not regarded It 's a thundering speech of the Apostle in Heb. 10.29 where he saith That those that sinned under Moses Law dyed without mercy and yet much sorer vengeance shall be unto those that despise the Gospel of Christ Can any thing be worse then to dye without mercy Yes saith the Apostle those shall have sorer vengeance It shall be vengeance that they suffer yea sore vengeance and sorer then those suffered which under Moses law dyed without mercy and yet more it shall be much sorer yea so much sorer as cannot be uttered but is left to our consideration to thinke How much sorer vengeance saith the Apostle and it must needs be such when the Lord himselfe professeth he will laugh at such mens destruction and mocke when their misery comes Prov. 1. And saith that he will rejoyce over them in destroying of them Deut. 28.63 No plagues like the plagues of such as reject the Gospel of Christ Reason 1 This sin sets more of God against us then was before before the Gospel came unto us we had justice against us armed with power both which were provoked by us but yet mercy was ready to save us if we would come in and accept of the grace offered mercy was not yet become our enemy as not yet being provoked by us but when it is brought to us by the Gospel and is despised by us now mercy and grace it selfe also is against us and is made our enemy now mercy joynes with justice and increased wrath Reason 2 There is in this sin a speciall indignitie offered unto Christ himselfe the Son is despised in it which the Father will not suffer It is one great part of the Fathers counsell to honour and advance his Son for the Father loveth the Son and will have all men to honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5.23 As the Son did all things to honour the Father Joh. 8.49 Joh. 17.4 So it is the Fathers purpose and will to honour the Son Acts 3.13 2 Pet. 1.17 This contempt therefore which is offered unto Christ when he is offered in the Gospel and is set light by God the Father will avenge to the full As the bloud of Abel cryed to God for vengeance against Cain so doth the contempt done to the bloud of Christ cry to heaven against the despisers of it much more Christs bloud hath a double cry and it will prevaile both wayes First To prevaile for mercy towards those that count it precious and trust in it for them it saith Father forgive them But it cryes also for judgement against the despisers of it that God would avenge the contempt of it upon them and this bloud will be heard whatsoever it calls for whether for mercy or judgement Vse This may serve to be a warning to all such people to whom the Gospel of Christ is come let them in the feare of God take heed lest they neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. and let them with thankfulnesse and love entertain the grace which is brought unto them by the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. If you become despisers God will work such things among you as who so heareth them his eares shall tingle Acts 1. and your hearts shall ake in the suffering of them much more Heb. 2. for if every transgression and disobedience committed against the Law or against the dim light of nature doe receive a just recompence of reward if those which are without the Law perished in those sinnes which they committed without the Law and if those which are without the Gospel perish in their ignorance because they know it not how then shall those escape which have both law of grace and Gospel of grace revealed unto them and yet doe neglect those great things Be warned and take heed It will be your wisdome now in this your day to consider the things which concern your peace 2 Cor. 6.1 feare lest you should receive the grace of God in vaine take heed of despising and setting light by the tydings of your salvation lest the same things which were ordained to be unto life be found to be unto you unto death Rom. 7. and then the greater meanes you have had to bring you to life the more bitter will your death be This is the great condemnation of the world that when grace is revealed and tendered unto men yet it is not received with love that they might be saved by it Joh. 3.19 It 's put away and is not esteemed lamentable is the case of such people This made Christ to weep over Jerusalem Luk. 19.41 42. because they knew not they regarded not the things of their peace no peoples case more to be pitied and mourned for then theirs that injoy the Gospel but esteeme it not Let such consider what is said of the Jewes when they put away the Gospel from them they did thereby judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Acts 13.46 Not that they did thinke themselves unworthy of life nor did they with their mouthes speake any such thing but as a man may shew hâ—s judgement of a thing as well by his fact as by his words so did they by their fact in that sinfull rejecting of the Gospel of salvation they did as it were pronounce a sentence against themselves by which all men might see that they were unworthy of the salvation preached to them such therefore as do reject the Gospel do by that contempt testifie and pronounce judgement against themselves that they are unworthy to be saved These as they love not the blessing of the Gospel so it shall be farre from them and as they choose the wayes of sin and death so it shall come unto them they shall dye in their sinnes with a double destruction And heare O England my deare native Countrey whose womb bare me Admonition to England whose breath nourished me and in whose armes I should desire to dye give eare to one of thy children which dearely loveth thee Be thou exhorted thankfully to accept the grace which is now ready to be revealed unto thee The way is now preparing the high mountaines which with their shadowes caused darknesse are now a laying low and the low valleys ready to be exalted the crooked things to be made straight that all flesh that lives within thy borders may see the salvation of our God Thy light is now coming and the glory of the Lord is now rising upon thee though darknesse hath covered a part of thee hitherto through the wickednesse of those that hated light yet now the Lord himselfe I trust will rise upon thee and the glory of the Lord shall be seene upon thee Now therefore stirre up thy selfe with thankfulnesse and joy of heart to embrace the things of thy peace which shall be brought unto thâ—e See that thou love the Gospel not in word and in shew onely but in deed and in truth and not for novelties sake
it He can do it Jude 24. Jude 24. and he is faithfull and will do it 1 Thes 5.24 1 Thes 5.24 it being his covenant and promise and he cannot deny himself In the covenant of works Gods highest end is the glorifying of Differ 5 his justice In the Covenant of grace it is to glorifie his Grace In the Covenant of Works God reveales himself a just God rewarding good and punishing evill condemning sin but in the Covenant of Grace he shews himself a God gracious and merciful forgiving iniquity c. as Jer. 31.31 32. Jer. 31.31 32. I will be mercifull to your iniquity c. The Covenant of Works forgiveth no sin there is nothing but strict justice in that Covenant In this Covenant God looks not at any mans repentance and turning from sin but only considers whether he hath sinned As in Courts of Justice where there are tried matters of life and death there is no regard had whether the party be penitent or no but whether the fact be committed and if found guilty he is led to execution so in Gods Court of Justice which he keeps according to the tenor of the Covenant of Works Justice acts and doth all Justice indictes Justice examines Justice pronounceth sentence Justice executes the punishment and so whosoever hath sinned receives according to the evil that he hath done And hence it is that when Adam had sinned the inquisition is not whether he repented him of the evill that he had done but what hast thou done Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said unto thee thou shalt not eat And the Lord finding that he had offended pronounces curses and death But in the Covenant of Grace it is otherwise There God looks at the repentance of his people and accepts of humiliation and faith in Christ Hence is the counsell of the Apostle Acts 2.37 Acts 2.37 Repent and be baptized c. When they saw the horrible sin which they had done in killing the Lord of life they being the children of the Covenant he tels them that yet there was mercy for them they might obtain forgivenesse of sins Hence also Jonah 3.10 Jonah 3.10 when God saw their repentance and that they turned from their evill wayes he also turned from the evill which he said he would do to them and did it not The voyce of the Covenant of Works is like the first speech of Nathan to David Thou art a childe of death the voyce of the Covenant of Grace is like his after speech when he saw Davids humiliation and repentance The Lord hath put away thy sin In the Covenant of Works God speaks as Ezek. 18. Ezek. 18. The soul that sinneth it shall die In the Covenant of Grace he speaks as Ezek. 33.11 Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner They are both expressed in one place Exod. 34.6 Exod. 34.6 The Lord gracious and mercifull slow to anger yet not acquitting the wicked but visiting iniquitie c. In one Covenant God condemnes both sin and sinner in the other he condemnes the sin but spares and gives life to the sinner to glorifie his grace thereby In the Covenant of workes he aymes to make his power and justice knowne as Rom. 9.22 cap. 2.5 Rom. 9.22 cap. 2.5 But in the other to glorifie grace as Isa 48.9 Eph. 1.6 The reason of this difference is because God will be glorified in all his attributes as he is glorious in all so he will have the glory of all to be seene He will have his power and wisdome knowne in the creation of the world his goodnesse knowne in the continuance and preservation and ordering of it his faithfulnesse in keeping covenant with us according to the covenant made his justice in a covenant of works his grace in a covenant of grace which he makes with us in Christ Jesus Vse 1 This may smite feare and terrour into the hearts of all such as are strangers unto the Covenant of grace such as never yet entred into a new Covenant with God by that new and living way which is opened to them in Christ Let such consider what hath been said that in the covenant of workes under which yet they stand there is no grace shewed but strict justice without any mercy Let such therefore bethinke themselves what a God they must meet withall and with whom they must have to do even with a just God a God of judgement a God of vengeance that will not spare their misdeeds what ever justice can require of them they must satisfie to the utmost mite were it so that mercy and justice might sit on the bench together that justice might be tempered and mixt with mercy your sentence might be the more tolerable But these two sit in two severall Courts Justice without mercy and therefore when nothing but justice shall judge you who can stand what flesh may abide it In Psal 78.5 Psal 78.5 with the cup of the Lords wrath is said to be full mixt but in Rev. 14.10 Rev. 14 10. it is said to be pure wine unmixt both together imply that it is both mixt and unmixt how both mixt of all sorts of plagues but unmixt without any drop of mercy pure wrath without any dram of mercy to allay the bitternesse of the cup of wrath and how bitter then will this cup be more bitter then gall yet this must all the wicked of the earth drinke and wring out the very dregs of it Psal 78.5 Psal 78.5 This is an hard saying but a true saying as God is true Therefore Isa 27.11 Isai 27.11 God speaking of the wicked people of the Jewes saith he He that made them will not have mercy on them neither shew them any favour And in Ezek. 5.11 Ezek. 5.11 He threatens that his eye shall not spare neither will he have any pitie And Hos 1.6 Hos 1.6 I will no more have mercy c. And James 2.13 They shall have judgement without mercy As God will be made marveilous in his mercy toward those that are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory 2 Thes 1.10 2 Thes 1.10 so as men shall wonder at the aboundance of grace shewed towards them so on the contrary God will be admired and wondred at in his judgements upon all sinfull and ungodly ones he will make their plagues wonderfull Deut. 28.59 He will deale with his own servants onely in a way of grace with these onely in a way of justice And if so what will their end be Justice will spare neither high nor low it is impartiall and alike towards all Justice will passe by no transgression but will have an account for all greater or lesse wicked thoughts idle words foolish jests Justice will not remit any part of the punishment which the Law calls for but it will have the full to the utmost furthing Let this strike
holinesse which the holy God requires and lookes for And thus it was with the young man Mark 10. Mark 10. that was so perfect in his owne eyes who thought he had kept all the Commandements of the Law mentioned to him yet he comes as one unsatisfied in his own minde and doubtfull whether he had done enough to bring him unto life And therefore comes to Christ to know what more he should doe beside what he had done alreadie The Papists who build upon their workes teach a doctrine of doubting No man say they can come to be assured and setled in an undoubted perswasion of his own salvation and well may they teach such a doctrine when they build upon such a sandy foundation of their own workes Let them establish their owne righteousnesse with all the strength they can as the Jewes did Rom. 10.3 Rom. 10.3 yet as long as they rest here and doe not submit to the righteousnesse which is offered by grace the issue will be anxiety of mind fearfulnesse of heart conscience will be perplexed it will never finde rest nor peace but let a man renounce his own righteousnesse and fly to the Covenant of grace and cast himselfe wholly upon grace here is a sure rock for the anchor of our faith to rest upon Let us then hereby see the way of peace to quietnesse of heart Vse and assurance for ever Isai 26.3 Isai 26.3 even to stay our selves upon this rock fly to the rock that is higher then we as Psal 61.2 Psal 61.2 build upon the foundation of grace and come off from the foundation of our own workes they that rest upon the Covenant of workes will be diffident of their owne estate they are upon a rock that is no higher then themselves and when the waters swell they will quickly get above them But if wee rest on the foundation of grace that is a rock that is higher then our selves there is safety all the surges and waves of greatest troubles can never get above the top of this rock stand here and we are safe for ever Hence Rom. 5.1 2. Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified by faith we have peace with God c. But many that doe believe and build on this foundation Object are yet troubled with many feares and are full of doubting c. These doubts and feares of theirs Answ are not like the feares of those that build upon their workes the cause of their feare is not because there is not a sufficient foundation to beare them up but because their adhaerence and dependence is feeble and weak They are weak in faith they are flesh and spirit there is in them a spirit of faith which cleaves to grace and there is also a spirit of unbeliefe which is leaning to their owne workes and this causeth their doubtfulnesse But it is otherwise with those that doe wholly rest upon their workes Let a man build himselfe upon these never so resolutely let him establish his own righteousnesse with all the strength he can yet this will never give him assurance not because he doth not adhaere firmly to his foundation but because his foundation is nought and shakes under him Suppose two men both in feare of drowning by water one stands on a firme rock the other on a quick-sand he that stands on the quick-sand stands there resolutely he that is on the rock is doubtfull and weake in his resolution So it is in this case In the one of these the foundation is firme but adhaerence is weake In the other adhaerence is strong but his foundation is unsound The way to true peace is to rest wholly upon grace and the more we commit our selves to grace alone the more peace Hence saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he will keep that which I have committed to him And 2 Tim. 4.18 2. Tim. 4.18 The Lord shall deliver me c. When feare shall seise on hypocrites which have trusted in themselves and in their own workes then shall those have confidence which have rested on grace these shall be able to look death in the face and shall have confidence in the day of Judgement Differ 10 The Covenant of workes is impossible to be fulfilled by us in this state of corruption But the covenant of grace by the help of grace is possible to be fulfilled Since the day that sin came into the world never did any man fulfill the Covenant of workes all of us being transgressors from the wombe Hence saith the Apostle Rom. 8.3 Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not doe c. And Rom. 9.31 32. He saith that the Jewes which followed after the Law of righteousnesse did not attaine unto that righteousnesse The Papists may talke of perfect keeping of the Law but the Scripture teacheth us another doctrine Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart cleane And 1 King 8.46 There is no man that sinneth not But the Covenant of grace is possible and therefore the Saints doe plead this before the Lord Psal 44.17 Psal 44.17 that they have been faithfull in his Covenant They doe not plead themselves to be without sinne against the Covenant of workes and yet they can say they had not dealt falsly with God in the Covenant of grace Nay the Lord himselfe lookes at them as fulfilling and keeping Covenant with him Psal 103.18 Psal 103.18 One of these Covenents is as Acts 15.10 Acts 15.10 a yoake too heavie for us now to beare the other as Mat. 11.29 30. Mat. 11.29 30 an easie yoake and a light burthen The Pharisees that were teachers of the Covenant of workes laid load and heavie burthens upon mens necks Mat. 23. Mat 23. But the Commandements of the Covenant of grace are not grievous The Covenant of grace may be fulfilled 1 Joh. 5.4 or else no man could be saved To provoke us to come from under the Covenant of workes Vse and to get under the Covenant of grace Who would serve an hard soure Master that will never be pleased with any thing that he can doe when he hath spent his utmost strength such a Master is the Law we can never fulfill the minde and will of this Master But grace is kinde loving easie to be intreated taking every thing in good part so it be done in truth and faithfulnesse according to the strength received It will accept the will to doe when wee have no abilitie to performe It saith Well done good and faithfull servant But alas it is with us as with all flesh and with all other things Every thing desires to continue in its state in which it was bred and borne Now we are borne under the Law the Covenant of workes and therefore would faine continue under it This made Paul speake in that manner to the Galatians Cap. 4.21 Gal. 4.21 Yee that will be under the Law They had
a mind to returne to the Law though they had had grace revealed to them We have a mind to live and dye under that Covenant as the fish in the Sea and the mole in the earth But see what it is a severe and rigid Master the will of it can never be accomplished Therefore fly from it to this amiable and gracious Lord that accepts of weakest indeavours so they be done in sinceritie So long as wee strive to doe the will of the Lord and fly to grace for pardon and acceptance wee doe fulfill the Covenant of grace Therefore cast off that yoke which cannot be borne and take the yoke of Christ upon us for that is easie and his burthen light Mat. 11.29 30. Mat. 11.29 30 Though we doe by sin breake the Covenant of workes and so Differ 11 make it voyd that there is no life and salvation to be had thereby yet there is hope and helpe by flying to the Covenant of grace But if the Covenant of grace be broken and made voyd as it may to those which onely externally lay hold on it there is no more helpe for such a soule It 's in vaine to fly back to the Covenant of workes I deny not but many sinnes may be committed by those that are under the Covenant of grace which yet doe finde helpe and mercy from God as was shewed out of Rom. 5.16 Rom. 5.16 Because the bond of the covenant is not broken As it is between man and wife though shee be foolish passionate and wilfull yet these doe not breake the Covenant of marriage so long as shee remaineth faithfull So here But if the Covenant of grace be made voyd then there is no more helpe nor hope It is in the Covenant of workes as it was under the Law Num. 35.6 25. If a man had committed man-slaughter he was subject to the avenger of bloud yet there were Cities of refuge for him to fly unto where he was to remaine to the death of the High-Priest so it is with those that sin against the Covenant of workes though one hath committed bloudy sins yet there is a refuge for him which the Apostle seemes to allude unto Heb. 6.18 Heb. 6.18 We have strong consolation that have made our refuge c. The Covenant of grace is as Isa 25.4 a refuge against the tempest c. Here is a safe Sanctuary it saves such as are condemned by the Covenant of workes But if a man sin against the Covenant of grace so as to make it voyd to himselfe there is no refuge for him no remedy for him as Solomon speakes of those that being often reproved harden their neck Prov. 29.1 Hence is that in Heb. 10. from 26. to 31. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinnes c. The reason of this difference is Because in the Covenant of workes we have to doe with justice but in the covenant of grace with grace and mercy and therefore as when a man hath committed a trespasse against the Law and Justice condemnes him yet the grace and favour of the Prince may save him but if he contemne the favour of the Prince then he must dye So though we have provoked justice yet we may fly to grace and get helpe there but if wee have offended against mercy and made grace our enemy whither can wee then goe there is no refuge then left for us Vse To let us see the great danger of sinning against Grace there is danger in sinning against the Covenant of workes but it is more dangerous to sin against Grace For there is helpe for such as breake the Covenant of workes but no helpe for such as make voyd the Covenant of grace to themselves These are the killing and destroying sinnes that leave no remedy It is true as was said before that the Lord passeth by many weaknesses of his servants that desire and indeavour to cleanse themselves from all filthinesse and spareth them as a Father his sonne Mal. 3.17 Mal. 3.17 But contemptuous sinnes against Grace are beyond all helpe This is to sin desperately Herein men stumble at the stumbling stone they thinke that now under the dayes of grace though they be yet under the Law they may sin without danger and continue in their evills but here the danger is the greatest therefore take heed how you make Grace your enemy If the Law condemne us Grace may save us But if Grace save us not who shall plead for us How doe men sin Quest so as to make the Covenant of Grace voyd unto themselves and to make Grace their enemy 1. By neglecting and slighting the offers tenders of Grace Answ which are made unto them hereby they become guilty of sinne against Grace In Mat. 22. and Lak 14. the Father invites men to the marriage of his Sonne and so to receive all the blessings that are prepared and made ready There is mercy ready forgivenesse ready c. But marke their answer They cannot come the profits and pleasures of the world hinder them â—rom embracing the tenders of Grace What follows then the sentence goes out of the mouth of Grace it selfe They shall not taste of my Supper Grace invites but it is refused and therefore passeth that direfull sentence So Psal 81.11 Psal 81.11 God offers himselfe to be a God unto them but they will have none of him Then he gave them up to walke after their own hearts lusts c. When we will not have his Grace upon his tearmes then God gives up to Justice When God calls upon us as he doth upon his people Isai 55.1.3 Isai 55.1.3 Come unto me and incline your eare take me to be a God unto you and I will make a sure and everlasting Covenant with you if then wee depart away from God as Hos 11.2 Hos 11.2 and wee will have our lusts and keepe the Idols of our hearts then the offers of grace are made voyd unto us 2. When men turne back from the grace which they have received and grow weary of it when we are convinced of the excellency of grace and doe take hold of the Covenant as it were with one hand but not with all our heart and therefore doe Apostatise and turne back to our own lusts then doe we frustrate all the promises of grace to our selves This exposes grace to contempt as if there were more good to be found in sin and in the world then in the grace of Christ Hence saith the Apostle Heb. 10.26 39. Heb 10.26 39. That they that sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sin They that draw back doe it to their own perdition and so Psal 73.27 Psal 73.27 They that turne back from thee shall perish If they be entangled againe saith the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.20 2
and to be renewed unto holines Therefore it is that when Christ converts us from our sins he is said to blesse us in converting us from our iniquities Acts 3. ult Acts 3. ult It is a blessing indeed This is a better blessing then was that wherewith Esau was blessed who had the fatnesse of the earth for his dwelling place and the dew of heaven to mâ—ke it fruitfull This is one of those spirituall blessings wherewith Christ hath blessed us in heavenly things Eph. 1 3. Eph. 1.3 It is such a blessing as makes blessed those that receive it For first by being sanctified in our selves wee come to have a sanctified use of all other blessings which we enjoy To the pure all things are pure but to the impure all things are impure and defiled Titus 1. end Titus 1. end Secondly holinesse is the Image of the blessed God it conforms unto him makes us like unto him This is our excellency and our glory in the eyes of Angels and Men in nothing are wee so glorious as in holinesse this is a Crown and Diadem upon our head and therefore David calls the Saints by the name of excellent ones Psal 16.3 Psal 16.3 Sanctity makes a man to excell himselfe and preferres him above the common condition of men The Spirit of Holinesse is a Spirit of Glory 1 Peter 4.14 1 Pet 4 14. and Grace is Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 Thiâ—dly it makes the Lord to take a delight in us even as a father doth delight in seeing his own Image in his children God loved us before with a love of benevolence and good will but now he loves us with a love of complacency taking pleasure in his people as the Prophet speaks Psal 147.11.149.4 Psal 147.11 149.4 Fourthly by being sanctified wee also are made to delight in God How pretious are thy thoughts to mee O God saith Dâ—vid Psalm 139.17 Whom have I in heaven but thee And Psalm 73.25 Psal 73.25 When shall I come and appeare in the presence of God Psalm 42. Psalm 42. Hereby the Lord becomes the God of our joy and gladnesse Psalm 43.4 Psalm 43 4 His presence is sweet unto us his voice is pleasant his word ordinances and whatsoever else he communicates himselfe in they are delightfull unto us and wee take pleasure in them It is a pleasant thing to a sanctified heart to be praising God and to be exerciâ—â—d in any thing in which we may enjoy communion with him Fifthly By being sanctified wee have peace increased in our inward man God becomes a God of peace unto us in sanctifying of us 1 Thes 5.23 Thereby he stills those raging and strong lusts which had wont to disquiet our hearts While sin raignes there is no peace not onely is the Conscience perplexed by it but the affections of the soule are set at variance one against another Pride would have one thing and covetousnesse would have another Hypocrisie and prophanenesse are divided one against another Like so many contrary winds which lie upon the face of the deep and dash the waves one against another Thus a multitude of contrary passions and lusts distract and divide the soule asunder so that while sin rules in us there is no peace But when grace beginnes to have its kingdome set up in us it then brings with it a blessed peace Holinesse and peace goe together All the faculties of the soule being sanctified by grace they do now ayme at one end which is the doing of Gods will and this unitie makes peace Sixtly By being sanctified we are made instruments and meanes of blessing unto others When God called Abraham to follow him out of his native Country this was the promise by which he incouraged him to follow him I will blesse thee saith he and thou shalt be a blessing It was promised as a blessing to Abraham that he should be a blessing to others Thus Israel is a blessing in the midst of Aegypâ— and Ashur Isai 19.24 Isai 19.24 They are set as a blessing round about Goâ—â— holy mountaine Ezek. 34.26 Ezek. 34.26 The remnant of Jacob Gods sanctified ones are among many people as dew from the Lord and showreâ—â—â—on the grasse Micah 5.7 Micah 5.7 They are a blessing So long as a man 〈◊〉 grace and is unsanctified he is an useles unprofitable creature Psal 14. Psal 14. They are altogether unprofitable like that girdle which the Prophet speakes of which was corrupted rotten and good for nothing Jer. 13.7 Jer. 13.7 They are very corrupt yea very corruption Psal 5.9 Psal 5.9 and not onely corrupt but they are corrupters of others Isai 1. And so are rather a plague and curse to others then a blessing But when the Spirit of grace hath entred into the soule and sanctified it then 〈◊〉 that was before unprofitable is now become profitable and being a vessell of mercy filled with blessing himselfe he lets out himselfe unto others and becomes a blessing unto them Seventhly By being sanctified in our natures wee are made â—â—t to live the life of God from which we have been estranged ever since our mothers wombe we have been strangers from God and from the life of God we have of our selves neither knowledge how to doe well nor any ability to doe what we know we onely wander away from God and bid God depart from us Job 21. Job 21. Wee have neither will nor strength to doe any thing that is holy right in the Lords eyes But when God sanctifies us then a new spirit enters into us and sets us upon our feet and stirres and works in us carrying us on to the doing of the will of God Then we begin to live for God and with God In a word how great a blessing this is we may conceive by the lamentable complaint of the Apostle groaning under the bondage of his corruption Rom. 7. Who shall deliver me saith Paul from this body of death He knew himselfe to be already delivered from the law of death and the power of it so that death could not hurt him and yet Paul would have another deliverance still There was yet one thing which troubled him the body of death the sin which hangeth so fast on the remnant of corruption which like fetters hampered him that he could not so perfectly fulfill the will of God This plague of the heart within Paul desired to be healed of who saith he will helpe me who will deliver me from this misery and set me free out of this bondage of corruption Paul was many a time in bonds in persecution and manifold sufferings for Christs sake but never doe we heare him complaine so of these he never said Who will deliver me and set me free out of this prison out of these bonds out of these pinching wants c. But that which most troubled him was his sinful corruption of nature within This is the plague
in all our wayes to governe us according to his owne will that he may be glorified in us Thus God offers himselfe unto us in his Covenant c. Now the answer is ready to the question propounded how faith doth act in closing with the Covenant the work of faith herein is to carry the soule towards the Covenant in the same order and way as it is propounded First accepting the grace offered resting upon God for all the mercy which he hath promised 2. Taking God to bee a God over us submitting to his government and authority to command us and to rule us in all things according to his own will these two things faith doth and so takes hold of the Covenant in the same way and order as God offers it 1. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long-suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin he offers himselfe to be reconciled unto us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us as his sons and daughters in his beloved Now the worke of Faith in respect of this offer of grace is only to accept the grace offered to lay hold on it and take it unto our selves being so freely offered Faith brings nothing to God of our owne it offers nothing to stand in exchange for the mercy offered it receives a gift but giveth no price The Lord holds out and offers the free grace of the Covenant faith receives it and makes it our owne Hence is that expression used by the Prophet in Esay 56. where we are said to lay hold of the Covenant God holds it forth and we take hold of it the hand of grace offers it and the hand of faith receives it and makes it our owne and this it doth by such steps and degrees as these that follow wherein though I should not limit the Lords dealing with all his yet I will shew what I conceive is the most usuall and ordinary course of Gods dispensation towards those whom he brings into Covenant with himselfe Here then faith closeth with the Covenant in this manner 1. By hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant it stirs up in the heart a deep and serious consideration of the blessed condition of those people that are in Covenant with God Oh what a blessed estate is it thinkes such a one to be in favour with God to be one of his covenanted people It makes him say with Moses Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord Deut. 33. It saith with David No people O Lord is like thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed unto thy selfe 2 Sam. 7.23 Time was when we counted the proud blessed and placed our felicity in other things as in riches preferments favour and credit with men c. but now these are become vile and things of no value faith makes us change our voice and to speake with a new tongue and to say not Blessed are the people that be so but Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. ult This high esteeme of grace being accompanied with a sence of the want of it wee seem unto our selves as undone men lost wretched miserable The poor soul thinkes with it selfe no sin like my sin no misery like my misery I am separated from the Lord an alien from his people Oh blessed are they that are are at peace and in covenant with him this is now the onely pearle of price the rich treasure in the field for which such a one is content to give all the substance of his house In the prodigall when he began to thinke of returning to his father these two things were found in him First a deep sence of his owne misery I die for hunger Secondly a consideration of the wellfare of those that were in his Fathers house they have bread enough So it is with those poor soules in which faith begins to work to draw them back into Covenant with God sensible are they of their own woe highly also doe they prize the excellency of grace if by any means they might attain to have a part in it 2. This high esteem of grace and being in Covenant with God begets a longing desire of it good being beleived cannot but be desired and longed for and therefore faith now beleeving the benefit of being in favour and Covenant with God it cannot but work desires after it desire naturally springeth from the apprehension of any good made knowne Faith is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discerne the blessing of the Covenant and then stirs up the will to pursue and desire the attaining of the grace revealed Never did David more long for the waters of the well of Bethlehem then such a soul touched with the sence of sin doth desire to be at peace with God and in covenant with him and therefore it is that they are said to thirst after the the Lord Psal 42.2 to pant after him Psal 42.1 to gaspe after him Psal 119. longing for communion and peace with him Thus in Esay 26.9 with their soules they desire him in the night and with their spirit in the morning the desire of their soul is set upon him and cannot be satisfied by any thing without him peace with him is their life and to be separated from him is unto them as the shadow of death 3. Faith being yet weak and but as in the bud or in the seed and being yet unacquainted with the Lords dealing with his people not knowing how he useth by terrors of death to bring them to life and peace hence it comes to passe that the soule being pressed with sence of sin therefore though its desires be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and vveak vve seeming to our selves utterly unworthy as indeed we are and uncapable which we are not of so high a priviledge as this is to be in favour and Covenant with the most high God Here therefore faith is taken up with many thoughts thereby to support and keepe up the heart in hope carrying the eye of the soul towards God though as beholding him afarre off faine would the poor soul be joyned to the Lord Isai 56. but being as yet dismayed with the sence of sin he stands like the poor Publican afar off as one afraid to come neere into the presence of the holy God as yet faith can scarce speak a word to God it cannot come neer to call upon him only it can with Ionah look towards his holy Temple as being like the poor weak babe which lies in the cradle being both sick and weak and speechlesse and can onely look towards the mother for helpe the cast of the eye after a sort expressing and signifying what it would say Thus doth faith being yet weak it would speak unto God but cannot onely it hath its eye towards