wayes 1. When they will not hearken unto nor regard the counsel and commands of the Spirit delivered in the Word but set themselves against them and oppose and How the spiriâ— is resisted despise them 2. When they will not receive the offers and motions of the Spirit but harden their hearts against them and quench them and will not give way or enterance unto them Now take heed of this when the Spirit of God is knocking at your hearts and stirs your hearts to accept of him and of his graces which he is willing and ready to work in you by no means neglect them or slight them but lay hold of them presently as one of the greatest mercies that God is intending toward you bless him and cherish them and beseech him to go on with his work on your souls do not reject any work of the Spirit neither grieve him by neglecting his good motions Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will poure out my Spirit unto you I will make known my works unto you my Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Thirdly If you would come to partake of the spirit then you must pray the We must pray for the spirit Lord to give you his spirit you must thirst after him and seek for him Isa 44. 3. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the spirit to them that ask him What a promise is this to encourage any man sensible of the want of the spirit to pray unto God! Jesus Christ assures him that if he will ask for the Holy Spirit he shall have him Object But who can pray unless he hath the Spirit first Sol. I grant that the spirit must make you sensible of the want of the spirit and he must stir up your hearts to pray for him there is some degree of the spirits presence in stirring us up to pray for these but then if you would fully enjoy the spirit you must poure out you hearts c. Fourthly You must attend the Preaching of the Gospel the Gospel is called Attend upon the Ministry oâ— the Word the Ministry of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. And you read that whiles Peter was Preaching the Word unâ—o Cornelius and the rest the Holy Ghost came upon them Act. 10 44. Whiles Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word So Gal. 3. 2. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith They received the spirit upon the hearing of the Gospel which is the word of faith You read that aâ—l the works of the spirit and all the graces of the spirit and all the joyes and comforts of the spirit are let into us by the Word by that the spirit is pleased to convey himself First His works He enlightens our minds by the Word he convinceth us of He enlightens our minds by the Word sin by the Word I
his praises 1 Pet. 2. 9 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father c. Matth. 5. 16. You are bought with a price to glorifie God in c. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 3. His gracious disposition towards his servants and people which appears in four particulars First In his concurrence he passeth by many a failing in the performance of our duties Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Mal. 3. 17. I will spate them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Secondly In his acceptance he will accept of a willing mind 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not cording to that a man hath not The servant that gained two talents and the poor widow that cast in two farthings were accepted Thirdly In his assistance as he commands us to walk in his statutes so he puts his Spirit within us to cause us to walk in them underneath are the everlasting arms said Moses Deut. 33. 27. And I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me said Paul Phil. 4. 13. Fourthly In the recompence Psal 19. 11. In keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward Isa 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land Rom. 2. 10. Glory honour and peace unto every man that worketh good Secondly In respect of the Statutes themselves they are holy and righteous and good The best way and the safest way to walk in are those which are pleasant to us well-pleasing to God The walking in the statutes of God is the best way that any man can walk in which appears thus First It is the way which the only wise and good God hath consecrated It is not a way of mans invention it is not a way of Satans delusion it is the way of God which he himself commands commends approves and likes Secondly It is the best way to walk in for our selves The benefit which comes by walking in Gods wayes 1. For a mans comfort and peace Great peace have they which keep thy Law Psal 119. 165. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and sincerity we have â—ad our conversation 2 Cor. 1. 12. The people of God do find his paths paths of pleasure and never meet with sorrow but when they are wandring from them Prov. 19. 16. He that keepeth the Commandements keepeth his own soul but he that despiseth his wayes shall dye 2. For a mans safety you are sure of Gods protection whiles you are in his service and in his wayes Gen. 17. 1. I am God Almighty walk before me and â—e thou perfect q d. keep thou my wayes and I will keep thy safety 3. For a mans honour The service of God is our greatest liberty and our Itâ— our honor greatest dignity Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and do these statutes for this is your wisdom and understanding in the fight of the Nations which shall hear of these statutes and say Surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people 3ly In respect of the people of God themselves which have so many obligations In respect of Gods people upon them from their God 1. His Truth 2ly His Mercy 3ly Giving Christ for to them 4ly Giving his Spirit to them 5ly Shedding his love in their hearts 6ly Daily and hourly blessings 7ly The many sweet experiences found by them in the wayes of obedience 8ly The bitterness met with when starting aside and wandring c. Fourthly Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord Holy obedience blessed are they that keep his testimonies Psal 119. 1 2. Holy obedience or walking in Gods statutes is a testimony of our effectual calling to Christ of our salvation with him Rom. 6. 4. We are buried with him by baptism into death that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we should walk in newness of Life Ephes 4. 21. If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus Ver. 22. Put off the old man c. Ver. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Chap. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes dark but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of that light SECT I. 1. Use ARe the people of God charged and bound to walk in the statues of God and to keep his judgements and to do them O how few people then Few are Gods people hath God where is the man that doth obey his voice who doth indeed take any heed to walk with God in his statutes who orders his steps according to his Word Some there are that instead of giving an ear unto all the Scriptures and to all the Ordinances and to all the Statutes and Commandments of God they are beyond the Scriptures and beyond Ordinances and beyond the Law or Statutes of God and they cry out against men as Legalists who press obedience and as Antichristian and favouring of works I do indeed believe that there are many Antichrists amongst us and fear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that great Antichrist is too much amongst us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle describing the great Antichrist 2 Thes 2 3. saith that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Exlex sine lege one who doth trample down the Law of God c. Many others there are who though they be not Antinomians in opinion yet are so in their practice like those in Psal 2. 3. Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Particular Libertines who will have no Lord over them and will walk after the lusts of their own hearts and despise the statutes of God Hose 8. 12. I have written unto them concerning Ephraim the great things of my Law but they were counted a strange thing Beloved take but a short view of Gods statutes and of mens walking and we shall confess that few there are that walk in his statutes The statutes of God respect 1. Himself 2ly Our Neighbour Who they be that walk not after Gods Commanments 1. Himself in the glory of his Nature of his Worship of his Name and of his Day O but how few walk in these statutes 1. The ignorant that know not God 2. The Atheists that acknowledge not God 3. Unbelievers that trust not God 4. The profane that love not God nor fear him 5. The superstitious and idolatrous worshippers 6. The cursed swearers and forswearers 7. The rabble of Sabbath-breakers who make the day of God the day of their idlest recreation or profaness
more special to shew unto you what that Covenant is which God makes between himself and his people There are who do distinguish of a twofold Covenant 1. There is Foedus absolutum which is such a promise of God as takes in no stipulation or condition at all that There is an absolute Covenāt runnes altogether upon absolute termes such a Covenant was that which God made with Noah that he would never drown the world any more Gen. 9. 11. and such a kind of Covenant is that when God promiseth to give faith and perseverance unto his elect Heb. 8. 10 c. Both these Covenants are absolute and without any condition there is nothing in them but what is folded up in the promises themselves 2. Foedus Hypotheticum which is a gracious promise on Gods part with an obligation to duty on our part for although it be natural to God to recompence And an Hypothetical Covenant any good as it is to punish any evil And although man doth owe unto God whatsoever God covenanteth with him for yet it so pleaseth his Divine Will thus to deale with us that in binding of us to duty unto himself he binds himself in reward unto us and promiseth such and such a recompence upon the condition of such and such a performance Now this kind of Covenant is twofold The Covenant is either The Covenant of nature 1. Foedus Naturae as some stile it or Foedus operum the Covenant of works as we usually call it the Apostle calls it the Law of works Rom. 3. 27. This is the Covenant which God made with man in the state of innocency before the fall wherein God promised unto man life and happinesse upon condition of perfect and personal obedience and it is summed up by the Apostle Gal. 3. 12. Do this and live God having created man upright after his own Image and so having furnished him with all abilities sufficient for obedience thereupon he made a Covenant with him for life upon the condition of obedience I say he made such a Covenant with Adam as a publick person and as he promised life to him and his posterity in case of obedience so he threatened death and a curse unto him and his posterity in case of disobedience In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 17. Cursedis every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. 2. Faedus Gratiae the Covenant of Grace the Apostle calls it the law of faith Or the Covenant of grace Rom. 3. 27. and it is especially expressed thus He that believes shall be saved Mark 16. 16. The just shall live by faith Gal. 3. 11. This is that Covenant of which the Text speaks and of which by Gods assistance This is stiled I intend to discourse This Covenant which is sometimes stiled the Covenant of life life is restored The Covenant of life and life is promised and life is setled by the Covenant no life for a sinner out of it And sometimes it is stiled a Covenant of peace Numb 25. 12. Behold I give Covenant of peace unto him my Covenant of Peace Peace is the comprehension of all blessings and prosperity our good is in this good Covenant of grace and all peace flowes out of it peace with God and peace of cosncience And sometimes it is called a Covenant of salt Num. 18. 19. 2 Chron. 13. 5. A A Covenant of salt firm sure uncorruptible Covenant which lasts for ever Sometimes it is stiled the promise Psal 105. 42. He remembred his holy promise The promise and Abraham his servant It is called the promise by way of eminency it is made up altogether of promises all on Gods part which he will do is under promise and all on our part which we are to do is likewise under promise Sometimes it is called the mercy and the truth Mic. 7. 20. Thou wilt perform The mercy and the truth the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham The Covenant is called mercy because mercy only drew this Covenant It was meer mercy which moved God to make new bonds with us yea all mercy is wrapped up in it And it is called Truth because the Lord God who makes this Covenant will certainly and truly performe all that good and mercy which in it he makes over unto his people Hence also it is called the oath Luke 2. 73. The oath which he sware unto The Oath our father Abraham You do not read of Gods Oath in the Covenant of works that Covenant wanted a Mediatour and was not sealed with an oath but in this Covenant of grace there is the oath of God to declare unto us and to confirm us as touching the immutability of his will and purpose for the accomplishment of all that good mentioned in this Covenant And it is called a Testament and a new Testament Matth. 26. 28. My A Testament and New Testament blood of the New Testament Heb. 9. 15. He is the Mediatour of the New Testament A Testament is Testatio mentis that which we commonly call a mans Will about the bestowing of his estate amongst his children c. The new Covenant is called a Testament because it is ratified and confirmed by the death of the Testator and because it is as it were his last Will written down There are precious Legacies bestowed and setled by God the Father in this Covenant upon all his children and all of them are confirmed and ratified to them by the death of Christ This Covenant of grace thus gloriously set out in the Scripture wherein God proclaimes all his goodnesse to us which is the foundation of all our lives and comforts hopes and happinesse which is the foundation of all godlinesse and holy walking which is a sure and our only anchor I am now in a more distinct way to discourse of In the handling whereof I shall confine my self to these six particulars 1. The differences of this Covenant of grace from the Covenant of works 2. The proper nature of this Covenant in the absolute consideration of it 3. The adjuncts and properties of this Covenant 4. The condition of the Covenant of grace 5. The Mediatour of this Covenant 6. The special gifts and legacies that are bequeathed in this Testament CHAP. III. Differences of the Covenant of grace from the Covenant of works THe differences of this Covenant of grace from that Covenant of works Although there are some things wherein both these Covenants agree As 1. In the general end which is the Seven things in which they agree glory of God 2. In the persons contracting and covenanting which are God and man 3. In the intrinsecal forme there is a condition and restipulation in both 4. In some things promised in them both and required as to the matter of them in both 5. In the Authour God is the Authour of
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
abhorres that man and threatens all his curses against him and will wound and destroy him that still goes on in his trespasses And therefore if any amongst you sets his heart on sinne if he saith I love this sinne and I will not forsake it I will not forsake my pride I will not forsake my lying and I will not forsake my slandering I will not forsake my drunkennesse or my uncleannesse c. by this he may know that God is none of his God in Covenant nor is he any of the people in Covenant with God Thou art in a contrary Covenant in a Covenant wherein God will never agree with thee Psal 50. 16. Vnto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee There are two Covenants unto which if a man cleaves God is not in Covenant with him one is the Covenant of good works for justification and life This is inconsistent with an interest in the Covenant of grace The other is the Covenant with bad works In this thou put'st off God and rejectest him and God puts off thee and rejects thee And thou mayest know that thou art in Covenant with sinne if thou hast a strong affection to it and doest habitually yield a willing subjection to it 4. Positive unbelief When the sinner refuseth Christ will not come to him Positive unbelief not consent to take and receive him for King Priest and Prophet Ye will not comâ— to me that â—e might have life John 5. 4. We will not have this man to reigne over us Luke 19. 14. Christ offers himself and calls and entreats and promiseth but they will not hearken now he that will not have Christ to be his Christ cannot have God to be his God For as much as God becomes our God and our Father only in Christ By Christ only we are brought near unto him and enjoy him as our God in Covenant SECT III. 2. THE extreme misery and infelicity of such persons who have not God The misery of such who have not God for their God to be their God in Covenant The misery is so great and so sad that I know not well how to expresse it to you 1. You are wholly and utterly excluded from all good and happinesse You They are utterly excluded from all good have nothing to do with happinesse nor with any thing conducing to it There is a merciful loving gracious blessed God but thou hast no portion in this God There is a precious Christ a mighty Redeemer and only Saviour but thou hast no propriety in this Christ There are great and precious promises there are tender compassions in God there are admirable undertakings for all good for soul and body But what are all these to him who is not in Covenant who hath not God for his God A man reads a Lease of lands and goods and houses these are something to the heirs but what are they to an enemy or to a stranger A person is very great and mighty c. but what is this to the woman who will not marry him Ah how sad is this God hath love and not for me hath mercy but not for me is happinesse but is not so to me Well did one cry out Quid est Deus nisi meus what is God if he be not my God! If he be not merciful to me and good to me and blessednesse to me They have none to go unto in any distresse 2. You have none to go unto in any distresse and want In the times of your distresse whither will you flie or to whom can you go Wants are upon your bodies and there is no creature to help you anguish is upon your conscience and there is no creature to quiet you Danger is near your souls and there is no creature to save you whither will you go in life for blessing or in death for life All good is treasured up in the Covenant and conveyed to them that have God for their God you must first have a propriety in God himself before you can have a right unto or a propriety in the good things that are to be had by God O but he is no God to thee he is none of thine nor hath he engaged himself to thee for any good whatsoever 3. You are altogether exposed unto all evil If God be not your God assuredly They are altogether exposed to all evil then he is your Judge If he be not your friend then he is your enemy If you be not under his love you are then under his wrath If his promises are not for you his threatnings are against you If he be not your loving God in Covenant he is your wrathful God out of Covenant If he be not your pardoning God in Covenant he is your condemning God out of Covenant If you have reason to expect mercy from him because he is your God you have as much reason to expect judgement from him because he is your God I will tell you what God is and will be to you if he be not your God in Covenant He is a just God who will render unto you according to your works He is a holy God who will loath you and abhorre and reject you He is a faithful God who will certaiâ—ly execute the fierenesse of his wrath and all the evil which he hath threatned in his Word against you and you shall never escape that judgement it shall certainly befal you and abide on you to all eternity 4. Against all this you have no remedy no hope All the hope of a sinner Against this they have no remedy is in a Mediatour but Christ is the Mediatour of the Covenant There is no Mediatour to be found in any Covenant but this of Grace and this you have no part in God is not your God SECT IV. 3. THE Infallible evidences by which we may know that God is our God The evidences that God is our God in in Covenant in Covenant I will present unto you seven Evidences for this and I beseech you to ponder them seriously You may know that God is your God and that you are his people in Covenant 1. By answerable and reciprocal acts 2. By inclusive and exclusive interests and properties 3. By your choyce and peculiar enjoyments or at least your desires of them 4. By the subordination and conformity of your hearts unto his authority and will 5. By your sweet contentment and satisfaction in the manifestations of God in any part of his Covenant unto your souls 6. By your dependance on God as your God in Covenant 7. By your Covenant-care and carriage First You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your The answerable and reciprocal acts betwixt God and us On Gods part His choosing act answerable and reciprocal acts between
the enjoyment of Christ All is enjoyed 1. Equivalently there is as much in Christ as answers all other enjoyments All is enjoyed by the enâ—oyment of Christ Equivalently Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia the wisdome of Christ doth more than answer all other wisdome and the knowledge of Christ doth more than answer all other knowledge and the love of Christ doth more than answer all other love and the unsearchable riches of Christ doth more than answer all other riches and the delights in Christ do more than answer all other pleasures 2. Really if you enjoy Christ himself you do actually enjoy all the glorious benefits by Christ with the enjoyments of himself If the field be yours the Really treasure in the field is yours indeed in some civil enjoyments there is an exceptio juris sometimes such a Mannour you shall enjoy but such or such particulars are excepted and reserved But it is not thus in your spiritual enjoyments in the enjoyment of Christ there is no exception no clause no distinction but if Christ be yours all of Christ is yours his love is yours his righteousness is yours his wisdome his holiness his Redemption all is yours 4. Jâ—sus Christ hâ—mself his person is the greatest blessing and choicest gift that Jesus Christ himself is the greatest and choicest gift that God can give unto you God hath or can give unto you for all the other blessings fall into our possession and enjoyment by Christ alone all your enjoyments are bestowed by the enjoyment of Christ himself the loving God the merciful God righteousnesse holinesse as long as Christ is Christ you shall have possession of them Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ if I may so expresse it is the out-let of all blessings and he is the in-let to all our blessings Look on our blessings as descending from God to us Jesus Christ is as it were the out-let of them all they are let out unto us by Christ God himself becomes our God in Christ and he loves us in Christ and chooseth us in Christ and is merciful and gracious unto us in Christ and sheweth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus And look on our blessings as desired from God by us we are let or brought into the enjoyment of them by Christ We lost all by the first Adam and we come to enjoy all again by Christ Jesus Christ is as it were the root upon which all our mercies and comforts and hopes do live again and grow You obtain your accesse by Christ unto the Father and your persons come to be accepted in Christ and all your services He holds up all your Communions and makes them effectual and sure God would not look on you nor regard you nor let fall one glimpse or beame of his favour upon you were it not for Christ it is Christ which makes you nigh and dear and lovely and delightful and precious and for whose sake you come to be sonnes and heirs of love and mercy and peace and all the blessings which you do possesse or ever shall enjoy in this world or in the world to come 5. Your condition cannot be otherwise than safe and comfortable and blessed Your condition cannot be otherwise than safe if Christ be yours if Christ be yours As it cannot be well with any without Christ so it cannot be ill with any who have Christ There is no condemnation unto you you are now passed from death to life he is your life and he that hath the Sonne hath life and he is your hope Christ in you the hope of glory and he is your Rock on which you are built he is your peace he is your glory he is your head he is your Saviour in one word the enjoyment of Christ makes life and death comfortable 2. Christ is yours as to all his Offices You know that Christ is the anointed Christ â—s yours as to all his offices of God He was set apart and ordained and called and sent and undertook all the work of salvation for sinners and for the accomplishing of that salvation he was installed a Prophet a Priest and a King By reason of our sinful fall there were if I may so call them three diseases falling upon us One was Ignorance and this Christ doth heale as he is our Prophet A second was Alienation from God and this Christ doth heal as he is our Priest A third is Impotency to come back to God and this Christ doth heal as he is our King As he is a Prophet he doth open and unfold salvation and as he is a Priest he doth acquire and procure salvation and as he is a King he doth apply that salvation unto us The Prophetical Office of Christ is that by which he doth perfectly and effectually reveal the whole saving Will of God The Priestly Office of Christ is that by which he doth expiate all our sinnes and doth reconcile us unto God The Kingly Office of Christ is that by which he doth with authority and power dispense and administer all things which do belong unto the everlasting salvation of his people Beloved All the works of our redemption and reconciliation and salvation do depend on Jesus Christ as invested with the threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King his whole Mediatourship is contained in them and so is all our comfort and hope and therefore I will speak briefly unto every one of them 1. Jesus Christ is a Prophet and he is your Prophet He is that Prophet whom Christ is yours as a Prophet God had promised to raise up Acts 3. 22. And whom all are commanded to hear verse 23. And this was he who was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to preach the Cospel to the poor Luke 4 18. And this is he in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. who knows the Father and by whom alone the knowledge of the Father is revealed Matth 11. 27. who is in the bosome of the Father and declares him unto us John 1. 18. who is the Angel of the Covenant Malachi 3. 1. unto whom the great Commission of opening the mystery of salvation is granted and sealed Now there are foure singular comforts unto you which have God to be your God in Covenant and consequently have Jesus Christ to be your Prophet Four comforts from hence He hath iâ— in his commission to teach us 1. He hath it in his Commission to teach you They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. yea it is his expresse Commission to preach the Gospel unto you Luke 4. 18. to open and reveale that Mystery which was kept secret since the world began and to make it manifest
Rom. 6. 14. Here you see expresly that there is a freedome from the dominion of sinne even upon this account that we are under the Covenant of grace Though you be not totally freed from the inhabitation of sinne for sinne doth dwell in us whiles we dwell on earth and though you be not totally freed from the rebellion of sinne for peccatum hostis est quamdiu est The flesh lusteâ—h against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. and there is a law in our members warring against the law of our minds Rom. 7. 23. yet you are totally freed from the dominion of sinne which consists in the effectual Rule Command and Sovereign strength of sinne and a free and full and willing subjection or obedience unto the Law and authority of sinne and verily this freedome or deliverance is a wonderful mercy and happinesse unto the people of God whither you consider 1. The great and utmost distance twixt you and God 2. The basenâ—sse of servitude in which every one lives over whom sinne hath dominion for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage 2 Pet. 2. 19. You were but very slaves to your lusts and to the devil whiles sinne did rule over you 3. The height of enmity As you were the basest of slaves so you were the worst of enemies living not only as aliens without God but as desperate enemies opposing and fighting against God 4. The superfluity of naughtinesse a full contrariety your whole hearts and your whole lives were nothing else but a constant dishonour unto God and contradiction to his Will and Glory 5. The certainty of destruction which would infallibly have attended you had not the mercy and grace of God rescued and delivered you I say certain destruction to your souls as there is a certain destruction to the life of our bodies if we fall into the sea and lie under it 6. The sweet and immediate communion 'twixt the deliverance from the dominion of sinne and admission to the Kingdome of Christ It is a translation from death to life The Apostle joins these together in Colos 5. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne 3. They have immunity or freedome from the damnation meritoriously depending upon the guilt of sinne As salvation depends upon the merits of Christ so From damnation for sinne doth damnation depend on the merit of sinne There is so much merit in sinne as to render us obnoxious not only to temporal destruction but also to eternal destruction for the wages of sinne is death even that death which stands in opposition to eternal life Rom. 6. 23. But from the effectual redundancy of this damnation upon your persons you are every one freed who are in Covenant with God For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3. 15. And the ground of this your immunity from the damnation due unto you for your sinnes is the satisfaction which Christ hath made for your sinnes unto the justice of God and thereupon the obtaining of riches of mercy from your God who according to his Covenant with you blots out and forgives all your sinnes and never remembers them any more For this is a sure truth that remission of sinnes and actual damnation for sinnes are incompatible or inconsistent Now whether this be any cause of comfort that you and your sinnes are parted and that you and hell are for ever separated I leave it to any one of you to judge for mine own part I do look upon four things as very great mercies 1. That I am delivered from the power of sinne 2. That I enjoy the pardon of sinne 3. That I shall never be damned for sinne 4. That I shall be saved notwithstanding all my sinnes 4. They have immunity or freedome from justification by the Law from all legal From justification by the Law tryals for life Although you are not freed from the Law as it is a rule for life yet you are freed from the Law as it is a Covenant of life although you are not freed from the Law as it is the image of the good and holy will of God yet because you are under the Covenant of grace you are freed from the Law as it is a reason of salvation and justification The Covenant of grace takes you off from that Court and that Bar which pronounceth life upon your own good works and pronounceth death upon your own evil works Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 3. 11. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of God for the just shall live by faith As the Law calls for perfect and personal righteousnesse of our own so the Law will not justifie you it will not give life unto you unlesse it finds that righteousnesse in you you live not if you be not perfectly righteous absolution is pronounced upon your own perfect innocency and condemnation is pronounced upon any defect or breach And verily upon this account no man living can or shall be justified therefore here is comfort that being in Christ and in this Covenant of grace ye are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses See the Apostle Acts 13. 39. Your life doth not lie now in your own righteousnesse but in the righteousnesse of Christ nor doth it depend upon your own works but upon the obedience of Christ That expression of Luther is an excellent expression Christus solus me justificat contra mea mala opera sine operibus meis bonis Though my works have been very good yet not those but Christ doth justifie me and though my works have been very ill yet the righteousnesse of Christ can and will justifie me my evil works shall not damne me and my good works cannot acquit me it is Christ it is Christ and not the Law which justifies me 5. They have immunity or liberty from the rigour of the Law The Law in the rigour of it exacts of us a most absolute obedience a most exquisite and full obedience From the rigor of the Law it will not abate us the least grain or scruple if it be not every way adequate for matter and manner and measure your obedience will not passe nor will it be accepted according to the rigour of the Law Cursed is every one who doth not continue in every thing that is written to do it But when once you are under the Covenant of grace when once God is your God and you are his people neither you nor your services are judged by the exactnesse of your services but by the sincerity of your hearts Though much be wanting which the Law prescribes yet if that be present which your merciful God and Father
delights in viz. uprightnesse of Spirit your sighs and groans and tears and desires shall passe and be accepted instead of more full and ample performances 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him Psal 51. 17. A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Zach. 4. 10. Who hath despised the day of small things 6. They have immunity from the terrour or coercive power of the Law Namely From the coercive power of the Law from obeying the commands of it upon the meer principles of slavish fear of the threatnings annexed unto the breach of the Law You do now obey the Law not as slaves but as sonnes not out of fear of wrath but out of love to your Father That Spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. and that spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1. 7. is removed and a spirit of love comes in the room thereof Though there were no rewards to allure and though there were no severe threats to terrifie you yet you would serve your God with willing minds and with willing hearts 2 Chron. 28. 9. Psal 110. 3. There is such a heavenly sutablenesse and superconnaturalnesse 'twixt the Law of your God and your hearts that it is your delight to meditate in it and to walk up unto it in all things there is no constraint on you but the love of your good God 7. They have immunity from the curse of the Law Christ hath redeemed us From the curse of the Law from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Indeed afflictions and fatherly chastisements or corrections may befall the people of God in this life whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Heb. 12. 6. but no curses befall them Though the cup be bitter yet there is no poyson in it though it be a crosse yet it is not a curse their wounds are healing wounds and their afflictions are instructions and their losses are their gains for nothing comes as a curse which doth us good 8. They have immunity from the Kingdome and power of darkness You are no From the Kingdome of darknesse longer under the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. The Divel is dispossessed and cast down and cast out he is still your enemy but he shall never be your Lord more he may tempt you and disquiet you but command and rule over you he shall never do Though the Divel be very busie and active with you yet he shall never regain possession never conâ—uer your graces never part you and your God never hinder you of your inheritance 9. They have immunity from death there is the first death and the second From death death or there is a three-fold death there is the death of the soul and the death of the body and the death of soul and body 1. Spiritual death that is the death of the soul 2. Corporal death that is the death of the body 3. Eternal death that is the death of soul and body Now all the people of God are freed from spiritual death by the grace of Christ and from eternal deaâ—h by the blood of Christ and from corporal death though not absolutely or simply yet respectively so far forth as sinne hath made it dreadful and our enemy and prejudicial to us Though you must dye yet your death is but your sleep and is but your strait passage into life The death of death is removed from you by the death of Christ Vide Heb. 2. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jâ—sus Christ 10. What can I say more they have immunity from all evil in this life and in the life to come you are freed or delivered from an evil conscience which never From all evil leaves accusing and condemnâ—ng from this present evil world and the corruptions thereof from every evil work and way from evil men from all the evil which remains for evil men in hell God in this Covenant secures you against all why what comforts are there in these things and what confidence and what encouragements and what support unto your souls Why do you fear so often and why are your hearts troubled Surely you do not know your selves to be the people of God or else you do not fully know the liberties and immunities of the people of God Sometimes you fear the heavy wrath of God but why do you so He is your God and your Father and full of compassions and loving kindnesses he will not deal with you as a revenging Judge but as a loving and merciful Father he is at peace with you and reconciled unto you Sometimes you fear the damnation and curse belonging unto sinne But why do you so Christ hath dyed and satisfied for your sinnes and he was made a curse for you and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Sometimes you fear because of the powerful motions and conflicts and rebellions of sinne in your hearts but why do you so seeing that sinne shall not have dominion over you and Christ in you is daily mortifying and destroying the body of sinne neither shall any Lord reigne in you but your Saviour who dyed for you Sometimes you fear because of the imperfection of your graces but why do you so It is not your weaknesse or want of holinesse but Christs perfect righteousnesse which is imputed unto you for life and for justification Sometimes you fear because of the weaknesse of your obediential services and performances but why do you so your God in Covenant works all his works in you and he owns your persons and will accept the weakest offerings of an upright heart in and for Christ Sometimes you fear because of the strong temptations of Satan but why do you so grace sufficient shall be given unto you and your God will shortly bruise Satan under your feet Sometimes you fear men because of their malice and power and why do you so your God will restrain the rage of man and frustrate the counsels of the Heathen and break the armes of the ungodly and knows how to deliver you Sometimes you fear to dye but why are you afraid of death which is but the last Stile to go over and then you are at your Fathers house death to you is but an end of your sinnes and miseries and only a quick passage into your eternal happinesse Secondly The priviledges which you enjoy by being under the Covenant of grace Priviledges by being in Covenant by
having God to be your God in Covenant There are divers rights and possessions and liberties and priviledges which you do enjoy and none but you who are the people of God and have him to be your God And I will propound these 1. In the general Where be you pleased to take notice of five things In general 1. Whatsoever priviledges believers have those are yours who are the people of God The priviledges of faith are yours all that faith can pretend unto from a Whatsoever priviledges believers have are yours right in Christ and a title by Christ as Mediator in respect of suffering of satisfying of purchasing of victorious conquest of interceding they are all of them yours whatsoever advantage a soul may get by Christ and whatsoever advantage Christ is to a believing soul that is yours 2. Whatsoever priviledges belong to the friends of God they do belong unto you All the people of God are stiled the friends of God James â— 23. and the friends What priviedges belong to the friends of God are yours of Christ John 15. 14 15. Cant. 5. 1. Friends as friends have free accesse courteous welcome and entertainment liberty of speaking familiarity of converse delightful communion confident imparting and openings of their hearts one to another chearful counsel and helps of one another thâ—se in a spiritual way do you enjoy with your God and from your God who because you are the people of God are therefore the friends of God 3. Whatsoever priviledges do belong to the sonnes and children of God these also do belong to you for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus The priviledges of the children of God are yours Gal. 3. 26. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. You are the children of the Lord your God Deut. 14. 1. Children have the priviledges of nearnesse of residence in their fathers house of dependance on their father of presence of confidence c. 4. Whatsoever are the priviledges of the Kingdome of God those are yours who are the people of God It is a Kingdome of righteousnesse of peace of joy of The priviledges of the Kingdome of God are yours The priviledges of the heirs of this Kingdome are yours In special You have twelve priviledges Liberty of appeal safety of blessing of honour of immortality c. 5. Whatsoever are the priviledges of the heires of this Kingdome those also do belong to you Forasmuch as if you be children you are then 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 17. All the Charter and conveyances and assurances and hopes and at length possessions of the heavenly inheritance are yours 2. In special you have twelve excellent priviledges which I will touch upon a little 1. You have liberty of appeal and that appeal is accepted and ratified you have the liberty to appeal 1. From the Judgment-seat to the Mercy-seat 2. From the merits of sinne to the merits of Christ 3. From a condemning conscience to an acquiting God 4. From the Law to the Gospel 5. From your own unworthinesse to Christs righteousnesse 6. From your own feeling unto Gods promises When you see your selves cast at the barre of justice you may decline the sentence by flying unto the Throne of mercy O Lord justice condemns me but let mercy succour and save me when your hearts are overwhelmed in the apprehension and consideration of your many sinnes and the great guilt of them you may then appeal to the infinitely precious and surpassing merits of Christ whâ—re sinne abounded grace did much more abound and as sinne hath reigned unto death even so doth grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 20 21. When your conscience condemns you for sinnes past then may you appeal unto your God for mercy to pardon you God be merciful unto me a sinner saith the Publican Pardon my sinne O Lord for it is great saith David When the Law indites and pursues you as guilty then may you appeal to the Gospel as the Sanctuary to receive and secure your distressed souls when your hearts faile you because of your own unworthinesse then may you appeal to the righteousnesse of Christ and so be justified in the sight of God When you feel your selves as to your own sense utterly destitute left lost forsaken then may you appeal to the ptomises of God and there finde your selves still owned and loved and plentifully and graciously assured 2. You have this priviledge that all your communions with God are by a Your communions with God are by a Meditour Mediaâ—or and Advocate and Intercessor Or you pray not in your own names but in the Name of your Christ and Mediator and you plead not in your own names but in the Name of your Christ and you speed not in your own name but in the Name of your Christ nay you believe and hope not in your own names but in the Name of Christ There are two sad things for any man 1. To be left alone unto himself so as to have no part in Christ 2. To go alone in his approaches to God without a Christ to plead for him to have no Christ to own him to step in for him to undertake for him But this is your priviledge and this is your comfort who are the people of God that you never deal with your God but by a Mediator when you appear before your God Jesus Christ appears with you and he appears for you when you do invocare then he doth advocare when you put up your petitions then doth he make intercession he is your Advocate with the Father and he ever lives to make intercession for you 3. You have this priviledge that you trade altogether at the mercy-seat and You trade altogether at the mercy-seat at the Throne of grace God deals with you in no other Court but that of mercy and answers you from no other Throne but that of grace and you deal with God at that Seat and that Throne only When you have any sinnes to be pardoned you may go to your merciful God and to your gracious God and your merciful God will pardon them and your gracious God will freely pardon them When you would have any kinde of good and help you may go to your good and kinde God and he will give it and to your gracious God and he will freely give it 4. You have this priviledge that you may go to your God when you will You may go to your God when you will There is no space of time whatsoever but the door is open to you and your God is at leisure to speak with you You have liberty of accesse and that liberty is never restrained let your occasions be never so urgent never so many you may freely speak with your Father yea though there be ten thousand Petitioners before him yet you may put in your
request and shall be owned and heard 5. You have this priviledge that you may not only come into the presence You may with confidence wrestle with God of your God but you may with confidence urge him and importune him and wrestle with him and still renew and reinforce your requests you may take hold of him and challenge and expostulate with him and stay him and not let him alone nor let him go untill he blesseth you And so large allowance of blessednesse is granted unto you that you may in some sort command God it is the Highest Expression that you read of Isaiah 45. 11. 6. You have this priviledge by having God to be your God and by being his You may enter into and survey all the treasures of heaven and lay claime to them people that you may enter in and survey all the rich treasures and jewels of heaven and when you have so done you may lay claime unto them all and say O Lord all these are mine by thy promise and by my right in Christ Thou art mine and thy mercy is mine and thy Christ is mine and thy grace is mine and that glory is mine all this is the purchase of Christ and all this is mine 7. You have this priviledge also that all the seals of the Covenant of grace All the seals of the Covenant are restrained to you alone are restrained unto your selves alone As the Covenant is none but yours and with you so the seals of the Covenant are none but yours and unto you only The seals of the Covenant are to confirme you and to assure you and to revive and comfort you and to establish you there is not any ungodly person on the earth who hath right unto the seals of the Covenant and the reason is because he hath no interest in the Covenant it self you onely are the people of the Covenant and therefore you onely have right to the seals of the Covenant 8. You have this priviledge that you may expect help from your God for all the works which you owe to God You may go to him for grace for strength You may expect help from God in all your works for sufficiency to work in you both to will and to do both to believe and to suffer Phil. 2. 13. and chap. 1. 29. Give thy strength unto thy servant Psal 86. 16. He will give sâ—rength unto his people Psal 29. 11. Gods promises are joyned with his commands this thou wouldest have me to do O Lord give thy Spirit unto me and cause me to do it 9. You have this priviledge that your all is in another Your life stands in the life of another and your righteousnesse in the righteousnesse of another Your all is in another and your satisfying in the satisfaction of another and your defence in the death of another and your title and claime in the obedience and purchase and right of another and your acceptance in another your life lies in the life of Christ and your righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of Christ and your satisfying is the satisfaction of Christ and your defence and answer to all inditements and accusations is the death of Christ and your claime and title is the obedience and purchase of Christ your power is in the power of Christ and your acceptance is in Christ This is a priviledge indeed that you are wholly made up in another and by another that you shall never be found in your own righteousnesse but onely in the righteousnesse of Christ and shall never be tryed by your own righteousnesse but by the righteousnesse of Christ c. 10. You have this priviledge that you live upon free cost all your days The You live upon free cost Covenant of God will finde and provide enough for you you never need to load your selves with anxious thought or care For your God and Father careth for you all your burdens and all your cares are taken off Be careful for nothing cast all your care on him for he careth for you He layeth up for his children and he layes out upon his children his Covenant will finde food for your bellies and rayment for your backs and mercy and salvation for your souls c. 11. You have this priviledge that all the gracious and sweet manifestations of All the gracious manifestations of heaven are to you only heaven are unto you only None know the Father but you none taste of the loving kindnesse of God but you none sup with Christ but you none partake of the joys and comforts of the Holy Ghost but you none have that hope and assurance of glory but you none eat of the Manna but you who have a new name given unto you heavenly banquets for the soul are provided onely for you The Angels of God ministring Spirits for you 12. You have this priviledge that the very Angels of God are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for you who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. They pitch their tenth and encampe round about them that fear God Psal 34. 7. This seems an high priviledge and yet you have an higher than this For as the Mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for â—ver Psal 125. 2. 13. What can I say more Is this any priviledge that whilest you live you God will be your God in life and death may live upon your God and Father and when you dye you shall go to 〈◊〉 God and Father This also is yours who have God to be your God in Covenâ—â—â— God will be your God in life and God will be your God in death and God will be your God after death whiles you live he is yours and with you and when you dye he is yours and you shall be with him reigning in glory for ever and ever and ever Thus have you heard a few things of your happinesse in respect of your Immunities and Priviledges by having God to be your God in Covenant I will 〈◊〉 comfort more unto you and then put an end to this 〈◊〉 SECT XIII THere is yet one comfort more from this that God is your God which is this If God be your God then all is yours As he said Christâ—◠〈◊〉 omnia Christ is mine and all is mine so Deus mens omnia 〈◊〉 If If God be ours all is ours God be your God then heaven and earth are yours whatsoever there is in all the world that may do you good it shall be yours The Apostle expressely delivers as much in 1 Cor. â— â—1 All things are yours Ver. 22. Whether Paul or 〈◊〉 or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things â—â— come 〈…〉 yours He doth not in these expressions intend that Christians have a civil and common interest in all mens earthly possessions but this is it which he intend viz. That God ordains all things
for the good of his people and makes thâ—m serviceable thereunto All those choice gifts which he bestows on Ministers 〈◊〉 Apostles or others they are bestowed on them for the good of his Church And all the things of the world whatsoever good they may afford they are to let out the same for the good and comfort of the people of God and all the conditions and states of things are for their good life shall do them good and dâ—â—th shall be for their good and all the vicissitude of things are for their good the present postute of things and the future state of things whether of prosperity or adversity all occurrences whatsoever are for their good Rom. 8. â—â— We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to thâ—â— that are called according to his purpose As if you consider ungodly and wicked men who are none of the people of God there is nothing in all the world that doth them good The Ordinances of Christ by reason of the unbelief of their hearts do them no good they are the favour of death unto dâ—â—th â—nto them and not the savour of life 〈◊〉 life the blessings of God do thâ—m no good they prove curses unto them 〈◊〉 table is a sâ—â—â—e unto them and their richâ—◠〈◊〉 thorns 〈◊〉 them and their prosperity is a ruine unto them the judgments of God do them no good they learn not righteousnesse by them they harden their hearts under them and grow more obstinately wicked Wherefore should ye be smitten any more ye revolt more and more So on the contrâ—ry all the dispensations of God either of the world or in the world they are for good to the people of God Outward mercies are blessings to them they eat and drink and rejoyce and praise and blesse the Lord their God Outward afflictions are mercies to them they do them good It is good for me that I have been afflicted said David Psal 119. 71. By these things men live saith Hezekiah he chastiseth us for our profit or good saith the Apostle Heb. 12. 10. Wants and enjoyments honours and dishonours sicknesse and health smiles and frowns life and death all doth them good There are four things which I beseech you who are the people of God to remember 1. All the good in the World is in the Fathers hands it is the Fathers for possession All the good in the world is in the Fathers hands he is the possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14. 22. and for Dominion The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thy hand is power and might and in thy hand it is to wake great and to give strength unto all 1 Chron. 29. 12. 2. When God makes a Covenant with you he doth also take in all the creatures God makes a Covenant with the creature to be serviceable for your good and layes a bond of special command upon them to be serviceable to your good he doth not leave them out but covenants with them to do you good This is I confesse a strange expression that God should make a Covenant with other creatures for the good of service unto his own people and yet this you may expresly read in Hos 2. 18. In that day will I make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bowe and the sword and the battle out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely ver 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever ver 21. And I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth ver 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel There are two choice things observable in these words 1. One is that God makes a Covenant with his people to bring them into a near and sweet relation unto himself this you finde in verse 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever 2. A second is That God makes a Covenant for his people and that is two-fold 1. For their security to secure them against all danger and evil and this you finde in verse 18. I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field c. No creature shall do them hurt neither the beasts of the field nor fowles of the aire nor the creeping things of the earth nor no wicked enemies who bend the bow and draw the sword and prepare to the bottle As when a Covenant is between Nation and Nation all the people are thereby bound up from all acts of hostility and mischief so the Lord by making a Covenant with the beasts and fowls c. he doth therein binde them up from being prejudicial to his people A second is for their prosperity and this you may finde in verse 21. 22. I will hear the heavent and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the â—â—rn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel As if all the creatures when we are in covenant with God were so many supplicants and Petitioners unto God entreating of him that they might be used for a blessing unto us The heavens do as it were beg of God that they may send down seasonable showers and seasonable influences and the earth doth as it were beg of God that it may be made fruitful by those influences of heaven c. And God doth promise to hear every one of them for Jezreel 3. All the creatures are in the hand of the Father and as all creatures are All creatures are in a subordination to the will of your God brought into the bond of the Covenant for you so all the creatures of the world are in a subordination and a necessary submission unto the will and pleasure of your God If he saith to any of them Go it goeth or to any of them Come and it cometh your God hath an over-ruling Providence over them all their power and operations and motions are at the sole will and command of him they act as God will have them act and when God will have them act and for them for whom God will have them to act and shall not all this be for you for your good who are the people of his Covenant and the children of his love If all this cannot satisfie you then know that as God hath the command of all As God hath the command of all good in the creature so he hath engaged to settle it upon you creature good and comforts so he hath engaged himself unto you to settle that kind of good upon you Though the earth and the things of the earth be not your only portion and be not your best portion yet it is a part of your portion Psal
the life of your comforts it is your Paradise and your Heaven here on earth 5. Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation when once it is made manifest Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation Four things we should alwayes maintain The unchangeableness of out Covenant-relation unto you against all the suggestions of Satan and against all the risings and oppositions of your own unbelief I here are four things especially which you should still maintain and make good for at them doth Satan most strike at 1. The unchangeablenesse of the Covenant-relation This God is our God for ever and ever He will be our Guide even unto death Psal 48. 14. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are many times under Spiritual sâ—â—ences God seems not to regard your prayers and many times under Spiritual delaies God puts you off from day to day and many times under Spiritual desertions God hides his face from you and Satan in such cases puts it upon you to question and disown your Covenant-relation If God were your God it would not be thus But notwithstanding all these or any other trials of your selves yet God still maintains his interest in you and your relation to himself God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew saith the Apostle Rom. 11. 2. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the housâ— of Jacob and will look for him Isa 8. 17. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me So Hosea 2 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 2. The tendernesse of your Covenant-relation The tendernesse of Gods love The tenderness of your Covenant-relation unto you and the tendernesse of Gods care over you Do not suffer Satan to raise jealousies and do not you nourish any jealousies about these if you do so you dishonour your God by them and make your soules to serve him with bitterness your God loves you with as tender love as ever Father loved his dearest child Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant childe my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31. 20. His love is set upon you Deut. 7. 7. And he doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. He loves you with an everlasting love and therefore draws you with loving kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. And your God hath a most tender care over you as a man hath over his jewels which are his chiefest treasures I will make up my jewels Mal. 3. 17. and as a man hath over the apple of his eye he led him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye Deut. 32. 10. And as an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreads abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings verse 11. So the Lord c. 3. The goodnesse of the Covenant relation that God still is and will be The goodnesse of the Covenant relation good unto you that he prepares of his goodnesse for and he prepares mercy and truth for you and layes up exceeding goodnesse for you reserves it for you and is never weary nor will ever turn away from you from doing of you good 4. The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant that as at the first when he took The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant you into the Covenant this was the work of his own grace so all along in the dispensations of the Covenant the Lord still acts in a way of grace towards you alwayes and altogether upon free termes he freely loved you and he freely chose you and he freely called you and still he freely blesseth you and doth good unto you and upon gracious termes he deals with you all the dayes of your life in all things for which you have to deal with him 6. Walk and live like a people who have such a God to be your God in Covenant Walk and live like a people in Covenant with God as your relation is different from all other peoples relation so your conversation should be different from the conversation of all other people as your condition is now higher than the condition of other people for God exalts you by making you to be his people so the word avouching signifies in Deut. 26. 18. so your walking must be better than that of other people and as your enjoyments and hopes transcendently exceed all other mens so your returns must be in some proportion answerable unto your great interest in so good a God and as God by becoming your God makes you high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. so hath he formed you for himself that you should shew forth his praise Esay 43. 21. You are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Which in time past were not a people â—ut are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy verse 10. Quest If any of you demand how that people should live and walk who have How a people in Covenant should walk God to be their God in Covenant Sol. I answer Such a people should walk 1. By faith in a continual dependance upon their living and giving God 2. In a singular love and delight in their good and merciful God 3. With holinesse before their Holy and Omnipresent God 4. With uprightnesse before their Omniscient and All-sufficient God 5. Without inordinate cares before their Faithful and Never-failing God 6. Without inordinate fears before their Almighty God 7. Without offence or grieving of their Loving God 8. With all contentednesse and well-pleasednesse of Spirit before their Wise and gracious God 9. With all humility before their Great and Merciful God 10. With all cheerfulnesse and gladnesse of heart before their Blessing and Blessed God 11. In all constancy of obedience before their Eternal God 12. In all the kinds of zeal for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured them as to be their God 1. You who are the people of God and have God to be your God in Covenant Live and walk by faith in dependance upon the living God you should live and walk by faith in a continual
than your own lives yea and more than your own souls you should love your God sine omnibus super omnia without all and above all c. And verily there are most choice and most strong reasons for all this in the Covenant alone because he is your God for because he is your God therefore For 1. He loves you with an unutterable love the purest and highest love with a fatherly He loves you love with a faithful love with a tender love with an everlasting love The Schoolmen distinguish of amor gratuitus and of amor debitus our love is but of debt which we owe to God Gods love is a gracious gift unto us we love him but can adde nothing to him he loves us and his love makes us up for ever he begins in love oâ—ly from his love and we love when he sheds abroad his love into our hearts he loves and receives nothing from us we love and receive all from him 2. He blesseth you provides for you bestows all upon you enricheth you He blesseth you gives Christ and Mercy and Grace and Peace and Glory Who would not love a God who is Goodnesse it self and Love it self and Blessednesse it self who would not but love a God who is his God who delivers from hell who quickens from death who pardons all sins who cleanseth from all iniquity who makes us near unto himself who puts his Name upon us who speaks peace to our consciences who blesseth us with all blessings who guides and keeps and feeds us all our dayes who will give eternal life at last Walk in all manner of holinesse before your holy God In holinesse of dsposition 3. You who are the people of God you should walk in all manner of holinesse before your Holy and Omnipresent God There is an holinesse 1. Of Disposition which is the renewing of the heart by the Holy Ghost Lev. 11. 44. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and ye shall be holy for I am holy ver 45. I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the Land of Egypt to be your God ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy Lev. 19. 2. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Of Conversation 2. Of Conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Thess 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves amongst you that believe Esay 35. 8. And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse Luke 1. 74. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear ver 35. In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Which consists This holinesse of Conversation consists partly In a separation from all sinful wayes 1. In separation from all sinful and polluted wayes and courses of the world Come out from among them and separate your selves 2 Cor. 6. 17. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Walk not as other Gentiles walk Ephes 4. 17. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse Ephes 5. 11. In exercising our selves in all holy duties In doing our civil works with holy hearts and to holy ends Reasons why such should walk in holinesse Holinesse suits with the end of the Covenant 2. In the exercising of our selves in all holy duties and works and that after an holy manner with godly fear and reverence 3. In the managing of the civil works and employments of our ordinary callings with spiritual and holy hearts and for spiritual and holy ends so that whither we deal with God or with men whither you deal in heavenly businesses or in earthly something of holinesse flows out and appears in them boâ—h Esay 23. 18. Her Merchandize shall be holinesse to the Lord. Now that the people of God who have him to be their God should be holy and should live very holy lives it may be thus demonstrated 1. If you consider the scope and end of the Covenant or of taking us into Covenant the end of the Covenant is to glorifie the riches of Gods mercy and grace for the praise of the glory of his grace and the end of taking us into Covenant is that we might glorifie God who is so rich in mercy and grace unto us See 1 Pet. 2. 9. upon either of these accounts his people must be holy and live holily for should they live profanely and unholily this would pollute the Name of their God and extreamely dishonour it Ezek. 36. 21 22. and cause his Name to be blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. It is the life of holinesse which makes his Name to be glorified openly amongst men as it is the life of faith which makes it to be glorified secretly in the heart Maâ—th 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven 2. You are taken into Covenant that there might be a near relation 'twixt Holinesse fits for communion with God you and your God and that there might be a delight ful communion between God and you but holinesse is necessary to both these you must be sanctified if you will be near unto him for unholinesse is the greatest distance from God who is holinesse it self neither will he have fellowship with you without holinesse because similitude is the foundation of communion there can be no fellowship 'twixt light and darkness nor 'twixt God and Belial 2 Cor. 6. 14. All your communions with God are in acts of holinesse as aâ—l his communions with you are by his holy Spirit 3. The people of God are made high above all Nations in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. They are the excâ—llâ—nt on the earth Psal 16. 3. Holinesse is our praise and honour A precious people Jer. 15. 19. A peculiar treasure unto the Lord Exod. 19. 5. But then he addes in verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation Why How can you be above all other in praise and in name and in honour if your hearts and lives continued in the same inglorious condition and course of wickednesse and sinfulnesse with others Or how could you be said to be the excellent on earth if your hearts and lives were as base and common as the vilest on earth No certainly but it is holinesse which raiseth your natures and it is holinesse which raiseth your lives As God is said to be Glorious in Holinesse Exodus 15. 11. so his Church or people is said to be glorious when it is holy and without blame Ephes 5. 27. 4. You have certainty and Testimony from your holinesse that you are indeed Holinesse is the
you from the love of God Rom. 8. The Covenant holds beyond death it doth not bring you only into a present enjoyment of God but it is to bring you into a fall perfect and everlasting enjoyment of God in glory the Covenant yields you the least part of your good of your portion of your happinesse in this life the greatest and fullest portion of good promised unto you by God in this Covenant lies in the arrears in the reserves in the full possession of the inheritance after death and then why should you fear to dye and go to take a full possession why should you fear to dye and to enter into the joy of your Master why should you fear to dye and go home to receive all the desires of your hearts and all the eternal preparations of glorious blessednesse for your souls 7. You who are the people of God and have him to be your God in Covenant Walk without offending God you should walk without offending of him and without displeasing or grieving of your good God Mal. 1. 6. A sonne honoureth his Father and a servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Master where is my fear friends in Covenant carefully avoid mutual offences and provocations you should fear the Lord and his goodnesse Hosea 3. 5. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God Deut. 10. 20. Seeing that Thou our God hast given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments c. Ezra 9. 13 14. so seeing that the Lord is become our God and hath delivered us from wrath and made us to be his people should we grieve him by sinning against him Grieve not the Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Colos 1. 10. It were an excellent height if we could say unto God as he spake unto his people in Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee So if we could say O our God what have we done against thee and wherein have we displeased and grieved thee There are nine sinnes which if they be found in the people of God they do extreamely Sins much displeasing God Grosse transgressions offend and displease their God 1. Grosse transgressions when their spots are not the spots of his children Deut. 32. 5. Davids adultery displeased the Lord 2 Sam. 11. 27. 2. Murmuring complaints against the dispensations of their God Numb 11. 1. Murmuring complaints against his dispensations When that people complained it displeased the Lord 〈◊〉 the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled ver 4. They fâ—ll a lusting and wept again and said Who shall give us flesh to eat ver 10. And the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly 3. Their manual divisions and contentions and envyings and evil-speakings Muâ—ual divisions and reproachings of one another these dishonour themselves and grieve the Spirit and offend their Father 4. Spiritual pride and loftinesse of heart being vainly puffed up with knowledge Spiritual pride or any spiritual attainments and enjoyments foolish boastings 5. Carnal security and carelesnesse of their hearts and wayes and turning Carnal security the grace of God into wantonnesse 6. Vnfruitfulnesse and barrennesse under the Gospels Ordinances and Unfruitfulnesse helps 7. Conformity unto the world fashioning themselves thereunto and complying Conformity unto the world with the ungodly 8. Lukewarmnesse of spirit in the cause of God and of the truths of Christ and of the power of godlinesse suffering all these to be opposed and blasphemed Lukewarmnesse 9. Particular unbeliefs and distrusts as in Moses case c. when their faith Particular unbeliefs hath a special call to honour God amongst people in difficulties c. These and some other sinnes if found among the people of God do exceedingly displease and grieve him and therefore be you very watchful against them yea and against all Reasons why we should be watchful against all sinnings sinnings whatsoever because 1. Your God hath shewed you exceeding riches of grace and mercy There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared 2. Your relation to so holy a God should make you to fear all unholy actions you should be holy as your heavenly Father is holy 3. Your receipts have been high and your returns should be answerable you have received favour and Christ and the Spirit and hopes of heaven and should you offend your God after all this O what ingratitude worst of ingratitude were this 4. You will extreamely darken your communions with God by it and your heavenly relation by it your Sun will set at Noon day 5. You will break up the peace in conscience and conscience will lay hold on you from all your interest comforts received 6. God doh usually correct and chastise his people in this life very severely and sharply for their disobedience 8. You who are the people of God should walk with all contentednesse and Walk with all contentednesse and well-pleasednesse well-pleasednesse of spirit for you have God to be your God saith David Psal 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine in eritance and ver 6. I have a goodly heritage That man will be contented with nothing who cannot finde contentment in the enjoyment of all things There are three things which I desire you to take notice of For 1. That God is the portion of his people Thou art my portion O Lord Psal God is the portion of his people 119. 57. All the world is too low and too little to make up a portion for any one holy or godly man he sets not out any estate as your portion but himself If the Lord should say to a godly man I will give you all the world and that shall be all your portion O Lord would he say let others have that portion but I beseech thee give me thy self 2. That God alone is portion enough all-sufficiency is questionlesse a sufficient God alone is portion enough portion as Joseph said unto his brethren Gen. 45. 20. by the command of Pharaoh Regard not your stuffe for the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours so may we say to all the people of God Regard not be not troubled so much for the poor stuffe of earthly revenues for the all-sufficient God is yours The Lord is my Shepherd therefore I shall not want Psal 23. 1. He that wants nothing hath enough I am thy shield and thy exceeding great râ—ward Gen. 15. 1. Hâ—â—ho is secured from all evil and is blessed with all blessings certainly this man hath enough 3. That your fruition of God for your God sweetens any outward portion be Out fruition of God sweatens any outward poâ—tion it never so little the little of earth with the enjoyment of God as loving as reconciled
heart Faith 4. A fourth is Faith Faith is a receiving grace therefore believing is stiled receiving To as many as received him he gave this dignity to be thâ— Sonnes of God even to them â—hat believe on him Faith receives Christ and receives mercy and receives love and receives righteousnesse and receives blessings and receives all the gifts of God Though God hath all to give yet you have no hand to receive untill you get faith 3. Is the Covenant a giving Covenant Is it such a Covenant wherein the Lord undertakes to give all the good mentioned therein This then yields Comfort to the people of God Hence they may conclude manifold comfort to the people of God who are in Covenant with him 1. If God undertakes to give all then certainly he undertakes to finde all good for us If he undertakes to give a Christ he must finde out that He will find all good for us Christ and if he undertakes to give you mercy he then must finde out that mercy c. 2. If God undertakes to give all then he must finde all from himself and And find all from himself of his own Men many times give away that which is none of their own but God gives nothing but what is his own but what comes out of his own stock and treasury 3. If God undertakes to give all in the Covenance then you shall be surely helped You shall be surely helped you have good reason to expect it for your Father hath all to give How much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask will not a father give to his poor child Certainly your God is an infinite God a most gracious and glorious God and perfectly al-sufficient he hath heaven and earth in his own possession he hath all the good to dispose of which is good he must needs be infinite in mercy who can give all mercies and infinite in grace who can give all grace and infinite in glory who can give all glory c. For as this shews his infinitenesse that he hath all good to give so this shews his perfection that when he hath given all this yet there is no diminution made in his stock at all 4. If God undertakes to give you all that is in his Covenant then unquestisnably Then he doth unquestionably love you he loves you Indeed he gives many things to the wicked his enemies whom he hares but to undertake to give all the good in the Covenant this proceeds from his great love and from his special love Doth not God love you who is willing to give you his love and to give you his Christ the Son of his love and to give you all the graces of his Spirit the fruits of his love Then God will not deny the least mercies 5. If God undertakes to give you all even the greatest of mercies can you reasonably imagine that he will stick with you for the least of necessary mercies and blessings How shall he not with him freely also give â—â— all things SECT IV. A fourth property of this Covenant is this It is a free or gracious Covenant It is a free and gracious Covenant By grace are ye saved Ephes 2. 5. By grace are ye saved Verse 8. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 2 Thes 2. 16. Being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. I will love them freely Hosea 14. 4. Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Revel 22. 17. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Revel 21. 6. He freely forgave them both Luke 7. 42. The things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. This Covenant is gracious or free in three respects 1. For the constitution of Free in three respects it 2. For the reception into it 3. For the donations from it 1. For the exceeding framing out or constituting of this Covenant when For the constitution of it in respect of was it and with whom was it and whence was it All these will plainely demonstrate that this Covenant is a very free and gracious Covenant 1. Consider the time when it was made and set forth why immediately upon The time when it was made the fall then when man-kinde had sinned and transgressed the first Covenant then when God might have glorified his justice upon all sinners yet then was the time that he promised this Covenant The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. Surely this must needs be gracious then to set up a Throne of grace when sinful man was to receive his sentence at the Bar of Justice 2. Consider the persons with whom this Covenant is made It was made not The persons with whom the Covenant is made with fallen Angels but with men why not with them as well as with us no answer can be given but this of grace I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Nay and why with fallen men at all no answer can be given for this neither but only the grace of God and his own good pleasure so it pleased him and so it seemed good unto him 3. Consider whence the making of this Covenant did arise Did it arise from Whence the making of this Covenant did arise any goodnesse in any man O no All the world was found guilty before God and every mouth was stopped by reason of sinne Rom. 3. 19. Or did it arise from any desire or entreaty of man not at all but as man first brought in sinne and death so God first thought of mercy and life He is found of them that sought him not Isa 65. 1. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in â—â— is thy help Hosea 13. 9. The Lord set his love upon you to take you into Covenant c. because he loved you Deut. 7. 7 8. 2. For the reception into this Covenant here the graciousnesse or freenesse of it For our reception into it will also manifestly appear Consider the persons taken or brought into this Covenant either absolutely in The persons taken into the Covenant considered themselves or respectively in their dealing towards God or comparatively with others As to all these considerations this Covenant is a very gracious and free Covenant 1. Consider the persons now taken into Covenant what they were is themselves In themselves The Prophet tells you what they were in Ezekiel 16. 3. Thy birth and thy Nativity was of the Lord of Canaan thy Father was an Amâ—rite and thy mother an Hittite Ver. 4. Thy navel was not cut neither wast thou wasted in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all Ver. 5. No eye
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
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
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
our Father and we are thy people A second is the merciful nature of God ready to shew mercy and to multiply pardon A third is the death of Christ he shed his blood to make our peace and to slay all enmity A fourth is the very Covenant it self wherein God hath promised that he will not cast away and that he will heale and forgive the back-slidings of his people and though he will chastise them yet he will not forsake them 8. The Covenant of grace gives a better estate then the Covenant of works It gives a better estate we have a better estate by this then we had or could have by that 'T is true That Adam in innocency enjoyed a larger measure of knowledge and righteousness and had also free communion with God without fear and had dominion over the creatures But yet he had not knowledge of God in Christ nor any communion with God through Christ nor had he any manifestations of the glories of the Gospel by the Spirit of Christ and besides all this whatsoever enjoyments Adam had which might make up a happy estate unto him yet all that enjoyment was mutable and contingent But now in and by the Covenant of Grace our enjoyments are higher and they are also surer 1. They are higher for now we enjoy God not only as a Creator but as a Father Our enjoyments are higher we enjoy him a merciful and gracious and abundant in goodnesse and truth and we enjoy Jesus Christ in a way of union with his person being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5. 30. and in a way of communion in his death and life and victories and purchases and we enjoy the very Spirit of Christ as to all his graces and comforts and assurances 2. They are surer he enjoyed God so as yet he lost his God he enjoyed righteousness Surer so as yet he lost his righteousness and dominion so as he lost that dominion and had it not been for Christ who was immediately promised after the fall he had never found his God again nor a righteousnesse again nor any right of dominion again but in the Covenant of grace all is sure and stable and permanent God is our God for ever and we continue his people for ever Christ is our Head and we are his Members for ever we enjoy the Spirit and he abides in us for ever The Covenant of grace is a better Covenant then that of works It is better in the way and cause of Remuneration as to the way and cause of Remuneration In a Covenant of works you must earn your wages before you must be paid your wages your own doing is the price of your receiving and your reward is as your work is nothing is there expected as a bounty and gift but all runs there as debt and wages Adam could never pray under this Covenant Lord receive me graciously do me good freely for thy mercies sake But it is not thus in the Covenant of grace where he that deserves nothing may yet receive all and the unworthy sinner doth yet attain to the most excellent mercies upon the sole account of the riches of Gods grace in Christ In the Covenant of grace God doth not reward us according to our ill deeds nor doth he reward us for our good deeds But he freely pardons the ill works of his people and doth them all good not for their goodness but for his own goodnesse-sake In the Covenant of works you come to God saying Lord This I have done therefore blesse me In the Covenant of grace you come to God saying Lord This I need and this thou hast promised O give it me not for my sake but for thy truths sake and for thy Christs sake freely love me freely accept of me freely own and bless me I can shew no deserts of mine but I can shew unto thee thine own promises I can find enough in my self why thou shouldest abhor and curse me and yet I finde enough in thy self and Covenant why thou mayest embrace and help me 10. The Covenant of grace is a better Covenant than that of works in respect of a double efficacy 1. Of helping recovery 2. Of saving vertue It is better in respect of a double efficacy Of helping recovery 1. The Covenant of works never did afford help to recover any one sinner As that Commander spake of the Watchman whom he found asleep and therefore ran him through with his sword I found him dead and left him dead That we may say of the Covenant of works It findes us dead in sins and in trespasses and it leaves us dead in our sins and trespasses there is no balm for our wounds in that Covenant But the Covenant of Grace this doth help and restore sinners it is the ministry of Life and Grace and Peace But God saith the Apostle in Ephes 2. 4 5. who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ And 1 Cor. 6. 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 our God And Rom. 5. 8. God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us verse 9. Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him 2. The Covenant of works did never save any righteous person What saving Of saving vertue power might be found from it upon a supposition of Adams standing I dispute not but this I say There never was any one person saved actually by the Covenant of works But yet the Covenant of Grace doth save all Believers Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 15. We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Ephes 2. 8. By grace ye are saved through faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules Thus you see that the Covenant of grace is the best Covenant in comparison of the Covenant of works Use 1 Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant The best Covenant that ever God made with man and for man How great then is their sin who refuse this Covenant Then how gâ—eat is their sin who refuse this Covenant and to come into this Covenant The greater that any mercy is our sin is therefore the greater to refuse that mercy O beloved whence is it that many of your hearts are still hardned whence is it that you love darkness rather then light why do you not hearken to this Covenant whence is it that for lying vanities you forsake your own mercies 1. Are you not sinners 2. Do
not sinners need mercy 3. Can mercy be found anywhere but in this Covenant of mercy or peace anywhere but in the Covenant of peace or life anywhere but in the Covenant of life 4. And doth not this Covenant hold out mercy unto you yea the best mercy and upon the best terms The other Covenant affords you no mercy it easts you off it condemns you to death and wrath And this Covenant yet offers you mercy and life and salvation and no Covenant but this doth so What and yet to refuse to come into it surely either you know not that you are sinners and what will befall you for your sins or else you are desperately wicked to slight and refuse the mercy and grace of God in this Covenant Ezek. 24. 13. Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee So may the Lord say unto some of us Because I would have shewed you mercy but you would not accept of mercy therefore you shall never have mercy And because I would have taken you into Covenant and you would not come into my Covenant of grace and life and peace I will never be a merciful God to you nor a gracious God to you but you shall dye in your sins and perish for ever Heb. 2. 3. Vse 2 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners to God and themselves much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant better then any other Covenant which God made with man Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners both unto themselves and unto God! who lay the Covenant of grace so low and impose such opinions upon it as if there were no difference twixt a Covenant of grace and a Covenant of works Surely it is either temptation which lies upon them or ignorance or unbelief that they thus stand off and fear and dispute and except and question and many times conclude against all encouragements to be taken into this Covenant and there to finde mercy and rest for their soules truely they do many times turn the Covenant of Grace into a very Covenant of Works O but there is no mercy to be had O but not for such great sins O but for me O but I can deserve nothing and bring nothing O but the sentence is past against me O but I have nothing to make my peace And thus they make the Covenant of Grace a very Covenant of Works no better then so a Covenant without mercy without grace without a Mediatour without a tender compassionate God and Father no City of refuge at all nor help to the poor sinner at all And when they are convinced of mercy in it and possible reception into it yet they think that God will not come off to this but upon very hard and difficult terms usually annexing the Legal condition to the promises of the Covenant of Grace Why sirs what do you mean thus to wrong God and his Covenant and your distressed souls Either there is a Covenant of Grace or there is not either that Covenant of Grace is a better Covenant than the Covenant of works or it is not If it be a better Covenant then the fallen and undone sinner may finde relief there and help there which he could not finde in the Covenant of Works for if the sinner can be no more relieved by this than by that Covenant it is then no better Covenant And now see what a slurre you cast upon the wisdome of God and upon the goodness of God and upon Jesus Christ and upon all the promises of God O distressed sinner If the merciful God if the gracious God if the giving God if the forgiving God if the freely loving God if the Lord Jesus as Mediatour and Surety if all the promises of God in Christ if all the offers of grace if all the calls of the Gospel may suffice to convince thee that this Covenant is the best Covenant that ever was or can be made for sinners with all suitableness and tenderness to the sinners condition Then dispute no more but pray for faith to give God the glory of his exceeding grace in this Covenant c. Use 3 Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant What a comfort is this to all believers who are effectually brought into this Covenant Is it no comfort to be Comfort to all Believers brought into such a good estate as better cannot be found or enjoyed If the Covenant of Grace be the best Covenant better then any other Covenant Then all in that Covenant are in the best condition of all other men It was a special kindness in Joseph to give his Father and his Brethren a pâ—ssession in the land of Ramesis what kindness then is that in God to make you to be his people and to become your God and to settle such a portion such a possession upon your soules as in heaven and earth a better Covenant cannot be how should you hearts rejoyce and blesse God for the Covenant of Grace and for bringing of you into that Covenant of grace where A Redeemer is only to be found and you have an interest in that Redeemer A reconciled God is only to be found and you have a propriety in that reconciled God pardoning mercy is only to be found and you have your shares in that pardoning mercy Renewing grace is only to be found and you have your portion in that renewing grace Salvation is only to be found and you have your possession of that salvation Others perhaps cry out O that we might have mercy and O that we might have Christ and O that God would be pacified towards us and reconciled to us and O that our sins might be forgiven and our soules accepted into life why you have all this and more than this Have you not cause to rejoyce who are brought into such a Covenant where you have a propriety in God and Christ and the Spirit and mercy and grace and glory yea into such a Covenant where you may finde relief and support for every want and against every fear and against every sin and against every temptation where all the sorts of mercies and helps and comforts are yours Yea unto such a Covenant where there is not only mercy but fulnesse and not only fulness but freenesse and with all these a certainty and unchangeablenesse Here is as much mercy and goodnesse and happinesse as you need and you shall surely have it and it shall continue unto you for ever Adam and God parted but you and your God shall never part you and Christ shall never part you and mercy and
Faith singled out to be the condition of the Covenant Why faith is the only condition of Grace Sol. 1. There is nothing whatsoever which doth so fit and answer a Covenant of Grace as Faith doth for in this Covenant God deals in promises and by a Mediatour Faith best answers the Covenant of grace And the promises are objects proper to faith As precepts are to obedience and threatnings to fear so are promises to faith And for Jesus Christ the Mediatour deale with him you cannot but by faith Object Indeed love deals with Christ as well as faith Christ is the object of our love and of our faith But then here 1. That love deals with Christ in the strength of faith first faith deales and then love deales with Christ 2. Though love deals with Christ yet it is another way than faith Love is bringing into Christ but Faiths work is receiving all from Christ and resting on Christ c. 2. There is nothing but Faith which will or can acknowledge a free Covenant And all as freely given unto us Set up any thing but faith and that will set up us Nothing but faith will acknowledge a free Covenant and pull down grace Any thing but faith must be something in our selves and something in our selves will deprive grace of the glory yea it will deny grace but faith will do none of this because faith is a meere gift of grace and faith receives all as free gift findes nothing in us at all but receâ—ves all and lives wholly on the grace of God in Christ 3. It is of faith that the promises might be sure so the Apostle Rom. 4. 16. It is of faith that the promise might be sure Adam had a Covenant as well as we and therefore some observe that he had one sacrament of death another of life to assure him of death in case he sinned as wel as to assure him of life in case he obeyed because it was made upon condition of works And truely if Adam who was so every wâ—y furnished could not hold up a Covenant upon a Condition of works much less should we do it being now utterly broken by him But now the promise of â—ife being made to us upon condition of faith it is therefore made sure for â—aith builds upon a sure foundation and faith hath a sure word of promise 4. The Covenant of grace excludes all boastings in our selves Rom. 3. 27. and Faith excludes all boasting in our selves therefore faith is necessary for us for boasting is excluded not by the Law of works but by the Law of Faith Ibid. If you should put in works for the condition then the sinner would be ready to boast All this I have kept from my youth This have I done and that have I done and I never offended thy will the wages is due debt to me O but this must never be c. 5. There are such things undertaken in the Covenant as nothing but faith can tell Nothing but faith can tell what to make of the things undertaken in the Covenant what to make of them I will forgive your iniquities and will give you a new heart and I will heale your back-slidings and I will love them freely and I will forgive your sins for mine owne sake These are absolute Mysteries without faith Before I proceed any further in this Point I would make some useful Application of what I have delivered already Is Faith the condition of the Conant SECT IV. 1. Use THen how are men mistaken How have they deluded themselves how To discover the presumption of many who plead their interest in the promises without the performance of the condition must they return ashamed who have nursed up their fancies and presumptions about the mercy of God and the many promises of God about salvation and other blessings yea and about God himself what a good and gracious and merciful God he is and so will be to them O but sirs There is a condition in the Bond. God makes many sweet and comfortable promises O but there is a condition And God saith he will be such a gracious and merciful God c. O but there is a condition and he saith that he will save and give eternal life O but there is a condition a condition that you think not of a condition that you never attained unto Faith is the condition of the Covenant You must be believers in Christ and then and so you must claim the promises you must have an interest in Christ or else you can never have an interest in the priviledges of the Covenant you have owned the promised mercy and the promised salvation in the Covenant O but you have not all this while owned Christ by saith and therefore you have all this while deluded your soules The Apostle faith all men have not faith and the Prophet saith Who hath believed our report and Christ himself saith He that believeth shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Why brethren If Faith be the condition of the Covenant If faith be necessary to bring us into the Covenant Then no unbeliever is yet in the Covenat for no unbeliever hath faith No no God is not the God of the dead but of the living and mercy is not the portion of unbelievers but of believers and salvation by Christ is interessed only on them who believe on Christ And thou art to this day an unbeliever thou art utterly destituâ—e of faith And there are six things which shew that thouÌ„ art so 1. One is the unsensiblenesse of thy sinful and wretched condition and of thy need which thy soule hath of Christ 2. A second is the exceeding ignorance in thy heart of Christ as the Mediatour of the Covenant 3. A third is the exceeding pride and confidence on thiâ—â— own righteousness and on thine own works 4. A fourth is the continual neglects and disesteeme of the Gospel of Christ 5. A fifth is the fruitless reception of the many offers of Christ 6. A sixth is the incomplyance of thy heart with the Lord Jesus and averseness and refusing of subjection unto Christ Thou wilt not have him to reign over thee Ah poor creature How hast thou befooled thy self and deluded thy soul with a vain presumption of interest in the Covenant whilst as yet thou hast not faith to interest thy soul in Christ 2. Use Is saith of union the condition of the Covenant Then as you have Look to your faith that it be a faith of union reason to look to your selves because all men have not â—aith so you have reason to look to your faith for you may have a faith which yet is not a faith of union That is a considerable passage of Christ in Joh. 15. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away verse 6. If a man abideth not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is
mercy grace joy peace salvation in him 7. This union 'twixt us and Christ by faith it is a firme and inseparable union A firm and inseparable union An union that can never be bâ—oken asunder and herein it goes beyond all other unions which are used to illustrate this union every one of them is soluble it may be broken off the Head and the body may be severed the Foundation and the House may be separated The Branches may be cut off â—rom the Vine The Husband may be taken away from the Wife and the Wife from the Husband Yea the soule and body may be disunited by death But the union 'twixt us and Christ remaines for ever There is not only a continuation of it all our life but also in death itself your very bodies sleeping in the the dust are even then in union with Christ I grant that the sense and apprehension of this union may in this life be much interrupted and many times be wholly darkned but the substance of the union still remaines and I grant that the substance or nature of this union may be exceedingly assaulted by Satan yet neverthelesse it continues and abides for ever For Christ will never part with the believer and the believer will never part with Christ And moreover as no power in the world is sufficient to over-power the Spirit of Christ which on Christs part makes union so no power whatsoever shall be able to conquer faith which on our part also makes the union This faith of union as it is produced by no lesse power than that of God so it is preserved and upheld by the same power to the end Neither God nor Christ nor the Holy Ghost nor the heart of a believer will break this union and neither Satan nor the world nor sin can do it 5. If your faith be indeed the faith of union this will appear by these influences The influences and effects which do attend this union and effects which do alwayes attend that union which faith works between us and Christ When we are by faith united to Christ then upon this union there follows a communion betwixt Christ and us in which Christ communicates or imparts somethings of his unto us And we likewise do communicate and impart some thing in us unto him Upon this union there follows such a communion twixt Christ and us as that we do partake of and have fellowship in the most excellent things of We have fellowship with Christ Christ We have fellowship with him 1. In the same Spirit Rom. 8. 9 11. and 1 Cor. 6. 17. And by the same Spirit are we reconciled and sanctified though not in the fulnesse and measure as In the same Spirit Christ himself was and changed by him into the same image of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. In the same life As he that hath the Son hath life 1 Joh. 5. 10. so he that In the same Liâ—e hath the Son hath the same life which the Son hath I live yet not â— but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. The Head and the body the Tree and the branches partake of the same life 3. In the same Righteousness His Righteousnesse is our righteousnesse He is the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. and we are made the righteousnesse of God In the same Righteousness in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. 4. In the same Relation So that as he was the Son of God by eternal Generation In the same Relation in like manner are we the sons of God by adoption so that he is not ashamed to call us brethren Heb. 2. 11 12. 5 In his victories In all these things we are more than conquerors through In his victories Christ that loved us Rom. 8. 37. 6. In his glory The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they In his glory may be one even as we are one All these things are most certainly imparted unto every believer upon his union with Christ Jesus Christ communicates unto him his own Spirit his own Holinesse his own Righteousnesse c. And hence it is apparent that they never were united by faith unto Christ in whom nothing of communion with Christ can be found Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature c. 2. Upon this union with Christ there is yet another part of communion in respect of us and there are two things especially which we do impart to Christ one We impart to Christ is love the other is subjection for by â—aith we are united to Christ as the Wife to the Husband which is an union of love and also to Christ as members of the body to the head which takes in an union of subjection 1. If saith hath united us to Christ then do we love Christ every Believer Love loves Christ Saw ye him whom my soule lâ—veth so the Church Cant. 3. 1. 2 3. Lord Thou knowest all things Thou knowest that I love thee So Peter Joh. 21. 17. Whom having not seen ye love so the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 8. And how doth the true believer who is united to Christ love Christ How the believer loves Christ 1. He loves his Christ with the Love of friendship he loves Christ for Christ himself 2. He loves his Christ with a love of complacency O how sweet and lovely is this Christ 3. He loves his Christ with a love of satisfaction Christ is enough he is my center in whom I rest 4. He loves his Christ with a love of sincerity Christ and nothing that is contrary to Christ 5. He loves his Christ with a love of excellency nothing so much nothing so well as Christ 6. He loves Christ with a love of extremity he is sick of love for Christ he so loves Christ that he thinks he never loves Christ as Christ deserves to be loved 7. He loves Christ with a love of fidelity so as nothing can quench that love nor break off that love 8. He loves his Christ with a love of benevolence O how much prosperity doth he wish to Christ 9. He loves his Christ with a love of beneficency what would not he do for Christ what would he not suffer for Christ 10. He loves his Christ with a love of sympathy what Christ doth love he doth love and what doth please Christ that doth please him and what doth grieve and trouble Christ that doth grieve and trouble him O Sirs uniting faith sees so much in Christ and findes so much from Christ it makes us partakers of such a Christ and of such a love from Christ that it is impossible but that soule must love Christ which by Faith is united to Christ 2. If your faith be the faith of union with Christ then it will certainly cause in Sujection unto Christ you a subjection unto Christ
all the wrath and punishment due for them And he suffered all as our Surety in our stead and for our good and his Father designed him for all this and accepted of it as sufficient and effectual on our behalf Vse 3 Did Jesus Christ as Mediatour thus do and suffer for us Then let believers in all their fears and conflicts Remember the sufferings of Christ and cleave to the sufferings Remember the sufferings of Christ in all fears and conflicts of Christ and plead the sufferings of Christ and by faith offer up unto God all the sufferings of Christ for their soules This is Luthers direction Discamus in omni tentatione peccatum mortem maledictionem omnia mala quae premunt nos à nobis transferre in Christum Let us learn in every tentation which presseth us whether it be sin or death or curse or any other evil to translate it from our selves to Christ And all the good in Christ let us learn to translate it from Christ unto our selves Do your sins terrifie you then remember Christ bare your sins in his body for you Doth death appear deadly unto you then remember that Christ dyed for you and his death did swallow up death in victory Doth the curse threatned in the Law kill you then remember that Christ Redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Doth the wrath of God amaze you then remember that Christ suffered that wrath that he might save and deliver us from wrath Do desertions lie upon you then remember that Christ was forsaken that we might not be forsaken in judgement â—om 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed Do the fears of hell and damnation lie upon you remember the sufferings of Christ who in them did deliver us from the power of darkness so that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ This is your sure and only way under all temptations and fears and conflicts and doubts and disputes by faith to remember Christ and the sufferings of Christ as your Mediatour and Surety Tu Christe peccatum maledictum meum or rather Ego sum peccatum tuum maledictum tuum mors tua ira Dei Tua infernus tuus And thou O Christ Tu es justitia benedictio vita gratia Dei caelum meum O Christ Thou art my sin in being made sin for me and thou art my curse in being made a curse for me Or rather I am thy sinne and thou art my Righteousnesse I am thy curse and thou art my Blessing I am thy death and thou art my Life I am the wrath of God to thee and thou art the love of God to me I am thy hell and thou art my Heaven Why sirs Let me tell you that your hearts will sink into despaire if you think of God and of your sins without thinking on Christ If you think of your sins and of Gods wrath if you think of your guiltinesse and of Gods justice your hearts will faile you for you can never bear that wrath of God and you can never satisfie that justice of God you do not only take Christs Office of Mediatourship out of his hand nor only deny and renounce him for your Surety but now you draw your selves from all helps and hope in exposing your poor soules to stand at the Bar and Tribunal of Gods Justice alone and you take all your sins upon your selves and all the punishment of your sins upon your selves and so you your selves must be either a sacrifice for them which is impossible or you must be damned for them which is certain but yet intolerable Therefore come off from your selves and look up by faith unto that Mediatour whom God hath appointed for you and who hath done and suffered all for you and in his Name and upon his Account plead with God to pardon your sins to excuse you from wrath and curse because Jesus Christ hath suffered these for you This you may plead because Christ is yours and you are his and what he did he did for you and what he suffered he suffered for you If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the propitiation for our sins and he was made sin for us and he did shed his blood for the Remission of our sins c. SECT VI. 6. HAving discoursed of the Obedience of Christ both Active and Passive as our Mediatour It now remaines to speak a few things of the Vertues and Benefits and Efficacies depending upon and flowing from the Actions and Passions of Christ our Mediatour He did perform an Active obedience which we The vertues and benefits depending on and flowing from Christ as Mediatour did owe unto the Law and he did suffer the punishments due unto us for the transgression of the Law which otherwise we our selves should have suffered and from these there did ensue five most excellent and precious benefits 1. Satisfaction 2. Remission 3. Reconciliation 4. Redemption 5. Acquisition or purchase 6. The confirmation of the Covenant 1. They were a satisfaction unto the justice of God for us The Socinians who utterly deny the satisfaction of Christ do say that Christ did indeed suffer Satisfaction and dye for our good but not in our stead only for our good that we might the sooner be induced and perswaded to embrace that Doctrine and way of Salvation which he brought down from Heaven and Revealed unto us by his Word and by the good example of his life and confirmed the same by his death and so merited for himself an exaltation and dominion over all men and to give eternal life to all that will imitate him But that Christ did dye for our sins to expiate them or in our stead or to satisfie God for us or to pay our debts or that God ever imposed this on him or expected it from him or that ever Christ did undertake such a work on himself they do absolutely deny as also they do deny any placation of the wrath of God by Christ or reconciliation made by Christ or remission of sinnes upon the account of Châ—ists death and blood This is the summe of their Doctrine against which I shall oppose several Conclusions drawn from the Scriptures And truely sirs as I never did so I trust I never shall decline the opposing of any corrupt Doctrine falling in my way much lesse these corrupt Opinions of the Socinians which if I mistake not exceedingly do plainly subvert the faith of Christians But now to the Point in hand concerning the satisfaction made for us by Christ Conclusions about the satisfaction of Christ I would lay down these Conclusions 1. That God Salvo jure could not passe over sin so as absolutely to let it go unpunished 2. That God was resolved never to let it so escape 3.
who paid no Debt nor Ransome for our selves it did cost us nothing the Remission of sins is meer mercy and free grace God did not expresse his full justice and mercy on Christ together nor did he express his full mercy and justice together on us But he expressed his justice on Christ who fully satisfied it and he expressed his mercy on us yet for the satisfaction made by the blood of Christ Amongst many places which might be brought to prove that the remission of our sins doth depend on the blood or sufferings of Christ I will mention only one more It is in Heb. 9. 22. Without shedding of blood there is no remission verse 26. But now hath he speaking of Christ once in the end of the world appeared to put away sin by tht sacrifice of himself verse 28. So was Christ once offered to bear the sins of many what can be more clear There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood and therefore Christ appeared to put away our sins by the shedding of his blood per immolationem sui ipsius by the Sacrifice of himself As when the Sacrifices called expiatory were offered sins were taken away and pardoned so when Christ offered up himself by death a Sacrifice to God this was of real vertue to expiate our sins Vse 1 Now what an unspeakable comfort is this that Jesus Christ as our Mediatour did shed his blood for the remission of our sins Comfort that Christ shed his blood for our remission It looseth our Bonds and dischargeth our Debts 1. Our sins in Scripture are sometimes called Bonds and indeed they are the heaviest and dreadfullest Bonds of all others lying heavy upon the conscience and binding us over to Gods Tribunal to answer but these are loosened and released through the blood of Christ And sometimes they are called Debts for the payment of which we do owe unto the justice of God the endurance of everlasting pain in soul and in body but these debts are forgiven us for Christs sake In every sin there are two things considerable One is the Offence done to God by reason whereof he is displeased The other is the Obligation of that person so offending God unto everlasting wrath and condemnation And both these are removed in the remission or forgiveness of sins the offence or fault is removed God is not now offended or displeased with the offending sinner any more and the obligation unto eternal wrath and condemnation is so far cancelled that it shall never redound unto the person Although guilt and obligation be natural unto and inseparable from sin yet this obligation shall never be put in suit nor shall that wrath and condemnation deserved by sin be ever inflicted on the sinner because there is a forgiveness of sin wrought by Jesus Christ And therefore the Apostle saith That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5. 19. that is not laying of them to their charge not suing of them not reckoning with them but forgiving them 2. Secondly the comfort from this will appear yet to be more if you do consider This remission doth extend to all our sins that this remission of sin by Christ as it takes off the guilt of sin which is the Arrow in the Side the gnawing Worm in the Conscience the Thorn in the Foot and the breaking of our Bones so it doth extend to all our sins We do diversifie our sins by the times of them some are past some are present and some are future And by the quantity of them some are small and some are great And by the quality and circumstances of them some are of ignorance and some are of knowledge some are voluntary and some are involuntary c. Now whatsoever our sins are alwayes supposing us to be Elect believing and penitent persons they are all of them forgiven through the blood of Christ Colos 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities wherey they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Object What all every one Sol. Yes And there are five Arguments to satisfie us concerning this 1. Jesus Christ as our Surety took upon him the whole state of our sinfull debts He did not undertake this or that particular sin only but the whole debt the whole reckoning all the sins of which we might be conceived guilty and of all of them gave himself a Sacrifice to put away sin 2. He did so satisfie Gods justice for our sins as that there is now no condemnation to them that are in him and verily if all condemnation be removed then all sin is pardoned If any one sin remained unpardoned then condemnation would still be in force upon us for that one sin 3. His death was a price Aequivalent unto the merits of all our sins and preponderating them and God having accepted thereof it would be unjust in him not to remit all 4. All enmity is slain by the blood of Christ between God and us He hath reconciled us by his Crosse having slain enmity thereby But if any sin was not forgiven all hostility is not slain 5. The great end of Christs death was to save us to make us blessed to bring us to the enjoyment of eternal life which end could never be attained unlesse God did upon the account of Christ give unto us a plenary and total remission of sins Because of any one sin unpardoned the wages is death which the Apostle delivers in opposition to eternal life Rom 6. 23. 3. Nor doth our comfort from the remission of our sins by Christ end in This Remission is stable and irrevocable this it goes one step yet further and that is this as the Remission is total and perfect so it is stable and irrevocable Hence those expressions in Micah 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea as if our sins lay drowned and buried for ever never to rise up against us any more Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins When a Bond or Writing is blotted out there the writing against us can be read no more Or when a Cloud is blotted out it is so scattered and dispersed that it appears no more Jer. 33. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sins no more Jer. 50. 20. The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Why what comfort is this That there is Remission of sins procured for us and of all sins and that by Christ and that God hath forgiven them and as long as God is God and Christ is Christ they remain forgiven God alters not and Christ afters not and forgivenesse of sinnes alters not Vse 2 Is Remission of sin
who have the Lord to be their God what will not a reconciled God do for you His love and friendship is as fruitful of mercies and blessings as his Justice and wrath is of punishments and miseries 10. Can any thing hinder you from being saved If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Vse 3 Is Reconciliation the fruit and effect of the death of Christ Then let trembling broken humbled even sinking hearts under the weight of their sins and Let trembling hearts make in to Christ and trust on him to make their peace bitternesse of Gods wrath and displeasure I say let them in this condition make in to Christ and look up to Christ and trust on Christ to make their peace Ah poor creature why dost thou take this work upon thy self I confesse we must use means to finde peace but we have not power to make peace we must pray and confesse and repent c. but these are not our peace Object Will not these do it Sol. No but Christ only 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. If any man sin we haue an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins And therefore if ever you would have the wrath of God removed if you would see all partition walls broken down if you would have God to be pacified to be friends with you again to be at peace with you then go to Christ and make him your friend Oject Do not lose time by impertinent disputes and reasonings But may we come to Christ and can he and will he make peace for us and take up our differences Sol. Let me tell you 1. Dispute what you will you shall never finde peace with God but by Christ No peace with God but by Christ his Name only is Prince of Peace he only is the Mediatour of Peace he only reconciles God and sinners 2. It is his Office to reconcile God and sinners and make peace that is his work It is his Office to make peace unto which he was called and for which he was set apart He is that Mercifull and faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. Mark the place the Office of Christ is to be a Priest c. One chief work of that Office is to make Reconciliation for the sinnes of the people and he is one that is very good in his Office you need not be afraid to go to him for the work of his Office for saith the Text He is a mercifull High Priest very tender very affectionate very compassionate easily wrought on by any distressed sinner that comes to him and calls on him Lord Jesus my soule is affraid and oppressed with the fear of Gods wrath and sense of his displeasure I am grieved for offending and displeasing of him O that thou wouldest undertake for me I beseech thee step into the breach make my peace reconcile my soule get thy Father to be friends with me c. He is a faithful High Priest O he will not faile you he will not put you off he will not thrust you aside he will surely undertake your condition he will make Reconciliation for our sins 3. It was the work of Christ from first to last in life and in death Heb. 9. It was the work of Christ from first to last 26. He appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself yea and it is his work now in heaven He appears in the presence of God for us Heb. 9 24. and he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. 4. You of all other have special grounds of hope and trust that Christ will be You of all others have grounds of hope your Attonement and Reconciliation Not only because the Reconciling Christ calls you thus burdened to come unto him and he will give you ease Matth. 11. 28. but also because that the day when the peoples soules were to be afflicted for their sins on that day was the Priest to make an Attonement for their soules Levit. 16. 29 30. 4. The fourth great benefit which we have by the sufferings of Christ our mediatour Redemption is Redemption or deliverance Alas sirs In what a miserable condition were we by reason of sin Methinks the more vertues and blessed fruits that I read accâ—â—â—ing by Christ unâ—o us â—â—e more do I still discern of our deep and involved misery by reason of sin Sin was such a debt as none but Christ could satisfie for Sin was such an offence as nothing but the blood of Christ could expiate or get the pardon of it Sin was such a breach and such an enmity as nothing but the death of Christ could take up and reconcile And sin was such a bondage and thrâ—â—dom as nothing but the blood of Christ could redeem us from In him saith the Apostle Ephes 1. 7. we have Redemption but then he adds through his blood So Pet. 1. 18 19. Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ In this Redemption by Christ there are two things considerable 1. The parts of it 2. The degrees of it 1. The parts of it are two one is Privative and respects that from which we are The parts of it redeemed or freed the other is Positive and respects that state unto which we are translated or if I may so expresse it of which we are made free 1. The Privative part of Redemption is that from which we are freed by Christ and that is from all the chaines of Spiritual bondage Now there are six chaines The Privative part from what we are freed From the power of sin of bondage with which every sinner is bound and from them all there is Redemption by Christ 1. With the chaines of bondage under the power of sin 2 Pet. 2. 19. Of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage Every servant of sin is a Bond-slave to his Lusts and so many sinful lusts as he hath so many Tyrants doth he serve as a slave And there is no slavery or bondage like unto that of sin for sin never gives rest nor wages but is infinite in its commands and damns us at last for a requital of all our services But from this bondage doth Christ redeem or deliver us For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Divel 1 Joh. 3. 8. Those works of the Divel were our sins as the same verse expounds them Rom. 6. 6. Our Old Man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Two things in sin from which Christ delivers us 1. Jesus Christ hath by his Redemption delivered us from the dominion of sin Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you
day find it so for as our persons are the first things which Christ hath purchased and blessings and blessednesse for them the next so it is Christ himself unto whom we must be first united before we can have any portion or communion in the good things purchased by him If you did indeed believe that all your right and title to mercy and glory lay in the purchase of Christ you would never be at rest untill Christ himself were yours c. Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God c. 3. If you do indeed believe that all your saving good depends upon the Why do you not go to Christ and get from him all that good purchase of Christ Why do you not go to Christ and get from him some of that goâ—d yea all that good which he hath purchased for us in this life Beloved the purchase of Christ 1. Contains much good for this life All that Christ hath purchased is not a reversion of heaven hereafter there is exceeding much good to be had in present possession There is for this present life an holy nature a discharge of all sins a power of new obedience the presence of the Spirit communion with our God 2. There is nothing which Christ hath purchased for us but it is very precious and very necessary Christ did not dye for small things all that Christ hath purchased he did purchase the same with his precious blood and if all that he purchased is worth his blood then surely it is worth our care and our reception But why is it not thus you look on Christs purchase only in the reversion as if heavenly glory were the whole summe It is not so there are many precious things of a present possession which he hath purchased And why are you so carelesse about them If you do indeed believe them that they are precious and necessary why take you no more pains to enjoy God as your reconciled God why do you not seek his favour and love which Christ hath purchased and why are you so negligent to make peace with God and to sue out that peace which Christ hath made and why do you not seriously beg for holiness and for all the graces of the Spirit of Christ for these hath Christ purchased as well as glory verily many men do not belive that Christ hath purchased any thing and many believe only that he hath purchased heaven but for all other things they fall neither within their faith nor within their care 4. If you believe the meritorious purchase of Christ why do you keep off and Why do you stagger in your expectations and hopes Improve the sufferings of Christ as a purchase stagger in your expectations and hopes and confidences for glory and mercy for any good and doubt your enjoyments is it not because you doubt either of Christs title or of your own right 2. Mind and improve the sufferings of Christ as a meritorious purchase do not rest in the sufferings of Christ as a satisfaction only nor as a deliverance only but go on further and consider them as a purchase and accordingly improve them Beloved ponder well what I say 1. Your estate is not full without the purchase of Christ and the good things purchased Your estate is not full without the purchase of Christ by his blood Suppose you have Gods justice satisfied for the sins which you have committed and suppose that Christ hath delivered you from wrath and condemnation yet this is not enough that all a mans debts be paid is this enough unless you set him up with a good stock again As deliverance from sin and death and wrath is necessary so a right unto and a possession of grace and glory is necessary As you must shew your aquittance from misery so you must shew your title to blessedness and this lies in the blood of Christ as a purchase the estate is not full it is not repaired unlesse you come to possession again 2. As the estate is not full so it is not safe without the enjoyment of what Nor safe without it Christ hath purchased nor without his title for the same Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the City Heb. 12. 14 Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Heb. 10. 39. We are of them that believe to the saving of the soule Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Lo here are things purchased by Christ In ordine ad finem holinesse repentance justification faith and obedience and without these there is no entring into life c. And therefore by all means look after the purchase of Christ this is your salvation and Rock to build upon 3. Your conscience will never be satisfied else it will break down your Consciences Your Conscience will never be satisfied without it from heaven if you have not Christ as your purchase your rejoycing must be in Christ Jesus and your hopes in Christ Jesus And you must be found in him not having your own righteousnesse but the righteousness which is of God by faith c. Quest. But here some may demand When should we improve the meritorious When should we improve this purchase purchase of Christ Sol. I answer you should improve the meritorious purchase of Christ 1. All the dayes of your life when at any time you find a need of any good that All the dayes of our life concerns your souls and desire to enjoy the same now remember what Christ hath purchased and bought for you and now go in his Name to God the Father for it Joh. 14. 14. If you ask any thing in my Name he will do it Chap. 16. 23. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Object O the matters are so high and so great I shall never attaine them Sol. Do you finde them within Christs purchase If so then they are within your faith and you may take them into your Prayer and you shall certainly speed 2. At the time of death when all your hopes to all eternity depend on At the time of death Christ and when the great business and estate of immortality and life comes to the issue and when all for ever is reduced to the merit and power of Christs death and purchase when if Christ failes all failes and if his merit holds heaven is sure and you souls are sure This is the great time the last time to improve the meritorious purchase of Christ Now lay hold on him and fast hold
assertion and I do not know any modest and understanding Writer who doth gainsay it Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins His people are all the Elect given unto him and all Believers who receive him Ephes 5. 23. Christ is the Head of the Church and the Saviour of the body To whom he is a Head of them he is a Saviour but he is the Head of the Church and they are Believers Ergo. verse 25. Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins It was shed for many which is the same with Which was given for you for you that believe on me for as Luther saith well Fides facit haeredes it is faith which makes us heirs of all the good in Christs Testament Joh. 17. 19 For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Joh. 10 15. I lay down my life for the sheep The sheep are believers verse 26. Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me verse 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Joh. 15. 13 14. Greater love hath no man than this that be lay down his life for his friend Ye are my friends c. Besides these general testimonies for the death of Christ in relation to the Elect and Believers you shall finde a particular application of the vertues of the death of Christ unto all believers 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteâ—usnesse Sanctification and Redemption Rom. 13. 22. The Righteousnesse of God is manifestea which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe This Justitia quâ Justi censemur ad universos per fidem pervenit fide Allata Justi omnes redduntur Juâ—aei simul Craeci Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his Theophilact in loc blood the forgiveness of our sins Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Acts 1â— 39. By him all that believe are justified Col. 1. 13. who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Rom. 5. 1. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the attonement Ephes 2. 14. He is our peace 1 Joh. 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of salvation unto all that obey him Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life 1 Tim 4. 10 Who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe Other men enjoy a common salvation but Believers an eternal salvation by him Here are most of the chief benefits resulting from the death of Christ and all of them setled upon and enjoyed by all Believers And verily this must needs be so whether you consider 1. The intention of Gods love in giving of Christ which was this That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. 2. The intention of Christ in his suretiship and deaâ—â— for whom he became bound and for what end viz. that he might see a 〈◊〉 and the travel of his soul and that they who were called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9 15. 3. The joynt application of all the good by Christ unto persons upon union with Christ for when persons are united unto Christ which certainly they are when they do believe then doth God apply all the benefits of Christ unto them justifies them imputes the righteousnesse of Christ unto them forgives their sins gives his Spirit to sanctifie them c. and then believers apply and lay hold on all the promises of God unto them in Christ 4. Iesus Christ is the mediatour of the New Covenant and therefore unquestionably all who are interested in that Covenant do and shall partake of the benefits inserted theâ—ein by promise and sealed therein by the blood of Christ and There is such a sufficiency in the death of Christ that if any will come â—n to Christ be shall partake of redemption by him such are all believers 2. That there is such a sufficiency and dignity and fulnesse in the death of Christ that if any sinner will come in unto him he shall partake of Redemption and salvation by him effectually I do purposely lay down these Conclusions for two Reasons One is to stop the clamours of evil-minded men who give out that if Redemption by Christ be not universal then we shut the door against sinners and discourage them from coming unto Christ Another is to encourage the hearts of all broken-hearted sinners to draw near to Christ though all men are not effectually redeemed by him I would concerning this Point clear unto you these two positions 1. That though effectual Redemption by Christ be not universal but particular yet this is not in the nature of it a Doctrine to discourage any sinner from coming unto Christ We have familiar Similies to illustrate this as that of a Race wherein though but one shall certainly enjoy the prize or Lawrel yet this doth not discourage any one from running the Race And as if any place be void in a Society though only a few can be chosen and possessed of those places yet this doth not discourage many from standing for those places So although effectual Redemption by the death of Christ be particular yet this discourageth none from looking after Christ or coming by faith unto him For 1. No sinner knows any particular exclusion of himself No sinner at least unto whom the Gospel comes can say I am sure that Christ never died for me and I am sure that though I should cometo Christ I shall never receive any good by him Though the effectuall Redemption be particular yet no sinner knowes that he is in particular excluded from the benefit of it 2. The Gospel gives encouragement unto every particular sinner to come to Christ Come for all things are ready Luke 14. It calls upon him Come and hearken and your soul shall live Isa 55. 2. And saith that whosoever believes shall be saved Mar. 16. 16. And him that comes to me I will in no wise reject Joh 6 37. 1. The Gospel puts no conditions of Ante-grace 2. Or worthinesse but offers freely 3. All former things passed by 4. Complaines of unbelief The way which the Gospel useth to bring men in to Christ is proper to work on any sinner though the benefit be peculiar to some though the Gospel doth not say that all shall be saved by Christ yet the Gospel saith that all who believe shall
be saved and all who believe not shall be damned Ergo. It discourageth none from coming to Christ 3. The Gospel holds out enough for any particular sinner to lay hold on It holds out a sufficiency in Christ for any and offers Christ indefinitely A willingness in Christ to receive any that come unto him 4. It offers Jesus Christ to any sinner yea to the vilest and most wretched To the persecuting Paul to the adulterous Magdalen to the Sodomitical Corinthians c. 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 5. Any sinner may accept the offer without any sin for it is worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2. Let any sinner whatsoever come in by faith unto Christ and he shall effectually partake of Redemption and salvation by Christ Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely John 7. 23. If any man thirst let him come to mâ— and drink Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish You see here many promises to assure any sinner of an effectual interest in the benefits of Christ if that he doth hearken and believe and come in by faith unto Christ 1. Doe but consider as faith is the condition required on our part so it is the only condition there is no more no other thing required to bring you in to Christ nor to bring you into communion or fellowship or participation of himself nor of the benefits of his death but faith If you do believe Christ is youâ—s and if you do believe you are justified and if you do believe you shall be saved and if you do believe you have an immediate certain and full interest in Christ and his merits 2. Again where the Gospel is revealed unto a people the reason why any of them miss of salvation and are damned is because they believe not Joh. 3. 8. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God ver 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Now if this be so that unbelief cuts the sinner off that it hinders him of life by Christ that it is his condemnation that it seals the wrath of God on him then certainly faith in Christ in any man whatsoever will bring him to life to all good in and by Jesus Christ 3. That the death of Christ as Mediatour was not effectual for all it was not an The death of Christ was not effectual for all universal effectual Redemption Expiation Reconciliation and Salvation for all sinners and for every particular sinner There are three things which I would offer unto you about this Conclusion 1. Proofs from Scripture as to the Assertion in general 2. Proofs in particular that the Death and Redemption and Reconciliation c. by Christ was not universally effectual either 1. In God the Fathers intention nor in Christs intention 2. In the real Impetration of Christ 3. In the Application of it in time unto all the sons of Adam 3. Answers to some of the chief and speclous Arguments which are insisted on to the contrary 1. I shall endeavour in the general to prove this Negative truth that the death In the general Proofs from Scripture of Christ as Mediatour was not effectual for all and every man for Reprobates as well as Elect for unbelievers as well as believers for the damned as well as the saved Joh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for the sheep Those for whom Christ did dye were his sheep But all and every man are not his sheep Ergo he did not die for every As from John 10 15. man The first Proposition Jesus Christ delivers in this Scripture I lay down my life for the sheep The second Proposition Christ himself also delivers in verse 26. But ye believed not because ye are not of my sheep Quest. If the question be put But who are Christs sheep Sol. Why Christ also resolves that Question and so resolves it that he plainly demonstrates all are not his sheep See verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me verse 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish The sheep are described by their own property and by Christs bounty and care They are Christs sheep who do hear Christs voice and so hear his voice that they follow him But all and every man doth not the one nor the other again Christ sayes I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish Doth Christ give unto every one in the world eternal life and shall not any one in all the worldperish why then doth the Scripture say He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. And we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Heb. 10. 39. Now what can be replied unto this Christ died for his sheep Eâ—go all and every man are not his sheep There are two shifts which are made instead of answers unto this Scripture 1. One is that of Haberus That all men are sheep he must mean the sheep of Christ or else he answers nothing But this Christ himself as â—e have heard of from verse 26. expresly opposeth saying to the unbelieving Pharisees and Jews ye are not my sheep There are but two respects upon which men may be called the sheep of God or of Christ One is in respect of vâ—cation whether external only or internal also The other is in respect of Predestination because God hath Chosen them and designed them for Christ and in neither of these respects can all and every man be called the sheep of Christ Neither in respect of Predestination for few are chosen Nor in respect of Vocation for though many be called yet not all called no not with an External Vocation which yet is the more general 2. Another is that of the Remonstrants who said that Christ did lay down his life for the sheep but it is not said for the sheep only for them alone Paul saith Chriâ—â— gave himself for me It will not hence follow that Christ gave himself for Paul only and for none else nay we read that Christ died fur the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. and therefore not for his sheep only Sol. This is a shift much like that of the Papists who when we presse the Scripture for justification only by faith they say the word only by faith is not expressed unto whom we reply that vertually it is for the Scripture opposeth Justification by faith unto justification by works and denying it unto works therefore it
ascribes justification only to Faith And verily thus it holds as to the present dispute Christ died for his sheep if for none but his sheep than for them only when Christ said I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast given me Joh. 17. 9. This is as much as if he had said I pray only for them whom thou hast given me So when Christ saith I lay down my life for my sheep and afterwards so describes his sheep that all unbelievers are none of the sheep for whom he died now it will follow that he died only for his sheep And indeed I would fain know for whom Christ should die for besides his sheep should he die for them who were never given unto him of whom he never took care to whom he never was a Shepherd for them that were never a part of his flock and charge Is this the commendations of of a good Shepherd to lay down his life for such as have no Relation at all unto him nor he unto them Object But it is said that Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. Sol. 'T is true yet not for all the ungodly for those who are made his sheep by grace were indeed in themselves ungodly sinners thâ—se ungodly spoken of there by the Apostle for whom Christ died verse 6. and 8. in verse 9. are said to be Justified by his blood and that they shall be saved from wrath through him and verse 10. are reconciled by his death and therefore much more being reconciled shall be saved by his life And truely such ungodly as these who in themselves were so and sinners and enemies but by the death of Christ were justified and reconciled and should undoudtedly be saved by him were no other then those whom he here calls his sheep not that his do continue ungodly but that the estate from which he justifies and saves them was so Object And for that conclusion from Paul saying Christ gave himself for me Hence it cannot be inferred therefore for none else but Paul I answer that speech is not alike with this I lay down my lifâ— for my sheep Here is the full number For as in a Testament where common Legacies or Estates are bequeathed unto all the Children and Kindred and Friends though this Child or Kinsman or Friend cannot say this is given to me Ergo there is nothing given to any other besides me yet all and every one of them can say This Estate is given unto us mentioned in the Will therefore it is not given to any other but our selves who only are mentioned therein So though no particular Believer can appropriate the death and vertues of the death of Christ unto himself in exclusion of any other Believer who are all mentioned in the Will and Testament of Christ yet all Believers who are the sheep of Christ can say that Christ hath died for us and hath purchased and left the inheritance to us only none other being mentioned in his Testament nay all unblâ—evers being expresly left out But I proceed unto another proof Acts 20. 28. Feed the Church of God which From Acts 20. 28. Eph. 5. 23 26 27. he hath purchased with his own blood Christ is the Head of the Church and the Saviour of the body Ephes 5. 23 25. Husbands love your Wives as Christ also loved his Church and gave himself for it verse 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word verse 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle but that it should be holy and without blemish In these places you see plainly five particulars 1. That the Church of God was purchased by the blood of Christ his blood was shed to Redeem and purchase it 2. That the love of Christ was to his Church and that from his love to his Church did flow the giving of himself for it 3. That the end why he gave himself for his Church was to make it holy and glorious 4. That of that Church for which he gave himself He is the Head 5. That the same Church is the body of Christ and that of that body he is the Saviour Whence I thus Argue Those whom Christ purchased by his blood were the Church of God those whom he loved were his Church those for whom Christ gave himself were his Church those to whom Christ is Head are the Church and those of whom he is a Saviour are his body the Church But all men whatsoever and every man whosoever are not the Church of God nor are Members of the Church of Christ nor is he the Head of them therefore he did not die or give himself for all and every man nor is he a Saviour to them The Major Proposition is the express Letter of these Scriptures the Minor Proposition is also most certaine viz. that all and every man is not the Church of God nor are they Members of the Church of Christ Consider the Church in any Scripture-acceptation this cannot be denied The Church is either 1. Invisibilis which is Coetus fidelium Or 2. Visibilis which is Coetus profitentium All and every man comes not within either of these they are neither believers on Christ nor professors of Christ Againe There is a Catholick Church of Christ viz. Believers in any time or part of the world and there is a particular Church of Christ which is a number of professing Believers joyned in the worship of Christ in this or that particular place Under neither of these Considerations are all and every Man Members of the Church of Christ Againe there is the Militant Church here on earth suffering for Christ and there is the Triumphing Church reigning in Heaven and glorified with Christ all and every man cannot fall in with either of these If all and every man cannot be found within the compass of the Church of Christ if this never was and is not and never will be then Christ did not die nor give himself for all and every man Object 'T is true that Christ gave himself for his Church but it is not said only for his Church and that he is the Saviour of the body but not only of the body Sol. 1. If one should thus argue from the precedent part of the Verse Verse 25. Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church that they may love others besides their Wives because it is not said Love your own Wives only we should look on such a Gloss as somewhat Atheistical and Scoffing and Scurrilous so when we read that Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it c. Or Hosea 2. 19. I will Marry thee to my self it is not said Only yet Marriage is a particular and exclusive contract but let us review the place againe and try whether it will not yield us as much as Only for the Church Those for whom Christ here gave himself of them he is
latitude for all and every man The intention and minde of Christ in this I Proved humbly conceive cannot be better discerned than by 1. The entring into his Office of Mediatorship as a Surety 2. The opening of his last Will and Testament when he was near death to seal it 3. The prosecuting of all their interests who were concerned in him and his death 4. The disowning of some as such as he never had respect unto 1. When Christ entred into or took on himself the office of a Mediator he then declared himself also a Surety or Sponsor Therefore as he is stiled Heb. 12. 24. The Mediatour of the New Covenant so is he said to be made the Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7. 22. The Argument runs thus Jesus Christ is a Surety for all those to whom he is a Mediatour Redeemer and Saviour But he never was a Surety for all and every man Ergo. The first of these Propositions cannot be denied for the Scripture calls Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer our Surety and saith expresly that Christ once suffered for sinners the Just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. i. in their stead and for their good and that he bare our diseases and carried our soroows and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and our iniquities were laid upon him Isa 53. 4 5. But then for the second Proposition that he never was a Surety for all and every man Will the Arminians speak plainly to this was he or was he not If he were not then every sinfull mans debts are not paid by Christ and then every man is not redeemed and then God is not reconciled to every man for if that debt be not paid and God satisfied then Redemption is not wrought c. If he was a Surety for all and every man then Jesus Christ put himself in the room and stead of every sinner of the world as a surety doth for every one to whom he is a Surety and bound himseâ—f as responsible to Divine Justice to satisfie all that could be charged against any sinner as the surety doth for every one he stands bound for I will be surety for him said Judah to Jacob about Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. Of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee let me bear the blame for ever So Jesus Christ as Surety to God did actually satisfie the Justice of God the Father for us and pay and discharge all the debt so that wrath and curse and damnation are utterly removed and can never befall the sinner because Christ as a Surety hath perfectly satisfied for all and cleared all Sed ira Dei manet infidelibus Joh. 3. 36. Nay as a Surety he did not only satisfie to the discharging of all sin and punishment but merited also and purchased mercy life grace and glory and God is bound to give in all this So that if Christ be a Surety for all and every man and as a Surety died for them all then is Gods Justice fully satisfied God hath no more to say against any sinner he cannot damn any because all sin is satisfied for and discharged and every man shall certainly be saved because Christ as a Surety hath purchased this and must and will see it performed and enjoyed But this no Arminian that ever I read or heard of will maintain c. 2. Secondly we may find out the very mind of Christ concerning the latitude of Redemption and salvation by his death if we peruse his last will and Testament where his mind is plainly opened unto us and which he sealed and confirmed by his death there you read for whom he died Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Mar. 14. 24. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many Luke 22. 20. This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Tetament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressors that were under the first Testament they which aâ—â— called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance verse 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Matth. 20. 28. The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many Here you see all along in the Testament of Christ no mention made for all men but only for many for many and for many and so God speaking of his Christ My righteous servant shall justifie many for he shall bear their sins Isa 55. 11. And he bare the sins of many verse 12. 3. Thirdly Jesus Christ did not prosecute an universal interest of all the world but a particular interest of some Ergo. He did not intend an universal Redemption and Salvation Joh. 17. 9. I pray for them I pay not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Doubtlesse if Christ did intend to redeem and save all he would have done so much as to have paid for all It is strange that he should lay down his life for all and yet would not lay out a prayer for all that he would die to save them and yet not pray to save them if Christ would not do so much as to prosecute their salvation by a Prayer I verily believe he never intended their salvation by his death Ob. The Arminians to decline the edge of this Argument tell us of a double interceding or praying of Christ One is particular and this indeed is onely for Believers Another is universal and this is for the whole world Sol. A handsome evasion I confess methinks they should also distinguish of a two-fold death and Redemption and salvation by Christ one particular for all believers and another universal for all the world that effectual and doing good this ineffectual and profiting none Object But may we know any Scriptures for Christs universal Praying and intercession yes they quote Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do Sol. True here is Christs Prayer indeed but yet here is not the universal prayer for the whole world here is his prayer for them that Crucified him out of ignorance and we hear of the fruit of this prayer in Acts 3. 17. compared with Acts 4. 4. these men who through ignorance crucified Christ and for whom Christ prayed Pater Remitte they were not the whole world this place therefore will not make out an universal interceding or praying for the whole world Object Therefore they bring another Scripture Isa 53. 12. He made intercession for trannsgressors Sol. 'T is true he made intercession for transgressors but where is that intercession which he made for all transgressors where is the universal intercession the transgressors for whom he made intercession in this 12. verse are those sinners which he calls many and justified them in
the 11. verse 4. Fourthly Jesus Christ doth professedly disown some as being such that he never had any affection or respect unto did he ever intend to dye for these and to do as much for their salvation as for the salvation of others Matth. 7. 22. Many shall say in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Divels and in thy Name done many wonderful works verse 23. And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Many shall say and yet Christ will say to those many I never knew He doth not say I do not now know or own you or I did once know you but I never knew you Christ is said to know his sheep Joh. 10. 14. for whom he laid down his life verse 15. But there are many to whom Christ will say I never knew you never acknowledged you never loved you never liked you no not when they Prophecied and wrought miracles in his Name Christ will not then know them because they rejected him and were wicked workers yet I never knew you There you see that this universal redemption cannot finde foundation either in the intention of God the Father or in the intention of God the Son and as Christ who wrought Redemption for sinners 3. I shall now advance to a third Conclusion that there was not an universal impetration of reconciliation and remission of sins and of eternal life by the death of Christ This is that thing upon which the Controversie about the universality of the death of Christ doth principally depend concerning which the Arminians unanimously deliver themselves thus Christus ex patris sua intentione omnibus singulis hominibus indiscriminatiâ—â— â—â—m pereâ—â—tibus quam servandis impetravit Reconciliationem cum doo â— Remissionem peccatorum vitam ateriam Christ according to the intention of his Father and his own did obtain for all men and for every man indifferently as well for them that shall perish as for them that shall be saved Reconciliation with God Remission of sinnes and life eternal Before I present you some Arguments against this Opinion I shall crave your favour that I may spread the whole summe and frame of it as it is by the Arminians themselves set forth in their writings they teach I. That upon the fall of mankind in Adam there was a gracious affection in God by which he was yet mercifully affected to love all and every man alike so as seriously to desire the salvation of all men and of every particular man Vt nullus omnino homo sit cujus salutem non velit so that there was not any one man whose salvation God did not will II. That for the extending of this favour unto all and every man Jesus Christ was sent into the word to dye that by his dâ—ath God justice might be satisfied for all the sins of all men and that thereupon Godâ— might without any prejudice to his justice Plenario voluntatis proposito velle salvare with a full purpose will salvation III. That Jesus Christ did come into the world and by his death did satisfie the justice of God and so opened a door of grace for a possible salvation for all and every sinner Mercy now being set at liberty which before was bowed up IV. That all and every sinner hath a liberty of freedom to enter into that door of grace and besides that there is so much sufficiency of help afforded unto them that if their free-will be pleased to make use of it they may accept of it if they will and if they will not it is their own fault V. That neverthelesse you must distinguish of the death of Christ according to a two-fold decree of God as they say there is One Decree which is according to his affection or will desiring to save all and in respect of this the death of Christ was an universal impetration i. e. it did work so far in relation to God that he might without any injury to himself will an universal salvation to all men and accordingly he did will and decree it Christ having impetrated it Another Decree of God by which he intended the actual bestowing giving and communicating of this salvation universally purchased by the death of Christ which they and we do call the Application of the death of Christ and this they say is Solis fidelibus only to Believers who by faith do receive Christ So that if you demand of the Patrons of universal Redemption Did God indeed desire and will the salvation of all lost sinners they answer he did But did God seriously will this yes he did And was Christ sent for this end he was And did Christ by his death procure and obtain this for all yes he did But did God ever decree or will that all and every man should have benefit by this No verily but only Believers only such as suffer themselves to believe and repent these actually are reconciled pardoned and saved Nevertheless Jesus Christ did by his death obtain this for all Universal Reconciliation universal Remission universal Salvation are purchased by the blood of Christ although some only shall partake of it All have a right in the salvation purchased though only Believers have the benefit nay though no man should ever believe yet there was an universal salvation purchased by Christ for all men Though that Assertion that all Believers and they only partake of actual Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by Christ be a truth which we all agree in yet that there is such an universal Reconciliation Remission and Salvation purchased by the death of Christ for all men whatsoever is an opinion unto which we cannot subscribe but must reject as opposite unto Scripture and religious Reasons I shall let passe some Arguments which some make use of against this Opinion Arguments against this Opinion verse 9. 1. Some were in Hell when Jesus Christ died Did Christ obtain Reconciliation and Remission of sins and Eternal life for them If not for them how then for all and every man But did God ever intend it for them or accepted of the death of Christ for them those for whom Christ laid down his life he saith of them that they shall never perish Joh. 10. 15 28. Do not they perish who are in hell 2. How comes it to passe that many misse of heaven who yet never refused or rejected Christ If Christ obtained salvation for all and theirs it is if they refuse it not how come they to misse of that obtained salvation Misse they shall not lay the Arminians unlesse and untill they refuse but refuse say we they cannot unless it be offered and offered it is not but by the Gospel and the Gospel offers it not where it comes not but in all timâ—s and ages of men it comes not to all and every man yea that there were any inhabitants in America was
for many Ages utterly unknown to the Christian world c. 3. There are some whom God never elected but passed them by he would not shew mercy unto them he intended to manifest his justice and wrath on those vessels of wrath did Christ obtain for these also Reconciliation Remission and eternal life He knew that his Father would never have mercy on them and his death was according to the Counsel of his Father and did his Father Counsel and Decree and appoint him to purchase and procure mercy for those of whom he said he would never shew mercy to them why this were strange indeed that God should put the soule of Christ to grief and make him to bear wrath and sorrow for them unto whom he never intended mercy 4. Should not all men in the world be born in a state of grace and favour For Christ hath obtained Reconciliation for them all and that Reconciliation is not forfeited untill they reject it by unbelief and that cannot be as soon as they be born How then can we all be said by nature to be the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. seeing wrath is off and ceased when God is reconciled This Inference cannot possibly be avoided unless we will fancy that the Reconciliation purchased by Christ is kept by God as it were in Banco as a Treasure which dischargeth nothing for a while untill hereafter it be brought forth to help a person upon occasion so that the Reconciliation and Remission purchased by Christ must he as a dead stock in heaven so long untill men come to years and then God makes experiments whether sinners will make use of it or no c. But to these I shall add other Arguments 1. The Impetration of universal Reconciliation either it was an actual Reconciliation and Remission or only Potential a Reconcileableness or Remissableness If it were an actual Reconciliation and Remission then are God and all sinners enemies no longer but friends and then every sinner shall certainly be saved And is a blessed man for if we be reconciled by the death of Christ much more shall we be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10 And Rom. 4. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered verse 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin But this I suppose none will presume to maintain Ergo. no Actual Reconciliation and Remission for all If the Reconciliation and Remission be only Potential and not Actual then 1. Why doth the Scripture take no notice of this at all But where it speaks of the death of Christ and Reconciliation and Remission thereby it perpetually delivers the one and the other as Actual Ephes 2. 13. Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ verse 14. He is our peace ver 15. Making peace ver 16. Having slain the enmity thereby Col. 1. 20. Having made peace through the blood of his Crosse ver 21. you hath he reconciled Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them was all this here ascribed unto the death of Christ only a power accruing unto God that he might if he would make an offer of an universal reconciliation and Remission 2. But again Jesus Christ did make an actual offering of himself and he did actually satisfie the Justice of God for all according to the Opinion of the Arminians Now if the Justice of God be actually satisfied surely there is more than a meer power and liberty acquired that God may be reconciled to us if he will and pardon us if he will and save us if he will Because the satisfaction of Christ can and doth Oblige God to this God having Covenanted with him if that he would lay down his life for sinners that then his Righteousness should justifie and reconcile them 3. What we are to believe that is true but we are to believe that God is actually reconciled by the blood of Christ and hath actually forgiven us 2. This Grand universal Impetration either God intends the real actual application of it or he doth never intend to apply it to all It were most strange that the Son of God should come down from heaven be made man be made obedient to the death even to the death of the Cross yea and be made a curse for us and by his blood purchase as they say Reconciliation and Remission and life Eternal for all and every one if God intended not actually to bestow these But I demand Did he intend and will the actual collation of these purchased benefits on all and every one or did he not The Arminians to this expresly answer two things Grevencovius Cortivus 1. Deum nec voluisse nec noluisse God did neither will and intend it neither did he nill or not intend it Why then there is a Christ given to death given for a Sacrifice to be a Propitiation for sinners to be a Redemption for all and every sinner to save all and yet after all this God is not peremptorily resolved either way of the benefit of this to any one sinner whatsoever And so the death of Christ may be in vain in respect of benefit to all the sinners in the world For although his death did satisfie Gods Justice and thereby God gained so much as that he might universally tender Redemption to all yet if there were no actual purpose or real intention in God to bestow this on any who can say that he shall be the better for that which God really intends not to bestow on him 2. Again they say that though God did not peremptorily intend to confer and bestow this upon all yet conditionally he did if so be that all will believe on Christ unto which I would reply two things First God did know that all men would not believe on Christ and therefore as to the prescience of God this condition was not universal but particular if Gods intention to impart the benefits of the death of Christ had a respect unto and foundation in a condition which he certainly foresaw to be particular only Hence it will necessarily follow That God never intended a Redemption and salvation for all From the Argument either to God or unto men it shall bind the Adversary If to God in respect of his intention then thus I frame it God intended salvation by Christ only for all who will believe in Christ but God did certainly know that all men would not believe in Christ Ergo. he did not intend it for all If to men in respect of the event then thus Salvation is obtained for all who will believe on Christ but all men will not believe in Christ Ergo. Salvation is not obtained for all Secondly I reply to that Assertion viz. That God did intend to confer or apply all saving benefits purchased by Christ upon the condition that
Christ taste death not one of them could have been saved but by his death and what is this to every man whatsoever in the world are all and every man sanctified children brethren c 1 Tim. 1. 10. Object 1 Tim. 1. 10. Who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe Answered Sol. 1. Speaks the Apostle here of Christs dying for the salvation of all and every man of Gods Spiritually saving of unbelievers and of believers that he will eternally save unbelievers as well as believers If the Arminians will needs have this place so understood how come they to admit and swallow down that word especially especially of them that believe whereas they hold that Gods will to save by the death of Christ is equal and alike to all either they must understand this place of Gods Antecedent will of salvation but then especially stands in their way or they must understand it of his Consequent will and then all stands in their way for God as they teach will not save any according to his Consequent will but only Believers 2. But the Apostle here speaks not of salvation by the death of Christ but of a saving or safety depending on the Providence of God which respects all men in the world but believers in a more special manner who have the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come v. 8. And therefore the Apostle in his sufferings and labours excites himself to trust on God to take care and provide for him which he doth upon this ground q. God is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe q. d. If Gods Providence will help all men even the world much more them that believe on him Object But that word Saviour and saving must needs mean some higher matter than this of Providence Sol. In this place it doth not nor in many other places Psal 36. 6. Hominem Bestiam servas Jehovah Matth. 8. 25. Lord save us we perish Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 11. Object Rom. 14. 15. Destroy not him by thy meat for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 11. Through thy knowledge shall thy weake brother perish for whom Christ died Answered Sol. The Question in dispute is whether Christ did by his death obtain for all and every man Reconciliation with God Remission of sins and Eternal life do these places come up to the proof thereof 1. The Apostle speaks unto Christians in both these places he writes unto believers are believers all and every man nay he writes to the believers of particular Churches in Rome and in Corinth are particular believers all and every man in the world 2. To these he writes of a particular case respecting their Christian liberty about the use of Herbs and Meats so to moderate themselves as not to scandalize or offend their weak brethren and to perplex and ensnare their consciences that those Christians who were strong in faith i. e. were fully perswade and satisfied that all meats were lawful should not so act their liberty thereupon as to give offence to their weak brethren unto weak believers who yet were not so clearly convinced of that liberty He speaks of believers on both sides strong and weak and of none other but believers concerned in the present fear and scandal and what is this to Christ dying for every man 3. And why would he not have the strong believers by the abuse of their liberty about meats and drinks and herbs to offend the Consciences of their weak brethren he gives the Reason destroy not him by thy meat for whom Christ died and shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died The reason lies in the danger of that offence q. d. thus to offend them was as much as in them lay to destroy them and cause them to perish For offence or scandal of themselves and in their own natural aptitude do tend to the ruine and destruction of those to whom they are objected and weak Christians are likewise apt to be shaken and wounded and waver by them Assuredly this is and should be reason sufficient with any believers therefore not to give scandal in any thing much less in the use of meats and drinks to other Believers who are weak neither doth the Apostle say He is destroyed by thy meat for whom Christ died but Destroy not him c. He speaks not of a work eventually done and effected but of a work which he cautions them to beware or take heed of as tending thereunto And so in the later place he doth not absolutely affirm that the weak brother doth perish but interrogatively propounds shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died q. d. should you or any of you be an occasion as much as in you lies of the ruining of any for whom Christ died therefore have a care be wary that ye give not any offence unto them Fifthly If the Apostle had said that any weak brother had indeed been destroyed and had indeed perished yet this would not prove that Christ died for all and every man All that it could inferre would be only this that some Believers might be destroyed and perish for whom Christ died which yet appertains to another controversie of falling from grace and there neither will it serve the turn Object 2 Pet. 2. 1. There were false Prophets also amongst the people even as 2 Pet. 2. 1. there shall be false Teachers among you who shall privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Loe say the Arminians here are some which bring upon themselves swift destruction and deny the Lord that bought them and therefore as well they that perish as they that shall be saved are redeemed by Christ c. Sol. For answer to this place divers things may be said Answered 1. Some do question whether it speaks of Jesus Christ at all because the word here rendred Lord is not that word Lord by which Christ is usually set forth there is a difference observed by learned men 1. Inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominum which we find in Jude ver 4. denying the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I know not whether we may with safety rest on this curiosity 2. I shall rather make use of that distinction of being bought by Christ persons may be said to be bought by the Lord Christ 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to truth so only the Church is bought or purchased by the blood and death of Christ Acts 2. 28. Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In respect of Opinion and so those are said to be bought who seem to be bought who bear such expressions of Christians for a while that both themselves and others in a judgement of
charity look on them as bought and redeemed persons although afterwards the contrary doth appear as all those who have but a temporary faith and make a temporary profession these seem to us to be bought and perhaps unto themselves yet really they are not And truely such kind of persons were these who are said in this place to deny the Lord that bought them they were so far wrought on that they got the knowledge of the true way of righteousness verse 12. And escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ ver 20. and probably were numbred in respect of profession with the people of God so that they seemed to be bought in respect of their temporary faith profession and conversation yet really they were not so for they turned Apostates ver 22. and damnable Hereticks ver 1. denying the Lord either in his Person or in his Office who bought them as others and as themselves did think Thirdly Others do yet suggest one more answer unto this place who say that these Hereticks and so other wicked men were bought by Christ though not as to the effect and state of salvation for so only the Elect and true Believers are bought by Christ as their Redeemer and Saviour yet in respect of some common fruits and benefits for those upon that account their service and fidelity are duely and properly belonging unto Christ and their sin is the greater for denying him who is their Lord also by a right of Redemption as to Common mercies And some do conjecture had it not been for the Promise of Christ as Redeemer and Gods looking on him as so all the world had been presently destroyed upon the fall of Adam but Christ interposing himself he stayed that destruction and at least procured the cause of all those outward blessings which ungodly men do enjoy in this life for which reason he may be said to buy even the ungodly in that he delivers them from present ruine and their sin is therefore the greater to deny him but I adhere to the second answer as most proper to the place But having now many other Scriptures alledged by them to the same purpose aforementioned let us consider what Reasons and Arguments the Arminians produce to prove that Christ died for all and every man and by his death Arguments of the Arminians purchased Reconciliation with God Remission of sins and eternal life for them I shall briefly mention four or five of the chiefest which they bring Argument 1 1. That which every man is bound to believe is true but every man is bound to believe that Christ died for him Ergo it is true that Christ died for every man Sol. To this Sophistical Argument two answers are given by the Learned Answered 1. One unto the Major or first Proposition viz. That which every man is bound to believe is true a thing may be said to be true in a three-fold respect Either quia promittitur because it is promised Or secondly quia narratur because it is related or declared Or thirdly quia praedicitur because it is foretold so that whatsoever a man is bound to believe that same is true either as promised or as declared or done or as foretold Not alwayes true in one and the same respect or in every respect but either as promised or declared or reported or as foretold To apply this to the Argument in hand that Christ died effectually for every man If it be a truth then it must be so because God hath promised it or declared it or foretold it if it be a truth because promised then it is with condition of faith for though the very promise be true in it self yet it is not performed unto us without believing the same promise still requiring faith for the performance of it and then this will not prove that it is true that Christ died for all and every man absolutely but only for Believers or for all men only under the condition of faith If it be a truth because only declared or foretold then whether a man believes or believes not this is true that Christ died for him the reason is all things which are true by way of Narration or Prediction they are true upon their own account they are true before we believe them our faith makes them not to be so and if we believe them not yet are they true our unbelief cannot make the truth of God a lye But I suppose that no Arminian will say that Christ dyed effectually for every man whether he doth believe or doth not believe A second answer shall be unto the Minor Proposition But every man is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him to this I would say three things First It is a material disputable Point Whether those to whom the Gospel is not revealed are bound to believe that Christ died for them because the Precept of believing is a Gospel Precept only and the punishment for unbelief is threatned and inflicted in relation to the Gospel for slighting and refusing that Christ who is revealed and offered by the Gospel unto sinners who also are therein commanded to believe on Christ and if this be so then certainly every man is not bound to believe that Christ died for him Secondly When the Gospel doth come it doth not absolutely command that every one should believe that Christ dyed for him indeed it doth command every one to believe on Christ i. e. to receive him and trust on him alone for life But it doth not command him to believe without any more ado without any condition whatsoever that Christ died for him i. e. hath by his death made his peace procured his pardon and eternal life For the Gospel doth not reveale or command any such thing It doth reveale a Christ who died for sinners and it doth offer this Christ to sinners but with all it saith Whosoever believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Doth the Gospel command every man absolutely to believe that Christ dyed for him which takes in the Application of all the fruits and benefits of the death of Christ which a soule can enjoy whether a man obey the voice of the Gospel or not receive Christ or not q. d. you are bound to believe that Christ died for you though you never by faith close with the offer of Christ though your heart never prize him or never are brought in unto him and though you still love your sins and persevere in them Tell me in good sadness did Jesus Christ ever sign such a Commission as this Go preach the Gospel and tell people that whether they receive me or will not receive me whether they become believers or continue unbelievers whether they repent or continue impenitent they are bound every man of them to believe that I dyed for them and reconciled them and have procured salvation for them Certainly if every man were bound to believe this he were bound
to believe a falshood for verily Christ did not die for those who remain unbelievers and impenitent and the Gospel is so far from promising life by the death of Christ to impenitent and unbelieving persons that it threatens and seals death and wrath and condemnation on them Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him ver 18. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God 3. The immediate Object of that faith which God at first requires is not this Proposition Christ dyed for me But Christ who dyed And the first command of Faith in the Gospel is to accept Christ and rest on Christ and then follows a fiduciary perswasion that Christ died for me And indeed no man can come to that degree of Faith to be perswaded or confident that Christ died for him untill he first by faith receive Christ offered unto him Argument 2 Vnbelievers are damned for rejecting the grace of Christ offered unto them by the Gospel shall they be so punished if that grace were never purchased for them and never did belong unto them Answered Sol. To this I answer First That Christ with his grace of Redemption is Indefinitely offered unto sinners by the Gospel and that all who do by their infidelity refuse that grace are deservedly damned not because they reject the grace offered belonging to them as unbelievers and impenitent but because they neglect and despise that condition upon which grace was offered unto them Christ and his grace were offered unto them upon this condition If they would believe and receive him and it But they will not believe You will not come unto me that you might have life Joh. 5. 40. And though light be come into the world yet they will not receive it Secondly Unbelievers who do reject Christ with his grace offered unto them do not reject him and that grace because they know that neither Christ nor his grace do belong to them this neither is nor can be the reason à priore of their rejection because no particular sinner unto whom the Gospel comes can know that Christ hath simply excluded him and tends no good to him and he sees that to others in the same condition and depth of sin and unworthiness with himself Christ and his grace offered by the Gospel are effectual But therefore they do reject Christ because they love him not they love darkness rather than light Joh. 3. 19. and are led by their perverse will so as utterly to refuse communion with Christ and subjection to him for which they are deservedly punished Argument 3 Thirdly they argue thus That if Christ did not dye for all and eveâ—y man Then every man must remain in a doubtful suspence whether he be concerned to believe in Christ or not Answered Sol. 1. And why so I pray you Is this to be set up as the only ground why we must believe in Christ because Christ hath died for all and every man when yet themselves do say though Christ hath so died for all and every man yet no man is the better for this untill and unless he believe Or doth the Gospel when it calls upon sinners to believe on Christ propound this as the inducement unto the soul Christ died for all men and for every man therefore you should believe on Christ and untill you be sure that Christ did thus dye and obtain Reconciliation for all and every man and Remission of sins and eternal life for all you may not and must not believe When Peter called upon those Jews to believe Acts 2. and Paul upon the Jaylor believe and you shall be saved Chap. 16. did they usher this duty in with imposing this Precedent certainty to them that they must subscribe firist unto that Point That Christ dyed for all and every man therefore you should believe Secondly But there is no cause of this suspence or doubting at all whether a person should believe on Christ though Christ did not die for all men because the Gospel without that error affords Grounds or Reasons enough for any man to whom it is preached to believe on Christ 1. It reveals Christ as the Saviour of sinners 2. It offers this Saviour freely unto sinners 3. It commands him particularly to believe on Christ 4. It promiseth him life upon believing Is here now any reason to doubt whether I ought to believe 5. It assures him that Christ will in no wise reject him 6. But will accept and that it is so far from being a sin in him to believe in Christ that it is his great sin if he doth not believe on Christ who then graciously offers himself and Commands him to believe and assures him of Reconciliation and pardoning mercy and eternal life upon beleeving Argument 4 If Christ did not dye for all and every man then one of these Absurdities must necessarily follow either that those for whom Christ dyed not are free of Adams sins as the Angels in Heaven are and so have not need of Christ to be their Reconciliation or else they are in the same condition with the Divels and so must despair of all hope of Salvation Answered Sol. I answer neither so nor so neither the one nor the other absurdity will arise necessarily out of that Doctrine that Christ dyed not for all that some of Adams Posterity are no sinners and so need no Reconciliation by Christ or that else they must despair being in the same condition with the Divels themselves 1. For first most certain it is that in Adam all sinned Rom. 5. 12. And by reason of sin all do stand in need of Reconciliation by Christ but hence it will not follow because that all men are sinners and do stand in need of such a Reconciliation by Christ therefore God must and doth give Christ as a Reconciliation for them all No more then this will follow because that so many Malefactors are in peril of their life therefore the Prince against whom they have offended must either pardon or offer pardon to every one of them for though there be a common necessity of pardon as unto all of them because of their guilt yet the giving of pardon is an act of meer grace and therefore the Prince offended may bestow it on some of them only and not on all of them Thus stands the case 'twixt God and us we have all sinned against him and therefore come short of the glory of God and stand in need of mercy and Reconciliation by Christ and God saith I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy some of these sinners I will save by Christ namely all them that believe Joh. 3. 36. others of these I will not save namely those that believe not though there be a need of
Reconciliation in respect of all men yet it is the pleasure of God not effectually to bestow salvation on them all Nor is God as to the event and issue of this at all unjust seeing that he leaves them only to wrath and condemnation who do continue unbelieving and impenitent 2. But secondly Neither will that follow that the condition of some men i. e. unbelievers must be the same with that of the Divels without any hope of salvation if Christ not dye for all For First The Divels had no Mediatour at all given unto them in respect of their kind for one or other but so mankind had forasmuch as Christ took part of the nature of mankind Heb. 2. 14. Secondly The Divels all of them are in an estate of actual damnation they are every one of them actually damned but so is not every man no nor yet every one that believes not in Christ 3. The Divels have their damnation so sealed upon them that every one of them doth know there is no hope of salvation at all for them but thus it is not with any particular unbeliever living for though the unbelieving person doth deserve eternal damnation yet he hath the means offered to escape that damnation yea he doth know that if he continues unbelieving he shall not escape the wrath of God yet he doth not know whether God may not give him grace to change his unbelieving heart after a long time of unbelief Neither can we say of any unbeliever nor can any unbeliever say of himself God will never give him grace that he may be converted and believe and therefore it is not true that the unbeliever is in the same hopeless condition with the Divels Thirdly This Assertion that Christ did not effectually dye for all men is no more apt in the nature of it to cause any to despair than these expressions of Christ Matth. 20. 16. There are but few which are chosen And Matth. 7. 14. Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Would or may you argue from these expressions of Christ that these who do not belong to the number of those few must now despair and they are in the same condition with the Divels why then will you reason thus from Christ not dying for all and every man And yet fourthly we may add this to all the rest That those sinners who continue who live and dye impenitent and unbelieving these do in the event cut off themselves from all hope of salvation As Paul spake of the Gentiles lying in their natural condition That at the same time they were without Christ and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. that we may safely say of all obstinate impenitent and unbelieving persons living and dying so they are without Christ and without hope and shall go into that hell which is prepared for the Divel and his angels in the event their condition will not be different Argument 5 Once more they argue thus If Christ did not die for all and every man Then no man can certainly conclude that Christ died for him and that he shall be saved by Christ For such a conclusion must be raised either upon some particular word Christ died for thee or upon some general word Christ died for all but you have no particular word that Christ died for you personally And if you deny a general word that he died for all then you have no word certainly to conclude that Christ died for you and so you are left without any certainty and comfort of salvation by Christ Answered Sol. It is well that the Arminians are so tender for the certain knowledge of any mans salvation by Christ they leave God to an uncertainty of any mans particular salvation notwithstanding the death of Christ for all men yet they will say This death of Christ for all men as a ground of certainty unto us wherein yet they deal 1. Very fraudulently with us for though they say that Christ dyed for all yet they expresly teach that the application of Christs death for actual salvation is only for them that believe 2. Very falsly for according to this Doctrine no man can ever be certain of his salvation untill the very last gasp of his persevrance in grace and that many perish eternally for whom Christ died Secondly but let us see whether according to their Doctrine of Christs dying for all men one may certainly conclude to the satisfaction and peace and comfort of his conscience that Christ died for him Let the ground for certainty be drawn up thus Christ died for all men but I am a man therefore certainly Christ died to save me Or Christ died to save all sinners but I am a sinner Ergo Christ died to save me I think any understanding Christian would find miserable ground of satisfaction and certainty from this in the time of a perplexed conscience But we have another way and far surer from the Scripture to conclude our certainty of Christs dying for us and to save us Jesus Christ dyed for all Believers effectually to save them this the Scripture expresly affirms but I do truely believe in Christ and therefore I certainly conclude that Christ did die for me to save me And thus I have gone through this great Controversie about the latitude of Christs death where I find thus much that it is necessary for every man to get faith who will indeed be the better for the death of Christ it shall therefore be our wisdom to leave disputing and humbly to beg of God to give us Faith that so we may believe on Christ to the salvation of our soules SECT IX 2. Quest I Shall now proceed to a second Question viz. Whether any man can Whether any man can know that his particular salvation was intended in the death of Christ attain to the knowledge or certainty of the particular intentions of Christs death in the benefits of it unto himself i. e. whether any man can certainly know that God intended his particular salvation in the giving of Christ and that Christ died for him and made peace for him and purchased remission of his sins and eternal salvation for his soul Answered Sol. For the resolving of this Scruple be pleased to consider a few places 1. There is a difference 'twixt a general assent and 'twixt a particular knowledge and Application It is one thing to know and acknowledge this general Truth that Christ came into the world to save sinners and that whosoever believes shall besaved and that whosoever repents shall have his sins pardoned and it is another thing by faith to know that Christ died for me that his blood was shed for the remission of my sins that I am reconciled by his death and that I shall be saved by his life to say of Christ as Paul once did
possible then he earnestly presseth them to a fruitlesse duty and successless labour If it be possible that they might upon the trial come to know that Christ is in them then the thing is granted 2. I thus argue They who may come upon trial to know that Christ is in them may certainly know that Chrâ—st died for them to save them My reason is this That Jesus Christ is in none but in them for whom he died and whom he will save Col. 1. 27. Christ is in you the hope of glory 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life If therefore one may know that Christ is in him of a truth then he may know that Christ died for him in particular for his salvation Thirdly If Believers may attain to joy and rejoycing in the death of Christ yea unto a triumphing in it then they may certainly know that Christ died for them and hath purchased Reconciliation Remission and salvation for them The consequence I prove thus There are three things necessarily concurring to cause Spiritual joy and rejoycing viz. 1 A delightful rejoycing Object 2. An application of that Object to the desire of the soul 1. A knowledge of that application Gerson Park 2. Comp. de Dilectatione p. 161. and indeed without that knowledge that such an Object is ours or is for us there never will be actual rejoycing but if it be impossible then dispair and if it be doubtful then fear c. But believers may attain to joy and rejoycing in Christ Phil. 3. 3. and that upon the account of his beneficial dying for them Rom. 5. 11. And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Fourthly I will add but one other Argument and that is is this We are bound to love Jesus Christ who died for us and abundantly to thank and blesse God for our Redemption and Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by Christ this I suppose no man will deny but we can neither do the one nor the other if we cannot attain unto a certainty that Christ died for us 1. Love of Christ depends upon the knowledge of his love to us It is not with this spiritual love as it is with natural love where you may love a person although you know not his love unto you but our spiritual love necessarily ariseth from the application and knowledge of a precedent love unto us we love him q. because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19 you must be able to see and know the love of Christ to you before you can be able to raise or return love to him and therefore do we love Christ because his love is manifested unto us Now if this love of Christ to us which he shewed in dying for us Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friend Joh. 15. 13. be perpetually hid from us that we can never attain the certain knowledge thereof but must only guess at it perhaps Christ loved us to dye for us perhaps he did not how can our hearts possibly be raised to a solid fixed intensive reciprocal love of him 2. In like manner how can our thankfulness be indeed rightly returned unto God for giving of Christ for us to reconcile and save us for according to your knowledge in this case will be your thankfulness can you ever thank and bless and praise God for Christ and his death and the benefits thereof to you whiles you know not that they belong to you O Lord I bless thee for that exceeding love of thine in giving Christ to redeem my soul to make my peace to discharge my sins to save my soul c. But truly I know not whether this be so or no I am utterly uncertain whether Christ dyed for me or whether himself or any benefit by him and his death doth indeed concern me or belong unto me c. SECT X. 3. Quest NOw follows the third and last Question to be spoken unto how a How a person may certainly know that Christ did dye effectually for him person may certainly know that Jesus Christ did die effectually for him Satisfied Gods Justice for him purchased remission of sins for him and eternal life for him Answered Sol. This is a pertinent Question indeed said a dying person whom some of us knew in this place But did Christ dye for my sins but did Christ dye for my soul but did he dye for me How shall I know that Christ died for me for my sins to save my soul This is a question which many of us first or last will make question of when trouble of conscience ariseth or when death appoacheth O then how may I know that Christ is my Christ and that he died for me This is the highest of all questions Did Christ dye for me and a most necessary question what though Christ did dye for others and they partake of the benefits of his death if he did not die for me and if I be not saved by his death and if the conscience can once upon sure grounds be satisfied in this question so that a person knows that Christ died for him now there is peace and joy and thanksgiving and a lively hope of salvation all is sure if once we can get to be sure that Christ is ours and did die for us For answer therefore unto the question propounded be pleased to remember in the general that there are three sorts of persons in the world namely First Some who in the present estate under which they lye cannot know that Christ dyed for them and will save them I say in the present estate wherein they are For though there may be a possibility of the change of that estate and so a capacity may come in for that particular knowledge and certainty yet as to their present estate absolulely considered there is an incapacity of immediate knowledge that Christ died for them These persons are all unbelieving and impenitent persons who as so and remaining so cannot know that Christ died to save them because 1. The way to know that Christ died for us must arise either from some In the general Some cannot know word of promise that a person in such a condition having interest in Christ shall be saved by him but there is no such promise to any unbelieving and impenitent person as such a person or from some words of Narration which declare and affirm that Christ and the benefits of his death do belong unto unbelieving and impenitent persons as so But there is no such Narrative word which affirms it that Christ belongs unto the unbeliever and that he hath indeed obtained pardon of sins and life for him or from faith wrought in the heart But this is not in the unbelieving and impenitent person if it were then he were not unbelieving or from
some internal testimony of the Spirit of Christ witnessing and sealing the application of the death of Christ in the benefits of it unto the unbelieving and impenitent person But such a testimony the Spirit of Christ never gives to any person remaining unbelieving and impenitent his witnessing and sealing being only to the children of God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and follows on believing Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ver. 14. who is the earnest of our inheritance So that there is no way for any unbeliever and impenitent person to know that Christ dyed for his sins and to make his peace and to save his soul and unlesse his unbelief and impenitency be changed he can never know it 2. As the Gospel fixeth the death of Christ in the benefits of it only upon Believers he that believeth shall be saved Mark 16. 16 And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. So it threatneth unbelievers with the losse of all benefit by Christ Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall not be damned And John 3. 36. He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Note And therefore by the way let me hint unto you two things One is that all such persons who do continue to slight and refuse Christ and will go on in their sinful ways they have certainly deceived themselves and do still deceive themselves in their presumptuous confidence that Christ hath dyed for them and shed his blood for the remission of their sins and that they shall be saved as well as the best These rude confidences are but lying vanities and ungrounded presumptions refuges and delusions of their own making and who so trusts unto them will in the end perish for the Scripture is so far from offering Christ in the benefits of his death to unbelieving and impenitent persons continuing in that estate that it assures them of the quite contrary that they shall not see life that they shall not be saved that they shall dye in their sins and perish A second is that we would every one of us look seriously into our conditions and if we do finde them to be unbelieving and impenitent then as we love our lives and tender our salvation by Christ humbly and earnestly to importune the Lord to deliver our souls from unbelief and impenitency they being the sins which else will hinder us not only of the benefits by the death of Christ but also of Christ himself without an interest in whom we cannot have any interest in the benefits purchased by his death Secondly Some there are who perhaps are in Christ and yet they do not Some may be in Christ but do not know it know that they are in Christ and Christ in the benefits of his death belongs unto them at least they do not certainly know this and the reason of that inevidency may be 1. Their own negligence and carelessnesse the Apostle saith We must give all diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. The assurance of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of Christ is a most sweet and refreshing knowledge but it cannot be so easily attained A diligence on our part is required to attain the same much searching and praying and conference and comparing of our hearts with the Word of precept and with the Word of promise are necessary for such an evidence and our failing in these may be a reason why we fail in that 2. The imbecillity of faith which is but newly â—ormed and hardly perceptible by reason of many clouds and doubts and fears weak faith cannot so easily manifest it self unto us nor yet our title to Christ and interest in his purchase 3. The power of temptations and of melancholy which do distract the soul and disturb the apprehension and the acts of it and daâ—ken and misperswade and delude us so that we cannot see our selves aright nor Christ aright nor our grounds of Application nor yet the testimonies or evidences of our union with Christ Thirdly Some there are who lie in a trembling condition and are not determinately Some would know but do not resolved either way they cannot peremptorily conclude Christ did not dye for them nor yet can they confidently affirme Christ did dye for them only this is to be found in them that their hearts do mourn after Christ and they do love him and do exceedingly strive after the knowledge of his love and the intentions of his death for their souls the inevidence of it is their great perplexity and the certainty of it is their great desire and pains And now for a clear and distinct answer unto the question One may certainly know that Christ died effectually to satisfie Gods justice for him to take away his sins to make reconciliation for him and to save him 1. By the description of those for whom without all question Christ did intentionally and effectually dye 2. By the qualities of those persons who in Scripture have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them and unto whom in particular the benefits of his death have been applied and appropriated 3. By the interest in that condition of faith upon which Christ becomes ours in his person and in his benefits 4. By the combination of the benefits of the death of Christ and the real participation of every one of them 5. By the ends of the death of Christ and the appearance of them upon his heart and life 6. By the ground and order of that certainty of knowledge or perswasion which a person hath that Christ dyed for him 7. By the concomitant presence of some choice affections in all who do attain unto that certain evidence that Christ dyed for them 8. By the consequent effects and fruits which do flow from that sound knowledge of Christ in his death and benefits for us in particular One may certainly know that Christ dyed for him By the description of those for whom Christ intentionally dyed 1. One may certainly know that Christ effectually dyed for him By the description of those for whom without all question Jesus Christ did intentionally and effectually dye If one can finde himself within the number of them for whom Christ himself hath said he came to dye and came to save and laid down his life and saith he is the Saviour of them this man may be confidently perswaded and assured that Christ dyed for him Now you finde some expressely described in Scripture for whom he unquestionably dyed Matth. 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins Joh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for the sheep Joh. 15. 13. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends If therefore any
Ratio par Affirmatio Put seveâ—al men into the same and like condition and into the same and like relation and into the same and like capacity then what interest priviledges one hath the same interest and priviledges the other hath and upon what ground the one can plead and conclude upon the same may the other plead and conclude I shall make use of this to the present purpose You read in Scriptuâ—e of some who have been able to say Christ loved me and gave himself for me Paul said so Gal. 2. 20. By the quality of the persons who have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them And I know my Redeemer liveth Job said so chap. 19. 15 And this is my beloved and this is my friend and I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine the Church said so Cant. 5. 16. and Cant. 6. 3. And of some to whom the benâ—fits of the death of Christ have been particularly applied and attributed Luke 7. 48. He said unto her Thy sins are forgiven Matth. 9. 2. Jesus saith unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Revel 5. 8. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Now consider what was the quality and disposition of these persons who were able confidently and upon sure grounds thus to speak and of whom these things were thus affirmed and if you finde the same spiritual disposition in your selves you may then certainly conclude Christ gave himself for you and he is your Redeemer and your sins are forgiven you c. Quest Why what kinde of persons were they Sol. They were effectually called persons as Paul who saith in Gal. 1. 15. That it pleased God to call him by his grace And so were the Corinthians called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. And called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord Ver. 9. And they were upright persons fearing God and eschewing evil such an one was Job chap. 1. 8. And they were mourning and repenting persons such an one was the woman Luke 7. 37 38. And longing after Christ such an one was that person in Matth. 9. 2. And united unto Christ by Faith and Love filled with high thoughts desires and delights so was the Church mentioned in the â—anticles and the rest spoken of in the other places Why then if any man can say upon good grounds God hath called me by his grace unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ he may certainly conclude Christ dyed for me and gave himself for me I was thus and thus sinful but God hath converted me I was a blasphemer and a persecutoâ— c. And if any man can say My heart thirsts and longs for Christ and my soul is matched with Christ he is the beloved of my soul Why I say unto that man Christ loved thee and gave himself for thee And if any man finds himself a mourning and repenting sinner I can say to him Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee And if any man finds his heart upright with God and with Christ that man may surely conclude with By his interest in the condâ—tion of faith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth 3. Thirdly One may know that Christ dyed for him in particular by his interest in that condition of faith upon which Christ certainly becomes ours in his person and benefits If any one of â—s do indeed believe on Christ assuredly God the Father intended his salvation in the giving of Christ and Jesus Christ intended and wrought the remission of his sins and the salvation of his soul by his death Hearken what the Word of God speaketh in several places to this purpose John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved 1 Cor 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctificaâ—ion and redemption In those places it is most evident that whosoever believes on Christ he is certainly interested in Christ and in all the benefits depending on Christs death he is delivered from perishing he shall have everlasting life he shall receive the remission of sins his peace is made with God Christ is wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption and salvation unto him Object You will say this is true and unquestionable that whosoever believes on Christ he is certainly interested in the death of Christ and in all the benefits of his death but here lies the scruple I doubt whether my faith be that very faith which doth indeed interest a person in Christ whether it be faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. And faith that is precious 2 Pet. 1. 1. And faith that is justifying Rom. 5. 1. And faith that is saving Ephes 2. 8. Sol. I will not expatiate in the answer of this because I have upon several occasions How I may know my faith doth interest me in Christ spoken already much of the nature and properties of true faith what I would say to the present scruple whether my faith be the very faith which doth interest me in Christ and in the benefits of his death is this That faith is true and truly interesting in Christ and in his benefits which First is seated in an heart broken with the sense of sin and deeply apprehensive of the need of a dying Christ such was theirs in Acts 2. 37. c. and his in Acts 16. 29 30 31. Secondly Is raised and created by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God and according to the working of his mighty power Ephes 1. 10. Thirdly Is let in by the Ministry of the Gospel and upon Gospel-offers and calls and promises and assurances Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation Matth. 11. 28. Joh. 6. 36 37. Rev. 3. 20. Fourthly Raiseth the heart to high and precious thoughts of Christ unto you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. all is nothing without Christ And if I have but Christ I have enough he is life and best of all Fifthly Draws out earnest and unsatiable desires never resting without the enjoyment of Christ and parting with all which stands in opposition to that enjoyment Sixthly Makes the heart to receive Christ Joh. 1. 12. yea gladly to receive Christ Acts 2. 41. yea whole Christ the Lord Jesus Christ
Acts 16. â—0 there to dwell Ephes 3. 17. and there to rule and reign Seventhly And to depend on Christ placing all our confidence on him and in none and on nothing but him Phil. 3. 3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Ver. 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Eighthly And to love Christ faith which worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. who sheweth so much love as to give himself to death to save me I will go no farther Finde me but such a faith as this and I assure you I assure you nay the Gospel of Christ assures you that this is true faith thâ—s is the Faith which makes Christ yours in his Person and in all the Benefits of his Death And one thing more observe by the way that though this faith be but weak though it be but as the smoaking flax though it be but as a grain of Mustard-seed though it be much assaulted with Satans temptations though it be oft-times shaken with fears and doubtings Yet if it be but of so much life and power to match thy heart to Christ to bring it in to Christ to set him up as thy Lord and as thy Saviour and to rol and rest and cast thy soul and confidence on him it is true Faith and Christ is thine and thou mayest safely conclude that Christ dyed for thee and made peace for thee c. Fourthly One may know that Christ did effectually dye for him by the Combination By the combination of benefits purchased by the death of Christ of the Benefits purchased by the death of Christ and by the conjoyned participation of them in respect of himself Beloved the benefits purchased by the death of Christ are many as Remission of sins and Reconciliation with God and Eternal life and Redemption and Sanctification c. And these purchased Benefits they were all of them purchased at once and together and all of them with respect to every Believer and in time every one of them is applyed to every Believer Christ did not purchase Remission of sins for one believer only and Reconciliation only for another believer and Grace only for another and Glory only for another neither doth Christ apply these partly to one and partly to another but he purchased them for every one that shall believe and he applies them to every one that doth believe 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 1. 30. Made unto us Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Joh. 5. 6. This is he that came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ Fifthly Unto which let me add the fifth character by which one may know By the ends of the death of Christ that Christ died for him viz. by the ends of the death of Christ in respect of us and the appearance of them upon our hearts and lives 2 Cor. 5. 15. He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who died for them and rose again Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 1 Pet. 2. 24. who his own self bare our sins in his own body upon the Crosse that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed In these places you see five ends of the death of Christ for us 1. That he might redeem us from all iniquity i. e. set us at liberty from bondage unto our sinful lusts that henceforth we should not serve sinne Rom. 6. 6. 2. That we should be dead to sin i. e. our hearts and affections should be mortified and crucified unto them not love them not desire them not delight in them not hearken to them not be led by them any more 3. That henceforth we should not live unto our selves i. e. intend and set up our own ends and interests our own praise and glory our own profit and benefit our own pleasure and contentments 4. That we should be a peculiar people be his be for him unto himself purified by his spirit and joyned by the same Spirit unto himself and led and drawn forth in his strength unto all good works affectionately and fervently 5. That we should live unto him who died for us and live unto righteousness i. e. exalt the will and wayes and honour of Christ count nothing too dear for him spend and be spent for him take his directions obey his commands serve his ends act intirely and throughly and willingly and chearfully and fully and constantly in all conditions and in all tryals for Christs interest and the magnifying of Christ O Beloved let us seriously try our interest in the death of Christ by these Ends of the death of Christ which are certainly accomplished in due time in all for whom Christ died There are two sorts of the vertues of the death of Christ 1. Some are for us he died for to satifie for us and to make peace for us and to purchase Remission of sins for us and to obtain salvation for us 2. Some are in us as to redeem us from all iniquity to crucifie our sins to purifie us unto himself a peculiar people c. Christ died for our sins and he died that we might dye unto our sins Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6. 6. The blood of Christ was a pacifying blood having made peace through the blood of his Crosse Col. 1. 20. And the blood of Christ is a purifying blood it purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. He died as our Surety and Priest and to this end also did Christ die and rise again that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living Rom. 14. 9 Therefore if you be yet in your sins if you be not dead unto them if you love them if you serve them you cannot assure your selves as yet that Christ dyed for you But on the contrary if you can truly say as the Apostle Rom. 6. 17 18. We were the servants of sin but we are made free from sin and are become the servants of righteousness we are healed by the stripes of Christ and we are made conformable unto his death we find the similitude of his Death and Resurrection in us we are not our own but Christs his we are and none but his our hearts are his and our lives are his why then be confident that Christ is yours and his death is yours and all the benefits of his death are yours Sixthly One may know that Christ died for him
possesseth and he is poor and dreams that Christ is his and died for his sins and made his peace but he is deceived there is no such matter at all Now there are foure things which do manifestly declare that the confidence That confidence is but a delusion Which is contrary to the Word which some men have that Christ dyed for them is but a delusion 1. When that confidence is contrary to the Word Every true and sound perswasion of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death is conformable to the testimony of the Word and every false perswasion or confidence is contrary to the Word as it hath no word of God to bottom upon so it hath the Word of God to unbottom and contradict it You are confident that Christ dyed to save you and to purchase the pardon of sins c. And yet you remain an ignorant and impenitent a disobedient and unbelieving sinner you still love your sins and will not forsake them your heart is hardened in sin and you mourn not for sin you despise the Gospel of Christ and truth of Christ and calls of Christ and paths of Christ and subjection to Christ and communion with Christ And yet you are confident that Christ died effectually 〈◊〉 for your salvation And what warrant have you thus to lay claim to him and to his benefits The Word saith Whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16 36. And he that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And you believe not on him where is now your confidence the Word saith be converted and repent that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. And Christ saith that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name Luke 24. 47. But you repent not you do not you will not forsake your sins The Word saith that Christ is the Author of salvation to all that obey him Hebr. 5. 9. But you will not obey him he calls you off from your sins and he calls you off from the world and he calls you to fellowship with himself and he calls you unto holinesse but you will not obey him in any of these calls therefore your confidence in the benefits of his death is a meer presumption and delusion it is not warranted by the Word nay the Word is expressely contrary unto it 2. When that confidence is but natural and easily believed The right confidence Which is but natural and easily believed that Christ dyed for us it is supernatural and difficult we cannot give it to our selves it is a perswasion given unto us and it costs us many prayings and many tears and many bearings and many waitings upon God before we can attain unto it But a deluding confidence that is natural and easie the person never gets it by prayer never wrestled with God for it never attended the Word for it never conflicted with doubts and fears was never at any cost for it but was confident all his days no antecedent conflict no present conflict presumption is a work of our own a meer fancy of our own and a meer delusion of our own Thirdly When that confidence is fruitlesse and loose it produceth no love Which is fruitlesse at all to Christ nor fear to offend Christ nor care to please Christ nay instead of these there is a boldnesse to sin the more and to continue impenitent because Christ dyed for sinners and his death is sufficient to expiate the greatest transgressions whereas a right confidence of the benefits of the death of Christ makes men more holy and obedient 1 John 2. 3. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Ver. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Fourthly When that confidence or assurance is easily swept away in time of Which is easily swept away in time of tryal tryal either by conscience or by afflictions or by sicknesse or by the approachings of death His confidence shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle and shall bring him to the King of terrors said Bildad in Job 18. 14. A deluding confidence usually ends in a despairing diffidence but so doth not a right and well-grounded confidence it will hold out in all afflictions and tryals whatsoever Rom. 8. 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 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. Yea it will hold out in death it self when all the hopes of the hypocrite shall perish 2 Tim. 4. 6. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand Ver. 7. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Ver. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day From all this let us learn carefully to try our very confidences of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death remember but three things 1. Your interest is never the more for all your confidence confidence gives no propriety though sometimes it follows it 2. Your interest is the lesse if your confidence be false A troubled and doubting Christian may be brought in to Christ and partake of him and of his benefits when the bold confident presumptuous sinner keeps off and hides himself even because he is boistrously confident 3. You will certainly be lost if you rest in this confident delusion it is a broken bottome and a dream which will destroy you Case 2. What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirme What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirme that Christ dyed for him that Christ dyed for him and that he hath any interest in the benefits of his death Sol. This is the case of many troubled souls and their exceeding burden and fear unto whom I would commend 1. A few Cautions 2. A few Directions 1. Cautions Cautions to such Do not cashiere your title 1. Do not cashiere your title Though all this while you cannot clear your interest although you cannot conclude for it yet do not conclude against it nor yet despair for 1. This dark condition is incident to most if not all weak believers who are baptized in a cloud though they drink of the rock i. e. Christ indeed is theirs although they do not see him to be theirs and the blood of Christ was shed for them although the assurance thereof be not shed abroad in their hearts yea and pardon of their sins is sealed although as yet it be not revealed to them they do not finde this in a sensible experience but yet they
people in Covenant he gives them only upon account of his graciousnesse in Covenant he will and doth give them not for any worthinesse in them but only upon the account of his own graciousnesse In this Chapter you have God undertaking all sorts of mercies for his people and it is observable that both Antecedently and Consequently he disclaims all worthiness of them on his peoples part Ezek. 36. 22. Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Name sake ver 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Deut. 7. 7. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people ver 8. but because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the Oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bond-men from the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt Consider all the blessings of the Covenant for soul or body for this life or for the next life Spiritual or temporal the reason of them lies not in our worthiness but only and altogether in Gods graciousness not in the receivers but only in the giver See it in these particulars First That God loves us and makes a Covenant with us this comes to pass not God loves us from his own graciousnesse for our worthiness but from his own graciousnesse Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own 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 a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Secondly That God gives his Son Jesus Christ this respects no worthiness in God gives Chrâ—st of his oâ—n graciousness us but his own graciousnesse Rom. 6. 5. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly ver 8. God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. Thirdly That any man is effectually called unto Christ this doth not arise from Effectual calling is from Gods graciousness any dignity in us but only from Gods graciousnesse 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath called us with an holy calling not according to our own works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Fourthly That any man is Sanctified and renewed by the Spirit of Grace this So is Sanctification comes not from the account of any thing in us but only from the account of Gods graciousnesse Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour 5. That any man is Justified there is no reason for this in our works but in And Justification his grace Rom. 3. 23. For all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God ver 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Sixthly That any man is Saved and comes to the enjoyment of eternal life this depends not upon our worthiness but on Gods graciousnesse Ephes 2. 5. By And salvation grace ye are saved ver 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God ver 9. Not of works least any man should boast Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Seventhly Nay all our temporal blessings do flow not from our worthiness but from his graciousnesse Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered And all temporal blessings him up for us all how shall he not also freely give us all things 2 Sam. 7. 21. For thy Word sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them For the further discussing of this Point I will shew unto you 1. That God doth not enjoyn on his people nor expect from them any worthiness God doth not enjoyn nor expect any worthiness as a reason of his blessings Three Demonstrations of it as a reason of his blessings 2. Why all his blessings are given unto us upon the account of his own graciousness First That God doth not enjoyn on his people nor doth he expect from them any worthinesse as a reason of any of his blessings Indeed he doth command his people to â—eek unto him and to trust upon him for all that good which he promiseth to give unto them But for any personal worthiness as a reason of his goodness and bounty unto us this he neither requires nor expects For First A personal worthinesse of the blessings of the Covenant is impossible on our part we are in an absolute incapacity of meriting any good from the hands of A personal worthiness on our part is impossible God Dan. 9. 7. O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face c. Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Consider either our best doings or our greatest sufferings no merit or worthiness is to be found in either of them For our doings when we have done all that we can Christ saith that we must say and confess that we are but unprofitable servants Luke 17. 10. For our sufferings the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the which glory shall be revealed in us But let me now punctually demonstrate this Assertion that there can be no worthiness or meriting from us for any good thing 1. No gift of God can really merit for us any good from God but all the good that we have is the gift of God Ergo. The fiâ—st Proposition is clear because in receiving what is only given an Obligation rests only upon us but none upon the giver and therefore we merit nothing Simile no more than a beggar can merit from us by receiving an almes
of them is proper to him Secondly Because unto whom the power of death and condemnation authoritatively belongs unto him also the power of life and absolution doth belong but the power of condemnation belongs only to God Ergo. These are acts seated in the same power Thirdly Because the forgivenesse of sin takes off the infinite desert of sin reaching even unto eternity of punishment eternal punishment is deserved by sin and who can relieve us from that but God alone Fourthly Because our consciences might have a resting place which they could never have if God himself did not forgive sins What if all the men in the world did forgive you if God did not clear you but still held you guilty What though all the lower Courts absolve a Malefactor as long as the Supreme Court condemns him what though the Malefactor forgive himself if the Judge do not forgive him Simile But here lies the comfort that God himself who is the Supreme Judge who hath the Soveraign Power to save or to destroy to remit or binde to acquit or to condemn whose sentence none can reverse if he will pardon our offences and sinnes against him now there is peace with him and peace in our own Consciences Secondly As forgiveness of sins solely appertains to God so God undertakes the same by way of promise which shews that he is willing to forgive sins and God undertakes it by promise that he engageth himself to forgive sins and that he will certainly forgive sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more Pro. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their wicked wayes then will I forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Quest Now if any should demand why God contents not himself with a Declaration Reasons of it only that he is a God who forgives sin but also he makes a promise that he will forgive sins Sol. I suppose these Reasons may be given of it First Because this is a greater relief to the troubled conscience A promise of forgivenesse is a more hopeful foundation to work upon than a meer Declaration that God hath power to forgive and it serves to answer our fears and doubts more fully You would not imagine how powerful and dreadful the guilt of sin is and how strongly working when a conscience is awakened and wounded with the sence of it How great is the apprehension of Gods wrath how amazing is the curse threatned how hard is it to look toward the Mercy seat through all the threatnings and through all the terrors how difficult is it to settle it with any apprehensions of mercy And therefore the Lord is pleased not only to declare that he is a God forgiving sins but also he makes promise that he will forgive sins for Christs sake this is apt to preserve troubled sinners from despair and to breed some hopes in them that perhaps they may find mercy for who can tell but that a merciful God and a God who promiseth mercy to poor sinners may at length shew mercy to them and forgive their sins Secondly Because this is a stronger Obligation and Argument to prevail with sinners to repent of their sins and to turn unto the Lord. Beloved I beseech you mark what I say 1. The greater inevidence and improbability there is of forgiveness of sins the more indisposition and averseness there is unto repentance If a person apprehends mercy as impossible he then looks upon repentance as unuseful either he grows despairing or desperate For saith he to what end should I repent and come into God who I am sure will shew me no mercy 2. Again the greater hopes that a sensible sinner hath of mercy the more easily and kindly is his heart wrought upon to Repent to come off from his sins to God Hos 14. 2. When taking away of sin is hinted then ver 3. Ashur shall not save us neither will we say to the works of our hands Ye are our gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy so Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord. Ver. 22. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Mark how this insinuation of mercy bowed in their hearts Psal 103. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Now when a sinner sees forgiveness of sins in a promise this appears with more evidence of hope for him I may yet have mercy so great is Gods goodness and why should I stand out any longer and why should I for lying vanities forsake my own mercies I will home to my Fathers house for there is bread enough and to spare c. Thirdly Because this is the surest ground for faith you know this is the great scruple But may I find mercy and what ground have I to expect mercy Suppose I do repent what assurance have I that God will forgive my sits Why having Gods promise for the forgiveness of your sins in this case you may be confident that if you come to him and rely upon him he will unquestionably be as good as his word he will shew mercy to you Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live and not dye Ver. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him SECT III. 3. I Now come to the third part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins viz. God promiseth the same to all his people That God promiseth the same unto all his people all his people in Covenant Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Isa 33. 34. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Note Of the people of God some are sooner in Covenant and some are later in Covenant for some are called at one houre and some at another houre as Paul spake of Andronicus and Junia Rom. 16. 7. who were in Christ before me that may we say of people some are in Covenant before others but as soon as any of them are brought into Covenant they are pardoned immediatly their sins are forgiven unto them Again of the people of God some have been greater sinners and some have been lesser sinners but as soon as
those parts of Repentance that so you may know whether you do truly repent of your sins and consequently are under this most comfortable promise of the forgiveness of your sins First The qualifications of penitential grief or mourning for sinnes are The qualifications of penitential mourning for sin It is a supernatural grief these 1. It is a grief which is supernatural and wrought in us only by the Spirit of God it doth not arise from the strength of any natural principle in our own hearts as worldly sorrow doth in which one may abound who hath no grace at all and for which he needs not to pray at all but this sorrow is given from God and is sought by us from him Job 23. 16. God maketh my heart soft Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the heart of stone and will give you an heart of flesh Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. You may easily mourn for worldly losses and under worldly distresses and melt and weep as Davids men did who wept untill they had no more power to weep 1 Sam. 30. 4. And yet under all these floods of grief the person may not be able to shed one tear of godly sorrow for his sins because this comes from another kind of Spring and is raised upon other Motives and Considerations it will cost you many convictions and many meditations and many earnest supplications and attendances on the Word to get this Fountain set open in your hearts 2. It is a grief which is sincere for sin as sin sin as sin is a transgression A sincere grief for sin as sin of the Law of God a provocation of God a dishonour unto God a separation and withdrawment of God a defilement and pollution of the soul and in a respect solely unto these considerations of sin doth truly penitential mourning break forth in the soul though no hell to damn me though no conscience to torment me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight saith David Psal 51. 4. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Job 7. 20. One may be troubled for sinning because of punishment from man or of punishment from God feared or inflicted but this is not a trouble for sin as an offence to God but as an offence to our selves How we may know that we grieve for sin as sin Quest. But now the scruple is How he may know that he doth grieve for sin as sin and only for sin Answered Sol. He may know it First By the acting of grief for sin when there is an universal cessation of punishment though conscience cease to torment and the hand of God is drawn off and there is no fear of man what he can do yet the heart is humbled and mourns still for offending of God Secondly By the rising of grief for sin upon the Assurance and Certificate of peace and reconciliation with God of which the more certain evidence is given into the soul the more sorrow and grief breaks forth out of the soul for sinning against such a God Thirdly By the extension of grief not only for our own sins but also for the sins of others the punishment of whose sins reacheth not to us but yet the dishonour by these sins doth reach unto God which therefore doth cause our hearts to mourn Psal 119. 136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law 3. It is a grief which is very high and great the Scripture seems to make It is a grief very high and great it a superlative sorrow calling it a great mourning like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo and a bitterness as one is in for his first born Zach. 12. 10. And my bowels are troubled within me mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled c. Lam. 1. 20. and David watered his couch with his tears Psal 6. 6. Quest You know it is a question whether grief for sin ought not to be the highest and chiefest in quem dolorem Sol. For the resolution of which they â—â—stinguish of grief of passion and grief of the will which is a displeasure of the heart with it self perhaps another kind of grief may be higher in a passion but grief of heart for sin is the highest for displeasure and also for duration when that Land-flood is gone yet then the River of godly sorrow still runs My sin is ever before me said David Psal 51. and yet his Absolom for whom he took on so passionately was not ever before him 4. It is a grief which is vertual godly sorrow worketh Repentance 2 Cor. It is a grief which is vertual 7. 10. He who truly mourns for sin his heart doth hate sin and separates from sin and sinful ways and it becomes more holy and godly and he fears to sin against his God any more thus it is not with any false grief whatsoever 5. Lastly It is such a grief under which the soul seeks comfort from God It is a grief under which the soul seeks comfort from God and nothing can relieve the soul so grieving but the voice of joy and peace from God Psal 51. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people c. The qualifications of penitential confession Secondly The qualifications of true penitential confession of sins There are five Ingredients in penitential confession The acknowledgement of sin from a deep sense of sin 1. It is the acknowledging of our sins from a deep sense or feeling of them and our misery by them Penitential confession is the language of a sensible and troubled spirit Simile like a sick mans opening of his estate to the Physitian O here lies my grief my pain my distemper my danger and I fear my death so here in penitential confession of sins to God out of a tender and troubled feeling of them a repentant sinner cries out O Lord this is my heart and this hath been my life thus have I lived and thus have I sinned and thus and thus have I dishonoured thee O I am ashamed and confounded c. 2. It is a self-judging acknowledgement of our sins that for them we are A self judging acknowledgement unworthy of the least mercy and most worthy of the greatest judgement I am not worthy to be called thy son Luk. 15 19. not worthy to be called an Apostle confusion of face belongs to us Dan. 9. 8. And thou art just in all that is brought upon us thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Nehem. 9. 33. 3. It is an ingenuous acknowledgement of our sins not hiding or concealing An ingenuous acknowledgement the greatest and worst nor extenuating or lessning any one sin in the
abominable Idolatries 1 Pet. 4. 3. Foolish disobedient deceiving serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. 3. And perhaps as the Apostles fear was of many of the Corinthians we have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which we have committed 2 Cor. 12. 21. Fourthly We should be most importunately fervent with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom alone every good and perfect gift doth come that he would grant unto us as he did unto those Gentiles repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. and that it may be given unto us as once unto the Philipians to believe Phil. 1. 29. Fifthly We should more diligently and reverently attend the preaching of the Word by which God doth put forth his power and his grace for the working of Repentance and Faith in us Luke 11. 32. The men of Nineve repented at the preaching of Jonas Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation SECT VII Vse 3 DOth God himself promise the forgiveness of sins unto all people in Covenant with him Behold then you who are the people of God your condition The happiness of a pardoned condition and your portion you are the Generation of Gods mercy you and you only are the people who have their iniquities forgiven and upon this very account your very condition 1. It is a very comfortable condition Son Be of good comfort thy sins are It is veâ—y comfortable forgiven thee Matth. 9. 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her iniquity is pardoned Isa 40 1 2. 2. Yea it is a very blessed condition Blessed is the man whose transgression And blessed is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputed no iniquity Psal 32. 1 2. Quest But will some say Wherein lies the comfortableness and blessedness This appears fâ—â—m this that our sins are forgiven Sol. I will shew you 1. In a privative way 2. In a positive way 1. In a privative way In a privative way You are for ever secured from Gods wrath First If God himself hath forgiven you your sins Then you are for ever delivered and secured from the wrath of God God will never deal with you or against you as a revenging Judge as an enemy in wrath Beloved it is better to have all the world to be our enemy than to have God to be our enemy and to have all the world displeased with us than to have God displeased with us for he is of infinite power and his wrath is of infinite weight it doth exceedingly distress and vex the conscience and fills up the soul with dreadful amazement and with unsufferable pains and with continual restlessness that the sinner upon whom it is fallen is utterly cursed and sinks with what he feels and with what he still fears and every day and houâ—e expects from the just God for all his unpardoned sins Now from this wrath of God as a revenging Judge whatsoever it may be in the nature of it or in the effect of it and in the eternity of it is every forgiven sinner delivered and secured it shall never fall upon him at all though temptations may fall upon him and afflictions may befal him and the fatherly displeasures may befal him and though some kinds of desertions may befal him and though misapprehensions of Gods love may befal him and though sickness and weakness and death it self may befal him yet the judicial 〈◊〉 of God shall never befal him neither in whole nor in part neither in greater nor in lesser degrees neither in this life nor in the life to come for Rom. 5. 9. Being justified by the blood of Christ we are saved from wrath through him Ephes 2. 16. And by his Cross all enmity is slain Gal. 3. 13. And Christ hatâ— redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us when sin is forgiven wrath is gone and curse is gone sin being taken away they are taken away Mine anger is turned away from him Hos 14. 4. Secondly You shall never be condemneâ— for your sins you are certainly off You shall never be condemned from that sentence Who saith the Aposte Rom. 8. 33. shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Who Ver. 34. is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed To be condemned and to be justified are absolutely inconsistent for condemnation is the act of justice justification is the act of grace in condemnation siâ— is imputed but in justification sin is not imputed in condemnation the sinner is adjudged to that punishment which his sins deserve but in justâ—fication he is discharged of that punishment which for sin he was obnoxious unto in condemnation the sinner is called to an account and he is questioned and sentenced as a cursed Malefactor but in justification he is dismissed cleared and acquitted by the blood of Christ and his sins are mentioned no more and never shall be remembred Now what an unspeakable mercy is this that thy poor soul shall never be damned that notwithstanding all thy sins which deserve an eternal separation from God in blessedness and an eternal endurance of the flames of hell yet none of these things shall ever befall thee but the Lord himself hath delivered thy soul from going down into the pit in forgiving all thy transgressions in which he hath cancelled the hand-writing which was against thee and taken it out of the way so that nothing is to be found any more which may be an effectual Charge against you and which can remain as a ground or reason for God to condemn and destroy you There is nothing whatsoever for which God will condemn any person but sin and no person can be condemned for sin if God hath been pleased to forgive him his sins in the blood of Jesus Christ Thirdly Conscience hath no more authority to accuse you to threaten you Conscience hath no more authority to accuse to terrifie you to disquiet or trouble you why so God hath discharged you and conscience must speak as God speaks and act in a subordination to Gods acting If God doth bind conscience must not loose but bind and if God looseth and acquits conscience must not bind but loose If God condemns conscience must not acquit and forgive and if God acquits and forgives conscience must not condemn if God speaks trouble conscience must not speak peace and if God speaks peace conscience must not speak trouble for conscience is but Gods Deputy or Officer and hath Commission to act always in the way of subordination and conformity unto God as it must bring home the threatnings unto those whom God threatens so it must supply the comfort unto those to whom God promiseth comfort and
mercy If God saith Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee conscience now hath no longer Commission to disquiet the heart saying Peace belongs not to thee and comfort belongs not to thee but God is still displeased with thee and holds thee for his enemy and will be avenged on thee for thy sins If conscience through darkness and misinformation oâ— temptation should speak thus it now exceeds its Commission and deals unrighteously and God will not ratifie such a testimony or such a charge from such a conscience But by the way Take notice what a mercy it is to have your sins pardoned in that your consciences have no more power or authority to wound and charge and threaten and condemn you for any of your sins if a wounded conscience be one of the dreadfullest punishments here on earth then to be totally secured from that and upon this ground that he hath forgiven us our sins is one of 〈◊〉 greatest blessings here on earth which privatively concerns us Fourthly If your sins be pardoned then also you are discharged of the spirit You are discharged of the spirit of bondage of bondage to fear you are fenced from all slavish fears which formerly did abound in your hearts and oppress and distract them Before a mans sins were pardoned and guilt lay on him there were ten distracting and crushing fears lying on his heart The sinner 1. Did fear the secret purpose or intention of God against him O said he What will God do with this guilty soul of mine I fear lest I be one of them to whom he will never shew mercy 2. Did fear the open threatnings of God O saith he Will not all these evils and cuâ—ses which God hath threatnd will they not shortly be my portion 3. Did fear every judgement of Goâ— walking upon the earth as if it were an evil drawing near to him and which his sins would bring to his house and to his person and he should not escape 4. Did fear that some time or other his sinnings would be discovered and that they should be laid open to his shame and reproach before the whole world 5. Did fear any outward enjoyment and comfort which he had that for his sins God would ere long deprive him of them in wrath 6. Did fear many times to come and hear the Wâ—â—d of God lest it should awaken and trouble his conscience with more apprehensions of his own guilt and Gods wrath 7. Did fear the very thoughts of death and especially lest God should suddenly cut him off from the Land of the living before he had so improved his opportunities as to make his peace with God 8. Did fear all appearings before the Judgement-seat lest he should receive his sad and eternal sentence there for his sins 9. Did fear all his approaches and requests unto God that God would not hear nor regard them because his sins were upon record in the Court against his soul 10. Did fear that no way could ever be found so powerful and effectual as to satisfie the justice of God and purchase mercy enough for the pardon of his sins but now repenting of his sins and believing on the Lord Jesus and having in his blood obtained the remission of sins this spirit of bondage to fear is taken away the forgiveness of his sins by God himself hath satisfied him and hath answered all the doubts and fears of his soul his sins are pardoned and God is reconciled and now all is well and safe of what or of whom should he be afraid Fifthly If your sins be forgiven you then nothing which befalls you in Nothing which befalls you in life or death is an evil to you life or death shall ever be an evil or hurt unto you for when sin is pardoned all curse is removed Whatsoever state the unpardoned sinner is in it is a cursed estate to him and whatsoever contingencies befall that sinner they are cursed unto him his prosperity is cursed unto him and his adversity is cursed to him his enjoyments are cursed and his losses are cursed his blessings are cursed and his crosses are cursed his life is cursed and his death is cursed nothing which he hath doth him good and nothing which God doth doth him any good but hurt he is the worse under all But when sins are forgiven the sting the poyson the curse is gone and nothing is for evil or for mischief unto him prosperity shall do him no hurt but good and adversity shall do him no hurt but good his enjoyments are a blessing and his losses are a blessing if he lives life shall be a blessing and if he dyes death shall be a blessing All is food and physick all is good or for good unto him he gains by his losses and that which is another mans misery is his mercy sweet shall come out of bitter and light shall come out of darkness and good shall come out of evil and comfort shall come out of sorrow and life shall come out of death Secondly In a positive way In a positive way It is a clear decision of all the questions of a troubled soul First The obtaining of the forgiveness of your sins is a clear sure decision of all the great Questions of a troubled soul There are six things concerning which we oft-times complain and question viz. 1. Hath God Elected us 2. Are we in Covenant with God 3. Is God reconciled to us and we are reconciled to him 4. Is Christ ours and are we his 5. Have we truly repented and have we truly believed 6. Shall these poor souls of ours certainly be saved have not all these been and are not some of these the constant debates and doubts and questions of our hearts Now mark what I say when God himself according to his promise forgives unto us all our sins all those debates are concluded and resolved for 1. None are forgiven but the Elect of God and all the Elect either are or shall be forgiven their sins Ephes 1. 4. Having chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ver. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins 2. Whosoever have their sins forgiven are certainly in Covenant with God God is their God and they are his people Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Thou hast covered all their sins Selah Remission of sins is the portion only of the Church and people of God 3. God is certainly reconciled if sins be forgiven 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 4. Christ is unquestionably yours and you are Christs forasmuch as the partaking of this and other choice benefits by him doth necessarily presuppose a precedent union with him and relation unto him whom he called them he justified Rom. 8. 30. And what is it there to be called but to be brought in effectually to Christ and
forgive us all love all kindes of true love and all degrees of true love First A love of desire our souls should long after him Psal 73. 25. Secondly A love of delight our souls should take their fill of contentmtent and satisfaction in him Thirdly A love of extasy wondering and admiring at this great love and rich mercy of God towards us Who is a God like unto thee who pardoneth iniquity Mich. 7. 18. But I obtained mercy I said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. Fourthly A love of similitude Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4. 32. shall we be so hardened to others when God is so tender to us Fifthly And a love of zeale in promoting what God loves and doth respect his honour and in removing what God hates and makes for his dishonour Sixthly A love of friendship to have our hearts knit unto him and bound unto him in an everlasting Covenant Thirdly Fear much They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos 3. 5. There Fear much is forgivenesse with thee that that thou mayest be feared Psal 130. 4. He will speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. No man should have a more tender Conscience than he who hath gained a pacified Conscience None more feare to commit sin than he whose sins God hath remitted though God can multiply pardons yet it is not good nor safe for you to put him to it It is the right and proper improving of forgiveness of sins to watch our hearts and to take heed that we sin no more It argues a profaneness of heart to sin because God is merciful so it argues a most wicked heart to sin after God hath shewen mercy in the forgiving of sins Is forgiveness of sins so cheap and ordinary that you will again venture to sin Did it cost Jesus Christ his precious blood to purchase the forgiveness of sins and wilt thou as it were crucifie him again to procure thee another pardon Did it cost thee so many troubles of heart and confession and supplication to gain forgiveness of former sins and wilt thou break thy bones again that mercy may set them again did God shew unto thee such riches of grace after all the evil thou hadst committed to discharge thee to be reconciled unto thee to quiet and pacifie thy Conscience to passe by all and wilt thou now break the Laws of Love and Bonds of Friendship to sin and provoke a pardoning and a kind God Fourthly Improve much this singular mercy that ye are within the promise Improve much of the forgiveness of your sins Improve this four wayes 1. As to what depends upon it 2. As to what accompanies it 3. As to what may still preserve you in the sweet and comfortable fruition of it 4. As to what you may conclude from it both à parte Ante a parte Post First Improve it as to all the fruits which do depend upon it and flow from it Our justification or remission of sins is a Root which bears very precious fruit Improve it as to all the fruits which depend upon it and a Fountain from which do flow many sweet streams Thence ariseth all the peace in Conscience thence ariseth all the transcendent joy of the heart thence ariseth all the hope of the soul thence ariseth your great confidence in your communion with God Peace in Conscience depends on peace with God which certainly you have when God forgives your sins And therefore beseech the Lord to speak this peace unto you O Lord thou sayest in thy promise unto me thy sins are forgiven now I beseech thee say unto my Conscience Go in peace live in peace peace be unto thee in forgiving thou respectest thy glory and my comfort say unto my Conscience Neither trouble nor be troubled more let me know that I have found grace in thine eyes let grace and peace come from thee Joy of heart this also springs from forgiveness of sins received by Faith A condemned Malefactor hath no cause to joy but the pardoned sinner hath Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Sin brake his bones his strength his comfort his joyes and the forgiveness of sin the news of that the hearing of that the knowledge of that would be a ground of joy and gladness to him O thou pardoned sinner why dost thou walk so heavily so dejectedly so pensively so unchearfully is not the promise of forgiveness of thy sins clear and open to thee and should not a forgiven sinner rejoyce God rejoyceth when he shews us mercy and should not we rejoyce when we receive mercy Indeed when we seek for pardoning mercy we should seek it with tears but when we have found mercy we should go home with joy Beloved pardoned sinners may rejoyce and should rejoyce In whom after ye believed ye rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory â— Pet. 1. 8. Should not the forgiveness of of sins a passing from death to life from wrath to love from hell to heaven and the enjoying of God as our God and as our Friend and as our Father are not here causes good enough sufficient to â—ejoyce in the Lord Therefore in the times of your sadness chear your hearts and expostulate with your hearts why are you thus cast down and why walk you thus heavily what God your God! what Christ your Christ and all your sins freely forgiven and out of all danger and within all hopes and yet be so heavy c. Secondly Improve the forgivenesse of sins as to what accompanies a forgiven Improve it as to what accompanies a pardoned condition condition Beloved forgiveness of sins never goes alone in promise nor in participation you shall find the great Covenant of gifts linked together in promise and they are joyntly desired by the people of God a false heart is only for pardon do you not find the new heart and the new Spirit and the soft heart and the obedient heart all conjoyned with this promise of forgiveness Ezek. 36. 25 26. O then rest not here saying My sins are pardoned but press the other promises there of sanctification O Lord subdue mine iniquities as well as forgive iniquities thou hast given me mercy O give me grace thou hast broken my fetters O heal my diseases thou hast covered my sins O turn my sinful soul enable me to bring thee glory by holy walking seeing thou hast graciously pardoned the wickedness of my former living Thirdly Improve the forgiveness of your sins as to what may still preserve you in Improve it as to what may still preserves you in the comfortable fruition of it the sweet and comfortable fruition of it Though one cannot lose the forgiveness which God hath
of our sins and judge and condemn and everlastingly punish us for the rest of our sins here would be small cause of rejoycing unto us 4. Again where were the hope of glory hath the unpardoned sinner any hope of heaven doth not every sin deserve the loss of heavenly glory and will it not effectually and eventually prove so unlesse God pardons it 5. Where is the liberty of accesse and boldness of approaching to God if any of your sins are unpardoned the very spirit of fear and bondage lies still on you that God is not reconciled to you but is your enemy and he will not own and bless you but will reject and curse you and will bring on you all the evil that he hath threatned Fourthly A fourth Argument to prove that God will forgive all the sins of We are to forgive all the trespasses against us his people is this We are to forgive all the trespasses of an offending brother in case he repent Luke 17. 4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Now we are to forgive our brother as God forgives us Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us his forgiving is a pattern to our forgiving and he would have ours to be universal therefore his is so to us Matth. 18. 32. I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me Verse 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee Thus have you heard the Assertion cleared by Scripture and Arguments that God will foâ—give all the sins of his people Now before I passe to the useful Application of 〈◊〉 unto our selves I would speak something unto a Question much agitated amongst the Learned and others viz. SECT II. Quest VVHether God which promiseth to pardon all the sins of his people doth Whether all sins be pardoned together at once pardon all their sins Simul Semel together and at once all sins past which his people have committed and all sins present which they do commit and all sins future which they may hereafter commit Sol. This is I confess a very nice question and hath if it be well weighed something of difficulty in it peremptorily to resolve it And there are very godly and learned men who have spoken and written differently concerning it and yet all of them consent in this That God doth forgive all the sins of his people If it might not be burthensome unto you I would 1. Present unto you the several opinions of men with their chief Arguments for their different opinions concerning this Question 2. Offer my own private thoughts concerning this Controversie First Some are for the Affirmative and their opinion is this that as soon as Some are for the affirmative any are made Believers in Christ and so are within the Covenant Actually all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present and all the sins of which they do come to be guilty of in time future they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Neither are Believers ever henceforth to pray unto God for the pardon of any sin which they do or shall commit but only for the assurance of the pardon of them in their own Consciences neither is any future Repentance required to attain the forgiveness of any new and future sin but only for the more comfortable assurance of former forgivenesse unto our selves Nay Repentance is not required of God as an Antecedent work to pardon of sins but only as a consequent work and fruit thereof c. This is their Opinion Quest Now what might be the ground inducing unto this Opinion That all the sins of a believer not only past but also present and to come are pardoned ot once and The grounds for the affirmative actually unto them Sol. The chief which I do find in writing are these First The Covenant expressions Isa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy transgressions Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more Ergo all is pardoned at once Secondly Again Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ergo all sinnes are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of condemnation c. Thirdly A believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ and is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ which covers all our sins and dischargeth us from them so that no guilt shall redound to us Fourthly A believer is not to fear curse or hell at all which he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned Fifthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only faith therefore pardon of sins is not suspended untill we repent of our sins Sixthly Again if new sins were not pardoned untill you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent and more long ere we can know that we do truely repent of our sins Seventhly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which as they conceive cannot consist with the true Doctrine of Justification These are the chiefest and strongest Arguments which I have read for the Affirmative Some for the Negative Opinion and I have delivered them rather with advantage than with any prejudice Secondly Neverthelesse there are others of the Negative and contrary Opinion unto this who although they do hold that God hath pardoned all sins past unto believers brought into Covenant with Christ and that he will pardon also all the sins of which hereafter they shall be guilty yet they do conjecture that all these are not forgiven at once unto them but upon though not for their renewed repentance for them and upon a renewed act of Faith on Christ for the particular forgiveness of new and particular transgressions unto them Neither do they lay any Popish reason of worthiness or merit in Repentance as some unjustly do charge upon them for the
thereof After conversion there are two sorts of sins incident unto us 1. Daily sins of ignorance and infirmity and they are so many that we know not the number of them yet all of them do need forgiving mercy 2. Voluntary sins and of a very gross and hainous nature which make a deep wound and raise an hideous cry in the conscience and shake all our foundations and lie as an heavy burden upon us and they do the more wound and afflict us because committed after mercy and against mercy Now in such a self-wounding and self-judging and self-humbling condition what should the ashamed and confounded sinner do why he should return speedily to his God and with tears and shame spread his sins before the Lord and acknowledge that he is unworthy of any more mercy and yet beseech the Lord to shew him mercy again who hath promised to forgive all the sins of his people and he should hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people but let them return no more to folly Psal 85. 8. SECT V. Vse 3 THE third Use of this Point shall be partly of Comfort and partly of Encouragement First Of Comfort to all who are brought into Covenant with God especially Comfort to such as have stood out a long time and have abounded in transgressions who have made the very creature groan with the burden of their many sins why all these are forgiven as soon as God hath brought you into the Covenant Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy O what a day of salvation is the very day when God brings a man into Christ and into the Covenant all his enemies that pursued him are drowned not one of them is left so all his sins are forgiven and not one of them is alive to his condemnation Secondly Of Encouragement to come out of a sinful and unbelieving condition Encouragement and to yield up our selves to Christ and to be willing to become the people of God and to walk in his ways why all the sins that ever you have committeâ— shall be forgiven you they shall not be mentioned unto you your Drunkenness Swearing Whordome Theft Lying Sabbath-breakings all your sins of Omission and of Commission sins against the Law and sins against the Gospel sins that your own hearts can charge you with and that God himself can charge upon you all forgiven any one of them would damn you and now all shall be pardoned if you will hear and believe and repent c. Cast away all your transgressions repent return and live why will ye dye O house of Israel I offer to you life and death choose life Do not for lying vanities forsake your mercies A greater offer there cannot be than Christ nor motive than the pardon of all your sins EZEK 36. 25. From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you HAving spoken somewhat unto the extensive part of promised forgiveness that it reacheth all the sins of all the people of God I now proceed unto the Intensive part of that promised The intensive part forgiveness which respects the greatness and hainousness of sin as well as the number and multitude of sins from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you whence you may observe CHAP. IV. Doctr. 2 THat although the sins of persons have been exceeding great yet when these persons become the people of God in Covenant even those sins also are forgiven them from all your filthiness and from all your Idols Great sins are forgiven to the people of God in Covenant will I cleanse you forgiveness reacheâ—â— to the greatest sins which the people of God have been guilty of this assertion 1. I shall clear from the Text it self 2. From other Scriptures Proved 3. Demonstrate by some Arguments and Reasons 4. And then apply it unto our selves SECT I. 1. THE Text clearly holds out the Assertion for God doth give here By the text instances of two great kinds of sins One against the second Table all your filthiness and the other against the first Table all your Idols in the one is implied the great injury done unto our Neighbour and in the other the great injure done unto God yet God promiseth to forgive both I will speak something of both these sins and something of the greatness of them both which yet God promiseth c. First From all your filthiness that word filthiness is sometimes taken What is meant by filthiness for any sin every sin is a pollution and uncleanness a filthiness therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit there are bodily sins which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of our flesh and there are spiritual sins arising from and acted in the soul which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of the spirit Sometimes that word filthiness is taken restrictively for bodily pollution or uncleanness when the bodies of men and women are defiled and polluted and do defile and pollute themselves Several kinds of it Bestiality of which in Scripture you finde several sorts and kinds 1. Bestiality that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abomination not to be named it is confusion you read of this sin in Lev. 18. 23. and of the punishment of it with death Lev. 20. 15 16. 2. Sodomy of this horrid sin and the punishment thereof you read in Sodomy Lev. 20 13. This is not only a sin but also a recompence of other sins and for which God gives men over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 27 28. and for which he destroyed those five Cities with fire from heaven Gen. 19. 24 25. 3. Incest ubi servatur sexus sed non gradus it is the sin cum agnata Incest or cognata with a kinswoman of the fathers or the mothers side yea and with ones fathers wife see Lev. 20. 17. and with ones brothers wife 4. Fornication which is between single persons Fornication Adultery 5. Adultery which is uncleanness between persons married to others or when one of them is married to another and yet defileth himself with a stranger some of these sins of uncleanness are so horrid that they are said to be against nature yea against corrupt nature the very natural light in natural conscience condemns and opposes them and the rest of them as fornication and adultery the Scripture sets them out as very odious in the eyes of God and very foul transgressions and extreamly pernicious in them you may read ten things concerning Ten things concerning these â—hese sins First That they are the express fruits of a vile and naughty heart out of the heart proceedeth fornications adulteries saith Christ Matth. 15. 19. The works of the flesh are manifâ—â—â— which are
are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Secondly From all your Idols Having shewed the greatness of the sins of uncleanness I now proceed briefly to shew unto you the greatness of the sin of Idolatry the greatness of that sin Idolatry This people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of gold Exod. 32. 31. And you shall find it very great First By Gods singular detestation and loathing of Idolatry and Idols Idols are frequently in Scripture called abominations 1 King 11. 5. Solomon went after By Gods singular detestation of it Milcom the abomination of the Amorites Verse 7. And he built an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon Idolatries are called abominable Idolatries 1 Pet. 4. 3. which the Learned call Epithetum perpetuum non distinguens see Acts 15. 20. That they abstain from pollutions of Idols 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contaminations filthinesses defilements Therefore Idols are called dunghill-gods stinking filthy and defiling Secondly By Gods special warnings of his people against this sin of Idolatry Jer. 44. 4. Do not this abominable thing which I hate Deut. 18. 9. When thou art come By Gods special warnings into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not do after the abomination of these Nations Deut. 4. 23. Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you and make you a graven image the likenesse of any thing which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee 1 Cor. 10. 14. Flee from Idolatry 1 Joh. 5. 21. Keep your selves from Idols Thirdly By the grievous threatnings of Idolaters read at your leasure Deut 32. By grievous threatnings 15. He forsook God Ver. 16. they provoked him to jealousie with strange gods and ver 19. and when the Lord saw it be abhorred them and ver 20. and I will hide my face from you and ver 22. A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest hell ver 23. I will heap mischief upon them and will spend my arrows upon them ver 24. they shall be burnt with thunder and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction ver 25. The sword without and terror within shall destroy c. Fourthly By the unparallel'd judgments on Idolaters God hath given the bill By unparalleld judgements on Idolaters of divorce and broken them in pieces and rooted them out of their dwelling places and scattered them over all the earth and persecuted them in his wrath untill he hath destroyed them from off the face of all the earth Fifthly And besides all this he hath shut the dore of heaven against Idolaters and threatens them with no less then hell and damnation and the lake that burns The dore of heaven is shut against them with fire and brimstone Sixthly But once more consider the nature or effect of this sin of Idolatry it is so every way contrary to Gods glory of which he is most tender Isa 48 11. The nature or effects of this sin and Isa 42. 8. and will not give it to graven images It is the changing of his glory They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things Rom. 1. 23. and the sordid abasing of his glory to imagin any creature capable of that excellency and of that worship which belongeth to God and verily we do no less than make the creatures to be God when we do conferre on them that worship which is proper unto God or suppose such excellencies to be in them which are to be found only in God It is the exceeding provocation of God Hos 12. 14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly therefore he shall leave his bloud upon him Idolatry is therefore often called adultery and Idolaters are said to commit adultery with stocks and stones what greater offence and provocation in a wife than to forsake her husband and to play the adultress with strangers the Lord for this sin of Idolatry hath utterly forsaken people he would be their God no more nor would he own them for his people any longer Nevertheless though this sin of Idolatry is so exceedingly high and provoking yet God hath pardoned it unto his people He pardoned it to Abraham Solomon to all the Churches of the Gentiles to those of Rome to the Corinthians Ephesians Galatians Thus you see the Assertion evinced from the Text. Secondly I shall in the next place evince it from other places of Scripture that From other Scriptures God will forgive the greatest sinnes c. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy O what sins were these blasphemy persecution injuriousness even to banishment and death but I obtained mercy In Acts 3. 14. And ye denyed the Holy One and desired a murderer to be granted unto you ver 15. and killed the Prince of life yet Acts 44. Many of them which heard the Word believed and the number of men were about five thousand Isa 1. 18. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red as Crimson they shall be as wooll Thirdly Let us see it further demonstrated by some Arguments Arguments to demonstrate it God is great in mercy 1. God is great in mercy Who is a strong God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the Remnant of his heritage Micah 7. 8. Grave est quod habeo sed ad Omnipotentem confugio said Austin Infinite mercy can forgive great iniquity 2. The satisfactions of Christ are great aad full so that by them grace did Christs satisfaction is great super abound He undertook the whole state of the sins of Gods people sins great and small many and few â—gnorance and knowledge all their iniquities and all their trespasses and all their transgressions and did satisfie the Justice of God fully and to the utmost so that in him there is plenteous Redemption The obedience of Christ is as much above our sins as his person is above our persons 3. When the Lord calls upon people to repent as therein he deals with them to leave and forsake all their sins great and small he excuses them in no one God calls us to repent of great sins and promiseth pardon sin but of all sinnes he presseth them to forsake their great sins so to draw and encourage them to this repentance he doth hold out his promise of pardon indefinitely of all their sins this Covenant makes no distinction at all twixt small and great God usually instances in the greatest sins 4. God by the Gospel gathers of all sorts into his kingdom The notorious God gathers all sorts of sinners sinners as well as the
Then shall the Priests command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean and Cedar wood and Scarlet and Hysop Ver. 5. And the Priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water Ver. 6. As for the living bird he shall take it and the Cedar wood and the scarlet and the hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the living bird that was killed over the running water Ver. 7. And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean c. Now that the Lord doth on this wise sprinkle the blood of Christ on his people for the forgiveness of their sins namely in a way of assurance that their sins are forgiven may thus appear by Scripture Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The white stone was given in token of absolution and the black stone in token of condemnation by the Athenians Psal 103. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul Ver. 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities Matth. 9. 2. Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Luke 7. 48. He said unto her thy sins are forgiven Ephes 4. 32. Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Col. 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven for his Names sake Isa 60. 16. Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer Ch. 40. 2. Speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem and cry unto her that her iniquity is pardoned 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life c. But unless they did know that their sins in particular were pardoned they could not have said we know that we are passed from death to life Thirdly This ascertaining Application is made by the Spirit of God and by How this appâ—ication is made Faith and by the testimony of Conscience First By the Spirit of God which is given to the people of God that they might know the things that are given to them of God 1 Cor. 2 12. The Spirit By the Spirit of God is given not only for implantation of grace but aâ—so for demonstration to manifest by his light those graces which he hath wrought in us Not only for union with Christ but also for manifestation of that union unto us not only to bring us into Covenant with God but also to open and reveal unto us the love and mercy of God unto us in his Covenant Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ver 17. and if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ If the Spâ—rit testifie unto us that we are the children of God and heirs of God then certainly he witnesses with this that we are justified and pardoned persons â—phes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise ver 14. which is the earnest of our inheritance What is that sealing by that holy Spirit of promise but the evidencing confirming assuring of us concerning the things which God hath promised unto us and amongst the rest of the pardon of our sins in order to salvation Secondly By Faith There is an ability in Faith not only to give a general evidence and assent that whatsoever God hath promised is true but also By faith to raise a particular evidence concerning our very interest in the things promised by God unto us 1 Joh. 4. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us Cant. 15. 6. He is altogether lovely There is a direct act of Faith This is my beloved and this my friend here is the reflexive act of faith 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ Beloved whatsoever good the Lord doth promise unto his people he will give them Faith to believe it for that is one great end of his promising that we might inherit the good promised by believing but God hath promised the pardon of sins in particular to every particular believer Act. 10. 48. Whosoever believes on him shall receive the remission of sins Ergo. Thirdly Besides this there is given unto every one of the people of God an By a renewed Conscience illightned and renewed conscience which knows the present frame of heart and can give in a clear testimony concerning it whether it doth indeed Repent and indeed believe finding it such as the word requires from whence it can make a concluding evidence that our sinnes are certainly pardoned for thus conscience reasoneth Whosoever doth truely repent and believe God himself in his Word saith that his sins are forgiven But saith the enlightned and renewed conscience which knows what is in man thou dost truly repent and believe for I find such lively acts and effects of them both which the Word of God gives concerning them in truth Ergo Be of good comfort and rejoyce thy sinnes are forgiven thee Thus you see what the sprinkling is in the Text namely the imputation of the blood of Christ for forgiveness to every particular believer with an assurance of the forgiveness of his sins for Christs sake SECT II. Quest 2. NOw I proceed unto the second Question Why the Lord is Reasons of it pleased to make such an application and such an assurance unto his people No benefit by the blood of Christ without application Sol. 1. One reason is because though there be forgiveness for the blood of Christ yet this is of no benefit unto any but unto whom it is applyed and appropriated and imputed Simile Suppose that a great debt be discharged this avails not me unless my great debt be discharged Suppose that a release from the prison or from death be granted what is this to me if the release be not imputed unto me in particular So though God forgives sins only for the blood of Christ unless he applies this to me I am not the better for it O but God did peremptorily intend the particular good of every believer in the death of Christ Christ dyed for them and gave himself for them and therefore he applies the blood of Christ to them his intention was for them in particular they shall fare the better for Christ Ergo. Secondly Their great comfort lies in this apprehension and assurance of the forgiveness The comfort oâ— it lies in assurance of their sins in the blood of Christ There are two Requisites for the Christians comfort concerning Christ and forgiveness 1. One is Propriety that Christ is his Christ and dyed for his sins Who
as well as Justification II. That God himself doth undertake to sanctifie or to renew the hearts of his people III. That a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant SECT I. Doct. 1. THat Sanctification is promised unto the people of God as well as Justification Sanctification is promised as well as Justification or with Justification God doth promise not only to pardon the sins of his people but also to sanctifie and renew the hearts of his people a new heart also will I give you For the opening of this precious Truth I will shew unto you 1. The distinction or difference between Justification and Sanctification for the word also imports as much 2. The Connexion between them both 3. The Reasons why God promiseth the one with the other First The distinction or difference 'twixt Justification and Sanctification for they The difference between Justification and Sanctification are promised as two distinct or several gifts I will also c. which could not be spoken if they were both of them one and the same thing They differ thus First There is in Justification a change of the state he who was in the state They differ in six things of death and wrath being justified is in the state of life and love he is passed from death to life but in Sanctification of the heart he who was unholy is now made holy his heart is changed Secondly Justification looks at the guilt of sin and frees us from condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. But Sanctification looks at the filth of sin and frees us from the dominion of sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. Thirdly In Justification there is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us for which God accounts us righteous but in Sanctification there is grace infused into us by which we are made conformable unto the image of Christ that depends upon the merit of Christ and this depends upon the Spirit of Christ Fourthly The matter of â—â—â—â—â—ification is perfect and without any defect and exception the justice of God cannot finde any want in the obedience of Christ which was full and compleat and perfectly satisfied the Law of God but the matter of our sanctification is imperfect and weak and we cannot stand before Gods Judgment-seat with it Fifthly All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst believers as to their Justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst believers every one is not sanctified alike but some are stronger and higher and some are weaker and lower in grace Sixthly In Justification there is nothing of sin remaining which hath any cotrariety to the justified estate but in Sanctification there is something of sin remaining in the sanctified person which is contrary to that grace which is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other c. 2ly The Connexion of Sanctification with Justification You may read in The connexion of Sanctification with Justification Scripture of a four-fold conjunction of these two great gifts of God unto his people First In the promises of the Covenant they joyn hand in hand come forth like A four-fold cennexion In the promises twins out of the womb of grace Jer. 33. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Here you see them both expressed together in the same deed I will cleanse them from all their iniquity there is our sanctification promised And I will pardon all their iniquities there is justification promised Mich. 7. 19. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea Here you finde them again in promise He will subdue our iniquities this is sanctifying and he will cast all c. there is justifying Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Laws into their mindes and write them in their hearts there is the promise of sanctification Ver. 12. And I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more there is the promise of justification Rev. 2. 17. I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written c. Secondly In people of the Covenant All who are effectually called and In the people of the Covenant brought into Covenant they are justified and they are sanctified they partake of mercy and they partake of grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. He is made holy so 1 Cor. 6. 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 our God And in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye all in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification So Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Chap. 2. 1. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Thirdly In the desires of the people of the Covenant Their hearts are drawn In the desires of the people of the Covenant forth with the desires of both Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Here is earnest prayer for mercy to pardon sin Ver. 10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me here is earnest prayer for grace to sanctifie Fourthly In the Mediatour of the Covenant who is the Head of his Church as well In the Mediatour as the Saviour of his body Ephes 5. 23. And gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Ver. 26. as well as to wash it from its sins in his own blood Rev. 1. 5. And gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 19. And bare our iniquities in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness by whose stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was anointed not only to be our Priest to take away our sins by his body but also to be a Prophet to reveal unto us the whole will of God And this is the will of God even our sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. 3ly The Reasons why God doth promise
joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15. 10. I call it an eminent and great change because it surpasseth all other changes which may be found in men who yet have no newness of heart There may be a change 1. From rudeness of life to civility of conversation 2. From profaneness of walking to formality in Religion 3. From ignorance and blindness of mind to knowledge 4. From the practice of sin to a forbearance of sin 5. From quietness of Conscience to perplexity and trouble of Conscience and yet no newness of heart The change which constitutes a new heart is a very deep change it makes man to be a new creature it doth quite alter the frame and estate of a mans heart and Spirit It is a change in the soul Thirdly When the heart is made new there is a change made in the soul and in the whole soul 1. It is a change in the soule Simile It is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house It is one thing to adorn a dead man and it is another thing to inform or enliven a dead man Newness of life doth principally respect the root and spring The work of renewing grace begins where sin begins it begins the Reformation where sin begins the deformation it begins to change and cleanse where sin begins to corrupt and defile and that is in the soul Outward Reformation is one thing and inward Reformation is another thing The Pharisees made clean the outside of the cup and they were painted Sepulchres which within were full of rotten bones Hypocrisie can make a new garbe of visible actions but it can never make an new heart it never changes and alters the soul that still remains under the love and power of sin But when the heart is made new there is some inward work of grace by which the soul is changed from death to life from unholiness to holiness 2. It is a change in the whole soul when the heart is made new all the soul In the whole soule is divinely changed Therefore this newness or Renewingness is compared to the light which disperseth itself into the whole body of the Aire so that there is not any one part of the Aire which is not enlightned To the oyntment which fills the whole room with sweet Odour To leaven which diffuseth itself over the whole lump As it is with Original sin it is an universal defilement it infects all the soul there is not one faculty of the soul but it is defiled by it So it is with Renewing grace or newness of heart it is an universal alteration or change it alters all the soul and all the faculties of the soul when a new heart is given there is a change made 1. In the minde or understanding which now is freed from darkness and enjoys an heavenly light to know the things of God and to discern things that are excellent and the mysteries of Christ and salvation appear in their glory We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. In the Judgement which is now freed from mistakes and Errors and high imaginations and carnal reasonings and disputes and is now captivated to the Truth and approves of what is good and condemneth what is evil It counts sin the gâ—eatest evil and Christ the most incomparable happiness and the enjoyment of God the only portion I count all things but drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. 8. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee saith David Psal 73. 25. Thirdly In the Will which was proud and stubborn and unwilling and averse and perverse nothing would perswade it to hearken to Christ to yield to receive to obey all the arguments of mercy and glory would not â—ffect and take it Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. But when the heart is made new the Will also is changed now it falls down before Christ Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Draw me and I will run after thee Cant. 1. 4. In all the affections of the soul Never was there such a change such a newness how they fall out with one another Grief falls out with Love and Love with hatred nay they seem to be changed one into another Joy into Grief and Love into Hatred and Hatred into Love what a man did love he now hates and what a man did hate he now loves and what a man desired he now fears and what a man delighted in he now grieves at it Nay look on them distinctly in their several motion The desires were Who will shew us any good Now the desires are What shall we do to be saved The delights were in sin in sensualities in vanities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Christ in pardoning mercy in holy and heavenly society in doing the will of God The like may be said for love for grief for fear c. Fourthly This change which constitutes newness of heart is wrought by the Spirit of Christ Therefore our Sanctification which is the same with the giving A change wrought by the Spirit of Christ of a new heart is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 1. Pet. 1. 2. And our change into the image of glory from glory to glory is by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. And the newness of heart is the work of the Spirit of Christ no man changeth or renews his own heart but the Spirit doth all And therefore he is called the Spirit 1. Of Knowledge because he illuminates and gives knowledge and light 1 Cor. 12. 8. 2. Of Grace and holiness because he makes us holy Ephes 4. 30. 3. Of Faith because he causeth our hearts to believe 2 Cor. 4. 13. 4. Of Love and joy because he worketh these in our hearts All saving good comes from the Father as the Fountain and through the Son as the Mediator and is wrought in us by the Spirit As in the Creation the Spirit moved upon the waters and so did as it were brood and frame all the Creatures To in Regeneration the Spirit descends upon the hearts and by his vigour doth forme all the newness and spiritual change in it This change is wrought by infusing a new Principle Fifthly The Spirit works this change in the heart by infusing a new Principle or quality of grace A new Principle is necessary to make a new heart there must be something put into the heart to change the heart in all alterations thus it is Simile If you would have the cold removed from the water heat must come in and if you would have darkness removed from the Aire the light must come in and if you would have sickness
passage in the life which denominatively declares the estate of the heart either way one particular good action may be done by him whose heart is naught and one particular ill action may be done by him whose heart is good and truly renewed by grace As the new heart brings forth new works so it doth act them after a new manner of working it is possible that an unregenerate man may do many works which are morally good but then he doth not perform those works in such a manner as that man doth whose heart is renewed by grace The qualification of works for the manner in a man renewed There are four qualifications as to the manner of working or performance of duties which are found in the renewed person and in no other man 1. He performs them in the strength of Christ by vertue of union and communion with him Simile as the members of the body do act by vertue of their union and communion with the head I can do all things said Paul through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. And as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me Joh. 15. 4. 2. He performs them as with love the love of Christ constraineth me said Paul 2 Cor. 5. 14. If a man love me he will keep my Word said Christ Joh. 14. 23. Now when a man doth works of obedience out of love he is ready and willing to do them the work is written in his heart he takes delight in the doing of them I delight to do thy Will O God Psal 40. 8. And make me to go in the paths of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Psal 119. 35. It is a mans meat and drink to do the will of God Joh. 4. 34. The yoke is easie and the Commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. He performs them with fervency of spirit not coldly and carelesly and indifferently but closely and seriously with a fervent spirit Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord he seeks the Lord with his whole heart an heavenly impetus aestus vigor c. 4. He performs them with integrity of intention looks not at himself but the glory of God in Christ c. Eighthly You may know that God hath given you a new heart if you find New delights and satisfactions new delights and satisfactions There is not a man in the world but the frame of his heart may be known by that which he takes delight and contentment and satisfaction in If one hath a proud heart the vanities and fashions and dresses and braveries of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath an ambitious heart the honours and applauses and dignities and preferments and powers of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath a covetous heart the riches and profits and treasures of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath a sensual and unclean heart the filthiness and actings of lusts are his delight and satisfaction And there is no unregenerate person but either some worldly object or some sinful object is his delight and satisfaction might he have wealth enough or honour enough or pleasure enough he would desire no more here he would rest and with this he would be contented and satisfied But now when the Lord changeth and reneweth the heart by grace that which delights and contents and satisfies other men will not delight and satisfie him nay those very objects which formerly satisfied himself will not now by any means satisfie him but he hath new objects and new ways of delight and satisfaction If the Lord should say unto a regenerate and renewed person I will give thee all the world this would not satisfie him or delight him though heretofore a little of it would have gone far and have done much The renewed person sees what a vanity of vanities the world is and what a hell of hells sin is and his delights and satisfactions are now in objects sutable to his new nature the highest and best objects these are sutable with the highest and best heart A God a reconciled God the favour of God the knowledge of him as so the fruition of him as so the meditations on him as so the communions with him as so the manifestations of him to the soul as so the hopes of the future and eternal enjoyment of him as so Psal 73. 25. These these are the delights the contentments and satisfactions of an heart indeed renewed by grace The excellent glories of Christ a near relation unto Christ the life of Christ the peace by Christ the comforts of Christ the enjoyments of and by Christ the love of Christ the powers of Christ the presence of Christ and fellowship with Christ these are the new delights the new contentments and the only satisfactions of a new heart these are food and rayment these are houses and lands these are parents and friends these are treasures and pleasures to a renewed heart these are the rest of it and the heaven to it one sight of God in Christ one smile of his love one word of peace and joy from Christ delights and satisfies a renewed heart more than all which the world can afford Ninthly Another sign of a new heart is new society when God gives a A new society man a new heart that man hath a new Master and new work and new friends and society Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 2 Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness Psal 139. 21. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee O what a burden is it to a good heart to be in ungodly company Woe is me that I so journ in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. And what a delight is it to a renewed person to be in the company of renewed persons Psal 16. 3. To the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Psal 42. 4. I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise Holy society is the only society for persons of holy hearts and in that society can no man take delight untill God renews his heart by grace Tenthly Lastly When God gives a man a new heart he doth presently A new rule set up a new rule of life to walk by and according to that is his course ordered all the days of his life and what is that rule not our own judgement not revelations not our own will not our own lusts not our own affections not the opinion of men not the customes of the world not the applauses of the world not the
a dart Spira longing for death rather than life c. if the Lord should let fall any of these judgements upon thee what would become of thee Fourthly Meditate on the patience of God and on the goodness of God Of the patience of God 1. On the patience of God who hath been so long provoked by thy hard heart and yet hath spared thee held off his hand from striking of thee hath all this while born with thee and forborn to judge thee 2. On the goodness of God both to thy body and soul thou who hast so Of the goodness of God much hardned thy heart against him hast yet every day tasted of his bounty and blessings yea and that he is treating with thy soul sends Ministers deals with thee in a Gospel way calls on thee to repent offers thee Christ and mercy and heaven and assures thee if thou wilt yet hearken thy soul shall live 2ly Practical Actions and they are these Practical actions Come and hear First Come and hear 'T is true an hard heart cares not to hear the Word yet because thou hast a power to come and hear the Word as well as to go to any other place or work use thy power rather to come and hear the Word and that Word which is most convincing piercing humbling Moses rod made the waters to come out of the Rock The Word of God is able to save a soul and therefore certainly it is able to convert and soften the soul The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live Joh. 5. 25. All who have got the cure of hardness of heart they have found it at the Word and by the Word which is the Sword of the Spirit and the power of God Secondly Go and pray beseech the Lord himself to circumcise thy heart he Go and pray only can cure the stone in the heart he only can take away the stony heart out of the flesh nothing is too hard for him Lord Lord leave me not to the hardness of my heart Lord open mine eyes make me sensible over-power my stiffe and rebellious and gain-saying heart Object O but my heart is so hard that I cannot pray Sol. 1. Pray as thou mayst at least grieve 2. And sigh under the burden of thy hard heart cry out O that I were made sensible and that I could pray to God to be cured 3. And go to them that can pray beseech them to beseech the Lord for thee O Sirs be sensible of one who is not sensible of himself pray for me who cannot pray for my self Thirdly Look a little on Jesus Christ whom thou hast pierced that thou mayst Look on Jesus Christ mourn Zach. 12. 10 Look on him and what thy hard heart hath done unto him thy hard heart it was which crucified him which pierced him which shed his precious blood And now hearken what Jesus Christ saith unto thee O hard-hearted sinner thy sins have put my soul to grief thy sins have drawn tears from mine eyes and blood from my heart Thou hast been very cruel to me I will not be so to thee lo I offer my self unto thee and my blood unto thee it shall wash thee from all thy sins it shall make thy peace it shall save thy soul if yet thou wilt no more harden thy heart but forsake thy sins and receive my offers Methinks this cannot but bow and melt thee if this doth not what will if the love of Christ if the blood of Christ will not nothing will They say that the blood of the Lamb is that which can soften the Adamant if any thing will work on will melt an hard heart it is the blood which came from the heart of Christ Fourthly If at any time the power of God appear on thy heart in meditation or hearing or praying or affections or secret workings of his Spirit that it begins to yield to hearken and consider to relent to soften 1. Do not dash and quench these by sinning by unbelief or by wicked security 2. But cherish them work with these workings keep them up raise them up Quest 3. How may one know that he is cured of a stony and hard heart at the How may one know that he is cured least that the cure is beginning Sol. The resolution of this question hath reference unto the second Proposition viz. that God promiseth to take away the heart of stone from his people but to speak unto the question as it now falls First When hardness of heart is cured or curing there is instantly wrought a By a spiritual sensation spiritual sensation such a sight and such a feeling as the poor sinner never had the like in all his life Simile As when a man is delivered from a deadly palsie he begins to feel and complain of the benummedness and heaviness of his limbs saith he What ails my arms and my feet I can hardly stir them there is scarce life in them nor sense nor motion So when the Lord is curing any sinner of the hardness of his heart he begins to see and feel and complain O saith he What a hard heart have I what a sinful and wretched heart I have heard of a proud and stout heart of a careless and unbelieving heart of an hard and rebellious heart of an impenitent and obstinate heart alas my heart hath been and it is all this O what an untoward heart do I feel in my self to any good what an unyielding heart to any thing which God commands and an unwilling heart to part with sin what a gain-saying heart to stoop to Christ this my heart I now feel to be like the flint the Iron the Adamant no man hath such an insensible hard heart as I. This is the first evidence of the cure of an hard heart viz. the sensibleness of the unsensibleness and hardness of the heart Secondly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will By judging of himself and sins in another manner judge of his â—â—ns and of himself so as he did never before He looks on his sinful heart as on a root of gall and wormewood and he looks on his sinful ways and doings as vile and cursed and wonders at himself what he meant to be so forward to sin and to be so obstinate in sinning and to be so desperately profane as to contend with God in slighting the knowledge of him in refusing to hearken unto him in opposing of his Word in rejecting all the gracious and saving offers of Christ O my madness and folly O my pride and misery to forsake my meâ—cies for lying vanities to pitch on hell rather than heaven to love darkness rather than light O how jâ—st were it with God to reject me who have rejected him and never to hear me calling upon him who have so often turned away my ears from hearing him when calling upon me I am the chiefest of sinners
both convince Preparatively and break the heart of a sinner The Spirit by the Law doth let in the sense of sin and wrath which is irresistible upon the Conscience which is of that authority and force that it rents the heart and fills it with fear and trembling and astonishment This is that which the Schoolmen call Attrition And our Divines usually stile Legal preparation and the Scripture the spirit and bondage whereby all the powers and presumptions and confidences of the soule are shaken and the heart is made so sensible of its transgressions that it quakes and trembles and hath no rest nor peace but is filled with bitterness and terror and cries out with woful complaints I have undone my self I have sinned I have sinned and what will become of me I feel the wrath of God and what shall I do to be delivered I cannot live thus and I dare not dye thus if the Lord shew me not mercy I perish for ever Secondly The Lord takes away the hardness of the heart Effectually and this Effectually he doth when he diâ—solves and melts the stonyness of the heart It is one thing to break a stone into pieces and it is another thing to melt a stone as it were into water Simile The Lord doth by the Law break the stony and stout heart of a sinner but he melts and dissolves the heart by the Gospel and on this wise he doth dissolve and melt it 1. By revealing of mercy and hope of mercy to the broken and distressed sinner thus and thus hast thou â—â—nned against me and now thou seest and findest it to be an evil and bitter thing to slight my Word and resist my Spirit and to harden thy heart thou art now fallen into the hands of the living God and I can make all my wrath to fall on thee and to destroy thee at once for all thy rebellions But I am the Lord merciful and gracious I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn and live Lo I have given mine own Son Jesus Christ to dye for sinners and I have said that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3 16. Therefore go thou broken-hearted sinner go thou unto him and be saved accept of him and thou shalt find mercy to pardon all that is past he is able to save thee to the uttermost and he is a merciful High Priest O how this works on that sinner but is it possible that there should be such a surpassing goodness in God what and to such a proud and stout-hearted sinner as I have been what mercy to one who hath so often slighted mercy and Christ for one who hath so often refused Christ this begins to melt the hard heart of the sinner 2. By the offer of mercy and particular invitation of the broken-hearted sinner to lay hold on it The Lord Jesus comes as it were to the very house of this sinner and knocks at the door and saith Here dwells a broken-hearted sinner and my Father hath sent me to him that I may save his poor soul Come come unto me be not afraid I my self do call thee to come unto me And I do assure thee in the word of a Saviour that I will not reject thee but I will pity and help and refresh thee I will answer for thy sins and I will make thy peace though thou hast been very wicked I will not stand upon that and though thou art utterly unworthy yet I will not stand on that neither only receive me and I will be thine and mercy and salvation shall be thine freely and aâ—suredly 3. By the collation of Faith which makes the sinner willingly and really to close with Christ The Lord by his Spirit doth enable the broken-hearted sinner to receive Jesus Christ and to take livery and seizin of a reconciled merciful loving blessing God in and by him And now the apprehension and possession of all this rich mercy and great love and exceeding goodness of God in Christ melts and dissolves the stonyness of the heart this works in him a tenderness a mournfulness a pliableness and all that is contrary to hardness of heart Thirdly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people successively Successively or by degrees indeed the dominion of it is taken away in an instant as soon as ever the sinner is brought into Christ as soon as he is called and converted the raigning power of hardness is taken away the man shall never have such a stubborn opposing resisting base heart any longer But yet the grudging of the stone the remaining gravel the reliques of hardness are taken away by degrees the remaining hardnesse the Lord takes away First one while by Afflictions Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word Secondly Another while by mercies and kindnesses Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my Covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant Ver. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed So Hose 3. 5. Afterwards shall the Children return and seek the Lord and shall fear the Lord and his goodness Thirdly Sometimes by his Word and Ordinances which are like Refining fire to melt and purge away our dross How frequently do the people of God find the Word of God to be the power of God to melt away their carelesness and their indisposition of heart and deadness of heart and backwardness and unruliness of heart Fourthly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people perfectly and compleatly Root and Branch so that no part of it and no degree of it shall Perfectly ever be found in their hearts any more This shall be done in the very moment of death when we come to the dissolution of soul and body we shall then come to the perfect dissolution of all hardness and of all remaining sinfulness of heart Quest 2. Now to the second question why the Lord will take away the stony Why God takes away the stony heart and that by promise The Lord will do it that They may be his people heart from his people and why he himself doth undertake it by promise Sol. The Lord will take away the heart of stone from his people That First They may be his people and receive him for their God and Lord Beloved as long as hardness of heart prevails on any people it is impossible that they should become the people of the Lord they will not hearken to his voice nor obey his voice nor receive his Laws nor fall in with his offers and entreaties but will reject his Word and despise his counsel and will follow the lusts of their own hearts and therefore of necessity the Lord must take away the hardness of heart if he will have any people to be his people he must break down the pride and stoutness and resistance
and to rest on his Arm acknowledging that our standing and safety is not in our strength but in the presence and influence of his grace 2ly The Means how to compass a soft and tender heart The Means First You must go to the Lord by Prayer for it a sinner can harden his own Beg it by prayer heart but God only can soften the heart If four things were wrought in the heart it would be soft and tender viz. 1. An experimental Sensation 2. A mournful Humiliation 3. A spirit of Fear 4. An yieldingness and plyableness of the heart to the will of God Object True will some say but who can work these things in the heart Sol. That can God and he hath promised to work every one of them in our hearts if we do earnestly and unfeignedly seek him 1. He can make us to see to feel to remember to consider our sins and our doings which have not been good Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me c. Job 13. 26. Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed 2. He can make the heart mourning and humbling and lamenting Zac. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. Ezek. 7. 16. All of them mourning every one for his iniquity 3. He can put his fear in their hearts Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts And Hose 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness 4. He can make the heart yielding and plyable unto his Word and Will Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Secondly You must to his Word which is the hammer to break and the fire to Attend the Word melt the heart Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do 2 Chron. 34. 27. Thou diddest humble thy self before God when thou heardest his Word c. Object But many men hear the Word and that a long time and yet their hearts are not at all softned by it therefore it cannot be a means to soften the heart Sol. I answer 1. It is true that many men do hear the Word and for many years and are not softned but their hearts are more hardned under it nevertheless this induration comes not from the Word which is a means to soften but from the pride and perverseness of the hearts of men who do hear the Word but will despise and reject the Word 2. It is also true that though many men have not their hearts softned by the Word yet many others have their hearts softned by it Simile as although many who take Physick are nothing better by it yet many who do so are recovered by it and this we find by experience that though the Word be the savour of death unto death unto some yet it is the savour of life unto life unto others And as we must not conclude that the Word is not the means of saving faith because all that hear the Word do not believe so neither must we deny the Word as a means to soften the heart because many who do hear it do remain hardned but if we find First that God hath instituted his Word for such a purpose and end Secondly That God hath blessed his Word and made it effectual to that purpose Thirdly Doth call even sinners to come and attend that they may attain that blessing depending upon this Word And lastly that without the attendance upon the Word there is no enjoyment of that softness of heart but a greater access and confirmation of hardness of heart Thence we may confidently conclude that the Word of God is a means to soften the heart But 3. You must know that the efficacy of spiritual means doth not depend upon the meer presence of the means but upon the concomitancy and influence of the Spirit of God who sometimes doth put forth his power through those means and sometimes doth not so The Word by its own natural and proper vigour doth not convince nor convert nor soften the heart for then every one that hears it should be convinced and converted and softned nor then should it be a means but a principal efficient but those effects it doth work on all who hear it when the Spirit of God comes with the Word unto their hearts in his mighty power working that grace in us which the Word commands from us And therefore when we come to hear the Word to have our hearts softned we should look on the Word as the means but withall on the Spirit of God as the principal cause who works that effect by the Word nor should we ever hear the Word without special prayer and requests that the Lord would by his Spirit make his Word a lively and effectual means of knowledge of faith of all grace unto us and if we did do so the Lord would be found of us and he would give this softness of heart which he promiseth in his Covenant Thirdly If you would have softness of heart you must then get newness of Get newnesse of heart heart Your hearts can never be softned untill they be renewed and if they were renewed certainly they would be softned The old heart is an hard heart and the new heart is a soft heart You may as well expect that a dead man should weep and mourn and go and come as that an old sinful heart dead in trespasses and sins should be a soft and mournful heart for sins or be willing and ready to obey the will of God why hardness in all the causes of it and in all the effects of it is predominant and raigning in an unconverted graceless heart But if the heart were once changed by renewing grace then softness must needs fall into it Forasmuch as the change made by renewing grace brings into the soul another nature quite contrary to our sinful nature and other principles quite contrary to all our old principles Light contrary to darkness and humblenesse contrary to pride and yieldingness contrary to stubbornnesse and softnesse contrary unto hardness Fourthly if we would have softnses or tenderness of heart then we must get Faith for faith is indeed the foundation of a soft and tender heart and the Get Faith more of Faith the more of tenderness Quest What Faith will some say Sol. I answer a Faith 1. Of Knowledge or Credence that God is that he is a great God the living God the Almighty God the dreadful God most knowing most holy most righteous and faithful who will be so to us as his Word
hatred variance discord c. 2ly Many have a false and lying and deluding spirit but it is not this Many have a false and deluding spirit spirit which God promiseth to put within his people You read in Scripture of the Spirit of truth and of the spirit of error 1 Joh. 4. 6. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error and so you read of the Fancies and Delusions and Revelations of men called by the name of the spirit 2 Thes 2. 2. Be not shaken in mind or troubled neither by spirit nor by word c. And we are charged not to believe every spirit but to try the spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4. 1. Quest But here it may be demanded how it may be known that the spirit by which How a false spirit may be known man is moved and stirred and put on and led is a false spirit and not the Spirit of God Sol. This may be known many wayes First A false spirit is never let in by the Word The Ministry of the Gospel is It is not let in by the Word the Channel or the Conduit by which we partake of the true Spirit of God Gal. 3. 2. Ye received the spirit by the hearing of faith i. e. the Word or Gospel of Faith as those who hearing Paul Preach the Holy Ghost fell upon them so c. But a false spirit comes not in that way nay it is so far from being breathed by the Word that it works in men a slighting and contempt of it as you shall hear presently Secondly A false spirit is a loose spirit persons that partake of it do pretend It is a loose spirit unto strange Visions and high Revelations and mysterious Notions but for all them this false spirit leaves their hearts unchanged and their lives unreformed ordinarily men led by a false spirit are unfound and corrupt in their judgements and opinions and are idle and lazy and vicious in their walking Thirdly A false Spirit is an irregular spirit the motions and works of it are It is an irregular spirit such as 1. The Word of God doth not warrant nay doth exceedingly condemn As for the Husband to take a way the life of his Wife and the Parent to kill the child and for a man to take away the goods of his neighbour c. 2. Neither a mans General nor Paticular calling can warrant The false spirit puts on to such works which a man may not do as he is a Christian nor may he do as he is set in such or such a private Relation Fourthly A false spirit is a preposterous spirit It fills a man with strange joyes A preposterous spirit and Raptures of heaven before a man knows Christ aright and receives him by Faith and before he repents of his sins or ever made his peace with God it is all in joy and nothing in humbling and mourning for sin Fifthly A false spirit is an earthly spirit 1 Joh 4. 5. They are of the world An earthly spirit therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them They talk much of the Kingdom of Christ and setting up of that but they pull down the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ and it is a temporal kingdom which they strive after as you may read in those of Munster Sixthly A false spirt is a disordering and turbulent and bitter spirit There A turbulent spirit are two things which men of a false spirit have been tumultuously violently railing and reviling and lifting at One is Publick Magistracy the other is Publick Ministery It is a certain truth that the false spirit is an enemy to order and peace and authority and likewise to sound teaching and the instituted Ordinances of Christ Seventhly A false spirit is a Scripture-slighting spirit This is evident in all A Scripture-slighting spirit sorts of men led by a false spirit Papists are more for unwritten Traditions than for the written Word Ignorant Formalists are more for superstitions and superstitious worship than for the worship which the Word of God requires Anabaptists and Enthusiasts are more for Revelations and Visions than for the Word of God nay they reject the Word and do close with them c. Eigthly A false spirit is a self-contradicting spirit It frequently gives itself A self contradicting spirit the lye confidently foretels and determins of matters and for such particular times and none of these prove true as I my self know c. Ninthly A false spirit is a proud spirit and extreamly impudent and consorious A proud spirit it swells a man up in a conceit of himself and in a contempt of others above all measure The Scriptures are but poor things and the Apostles but ordinary men and Ministers but a company of dogs and others differing from them in their Opinion but the fire-brands of hell c. Tenthly A false spirit is a presumptuous spirit A presumptuous spirit Many have the Spirit yet come shorrt of what they should have 3ly Many have the spirit as to divers gifts and works and effects nevertheless these do not amount to the putting of the spirit within the people of God here promised in the Text. e. g. First A man may be enlightned by the spirit he may come into a knowlede of God and of Christ and of the way to heaven c. This is the enlightning spirit yet this is not the sanctifying spirit Secondly A man may be gifted by the Spirit he may have the gift of understanding of memory of utterance of praying of preaching c. and yet not not have the Spirit spoken of in the Text. Thirdly A man may be humbled by the spirit he may see his particular sins be exceedingly distressed and terrified and he may confess his sins as Pharaoh and Judas did and yet not have this Spirit in the Text. Fourthly A man may have desires of heaven to be saved as Balaam Let us dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. and the young man that came running to Christ saying Good Master What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life Matth. 19. 16. and yet not have c. Fifthly A man may have many motions of the Spirit to take him off from his evil course to stave him off from some sinful action and to put him on to a new course of life yea so far working in him as to raise him to some kinds of purposes and resolutions as in hearing the Word c. and yet not have c. Sixthly A man may by the spirit tast of the heavenly gifts and tast the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Heb. 6. 4 5. he may be joyfully affected a while upon hearing and knowing and in some sort believing the great happiness purchased by Christ and yet not c. The misery to be distitute of the Spirit 4ly The extream miseries to be
destitute of the Spirit of God I will mention a few of them unto you First If you have not the Spirit you belong not unto Christ you are none of his most men amongst us presume that they belong to Christ and that be dyed Such belong not to Christ for them that Christ is theirs and that they are Christs but read the Apostle Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Gal. 4. 6 O what is that man who is none of Christs whose is he and to whom doth he belong who is none of Christs and belongs not unto Christ All the men in the world are divided 'twixt Christ and the Divel if you be not Christs members then you are the Divels slaves But yet consider that expression a little more none of his 1. None of his in way of Relation he owns you not Is no Head to you Who are none of Christs None of Christs in relation None in respect of Mediation None in respect of beneficial application no Husband to you no Saviour to you 2. None of his in respect of Mediation he is no Mediatour for you he never took your sins upon him he is none of your Surety he became not a curse for you made not your peace 3. None of his in respect of beneficial application he is not your Righteousness for Justification he is not your holiness for Sanctification he is not your life for Salvation if you be none of his you shall have none of him None of his why then God is none of yours then the Promises are none of yours then future glory can be none of yours then the hope of glory can be none of yours for it is Christ in us the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. None of his then you have no true faith then you are separated from Christ then you alone must answer for all your sins and then unquestionably you are under the condemnation and curse of the Law Secondly If you have not the Spirit of God then are you dead in your sins you are still in the natural unregenerate loathsome and cursed estates like so Are dead in their sins many carrions stinking in your graves for it is the Spirit and he only that quickens and changeth the estate of the sinner All spiritual life which quickens the soul comes only from the Spirit of life Simile You may as well say the body is alive which wants a soul as that the soul is alive which wants the Spirit of life Assuredly death hath dominion over you Spiritual death which is a separation from God and Legal death which is the sentence of death pronounced against you if you want the Spirit O what misery is this to be a sinner and nothing but a sinner to be totally wicked to be utterly destitute of the glory of God not any thing of his image in holiness in knowledge in righteousness not any love of him not any fear of him but filled with all unrighteousness and all ungodliness with all the powers of sinful lusts ignorance pride envy malice enmity unlesse hardness of heart c. and all of them raging and reigning oppressing and resisting c. Why this is our condition really if we have not the Spirit of God for there is no change and there can be no charge from it but by the Spirit of God Thirdly If you have not the Spirit of God than are you in bondage unto Satan and are led and ruled by the wicked spirt There are but two spirits which lead all In bondage to Satan sorts of men either the good Spirit or the wicked spirit all the sons of God are led by the good Spirit and all the children of darkness and disobedience are led by the wicked spirit he moves and stirs and teaches and inclines your hearts and leads and rules and commands them and his will you do obey and act all your dayes though you perceive it not if you have not the Spirit of God under that bondage do not continue for only the Spirit of God is the Spirit of victory of liberty of delivery Fourthly You can never be bettered by any Ordinance whatsoever You may come Cannot be bettered by Ordinances and hear and go home and say or read a prayer thrust your selves upon the Sacrament but all in yain for what are any of these without the Spirit he can do do good cannot repent believe mourn why no not any good desire Can any man hear so as to know the mind of God without the Spirit of God Can any man pray and make supplication who hath not the spirit of Prayer and the spirit of supplication Can any man receive benefit and comfort in the Sacrament from Christ â—hat hath not faith and can any man have faith and act faith who hath not the spirit Fifthly You are open and obnoxious to all temptations and unto all erroneous Are exposed to all tentations disobedience for to overcome temptations there is need of much strength much spiritual strength and that comes only from the Spirit of God who is the spirit of might and power Ephes 6. 10 11. And to prevent erroneous disobedience a man needs to know the truth and to be well grounded in the truth O but it is the spirit of truth who leads us into all truth Sixthly Nay you are if your conscience should be awakened exposed to Exposed to dreadful fears dreadful fears and troubles and despairs for the sense of your great transgressions and of the wrath of God for them and in this case you will not be able to find any comfort or at least you will not be able to apply it unto your selves for only the Spirit is the Comforter though you may read much in Christ and much in the Promises and much in God apt to give comfort yet nothing in any of these can be your actual comfort unlesse the spirit of God make it to be so unto you Seventhly Take you at the best can be but formal Christians Christians in Are but formal Christians shew if you have not the spirit of God for it is the spirit put within us which makes us Christians indeed When the spirit makes our hearts his Temple reforms renews enlivens us with his graces then are we Christians indeed Union with Unction constitutes us in the reality and truth of being Chrstians c. Eighthly I will say but one thing more You cannot be possibly saved if you Cannot be saved have not the spirit of Christ Reasons whereof are these 1. Without Christ no salvation Act. 4. 12. And if we be without the spirit we are certainly without Christ 2. Without holiness no salvation Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Why such cannot be saved Because without Christ Without holiness Without faith Heb. 12. 14. But without the spirit no holiness for he is the holy spirit Essentially in himself
new born babes as the Apostle calls them 1 Pet. 2. 2. The graces of the Spirit are sometimes in so weak and so low a ebb that they are compared to a bruised reed and to smoaking flax and to the dawning of of light in the morning and to a grain of mustardseed and to a little leaven in the lump Now here I would shew you three things 1. How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace 2. How one may know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace 3. That no Christian should discourage himself because his grace is weak but rather encourage himself because grace is sound although it be weak How to know our grace to be weak 1. Quest How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace Sol. This may be known In our first conversion First By the time of the implantation of it this is a truth that grace begins in weakness if a man be but newly converted his grace cannot be but weak Simile The Christian at first is but as a plant newly set and but as a sick man newly recovered or as the Sun newly risen although it may seem much unto him and he may find many stirrings in his spirit and in his affections yet this grace is but weak it hath but little strength in it Simile As a prisoner who hath been long in captivity and bondage when he is delivered his rejoycing may be great and yet his body may be very weak so when the Lord converts a man and so delivers him from the bondage of sin his heart may exceedingly rejoyce in his mercy that he is translated from death to life and yet his Spiritual strength of grace is very weak in him Secondly By the strength of corruptions The stronger that any mans corruptions By the strength of our corruptions are this is a sign that his graces are but weak I call those sinful corruptions strong which do often prevail upon us and lead us captive which are able to hinder us from doing what is good and to drive and force us to do that which is evil nor are we able to withstand this why this ariseth from weakness of grace Simile When it is with us as with a little Child who is ready to stumble and fall at every straw as we speak at every stone at every chip is not this the weakness of the Child So when every temptation every occasion every strong motion of sin is apt to shake us and stagger us and to surprize us is not grace very weak within us If this be a truth that sin grows weak as grace grows stronger Simile that the darkness is less when the light is clear then this also holds true that grace is weak when sin is strong Simile when grace is like a little light in the mid'st of much darkness By the proportions of actings Thirdly by the proportion of actings Every true grace of the Spirit is of an active nature it is apt to put forth itself Simile in this respect it is like all true fire and light which in the least degrees are apt and do put forth themselves but they have their different proportions in acting a little fire acts but little and a great fire acts much so weak grace hath but a weak operation and strong grace stronger operations weak grace acts most in desires and most in the will and most in tears and most in sighs and groans O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief answered the father of child with tears O that I could mourn that I could obey To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Rom. 7. 18. Fourthly By the mixture of contrary workings a little of grace and much of corruption a little of faith and much of doubtings a little of hope and By the mixture of contrary workings much of fear a little of sorrow and much of hardness a little of prayer and much of distraction a little of zeal and much of flatness a little that is done and much that is undone a little of knowledge and much of ignorance a little heavenly-mindedness and much of earthliness a little fire and much smoak a little going and much halting c. Fifthly By the aptness to live not by faith but by sense when God draws up all our helps and hopes into his promises and puts us now to fetch all our supplies By aptness to live by sence and comforts from his good and faithful Word Here is my Word that I will pardon your sins and here is my Word that I will subdue your iniquities and here is my Word that I will answer your prayers and here is my Word that I will supply your wants and I will never leave you nor forsake you O but because we feel not the assurance of pardon and because we find not victory over our sins and because we do not see the answet of our prayers and because we cannot discern the means and wayes how our wants may be supplyed therefore our hearts fail us and we are troubled and perplexed and sad thoughts do arise in our hearts and they are much cast down within us If it be thus with us certainly our graces are weak very weak the lesse able are ye to trust an All sufficient and faithful God in his promises but you must have the portion in your own hands you must see or else you will not believe you cannot so stedfastly believe that Gods Bond is sufficient c. Simile The child is but weak which must still be held by the hand c. Sixthly By the prevailing of discouragements If we be apt to be offended By the prevailing of discouragements and discouraged this shews weakness of grace there are discouragements taken from Gods dealing with us as when he delayes our suits and denies some of the requests and tries and exercises us with smart afflictions and suffers temptations to abide on us From the wayes of Christianity the strictness of them and the danger by them and the greatness of them From men that wicked men do so vex and trouble us that good men are so strange and unkind unto us From ouâ— selves that we go on so slowly and exactly and uncomfortably and others get so far before us and attain so much Discouragements from any of these shew that there is in us but small knowledge little faith much fear and weak grace Seventhly By the presence of censoriousness of strife and contentions and envyings 1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among By the presence of censoriousness you envying and strife and division are you not carnal and walk as men 2. Quest How may one know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace and the very effect of
the Spirit of God Sol. One may know that there is a true work of grace although very How a true work of grace may be known though weak By loving Gods image weak First By his apprehension and love of the image of God of this work of the Spirit in whomsoever he finds it His very soul values such a person and doth close with him and is knit unto him 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Every one that hath truth of grace doth highly prize all that have grace counts them the excellent of the earth and is most delighted Psal 16. 3. and satisfied in the society of such Secondly By the choice of his heart he chuseth God to be his God and the By our choosing God to be our God wayes of God to be his wayes I have chosen the wayes of truth Psal 119. 30. I have chosen thy precepts Ver. 173. Although he doth not serve his God in fulness yet he doth in sincerity although he cannot walk in his wayes exactly yet in these wayes he will walk he is a servant to none but his God and traveller in no wayes but his Thirdly By the desires of his soul They are holy and heavenly and spirituall though his work is little yet his desires are great though his enjoyment ares By the desires of his soul small yet his desires are high and amongst others there are these five desires where there is truth of grace viz. 1. An earnest desire of Gods love and favour Psal 106. 4. Remember me Five desires in the tâ—uth of Grace O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 2. An earnest desire of Christ a hungring and thirsting after him I will seek him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 3. O that God would give me Christ O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief Mark 9. 24. 3. An earnest desire to walk in all well-pleasing before God O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. they do not keep them but they desire to keep them Lord increase our faith 4. An earnest desire for more grace as Paul Phil. 3. 12. I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Ver 14. I presse toward the mark A desire of the Word that we may grow thereby is a sign of the new birth 1 Pet. 2. 2. 5. An earnest desire that he might not sin against his God Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandements Fourthly By the conflicts in himself Though there be not a present victory By the conflicts in himself yet there is a present war in every one who hath truth of grace Truth of grace will make a man 1. To love the Law of the Spirit of Christ and to joyn and take part with his good motions and directions and commands The good that I would do saith Paul and I delight in the law after the inward man Rom. 7. 19 22. 2. To hate and oppose the Law of sin Though he doth evil yet he hates it what I hate that I do and though he cannot subdue his sins yet he will oppose them He oppâ—seth and resisteth the pride the filthiness the passions the frowardness the hardness the unbelief of his heart Fifthly By the griefs and complaints of his soul He is grieved that yet sin By the griefs and complaints oâ— his soul hath so much power in him and cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and he is grieved that he is so low and weak and short in obedience unto his loving Christ that he can love him no better fear him no more trust on him no stronger and magnifie him no more And he is grieved that he cannot grieve that he cannot believe that he cannot walk up to the Rule of Christ and unto the desires of his soule By the endeavours and actings of his soul Sixthly By the endeavours and actings of his soul He that is weakest in grace is acting according to the proportion which he hath received Simile As old father Latymer said to his fellow-sufferer I am coming as fast as I can brother So the weakest in grace he is stirring and he is doing as well as he can he is doing his Masters will and if he could do more and better service assuredly God should have it from him and glad he is if he can mend one 3. Quest Why no Christian should be discouraged because of the weak measure Why we should not be discouraged because of our weakness in grace All grace is weak at first of grace wrought in him by the Spirit of God Sol. You should not be discouraged for these Reasons First All the graces of the Spirit do begin in weakness we are at the first but babes in Christ and then young men and strong and then Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12. 13 False grace is too suddain and too ripe it begins where it should end and therefore it ends usually as soon as it begins But true grace is first but weak nevertheless it shall encrease Secondly It will not rest so but gets from weakness to strength and from Yet its growing strength to strength as the Sun in the firmament Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Thirdly The weakest grace doth bring God some honour it will make a It brings God some honour man to honor God inwardly and outwardly Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name 1. Inwardly by setting up his will and authority in the heart by loving of him fearing of him and trusting on him though but weakly 2. Outwardly by abandoning every evil way by exercisâ—ng our selves in godliness by countenancing the rules and wayes of Christ and walking before God in truth Even the Children in the Temple cryed out Hosanna to the Son of David Matth. 12. 15. whereupon Christ applyed that of David Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ver 16. Fourthly The weakest grace is the workmanship of the Spirit of God Not It s the workmanship of the spirit of God only our rejoycing but our tears not only our assurances but our very groans are from him Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered So Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure To will any good this comes from the Spirit of God as well as to do any good Fifthly The weakest grace is able to unthrone sin and dispossess Satan and to set up a throne in the heart for Christ to hold
heart more and more further and further Simile Artificers who are building of an house they have work enough every day for them to do untill the house be finished So the Christian who is building up for Heaven he hath work still to do untill he comes to heaven he is not perfect nor are his works perfect he is but doing he hath not done his work till he hath done his life 4. Progressive and Progressive obedience is true obedience continued obedience that is the true and right obedience that is the obedience 1. Which comes indeed from love of God A friend saith Solomon loves at all times They who do truly love their God will still obey their God 2 Which comes from the Law written in the heart set up there and delighted It proceeds from love to God in there 3 Which as it agrees wholly with Gods will so it tends altogether to Gods From the Law written in the heart It agrees to Gods will and tends to Gods glory glory God hath more dishonor by the Apostate who turns away from the Commandements then ever he had honor by his temporary walking in the Commandements A faithfull Christian who walks with God all his dayes his whole life brings glory to God 4. Which God delights in he takes pleasure in it the upright are his delight And he loves the faithfull but if any man draw back my Soule shall have no pleasure God delights in it in him Heb. 10. 38. 5. Which God will Reward Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crown of life Math. 10. 22. He that continueth unto â—he end shall be God will reward it saved It is a pious expression of Chrysostome Non cepisse but perfecisse virtutis est Nec incipientibus sed perseverantibus Corona tribuitur 6. Which answers to the obedience of Christ Christs obedience was Satisfactory and herein we cannot imitate him and his obedience was exemplary a It answers Christs obedience pattern for our obedience and herein we are to imitate him And there are three things in his obedience to which our obedience should be answerable 1. Willingness and readiness 2. Fulness 3. Steadfastness untill Three things in Christs â—bedience for our imitation he had finished the work which his father gave him to do And thus should we do not only begin but also finish and work to the end 2. Tim. 4. 7. I have finished my course said Paul We should persevere or continue our obedience unto the end still walk on in Gods Statutes because of that exceeding loss which will befall us if we should give over our obedience and turn away from Gods Statutes There are three unspeakable losses which will follow to Apostates who break What Apostates lose off with God in duties of obedience First A Loss of Honor Saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. Honor. 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crown Intimating that the Crown were lost which is the greatest dignity and honor and reputation if she were not steadfast Demas hath forsaken us and embraced this present world what a dishonor was this to Demas The Apostle Peter speaking of Apostates who turned away from the holy Commandements delivered unto them 2 Pet. 2. 21. That it is hapned unto them according to the proverbe the Dog is turned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire What a shame is it to be like a dog or a sow c. Secondly A Loss of all the Duties and good works that hitherto they have All their duties and good works done Apostates make shipwrak 1. Of Faith 2. Of Conscience 3. Of all their former obedience All the Prayers which they have made are lost and all their Hearings are lost and all their Religious services and performances Ezek. 18. 24. When the Righteous turneth awâ—y from his Righteousness and committeth iniquity all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned and in his sins that he hath sinned in them shall he dye Thirdly A Loss of their Souls and Happiness Apostates lose all their hoâ—es Their souls and happiness of Heaven there are dreadfull places for the proof of this Esa 1. 28. They that forsake the Lord shall be consumed 2. Cron. 24. 20. Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you Heb. 10. 26. If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sin Ver. 27. but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Sixthly We cannot be better imployd then in a constant and continued It s our best impolyment to walk in Gods wayes walking in Gods Statutes It is an impolyment like that in Heaven This is indeed to live and rightly to improve life It is the Honor of life and Comfort and Safety of life First Our Honor saith David Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwaies before It s our honor me And Psal 73. 23. I am continually with thee Fidelity in service is an honor to any man much more in his service unto God Secondly Our Comfort Psal 106. 3. Blessed are they that keep judgment Our comfort and he that doth righteousness at all times Upright and constant obedience brings in a revenue of constant peace in confidence thereof and affords unto us a constant confidence towards God Psal 119. 165. Esa 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace 1 Joh. 3. 21. If our hearts condemne us not then have we confidence towards God Ver. 22. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him q. we keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his sight Thirdly Our Safety You are never more safe then when you are in Gods Our safety way The path of obedience is the path of Safety Prov. 13. 6. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way but wickedness overthroweth the sinner 16. 17. He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul 19. 16. He that keepeth the Commandements keepeth his own soul But he that despiseth his wayes shall dye Eccle. 8. 5. Whose keepeth the Commandements shall see no evil things But look on the very imployment of life in the whole course of it can it be better imployed or spent then in an obediential walking with God There cannot be a better master then God nor a more choice imployment of our life than in his service Communion with God is our happiness in this life and in the life to come Psal 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts Ver. 2. My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. Ver. 3. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee Ver. 10. A day in thy courts is better than a thousand I had rather be
David I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever then mayst thou confidenly say with him Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes oâ— my life Psal 23. 6. 2ly Their great sin in Revolting and giving over walking in Gods The great sin of Revolters Statutes There is a Question which I have read somewhere of Infidels and Hereticks and Apostates which of them do sin more heinously And it is Resolved that the Apostate is the greatest sinner of them defection is a greater sin then the negation of subjection because in defection or Apostasie 1. More of God is rejected and the Apostate sins more against God Why Apostaâ—es are such great sinners 2. Having received the knowledge of God and his wayes 3. And likewise breaks asunder more bonds which lay upon him to continue his obedience And indeed the Apostle speaking of Apostates delivers three things concerning them which do set out their sins unto amazment Heb. 6. 6. First One is that its impossible to renew them againe unto repentance How great It s impossible to renew them is that sin which doth so harden the hearts of men that he doth never repent of it nay can never repent of it nay that it is impossible to renew him again to repentance A Second is that they crucify to themselves the Son of God they deal with They crucify to themselves Christ a fâ—esh Christ as the Jews did who rejected and crucified him O what a sin is this to crucify the Son God and to crucify him a fresh to pierce his heart and to shed his blood the second time The third is that they put him to open shame they themselves do put a reproach They put him to open shame and contempt upon Christ and cause others so to do as if Christ were not a master fit to be followed and his wayes were not worth our regarding and that the poor woâ—ld and our base sins are rather to be regarded and embâ—aced and followed then the Lord Jesus and his precepts and his wayes And take one thing more that never did any fall off or turn away from walking in Gods statutes but he grew far more wicked then ever he was before and likewise a desperate enemies to the wayes of God 3ly Their great danger and judgement This I shall shew unto you in three Particulars First Revolters or Apostates are judicially given up to the great power of Satan The great danger and judgement of Apostates They are given up to Satan The Lord doth in his just judgement give them over unto Satan that he should rule them and that they should be his sworn servants who will break off with God and refuse to serve him any longer Mat. 12. 44. That unclean spirit returned unto his house from whence he came out ver 45. and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and enter they in and dwell there and the last estate of that man is worse than the first Secondly They are judicially given up to the power of their sinful lusts they And to the power of their lusts grow worse and worse they having cast away the cords and all fear of God there is no wickedness but they are ready to obey it and they do now go on in their daring wayes of bold profaness with seared consciences Thirdly They are judiciously given up to the powers of damnation therefore And to the power of damnation it is said that they draw back unto perdition Heb. 10. 39. And the soul of God hath no pleasure in them Ver. 38. O what a dreadful condition is this to forsake the path of life and heaven and to turn back to walk in the path of death and Hell Fourthly They are many times in their life given up to exceeding terrors They are oft given up to terrors of conscience and despair of conscience and despair You may read this in Judas who turned back and what horror did that poor creature fall into he forsook his Master and left the path of life for a few pieces of silver but what got he by this he lept out of the ship into the Sea he could never meet with rest or peace afterwards but conscience brake in pieces and did so pursue him with guilt and terror that thereupon he fell into absolute despair and made an end of himself Simile The like you read of Spira who revolted from the truth and the path of Evangelical obedience after clear convictions and secret warnings of Conscience but what befell him O he presently fell into terror of conscience and despair and never could recover the least hopes of mercy to his dying day Fifthly They are many times punished by some extraordinary judgement here They are oft punished with extraordinary judgements on earth Take an instance in Israel and Judah they gave up to walk any longer in Gods statutes and wayes they forsook God and his Laws and what came of this why God forsook them and gave them up to their own hearts lusts and at last overthrew them with an utter destruction and scattered them over the face of the earth So you read of Joash who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehoiada the Priest 2 Chron. 24. 2. But afterwards Ver. 18. He left the house of the Lord and served Groves and Idols but what befell him for this you read of two great judgements that did befall him one in verse 24. That the Syrians came in with a small company of men and the Lord delivered a great Host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord so they executed judgement against Joash The other is in ver 25. His servants conspired against him and slew him SECT II. 2. Use SHould the people of God continue proceed on and persevere in walking in Gods statutes then you who are the people of God give me leave to offer unto you 1. A few Cautions about your walking 2. A few exhortations concerning our walking 3. A few encouragements for your walking continued walking in Gods statutes 1. The Cautions about your walking You see that it is your duty to walk on to proceed to persevere in walking in Gods statutes therefore take heed unto your selves and beware of four Cautions about our walking in Gods statutes Beware of slothfulness things First Beware of slothfulness and carelesness at any time in doing the will of God or in walking in his wayes Rom. 12. 11. Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. When a man doth a business slothfully he doth it with a slight spirit he doth not put out himself not his strength he hath no care in doing of it he doth it not with a serious and diligent spirit but remisly and indifferently as one not affected about what he doth nor addicted unto it saith the Apostle Heb. 6. 11. We desire that every
obedience is still accepted that which God principally looks at in our services of him is our Sincerity is ever accepted heart My son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. and the uprightness of our hearts his eyes are upon the truth and he is a God that takes pleasure in uprightness 1 Chron. 23. 19. A man is sincere in obedience when 1. He intends the glorifying of God Who are sincere in obedience in what he doth 2ly When he serves God with a willing heart 3ly When he puts out all the present strength and might of his soule in doing the will of God Now although this person falls very short of perfection in his works of obedience and many failings accompany his duties yet God passes by them and God is the Father of such as are upright takes no notice of them will not reject but will accept of them and of his weak services And there are three Demonstrations of this 1. God whom he serves with his spirit is his Father and of a very merciful and gracious nature Psal 103. 13. Like as a Father pities his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 2. He hath made many indulgent promises to him Isa 30. 19. He will be God hath made many promises to such very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee Chap. 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt-offerings and their sacrifice shall be accepted upon mine Altar c. 3. Jesus Christ bears away all the iniquities of our holy offerings and by his Christ bears away all the iniquities of such merits procures the acceptance of all our services Rev. 8. 3. He is that Angel that stood at the Altar having a golden censer who had much incense given unto him that he should offer it with prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which is before the Throne Ver. 4. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Now this is a singular Encouragement unto us to hold on stedfast in our walking in Gods statutes never to be weary in well doing For our labour is not in vain in the Lord not any work of obedience is lost not a Prayer not a tear not any one work performed with sincerity of heart but it is graciously accepted Fifthly There is no safety in going back from walking in Gods stautes and there is no hazard in going forward and holding on unto No safety in going back â—â—e end First There is no safety in going back from walking in Gods statutes For â—â—â—s only is the path of life and the path of salvation he that turns from it â—â—â—iseth his own soul he is lost he is out of protection out of blessings out 〈◊〉 promised good and shall be sure to meet with curse and wrath and â—â—â—â—ction â—â—condly There is no hazard in going forward and holding out un to the 〈◊〉 end You cannot hazard 1. Your souls by it for he that keepeth the Commandement keepeth No hazard in going forward his soule 2. The recompence you expect by it for he that continues to the end shall be saved 3. Your safety by it for God is a Sun and a Shield unto them that walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. The Lord is with you whiles you are with him 2 Chron. 15. 2. 4. Your honour by it Those that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. 5. Any outwardly blessing by it For Prov. 3. 23. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just Prov. 28. 10. The upright shall have good things in possession And ver 20. A faithful man shall abound with blessings There is no death but life no curse but blessing no danger but safety no loss but gain in walking in c. Sixthly Though we meet with many oppositions in the stedfast walking Many higher encouragements yet you have higher and greater encouragements to the certainty of that way There are four things which do shew that the walking on in Gods statutes is the true way to heaven 1. The holiness of it 2. The warrantableness of it 3. The aim of the traveller 4. The universal opposition made against it by Satan by all ungodly men and by the remaining corruptions in every mans heart it is the opposed and discouraged way Nevertheless you have higher and greater Encouragements to hold on your walking in the way of Gods statutes e. g. 1. The excellency of the way itself it is the way of God and the way It s an excellent way of life and the way of holinesse the way of Christ the way of peace and rest 2. The company of travellers The best men that ever were upon earth did The company of travellers chuse this way to walk in Enoch walked with God so did Noah and so did Abraham and so did all the excellent Kings mentioned in Scripture David Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah and so did all the faithful Prophets of God and so did Christ and all the faithful Disciples and so do all the Saints of God who are the excellent on earth and so did all the souls which are now glorified in heaven should not this encourage you to hold on your course in walking in Gods statutes all that are now in heaven have gone on in this course and all that shall come to heaven do so It is the path of the just still the living walk in it The delight of God 3. The delight of God The Lord himself loves you and owns you and takes pleasure in you approves of you and commends you there was no King like Josiah c. Seest thou my servant job c. Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him And 149 4. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people And Prov 11. 20. Such as are uprigh in their way are his delight 4. The promise of God O how many and how choice and how sweet The promise of God Isa 41. 10. Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Ver. 11. Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word Ver. 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee 5. The actual comforts encouragings and refreshings from the Lord Acts Actual