but two famous Covenants that we must abide by in one of them all men and women in the world must of necessity be found either in the Covenant of grace or in the Covenant of works The Covenant of works is a witness of God's holiness and perfection the Covenant of grace is a witness of God's goodness and commisâ—ration the Covenant of works is a standing evidence of man's guiltiness the Covenant of grace is the standing evidence of God's righteousness the Covenant of works is the lasting monument of man's impotency and changeableness the Covenant of grace is the everlasting monument of God's omnipotency and immutability Now no man can be under both these Covenants at once if he be under a Covenant of works he is not under a Covenant of grace and if he be under a Covenant of grace he cannot be under a Covenant of works Such as are under a Covenant of works they have the breach of that Covenant to count for they being the Sâ—rpentine brood of a transgressing stock but such as are under a Covenant of grace shall never be tryed by the Law of works because Christ their surety hath fulfilled it for them Acts 13. 38 39. Rom. 8. 2 3 4. Gal. 4. 4 5 6. But let me open my self more fully thus That all unbelievers all Christless graceless persons are under a Covenant of works which they are never able safely to live under should they live and die under a Covenant of works they were surely lost and destroyed for ever for the Covenant of works condemns and curses the sinner Cursed is every one that continueth not in all Gal. 3. 10. things which are written in the book of the law to do them neither hath the sinner any way to escape that curse of the Law nor the wrath of God reveiled against all unrighteousness and ungodlyness but in the Covenant of grace Rom. 1. 18. this Covenant of works the Apostle calls The law of Rom. 3. 27. Gen. 2. 16 17. works This is the Covenant which God made with man in the state of innocency before the fall In this Covenant God promised to Adam for himself and his posterity life and happiness upon the condition of perfect personal and perpetual obedience and it is summed up by the Apostle Do this and live God having created man upright Gal. 3. 12. Eâ—clâ—â— 7. 29. Gen. 1. 26. 27. 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 as the head of the Covenant and as he promised life to him and his posterity in case of obedience so he threatned death and a curse unto him and his posterity in case of disobedience In the day thou eatest Gen. 2. 1â— Gal. 3. 10. Not only the Covenant of Grace but the Covenant of works also is an et 〈…〉 Coâ—â—nant and therefore the curse of the Covenant remains upon meâ— unto Eternity There is an eternal obligation upon the creature he being bound to God by an eternal Law and the transgression of that â—aw carries with it an eternal guilt which eternal guilt brings sinners under an eternal curse thereof thou shalt surely die or dying thou shalt die God in this Covenant of works did deal with Adam and his posterity in a way of supremacy and righteousness and therefore there is mention made only of the threatnings In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death And it is further observable that in this Covenant that God made with Adam and his posterity he did promise unto them eternal life and happiness in heaven and not eternal life in this world only as some would have it for Hell was threatned in these words In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death and therefore heaven and happiness salvation and glory was promised on the contrary we must necessarily conclude that the promise was as ample large and full as the threatning was yet this must be remembred that when God did at first enter into Covenant with us and did promise us heaven and salvation it was upon condition of our personal perfect and perpetual obedience and therefore called a Covenant of works Do this and live was not only a Command but a Covenant with a promise of eternal happiness upon perfect and perpetual obedience All that are under a Covenant of works are under the curse of the Covevenant and they are all bound over unto eternal wrath But the Lord Christ has put an end to this Covenant and abolished it unto all that are in him being himself made under it and satisfying the precept and the curse of it and so he did cancel it As a hand-writing against us nailing Col. 2. 14. it unto his cross So that all they that are in Christ are freed from the Law as a Covenant but unto all other men it remains a Covenant still and they remain under the curse of it for ever and the wrath of God abides upon John 3. 36. them Though the Covenant of works as it is a Covenant for life ceaseth unto believers yet it stands in force against all unbelievers Now oh how sad is it for a man to be under a Covenant of works For First The Covenant of works in the nature of it requires perfect personal and perpetual obedience under pain of the curse and death according to that of the Apostle As many as are of the works of the Law are under the Gal. 3. 10. curse presupposing man's fall and consequently his inablility to keep it For it is written cursed is every one that Deut. 27. 26. continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them The Covenant of works therefore affords no mercy to the transgressors of it but inflicts death and curse for the least delinquency For whosoever James 2. 10. shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all The whole Law is but one copulative He that breaketh one commandment habitually breaketh all A dispensatory conscience keeps not any commandment when the disposition of the heart is qualified to break every command then a man breaks every command in the account of God every one sin contains vertually all sin in it He that dares contemn the Law-giver in any one command he dares contemn the Law-giver in every command He that allows himself in any one known sin in any course way or trade of sin he sâ—â—s himselâ— under that curse which is threatned against the transgressors of the Law They that are under this Covenant of works must of necessity perish The case stands thus Adam did break this Covenant and so brought the curse of it both upon himself and all his seed to the end of the world in his sin all men sinned Now if
so sealed up to him mercy and peace love and reconciliation with the kisses of his lips And the son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight Sincerely confess and the mends is made acknowledge but the debt and he will cross the book And am no more worthy to be called thy son Infernus sum domine said that blessed Martyr Lord I am hell but Mr. 〈◊〉 at â—â— death 〈◊〉 and Men. 1374. thou art heaven I am soil and a sink of sin but thou art a gracious God c. But the father said to his servants bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hands and shooes on his feet And bring hither the Among the Romans the ring was an ensign of vertue honour especially nobility whereby they were distinguished from the common people fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry Here you have 1. The best Robe 2. The precious ring 3. The comely shooes and 4. The fatted calf The returning Prodigal hath Garments and Ornaments and necessaries and comfortables Some understand by the Robe the Royalty which Adam lost and by the ring they understand the seal of God's holy spirit and by the shooes the preparation of the Gospel of peace and by the fatted Calf they understand Christ who was slain from the beginning Christ is that fatted Calf saith Mr. Tindal the Act. and Mon. Fol. 986. Martyr slain to make penitent sinners good chear withal and his righteousness is the goodly rayment to cover the naked deformities of their sins The great things intended in this Parable is to set forth the riches of grace and God's infinite goodness and the returning sinner's happiness When once the sinner returns in good earnest to God God will supply all his wants and bestow upon him more than ever he lost and set him in a safer and happier estate than that from which he did fall in Adam and will never hit him in the teeth with his former enormities nor never cast in his dish his old wickednesses You see plainly in this Parable that the father of the Prodigal does not so much as mention or object the former pleasures lusts or vanities wherein his Prodigal son had formerly lived all old scores are quit and the returning Prodigal embraced and welcomed as if he had never offended And now O Lord I must humbly take lieve to tell thee further that thou hast confirmed the New Covenant by thy word and by thy oath and by the seals that thou hast annexed to it and by the death of thy Son and therefore thou canst not but make good every tittle word branch and article of it Now this New Covenant is my Plea O holy God and by this Plea I shall stand hereupon God declares this Plea I accept as holy just and good I have nothing to say against thee enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. The Ninth Plea that a Believer may form up as to the Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap 18. 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. â—ap 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. ten Scriptures that are in the margin that refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account may be drawn up from the consideration of that Evangelical obedience that God requires and that the believer yields to God There is a legal and there is an evangelical account now the Saints in the great day shall not be put to give up a legal account the account they shall be put to give up is an Evangelical account In the Covenant of works God required perfect obedience in our own persons but in the Covenant of Grace God will be content if there be but uprightness in us if there be but sincere desires to obey if there be faithful endeavours to obey if there be a hearty willingness to obey well saith God though I stood upon perfect obedience in the Covenant 2 Cor. 8. 12. of works yet now I will be satisfied with the will for the deed if there be but uprightness of heart though that be attended with many weaknesses and infirmities yet I will be satisfied and contented with that God under the Covenant of Grace will for Christ's sake accept of less than he requires in the Covenant of works He requires perfection of degrees but he will accept of perfection of parts he requires us to live without sin but he will accept of our sincere endeavours to do it though a believer in his own person cannot perform all that God commands yet Jesus Christ as his surety and in his stead hath fulfilled the Law for him So that Christ's perfect righteousness is a compleat cover for a believer's imperfect righteousness Hence the believer flys from the Covenant of works to the Covenant of Grace from Luk. 1. 5 6. Maâ— 28. 20. Act. 24. â—6 1 Pet. 1. 14. 15. Heb. 13. 18. Lex data est ut gratia quâ—reretur gratia data est â—t lex implereâ—ur August his own unrighteousness to the righteousness of Christ If we consider the Law in a high and rigid notion so no believer can fulfil it but if we consider the Law in a soft and mild notion so every believer does fulfil it Act. 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man aften mine own heart which shall fulfil all my will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All my wills to note the universality and sincerity of his obedience David had many slips and falls he often transgressed the Royal Law but being sincere in the main bent and frame of his heart and in the course of his life God looked upon his sincere obedience as perfect obedience A sincere Christian obedience is an entire obedience to all the commands of God though not in respect Psal 119. 6. Heb. When my eye is to ill thy commandments of practice which is impossible but in disposition and affection A sincere obedience is an universal obedience It is universal in respect of the subject the whole man it is universal in respect of the object the whole law and it is universal in respect of durance the whole life he who obeys sincerely obeys universally There is no man that serves God truly that doth not endeavour Numb 14. 24. to serve God fully sincerity turns upon the hinges of universality he who obeys sincerely endeavours to obey throughly A sincere Christian does not only love the Law and like the law and approve of the Law and delight in the Law and consent to the Law that it is holy just and good but he obeys it in part which though Rom. 7. 12 16 22. it be but in part yet he being sincere therein pressing towards the mark and desiring and endeavouring to arrive Phil. 3. 13 14. at what is perfect God accepts of such a soul and is as well pleased with
Let us consider the promise which the father engageth to perform on his part the son must ask and the father will give He will give him the heathen for his Psal 2. 8. inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession An allusion to great Princes when they would shew great affection to their Favourites they bid them ask what they will as Ahasuerus did and as Herod did that Esâ—â— 5. 3. Maâ— 6. 23. Isa 49 6. Mâ—t. 28. 18. â—al 2. 10 11. Psal 40. 6. 7 8. is he shall both be the Lord's salvation to the ends of the earth and have all power given him in heaven and earth so that all knees shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord. In the other Text before mentioned Psal 40. Christ declares his compliance to the agreement and his subscribing the Covenant on his part when he came into the world as the Apostle explains it Heb. 10. 5. c. Mine ears saith he hast thou digged or pierced Lo I come to do thy will as if he had said oh father thou dost engage me to be thy servant in this great work of saving sinners Loe I come to do the work I here covenant and agree to yield up my self to thy disposing and to serve thee for ever it seems to be an allusion to the master's boring through the servants ear Exod. 21. 6. Among the Jews only one ear was bored but in this Psal 40. 6. Here are ears in the plural number a token of that perfect and desirable subjection which Christ as Mediator was in to his father But for a more clear distinct and full opening of the Covenant of Redemption or that blessed compact between God the father and Jesus Christ which is a matter of grand importance to all our souls and considering that it is a point that I have never yet treated of in pulpit or press I shall therefore take the liberty at this time to open my self as clearly and as fully as I can And therefore thus If you ask me what this Covenant of Redemption Qu. is I answer in the general That a Covenant is a mutual Ans agreement between parties upon articles or propositions on both sides so that each party is tied and bound to perform his own conditions This description holds the general nature of a Covenant and is common to all Covenants publick and private divine or humane But Secondly and more particularly I answer The Covenant of Redemption is that federal transaction or mutual The Covenant of Redemption defined stipulation that was betwixt God and Christ from everlasting for the accomplishment of the work of our Redemption by the mediation of Jesus Christ to the eternal honour and unspeakable praise of the glorious grace of God Or if you please take it in another form of words thus It is a compact bargain and agreement between God the father and God the son designed Mediator concerning the conversion sanctification and salvation of the Elect through the death satisfaction and obedience of Jesus Christ which in due time was to be given to the father But for the making good the definition I have laid down I must take lieve to tell you That there are many choice Scriptures which give clear intimation of such a federal transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ in order to the recovery and everlasting happiness and salvation of his Elect. I shall instance in the most considerable of them The first is this Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between The first Proof thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise its heel Here begins the book of the Lord's Wars God's battels The Scriptures are called the book of the Battels of the Lord. Numb 21. 〈◊〉 This is spoken of that holy enmity that is between Christ and the Devil and of Christ's destroying the Kingdom and power of Satan For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Heb. 2 14. God by way of threatning told Satan that the seed of the deceived woman should overmatch him at last and should break in pieces his power and crafty plots he gives Satan lieve to do his worst and proclaims an open and an utter enmity between Christ and him From this Scripture some conclude that Christ covenanted from Eternity to take upon him the seed of the woman and the sinless infirmities of our true humane nature and under those infirmities to enter the lists with Satan and to continue obedient through all his afflictions temptations and trials to the death even to the death of the cross And Phil. 2. 8 9. that God the father had covenanted with Christ that in case Christ did continue obedient through all his sufferings temptations and trials that then his obedience to the death should be accounted as full satisfaction to divine justice for all those wrongs and injuries that were done to God by the sins of man Christ must die or else he could not have been the Mediator of the new Covenant through death Heb. 9. 15 16. But The Second Sripture is that Isa 42. 6. The Lord hath The second Prooâ— called thee in righteousness and with hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people fâ—r a light of the gentiles Thus God speaks of Christ In this Chapter we have a glorious Prophecy of Christ our Redeemer here are four things prophâ—cied of him 1. The Divine call whereby he was appointed to the work of our Redemption vers 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles Jesus Christ would not yea he could not he durst not thrust himself upon this great work or engage in this great work 'till he had a clear call from heaven 2. Here you have the gracious carriage and deportment of Christ in the work to which he was called this is fully set down vers 2 3 4. He shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the street He shall come clothed with majesty and glory and yet full of meekness A bruised reed shall he not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth judgement unto truth In the words there is a Meiosis he will not break that is he will bind up the bruised reed he will comfort the bruised reed he will strengthen the bruised reed Christ will acknowledg and encourage the least degrees of grace he will turn a spark of grace into a flame a drop into a sea c. He shall not fail nor be discouraged These words shew his Kingly courage and magnanimity
Paradice opened OR THE SECREETS MYSTERIES AND RARITIES Of Divine Love of Infinite Wisdom and of Wonderful Counsel laid open to Publick View ALSO The Covenant of Grace and the high and glorious Transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption opened and improved at large with the Resolution of divers important Questions and Cases concerning both Covenants YOU HAVE FURTHER Several singular Pleas that all sincere Christians may safely and groundedly make to those Ten Scriptures in the Old and New Testament that speak of the general Judgment and of that particular Judgment that must certainly pass upon them all after Death With some other Points of high Importance that tend to the Peace Comfort Settlement and Satisfaction of all serious sincere Christians To which is added a sober and serious Discourse about the Favourable Signal and Eminent Presence of the Lord with his People in their greatest Troubles deepest Distresses and most deadly Dangers Being the Second and Last Part of the Golden Key By Thomas Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New-Fishstreet LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the King's Arms in the Poultry and at the Ship and Anchor at the Bridg-foot on Southwark-side 1675. To his honoured Friends Sir John More Knight and Alderman of the City of London and to his good Lady Mary More his most affectionate Consort The Father of all mercies and the God of all blessings bless you both with Grace and Peace here and Glory hereafter Honoured Friends CHristian Friendship makes such a knot that great It s the saying of Euripides that a faithful Friend is better than a calm Sea to a weather beaten Mariner Alexander cannot cut It was well observed by Sir Francis Bacon That old wood is best to burn and old Books best to read and old Friends best to trust It was a witty saying of the Duke of Buckingham to Bishop Monton in Richard the III. his time Faithful Friends saith he are in this age for the most part gone all in pilgrimage their return is uncertain They seem to take away the Sun out of the World said the Heathen Oratour who take away friendship from the life of men and we do not more need fire and water then true Friendship In this Epistle I shall endeavour so to acquit my self as becomes a real Friend a cordial Friend a faithful Friend and a Soul-friend as to your great and everlasting concernments that it may go well with you for ever and ever Sir the points that are handled in this following Treatise and in the first part are of as high choice necessary noble useful and comfortable a nature as any that can be treated on by mortal man The four things which God minds most and loves most are 1. His honour 2. His worship 3. His People 4. His truth Surely their souls must needs be of a very sad complexion who can read the great truths that are here opened and applyed and not 1. Dearly love them 2. Highly prize them 3. Cordially bless God for them 4. Seriously ponder and meditate upon them 5. And not frequently and diligently study them and make a gracious and dayly improvement of them The Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Redemption are a rich Armory out of which you may furnish your selves with all sorts of spiritual weapons wherewith you may encounter Satans temptations wiles devices methods depths stratagems Nothing of Satans Eph. 6. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Revel 2. 24. can stand before the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Redemption well understood and well applyed In the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Redemption 2 Sam. 23. 5. Isa 54. 9 10. Jer. 32. 38 39 40 41. Zach. 9. 11. Heb. 13. 20. that is past betwixt God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ you will find many rich and rare cordials which have a strong tendency to preserve all gracious souls from desponding and fainting 1. In times of afflictions 2. In times of temptations 3. In times of desertion 4. In times of sufferings for Christs sake and the Gospels sake 5. In times of opposition 6. And at the time of death and dissolution There are no comforts nor cordials that can reach the souls of Christians in their deep distresses but such as flow from these two Covenants the more it concerns all such Christians to study these two Covenants and to be well acquainted with them that so they may the more readily have recourse to such cordials as their present estate and condition calls for In these two Covenants you will find much matter which has a strong tendency 1. To inflame your love to God and Christ and all in the Covenant of Grace Psal 116. 1. 9. 16. Psalm 3. 2 Sam. 23. 5. Psal 103. 17 8. Psal 111. 5 9 17. Gen. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Galat. 6. 14. 2. To strengthen your faith 3. To raise your hopes 4. To cheer your souls 5. To quiet and satisfy your consciences 6. To engage you to a close and holy walking with God 7. To provoke you to triumph in free grace and in the Lord Jesus Christ 8. To sit loose from this world The riches and Treasures that are wrapt up in both these Covenants are so great so sure so durable and so sutable to all believers as may well deaden their Revt 12. 1. hearts to all the riches and glories of this lower world In these two Covenants every sincere Christian will find 1. A special salve for every spiritual sore 2. A special remedy against every spiritual malady 3. A special plaster against every spiritual wound 4. A spiritual magazene to supply all their spiritual wants and 5. A spiritual shelter under every spiritual storm In these two Covenants you will find food to nourish you a staff to support you a guid to lead you a fire to warm you and springs of life to cheer and refresh you In this Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Redemption 'T was the saying of an eminent Saint on his Death-bed that he had much peace and quietness not so much from a greater measure of grace than other Christians had or from any immediat witness of the spirit but because he had a more clear understanding of the Covenant of Grace than many others having studied it and preacht it so many years as he had done you may clearly see the wisdom counsel love and transactions between the Father and the Son sparkling and shining there being nothing under Heaven that contributes more to the peace comfort assurance settlement and satisfaction of sincere Christians than such a sight the main reason why so many gracious souls are so full of fears doubts darkness and disputes about their internal and eternal estates is because they have no more clear and full understanding of these two Covenants and if such Christians would but more seriously buckle to the study of those two covenants as they are opened
is a foolish thing for any to think of keeping both Christ and their lusts too it is a vain thing for any to think of saving the life of his sins and the life of his soul too If sin escape your soul cannot escape if thou art not the death of thy sins they will be the death and ruin of thy soul Marriage is a knot or tye wherein persons are mutually limitted and bound each to other in a way of conjugal separation from all others and this in Scripture is Prov. 2. 17. called a Covenant So when any one marries Christ he doth therein discharge himself in affection and subjection from all that is contrary unto Christ and solemnly Covenants and binds himself to Christ alone he will have no Saviour and no Lord but Christ and to him will he cleave for ever Psal 63. 8. Acts 11. 23. But Secondly This marriage-union with Christ doth include John 1. 12. Acts 5. 31. Coloss 2. 6. Weigh well these Scriptures Psalm 1â—2 3. Psalm 5. 5. Hosea 2. 7. and take in a hearty willingness to take to receive the Lord Jesus Christ for your Saviour and Soveraign Are you willing to consent to the match 't is not enough that Christ is willing to enter into a marriage-union with us but we must be willing also to enter Many can chuse Christ as a Refuge to hide them from danger and as a Friend to help them in their need who yet refuse him as a Husband into a marriage-union with him God will never force a Christ nor force salvation upon us whether we will or no Many approve of Christ and cry up Christ who yet are not willing to give their consent that he and he alone shall be their Prince and Saviour though knowledge of persons be necessary and fit yet it is not sufficient to marriage without consent for marriage ought to be a voluntary transaction of persons in marriage we do in a sort give away our selves and elect and make choice for our selves and therefore consent is a necessary concurrence to marriage Now this consent is nothing else but a free and plain act of the will accepting of Jesus Christ before all others to be its Head and Lord and in the souls choice of him to be its Saviour and Soveraign Then a man is married to Christ when he doth freely and absolutely and presently receive the Lord Jesus not I would have Christ if it did not prejudice my worldly estate ease friends relations c. or hereafter I will accept of him when I come to dye and be in distress but now when salvation is offered now while Christ tenders himself I now yield up my heart and life unto him But Thirdly This marriage union with Christ includes and takes in an universal and perpetual consent for all time and in all states and conditions There is you know a great difference between a wife and a strumpet a wife takes her husband upon all terms to have and to hold for better and for worse for richer and for poorer in sickness and in health whereas a strumpet is only for hire and lust when the purse is emptied or the body wasted and strength consumed the harlots love is at an end so here That acceptance and consent which tyes the marriage knot between Christ and the soul must be an unlimited and indefinite acceptance and consentâ— when we take the Lord Jesus Christ wholly and entirely without any secret reservations or exceptions That soul that will have Christ must have all Christ or no Christ For Christ is not divided That soul must entertain 1 Cor. 1. 13. Rev. 14. 4. Psal 66. 12. him to all purposes and intents he must follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth though it should be through fire and water over mountans and hills he must take him with his cup of affliction as well as his cup of consolation with his shameful cross as well as his glorious Heb. 2. 3. crown with his great sufferings as well as his great salvation with his grace as well as his mercy with his spirit to lead and govern them as well as his blood to redeem and justifie them to suffer for him as well as to 2 Tim. 2. 12. Acts 21. 13. Rom. 14. 7 8. reign with him to dye for him as well as to live to him Christianity like the wind Caecias doth ever draw clouds afflictions after it All that will live godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 12. shall suffer persecution A man may have many faint wishes and cold desires after godliness yet escape persecution yea he may make some assays attempts as if he would be godly and yet escape persecution but when a man is The common cry of Persecutors hath been Christianes ad I câ—nâ—s within the first 300. years after Christ upon the matter all that made a profession of the Apostles Doctrine were cruelly murdered thorowly resolved to be Godly and sets himself in good earnest upon pursuing after holyness and living a life of Godlyness then he must expect to meet with afflictions and persecutions who ever escapes the Godly man shall not escape persecution in one kind or another in one degree or another He that is peremptorily resolved to live up to holy rules and to live out holy principles must prepare for sufferings All the Roses of holyness are surrounded with pricking Briars The History of the Ten Persecutions and that little Book of Martyrs the 11. of the Hebrews and Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments with many other Treatises that are extant do abundantly evidence that from age to age and from one generation to another they that have been born after the flesh have persecuted them that hath been born after the Gal. 4. 29. spirit and that the seed of the Serpent have been still a multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the Woman But a Believers future glory and pleasure will abundantly recompense him for his present pain and ignominy But such as will have Christ for their Saviour and Soveraign but still with some proviso or other viz. That they may keep such a beloved lust or enjoy such carnal pleasures and delights or raise such an estate for them and theirs or comply with the times and such and such great mens humours or that they may follow the Lamb only in Sun-shine weather c. these are still Satans bondslaves and such as Christ can take no pleasure nor delight to espouse himself unto But The third word of Advice and Counsel is this viz. Put off the old man and put on the new Consult the Scriptures Col. 3. 9 10. Eph. 4. 22 23 24. Gal. 6. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 2. in the margin You must be new Creatures or else it had been better you had been any Creatures than what you are 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a nâ—w Creature old things are past away behold all
things are become new The new Creature includes a new light a new sight a new understanding Now the soul sees Psal 38. 4. Cant. 5. 10. sin to be the greatest evil and Christ and holyness to be the chiefest good When a man is a new Creature he has Col. 3. 11. a new judgment and opinion he looks upon God as his only happyness and Christ as his all in all and upon Prov. 3. 17. the wayes of God as wayes of pleasantness The new man has new cares new requests new desires O that my Acts 2. 37. Cap. 16. 30. soul may be saved O that my interest in Christ may be cleared O that my heart may be adorned with grace O that my whole man may be secured from wrath to 1 Thes 2. ult come The new man is a man of new principles if you make a serious inspection into his soul you shall find a principle of faith of repentance of holyness of love Phil. 1. 20. Acts 11. 18. 1 Thes 4 9. Phil. 4. â—1 1 Cor. 4. 12. of contentment of patience c. There is not any one spiritual and heavenly principle respecting salvation but may be found in the new Creature The new man experiences a new combate and conflict in his soul The Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 2â— flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit luâ—teth against the flesh I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind The new man experiences a combate in every faculty Here is the judgment against the judgment and the will against the will and the affections against the affections And the reason is this because there is flesh and spirit sin and grace coexistent and cohabiting in every faculty of the soul renewing grace is in every faculty and remaining corruption is also in every faculty like Jacob and Esau stâ—ugling in the same womb or like heat and cold in the same water and in every part of it The new man also combates with all sorts of known sins whether they be great or small inward or outward whether they be the sins of the heart or the sins of the life and besides the conflict in the new man is a daily conflict a constant conflict The new Creature can never the new Creature will never be at peace with sin sin and the new Creature will fight it out to the death the new Creature will never be brought into a lâ—ague of friendship with sin The new man is a man of a new life and conversation alwayes a new life attends a new heart you see it in Paul Mary Magdalen Zacheus the Jaylor and all the others that See 1 John 3. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Psalm 120. 5. Psalm 139. â—1 Psalm 42. 4. are upon Scripture record The new man has new society new company Psalm 119. 63. I am a Companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts Psalm 16. 3. My goodness extends not to thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my delight Holy society is the only society for persons of holy hearts and in that society can no 〈…〉 had rather haâ—e no Companiâ—n than a had one man delight until God renew his heart by grace Many men be as the Planet Mercury good in conjuction with those that are good and bad with those that are bad these are they that do Virtutis stragulam pudefacere Put honesty to an open shame Cloaths and Company do oftentimes tell tales in a mute but significant language Tell me with whom thou goest and I will tell thee what thou art saith the Spanish proverb Algerius an Italian Martyr had rather be in prison with Cato than with Caesar in the Senate-house But to conclude this word of Counsel the new man walks by a new rule As soon as ever God has made a man a new creature he presently sets up a new rule of life to walk by and that is no other but that which God himself sets up for his People to walk by and that is his written Word Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony Psalm 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Verse 133. Order my steps in thy word Galat. 6. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God This rule he sets up for all matters of Faith and for all matters of fact The word is like the stone Garamantides that hath drops of Gold within it self enriching of every soul that makes it his Rule to walk by Alexander kept Homers Iliads in a Cabinet embroidered with Gold and Pearls and shall not we keep the Word in the Cabinâ—t of our hearts that it may be alwayes ready at hand as a Rule for us to walk by Well Friends what ever you do forget be sure that for ever you remember this viz. that none can oâ— shall be glorious Creatures but such as by grace are made new Creatures But The fourth word of advice counsel is this Labour to be more inwardly sincere than outwardly glorious The Psalm â—5 13. Reâ— 3. 1. 15 16 17. Kings daughter is all glorious within O labour rather to be good than to be thought to be good to live than to have a name to live what ever you let go be sure you hold fast your integrity A man were better to let Friends go Relations go Estate go Liberty go â—ife go and all go than let his integrity go God forbid that I should Job 27. 5 6. justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I will hold fast and I will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job is highly and fully resolved to keep his integrity close against all assaults of Enemies or suspicions of Friends Jobs integrity was the best Jewel he had in all the world this Jewel he was resolv'd to keep to his dying day It was nâ—ither good men nor bad men nor devils that should baffle Job out of his integrity and though they all pulled and pulled hard at his integrity yet he would not lâ—t it go he would hold fast this pearl of price what ever it cost him The sincere Christian like John Baptist will hold his integrity Marâ— 6. though he lose his head for it The very Heathens loved a candid and sincere spirit as he that wished that there was a glass in his breast that all the world might see what was in his heart Integrity will be a sword to defend you a staff to support you a star to guide you and a cordial to chear you and therefore above all gettings get sincerity and above all keepings keep sincerity as your crown your comfort your life But The fifth word of comfort and counsel is this Be true to
that the many weaknesses that hang upon you and the decays of Nature that dayly do attend you seem to point out an approaching dissolution I shall at this time give you this one word of Counsel viz. That every day you would look upon Death in a Scripture-glass in a Scripture-dress or under a Scripture-notion That is First Look upon death as that which is best for a believer Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—c Christus nec caelum patitur hyperbolen saith one here it is hâ—rd to hyperbolice a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better The Greek is very significant far far the better or far much better or much more better 't is a most transcendent expression Eccles 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth A Saint's dying day is the day-break of Eternal Righteousness In respect of pleasure peace safety company glory a Believer's dying day is his best day I have read of one Trophonius that when he had built and dedicated that stately Temple at Delphos he asked of Apollo for his recompence that thing which was best for man The Oracle wished him to go home and within three days he should have it and within that time he died It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients That is not a death but life which joyns the dying man to Christ and that is not a life but death which separates a living man from Christ But Secondly Look upon Death as a remedy as a cure Death will perfectly cure you of all corporal and spiritual Vltimus morborum medicus mors diseases at once the crazy body and the defiled soul the aking head and the unbelieving heart Death will cure you of all your ails aches diseases and distempers At Stratford-bow in Queen Mary's days there was burnt Act. and Mon. Fol. 1733. a lame man and a blind man at one stake the lame man after he was chained casting away his crutch bad the blind man be of good comfort for death saith he will cure us both thee of thy blindness and me of my lameness And as Death will cure all your bodily diseases so it will cure all your soul distempers also Death is not Mors hominis but Mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sin Death will work such a cure as all your Duties Graces Experiences Ordinances Assurances could never do for it will at once free you fully perfectly and perpetually from all sin yea from all possibility of ever sinning more Sin was the Midwife that Peccâ—tum erat obstetrix mortis c. mors sepuâ—chrum pec aâ—i Ambrose de bono mortis c. 4 brought death into the World and death shall be the grave to bury sin and why then should a Christian be afraid to die or unwilling to die seeing Death gives him a Writ of ease from infirmities and weaknesses from all aches and pains griefs and gripings distempers and diseases both of body and soul When Sampson died the Philistines also died together with him so when a Saint dies his sins die with him Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death as the worm kills the worm that bred it so death kills sin that bred it But Thirdly Look upon death as a rest a full rest a believer's dying day is his resting day It is a resting day Rev. 14. 13. Job 3. 13 to 17. 2 Thes 1. 7. Micah 2. 10. Jer. 50. 6. from sin sorrow afflictions temptations desertions dissentions vexations oppositions and persecutions This world was never made to be the Saints rest Arise for this is not your resting place they are like Noah's Dove they can rest no where but in the Ark and in the Grave In the grave saith Job the weary are at rest Upon this very ground some of the most refined Heathens have accounted Mortality to be a mercy for they brought their friends into the World with mournful Obsequies but carried them out of the world with all joyful sports and pastimes because then they conceived they were at rest and out of Gun-shot Death brings the Saints to a full-rest to a pleasant rest to a matchless rest to an eternal rest But Fourthly Look upon your dying day as a reaping day Now you shall reap the fruit of all the prayers 2 Cor. 9. 2. Gal. 6. 7 8 9. Isa 38. 3. Mat. 25. 31 to 41. that ever you have made and of all the tears that ever you have shed and of all the sighs and groans that ever you have fetched and of all the good words that ever you have spoke and of all the good works that ever you have done and of all the great things that ever you have suffered When Mortality shall put on Immortality Eccles 11. 1. 6. you shall then reap a plentiful Crop a glorious Crop as the fruit of that good seed that for a time hath seemed to be buried and lost As Christ hath a tender heart and a soft hand so he hath an Iron memory he punctually Mat. 10. 24 25. remembers all the sorrows and all the services and all the sufferings of his people to reward them and crown them Rev. 22. 12. But Fifthly Look upon your dying day as a gainful day there is no gain to that which comes in by death Phil 1. Eccles 7. 1. Phil. 1. 23. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain A Christian gets more by death than he doth by life to be in Christ is very good but to be with Christ is best of all 'T was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth but 't was the top of Blessings for Paul to be with Christ in heaven Seriously consider of a few things First That by death you shall gain incomparable Crowns 1. A Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. Jam. 1. 12. 2. A Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. 3. An Incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. 4. A Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Now there are no Crowns to these Crowns as I have fully discovered in my discourse on The Divine Presence to which I refer you But Secondly You shall gain a Glorious Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. It is your father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom But death is the young Prophet that anointeth them to it and giveth them actual possession of it They must put off their rags of Mortality that they may put on their robes of Glory Israel must first die in Egypt before he can be carried into Canaan There is no entring into Paradise but under the flaming sword of this Angel Death that standeth at the Gate Death is the dirty Lane through which the Saint passeth to a Kingdom to a great Kingdom to a glorious Kingdom Heb. 12. 28. Dan. 2 44. cap. â— 3. Rev. 19 7. to a quiet Kingdom to an
unshaken Kingdom to a durable Kingdom to a lasting Kingdom yea to an everlasting Kingdom Death is a dark short way through which the Saints pass to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb. But Thirdly You shall gain a safe and honourable Convoy into that other world Luk. 16. 22. Oh in what pomp and triumph did Lazarus ride to heaven on the wings of Angels The Angels conduct the Saints at death through the Air the Devil's Region every gracious soul is carried into Christ's Presence by these heavenly Courtiers Oh what a sudden change does death make behold he that even now was scorned by men is all on a sudden carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom But Fourthly You shall gain a glorious welcome a joyful Rev. 4. 8 to 11. Luk. 15. 7 10. Heb. 12. 23. welcome a wonderful welcome into heaven By general consent of all Antiquity the holy Angels and blessed Trinity rejoyce at the sinner's Conversion but oh what inexpressible what transcendent joy is there when a Saint is landed upon the Shore of Eternity God and Christ Angels and Arch-angels all stand ready to welcome the Believer as soon as his feet are upon the threshold of Glory God the Father welcomes the Saints as his elect and chosen ones Jesus Christ welcomes them as his redeemed and purchased ones and the Holy Spirit welcomes them as his sanctified and renewed ones and the Blessed Angels welcome them as those they have Heb. 1. ult guarded and attended on When the Saints enter upon the Suburbs of Glory the glorious Angels welcome them with harps in their hands and ditties in their mouths But Fifthly You shall gain full freedom and liberty from all your enemies within and without viz. Sin Satan Luk. 1. 70 71 74 75. and the World 1. Death will free you from the indwelling power of sin In heaven there is no complaints Rom. 7. 23. as in hell there is nothing but wickedness so in heaven there is nothing but holiness 2. Death will free Gal. 5. 17. you from the power and prevalency of sin Here sin plays the Tyrant but in heaven there is no Tyranny but perfect felicity 3. Death will free you from all provocations temptations and suggestions to sin Now you shall be above all Satan's batteries Now God will make Rom. 16. 20. good the promise of treading Satan under your feet Some say Serpents will not live in Ireland The old Serpent Rev. 12. 8 9. cap. 21. ult is cast out and shall be for ever kept out of the new Jerusalem above 4. Death will free you from all the effects and consequents of sin viz. losses crosses sicknesses diseases disgraces sufferings c. when the cause is taken away the effect ceases when the fountain of sin is dried up the streams of afflictions of sufferings must be dryed up the fuel being taken away the fire will go out of it self Sin and sorrow were born together do live together and shall die together To open this fourth Particular a little more fully to you consider these four things First That death will free you from all reproach and ignominy on your names Now Elijah is accounted the 1 King 18. 17. Nâ—hem 6. 6. Psal 69. 12. Jer. 15. 10. Troubler of Israel Nehemiah a Rebel against his King and David the song of the Drunkards and Jeremiah a man of contention and Paul a pestilent fellow Heaven Act. 24. 10. wipes away all blots as well as all tears as no sins so no blots are to be found in that upper world The names of all the Saints in a state of Glory are written as I may say in Characters of Gold But Secondly Death will free you from all bodily infirmities and diseases we carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die a thousand several Above all things let us every day think 〈◊〉 our last day 〈◊〉 〈…〉 naus ways each several hour As many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows there are for death to enter in at death needs not spend all its arrows upon us a worm a gnat a fly a hair the stone of a raisin the kirnel of a grape the fall of a horse the stumbling of a foot the prick of a pin the pairing of a nail the cutting of a corn all these have been to others and any one of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few days nay of a few hours Here Job had his Botches and Job 2. 6 7. Isâ— 37 21. 〈◊〉 â—8 5. 〈◊〉 20. Maâ— 9. 20. Hezekiah had his Boil and David his Wounds and Lazarus his Sores and the poor Widow her Issue of Blood Now the Feaver burns up some and the Dropsie drowns others and the Vapours stifle others one dies of an Appoplexy in the head another of a Struma in the neck a third of a Squinancy in the throat and a fourth of a Cough and Consumption of the lungs others of Obstructions Inflamations Plurisies Gouts c. We are commonly full of complaints one complains of this distemper and another of that one of this disease and another of that but death will cure us of all diseases and distempers at once But Thirdly Death will free you from all your sorrows whether inward or outward whether for your own sins Psal 38. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Psal 119 136. Nehem. 1. 3 4. or the sins of others whether for your own sufferings or the sufferings of others Now it may be one shall seldom find you but with tears in your eyes or sorrow in your heart O but now death will be the funeral of all your sorrows death will wipe all tears from your eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 51. 11. But Fourthly Death will free you from all those troubles calamities miseries mischiefs and desolations that are Isa 57 1. Mâ—â—h 7. 1 to 7. a coming upon the earth or upon this place or that A year after Methuselah's death the Flood came and carried away the old world Augustine died a little before the sacking of Hippo Luther observes that all the Apostles died before the destruction of Jerusalem And Luther himself died a little before the Wars brake forth in Germany Dear Lady death shall do that for you which all your Physicians could never do for you which all your Relations could never do for you which all Ordinances could never do for you nor which all your faithful Ministers could never do for you it shall both instantly and perfectly cure you of all sorts of Maladies and weaknesses both inward and outward or that respects either your body or your soul or both Oh my dear friend is it not better to die and be rid of all sin to die and be rid of all temptations and desertions to die and be rid of all sorts of miseries than to live and still carry about with
us our sins our burdens and such constant ailments as takes away all the pleasure and comfort of life Here both our outward and inward conditions are very various sometimes heaven is open and Lamen 3 8 44 54 55 56 57. Psal 30. 7. 1 Thes 4 17 18. Isa 35. 10. sometimes heaven is shut sometimes we see the face of God and rejoyce and at other times he hides his face and we are troubled O but now death will bring us to an invariable Eternity It is always day in heaven and joy in heaven Sixthly and lastly You shall gain a clear distinct and full knowledge of all great and deep Mysteries the Mystery 1 Cor. 13. 10 12. of the Trinity the Mystery of Christ's Incarnation the Mystery of Man's Redemption the Mysteries of Providences the Mysteries of Prophecies and all those Mysteries that relate to the Nature Substances Offices Orders and Excellencies of the Angels If you please to consult my String of Pearls or the best thing reserved till last with my Sermon on Eccles 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth which is at the end of my Treatise on Assurance both which Treatises you have by you There you will find many more great and glorious things laid open that we gain by death And to them I refer you But Sixthly Look upon death as a sleep the Holy Ghost hath phrased it so above twenty times in Scripture to 1 Cor. 11. 30. cap. 15. 51. Joh. 11. â—â— Mark 5. 39. The Greeks call their Church-yards Dormitories sleeping places and the Hebrews 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—im the house of the living shew that this is the true proper and genuine notion of death When the Saints die they do but sleep Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead but sleepeth The same phrase he also used to his Disciples concerning Lazarus our friend Lazarus sleepeth Joh. 11. 11. The death of the Godly is as a sleep Stephen fell asleep Act. 7. 60. And David fell asleep Act. 13. 36. And Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. 20. Them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4. 14. The Saints of God do but sleep when they lay down in the Grave that which we call death in such is not death indeed it is but the image of death the Shadow and Metaphor of death death 's younger Brother a mere sleep and no more I may not follow the Analogy that is between death and sleep in the latitude of it the Printer calling upon me to conclude Sleep is the Nurse of Nature the sweet Parenthesis of all a man's griefs and cares But Seventhly Look upon death as a departure 2 Tim. 4. 6. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand He makes nothing of death It was Deut. 32. 49 50. no more betwixt God and Moses but go up and die and so betwixt Christ and Paul but launch out and land immediately at the fair Haven of heaven Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Paul longed for that hour wherein he should loose Anchor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solvâ—râ— Anch ram Or it may be rendered to return home or to change rooâ—s â—t is a similitude â—aken from those that depart out of an Iâ—n to take their journey towards their own Countrey and sail to Christ as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports It is a Metaphor from a Ship at Anchor importing a sailing from this present life to another Port. Paul had a desire to loose from the shore of Life and to launch out into the Main of Immortality The Apostle in this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a reference both to his bonds and to his death and his meaning is I desire to be discharged and released as out of a common Goal so also out of the prison of my body that I may presently be with Christ my Saviour in heaven in rest and bliss After Paul had been in the third heaven his constant song was I desire to be with Christ Nature teacheth that death is the end of misery but grace will teach us that death is the beginning of our felicity But Eighthly and lastly Look upon death as a going to Bed The Grave is a Bed wherein the body is laid to rest with its curtains close drawn about it that it may not be disturbed in its repose So the Holy Ghost is pleased to phrase it He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds every one walking in their uprightness Isa 57. 2. As the souls of the Saints pass to a place of rest and bliss so their bodies are laid down to rest in the Grave as in a Bed or Bed-chamber there to sleep quietly until the morning of the Resurrection Death is nothing else but a Writ of ease to the weary Saints 't is a total cessation from all their labour of nature sin and affliction Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord that they may rest Rev. 14. 13. from their labours c. Whilst the souls of the Saints do rest in Abraham's bosom their bodies do sweetly sleep in their beds of dust as in a safe and consecrated Dormitory Every sincere Christian may like the weary child call and cry to be laid to bed knowing that death will send him to his everlasting rest Now you should always look upon death under Scripture Notions and this will take off the terrour of death yea it will make the King of Terrours to be the King of desires it will make you not only willing to die but even long to die and to cry out O that I had the wings of a dove to fly away and be at rest At death you shall have an eternal Jubilee and be freed from all incumbrances Now sin shall be no more nor trouble shall be no more nor pain nor ailments shall be no more Now you shall have your Quietus est now the wicked shall cease from Job 3. 17. troubling and now the weary shall be at rest now all Rev. 7. 17. tears shall be wiped from your eyes now death shall be the way to bliss the Gate of Life and the Portal to Paradise It was well said of one so far as we tremble at death so far we want love it 's sad when the contract is made between Christ and a Christian to see a Christian afraid of the making up the Marriage Lord saith Austin one I will die that I may enjoy thee I will not live but I will die I desire to die that I may see Christ and refuse to live that I may live with Christ The broken Rings Contracts and Espousals contents not the true Lover but he longs for the Marriage day It is no credit to your Heavenly Father for you to be loth to
go home The Turks tell us that surely Christians do not believe heaven to be such a glorious place as they talk of for if they did they would not be so unwilling to go thither The world may well think that the Child hath but cold welcom at his Father's house that he lingers so much by the way and that he does not look and long to be at home Such Children bring an ill report upon their Father's House upon the Holy Land but I know you have not so learned Christ I know you long with Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ and Phil. 1. 23. with old Simeon to cry out Lord let thy servant depart Luk. 2. 29. in peace That God whom you have long sought and served will make your passage into that other world safe sweet and easie Now to the everlasting arms of Divine Protection and to the constant guidance and leadings of the Spirit and to the rich influences of Christ's Sovereign Grace and to the lively hopes of the Inheritance of the Saints in light he commends you who is Dear Sister yours in the strongest Bonds Tho. Brooks Beloved in our Lord IN the first part of my golden Key I have shewed you seven several pleas that all sincere Christians may form up as to those several Scriptures in the Old and New Testament that refer either to the great day of account or to their particular days of account In this second part I shall go on where I left and shew you several other choice Pleas that all believers may make in the present case The eighth Plea that a believer may form up as to the Eâ—cles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk 16 2. Râ—m 14 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. ten Scriptures in the margent that refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account may be drawn up from the consideration of the covenant of grace or the new covenant that all believers are under It is of high concernment to understand the tenure of the covenant of grace or the new Covenant which is the Law you must judge of your estates by for if you mistake in that you will err in the conclusion That person is very unfit to make a Judge who is ignorant of the Law by which himself and others must be tryed For the clearing of my way let me premise these six things First premise this with me that God hath commonly dealt with man in the way of a Covenant that being a way that is most suitable to man and most honourable for man and the most amicable and friendly way of dealing with man No sooner was man made but God entered into Covenant with him In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Geâ— 2. 17. Gen. 9 11. 12 13 14 15. â—en 6. 18. Câ—r 17. 1 2. death after this he made a Covenant with the world by Noah after this he made a Covenant with Abraham after this he made a Covenant with the Jews at Mount Exod. 19. Sinai Thus you see that God has commonly dealth with man in the way of a Covenant But Secondly premise this with me All men are under some Covenant or other they are either under a Covenant of works or they are under a Covenant of grace all persons that live and die without an interest in Christ they live and die under a Covenant of works such as live and die with an interest in Christ they live and die under a Covenant of grace There is but a two-fold standing taken notice of in the blessed Scriptures the one Rom. 6. 14. I am not of Camero's mind that there were three Covenants but of the Apostles mind who expresly tells us that there are two Testaments and no more in that Gal. 4. 24. is under the Law the other is under Grace Now he that is not under grace is under the Law It is true in the Scripture you do not read in totidem syllabis of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace but that of the Apostle comes near it Rom. 3. 27. where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of faith Here you have the Law of works opposed to the Law of faith which holds out as much as the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace The Apostle sets forth this two-fold condition of men by a very pertinent resemblance namely by that of marriage Rom. 7. 1 2 3. All Adam's seed are married to one of these two husbands either to the Law or to Christ He that is not spiritually married to Christ and so brought under his Covenant is still under the Law as a Covenant of works even as a wife is under the Law of her husband while he is yet alive Certainly there were never any but two Covenants made with man the one Legal the other Evangelical the one of works the other of grace the first in innocency the other after the fall ponder upon Rom. 4. 13. But Thirdly Let me premise this That the Covenant of grace was so legally dispensed to the Jews that it seems to be nothing else but the repetition of the Covenant of works in respect of which legal dispensations of it the same Covenant under the Law is called a Covenant of works under the Gospel in regard of the clearer manifestation of it it is called a Covenant of grace But these were not two distinct Covenants but one and the same Covenant diversly dispensed The Covenant of grace is the same for substance now to us since Christ was exhibited as it was to the Jews before he was exhibited but the manner of administration of it is different because it is 1. Now clearer things were declared then in types and shadows Heaven was then typed out by the Land of Canaan but now we have things more plainly 2 Cor. 3. 12. Heb. 7. 12. manifested In this respect it is called a better Testament or Covenant not in substance but in the manner of reveiling it and the promises are said to be better promises Heb. 8. 6. Act. 10. 35. upon the same account 2. The Covenant of grace is now more largely extended then it extended only to the Jews but now to all that know the Lord and that Colâ—s 3. 11. Neâ—â—m 7. 2. Jâ—b 1. 1 8. Acts 13. 22. Rom. 4 18 19 20. chuse him fear him love him and serve him in all nations 3. There is more abundance of the spirit of grace of light of knowledg of holiness poured out generally upon the people of God now than there was in those The word Covenant in our English tongue signifie as we all know a mutual promise bargain and obligation between two persons and so likewise doth the Hebrew Berith and the Greek Diatheke A Covenant is a solemn compact or agreement between
wooes him by love by the second he frights him by the terrour of his justice and bids him touch and taste if he durst The Faederati were God and Adam God the Creator and man the creature made after Gods image and likeness and so not contrary to God nor at enmity with him but like unto God though far different and inferiour to God in nature and substance Here are also terms agreed on and matters covenanted reciprocally by these parties Adam on his part was to be obedient to God in forbearing to eat of the tree of knowledg only God's charge to our first parents was only negative not to eat of the tree of knowledg the other to eat of the trees was left unto their choice Eve confesseth that God spake unto them both and said ye shall not eat of it And God speaks unto both of them Gen. 3. 2. together in these words Behold I have given unto you every Gen. 1. 19. herb and every tree c. At which time also it is very like that he gave them the other prohibition of not eating of that one tree for if God had made that exception before he would not have given a general permission after or if this general grant had gone before the exception coming should seem to abrogate the former grant The Septuagint seem to be of this mind that this precept was given both to Adam and Eve reading thus So doth Gregory read as the Septuagint does Gr â— l. b. 35. moral â— 10 in the plural number In what day ye shall eat thereof ye shall die And though in the Original the precept be given in the name of Adam only that is only 1. Because Adam was the more principal and he had the charge of the woman And 2. Because that the greatest danger was in his transgression which was the cause of the ruine of his posterity 3. Because as Mercerus well observes Adam was the common name both of the man and woman Gen. 5. 2. and so is taken vers 15. And God on his part for the present permits Adam to eat of all other trees of the Garden And for the future in his explicite threatning of death in case of disobedience implicity promiseth life in case of obedience herein Secondly the promises of this Covenant on God's part were very glorious First that heaven and earth and all creatures should continue in their natural course and order wherein God had had created and placed them serving always for man's use and that man should have the benefit and Lordship of them all Secondly As for natural life in respect of the body Adam should have had perfection without defect beauty without deformity labour without weariness Thirdly as for spiritual life Adam should never have known what it was to be under 〈◊〉 18. 1. â— terrours and horrours of conscience nor what a wounded spirit means he should never have found the arrows of 〈◊〉 6. 4. the Almighty sticking faâ—l in him nor the poyson thereof drinking up his spirits nor the terrours of God to set themselves in array against him nor he should never have tasted of death Death is a fall that came in by a fall had Adam never sinned Adam had never died had Adam stood fast in innocency he should have been translated to glory without dissolution Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death As the worm kills the worm that bred it so death 〈◊〉 sin that bred it Now where there are parties covenanting promising and agreeing upon terms and terms mutually agreed upon by those parties as here There 's the substance of an express Covenant though it be not formally and in express words called a Covenant This was the first Covenant which God made with man and this is called by the name Berith Jer. 33. 20. where God saith If you can break my Covenant of the day and night and that there shall not be day and night in their season vers 21. Then may also my Covenant with David be broken In these words he speaks plainly of the promise in the Creation That day and night should keep Gen. 1. 14 15 16. their course and the sun moon and stars and all creatures should serve for man's use Now though man did break the Covenant on his part yet God being immutable could not break Covenant on his part neither did he suffer his promise to fail but by vertue of Christ promised to man in the new Covenant he will keep touch with man so long as mankind hath a being on the earth In this first Covenant God promised unto man life and happiness Lordship over all the creatures liberty to use them and all other blessings which his heart could desire to keep him in that happy estate wherein he was created And man was bound to God to walk in perfect righteousness to observe and keep God's Commandments and to obey his will in all things which were within the reach of his nature and so far as was reveiled to him In the first Covenant God reveiled himself to man as one God Creator and Governour of all things infinite in power wisdom goodness nature and substance God was man's good Lord and man was God's good servant God dearly loved man and man greatly loved God with all his heart there was not the least shadow or occasion of hatred or enmity between them there was nothing but mutual love mutual delight mutual content and mutual satisfaction between God and man Man in his primitive glory needed no Mediator to come between God and him man was perfect pure upright and good created after God's own image and the nearer he came to God the greater was his joy and comfort God's presence now was man's great delight and it was man's heaven on earth to walk with God But Thirdly Consider the intention and use of the two eminent Trees in the Garden that are mentioned in a more peculiar manner viz. The tree of life and The tree of knowledg The intended use of these two Trees in Paradise was Sacramental Hence they are called Symbolical Trees and Sacramental Trees by learned writers both ancient and modern By these the Lord did signifie and seal to our first parents that they should always enjoy that happy state of life in which they were made upon condition of obedience to his Commandments i. e. in The Tree of life was the 〈◊〉 and â—eal which God gave to man for confirmation of this first Covenant and it was to man a Sacrament and pledge of eternal life on earth and of all blessings needful to keep man in life eating of the tree of life and not eating of the tree of knowledg The Tree of life is so called not because of any native property and peculiar vertue it had in it self to convey life but symbolically morally and sacramentally It was a sign and obsignation to them of life natural and spiritual to be continued to them as
suffice to have spoken concerning the first Covenant of works that was between God and Adam in innocency But Sixthly Premise this with me viz. That there is a new Covenant a second Covenant or a Covenant of grace betwixt God and his people express Scriptures Hâ—â— 8. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. prove this Deut. 7. 9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although See this 2 Sâ—m 23. 5. opened in my box of precious Ointments paâ— 369 370 371 372 373 374. my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Nehem. 1. 5. I beseech thee O Lord God of heaven the great and â—errible God that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and keep his commandments Isa 54. 10. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Jer. 32. 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 in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 20. 37. And I will cause you to pass under the rod and I will bring you into Dâ—ut 4. 23. Isâ— 55. 1 2 3. Jer. 24. 7. cap. 30. 22. cap. 31. 31 33. cap. 32. 38. Heb. 8. 8 9 10. the bond of the Covenant Deut. 29. 12. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee to day Consult the Scriptures in the margent also for they cannot be applyed to Christ but to us But for the further evidencing of that Covenant that is between the Lord and his people Now that there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people may be further evinced by unanswerable arguments let me point at some among many First Christ is said to be the mediator of this Covenant Heb. 9. 15. And for this cause he is the mediator 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 eternal inheritance Certainly that Covenant of which Christ is the Testator must needs be a Covenant made with us for else if the Covenant were made only with Christ as some would have it then it will roundly follow that Jesus Christ is both Testator and the party to whom the Testaments and Legacies are bequeathed which sounds harsh yea which to assert is very absurd Since the creation of the world was it ever known that ever any man did bequeath a Testament and Legacies to himself Surely no Christ is the Testator of the New Covenant and therefore we may safely conclude that the New Covenant is made with us The office of Mediator you know is to stand betwixt two at variance The two at variance were God and man Man had offended and incensed God against him God's wrath was an insupportable burrhen and a consuming fire no creature was able to stand under it or before it Therefore Christ to rescue and redeem man becomes a Mediator Christ undertaking to be a Mediator both procured a Covenant to pass betwixt God and man and also engaged himself for the performance thereof on both parts and to assure man of partaking of the benefit of God's Covenant Christ turns the Covenant into a Testament that the conditions of the Covenant on God's part might be as so many Legacies which being confirmed by the death of the Testator none might disannul Heb. 8. 6. He is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises The promises of the new Covenant are said to be better in these six respects 1. All the promises of the Law were conditional Do this and thou shalt live the promises of the new Covenant are absolute of grace as well as to grace 2. In this better Covenant God promiseth higher things here God promiseth himself his son his spirit a higher righteousness and a higher sonship 3. Because of their stability those of the old Covenant were swallowed up in the curse Rom. 4. 13 16. Gal. 3. 16. 17. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Cant. 5 16. Col. 1. 19. cap. 2. 3. Isa 44. 3. Joâ— 2. 28. Act. 2. 16 17. Gal. 3. 2. these are the sure mercies of David 4. They are all bottomed upon faith they all depend upon faith 5. They are all promised upon our interest in Christ this makes the promises sweet because they lead us to Christ the fountain of them whose mouth is most sweet and in whose person all the sweets of all created beings do center 6. Because God hath promised to pour out a greater measure of his spirit under the New Covenant than he did under the old Covenant Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant Thus you see that Christ is called the mediator ef the covenant three several times Now he could not be the Mediator of that Covenant that is betwixt God and himself of which more shortly but of that Covenant that is betwixt God and his people But Secondly The people of God have pleaded the Covenant that is betwixt God and them Remember thy Covenant Jer. 14. 21. Luk. 1. 72. Psal 25. 6. Now how could they plead the Covenant betwixt God and them if there were no such Covenant see the Scriptures in the margent But Thirdly God is often said to remember his Covenant Pondeâ— upon these Scriptures Psal 105. 8. Psal 106. 45. Psal 111. â— Gen. 9. 15. I 'l remember my covenant which is between you and me Exod. 6. 5. I have remembred my covenant Lev. 26. 42. I remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my covenant with thee and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant Now how can God be said to remember his Covenant with his people if there were no Covenant betwixt God and them But Fourthly the temporal and spiritual deliverances that you have by the Covenant do clearly evidence that there Gen. 9. 11. Isa 54. 9. Psal 111. 9. Isa 59. 21. is a Covenant betwixt God and you Zach. 9. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there was no water These words include both temporal and spiritual deliverances So that now if there be not a Covenant betwixt God and you what deliverances can you expect seeing they all flow in upon the
creature by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant By the blood of the Covenant Luk 16. 24 25. believers are delivered from the infernal pit where there is not so much water as might cool Dives his tongue and by the blood of the Covenant they are delivered from those deaths and dangers that do surround 2 Cor. 1. 8 9 10. them When sincere Christians fall into desperate distresses and most deadly dangers yet they are prisoners of hope and may look for deliverance by the blood of the Covenant this does sufficiently evince a Covenant betwixt God and his people But Fifthly God has threatned severely to avenge and punish the quarrel of his Covenant Levit. 26. 25. And I Deut. 29. 20 21 24 25. cap. 31. 20 21. Jâ—sâ— 7. 11 12 15. cap. 23. 15 16. Juâ—â— â— 20. 2 King 18 9 10 11 12. will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant or which shall avenge the vengeance of the Covenant c. consult the Scriptures in the mâ—â—geâ—t Breach of Covenant betwixt God and man breaks the peace and breeds a quarrel betwixt them in which he will take vengeance of man's revolt except there be repentance on man's side and pardoning grace on his For breach of Covenant Jerusalem is long since laid waste and the seven golden candlesticks broken in pieces and many others this day lie a bleeding in the Nations who have made no more of breaking Covenant with the great God than if therein they had to do with poor mortals with dust and ashes like themselves Now how can there be such a sin as breach of Covenant for which God will be avenged if there were no Covenant betwixt God and his people But Sixthly The seals of the Covenant are given to God's people Now to those to whom the seals of the Covenant Iâ— reason the Coveâ—ant and the Sâ—â—ls must go together Were it noâ— a fond and foolish thing in any man to make a Covenant with â—â—e and to giâ—e the seals to ano 〈…〉 In Equity and Justice the Coâ—enant and Seals must go to the same persons are given with them is the Covenant madâ— for the seals of the Covenant and the Covenant go to the same persons But the seals of the Covenant are given to believers Abraham receives the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4. 11. Ergo the Covenant is made with believers Circumcision is a sign in regard of the thing signified and a seal in regard of the Covenant made betwixt God and man Seal is a borrowed word taken from Kings and Princes who add their broad seal or privy seal to ratifie and confirm the Leagues Edicts Grants Covenants Charters that are made with their Subjects or Confederates God had made a Covenant with Abraham and by circumcision signs and seals up that Covenant But Seventhly The people of God are said sometimes to keep Covenant with God Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies Mercies flowing in upon us through the Covenant are of all mercies the most soul-satisfying soul-refreshing soul cheering mercies yea they are the very cream of mercy Oh how well is it with that Saint that can look upon every mercy as a present sent him from heaven by vertue of the Covenant Oh this sweetens every drop and sip and crust and crum of mercy that a Christian enjoys that all flows in upon him through the Covenant The promise last cited is a very sweet choice precious promise a promise more worth than all the riches of the Indies Mark All the paths of the Lord to his people they are not only mercy but they are mercy and truth that is they are sure mercies that stream in upon them through the Covenant Solomon's dinner Prov. 15. 17. Dâ—â— 1. 12. John 6. 9. of green herbs Daniel's pulse Barley loaves and a sew fishes swimming in upon a Christian through the New Covenant are far better greater and sweeter mercies than all those great things are that flow in upon the great men of the world through that general providence that feeds the birds of the air and the beasts of the field Psal 44. 17. Yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant that is We have kept Covenant with thee by endeavouring to the uttermost of our power to keep off from the breach of thy Covenant and to live up to the duties of thy Covenant suitable to that of the Prophet Micah We will walk in the name of the Lord our Miâ—ha 4. 5. God for ever and ever Persons in Covenant with God will not only take a turn or two in his ways as Temporaries and Hypocrites do who are hot at hand but soon tire and give in but they will hold on in a course of holiness Rev 14. 4. and not fail to follow the Lamb withersoever he Cap. 17. 14. goes Psal 103. 17. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting vers 18. To such as keep his Covenant c. All sincere Christians they keep Covenant with God 1. In respect of their cordial desires to keep Covenant â—â—em 1. ult 〈…〉 119. 133. Psal 39. 1 2. with God 2. In respect of their habitual purposes and resolutions to keep Covenant with God 3. In respect of their habitual and constant endeavours to keep Covenant with God This is an Evangelical and incompleat keeping Covenant with God which in Christ God owns and accepts and is as well pleased with it as he was with Adam's keeping of Covenant with him before his fall From what has been said we may thus argue Those that keep Covenant with God those are in Covenant with God those have made a Covenant with God But all sincerâ— Christians they do keep Covenant with God Ergo But Eighthly aâ—d lastly The Lord hath by many choice precious and pathetical promises engaged himself to make 2 Pet. 1. 4. good that blessed Covenant that he has made with his people yea with his choice and chosen ones take a few instances If ye hearken to these judgments saith God to Deut. 7. 12. Israel and keep and do them The Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto Under the name Juâ—gments thâ— Commandments and Statutes of God are contained thy fathers This blessed Covenant is grounded upon God's free grace and therefore in recompencing their obedience God hath a respect to his own mercy and not to their merits So Judg. 2. 1. I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you into the land which I sware unto your fathers and I said I will never break my covenant with you God is a God of mercy and his Covenant with his people is a Covenant of mercy and therefore he will be sure to keep touch with
we consider all men as Rom. 5. 12. involved in the first transgression of the Covenant they must all needs perish without a Saviour this is the miserable condition that all mortals are in that are under a Covenant of works But Secondly Such as are under a Covenant of works their best and choicest duties are rejected and abhorred for the least miscarriages or blemishes that do attend them or cleave to them Observe the dreadful language of that Covenant of works Cursed is he that continueth not in all Gal. 3. 10. things that are written in the law of God to do them Hence it is that the best duties of all unregenerate persons are loathed and abhorred by God as you may clearly see by Isa 1. 11 12 13 14 15. Jer. 6. 20. Isa 66. 3. Amâ—s 5. â—1 Mic. 6. 6. Mal. 1. 10. comparing the Scriptures in the margent together the most glorious duties and the most splendid performances of those that are under a Covenant of works are loathsome to God for the least mistake that doth accompany them The Covenant of works deals with men according to the exactest terms of strict justice it doth not make nor allow any favourable or gracious interpretation as the Covenant of grace doth the very least failour exposes the soul to wrath to great wrath to everlasting wrath This Covenant is not a Covenant of mercy but of pure justice But Thirdly This Covenant admits of no Mediator There was no days-man betwixt God and man none to stand Hence this Covenant is called by some Paâ—tum ami◠〈◊〉 a Covenant of friendship between them neither was there any need of a Mediator for God and man were at no distance at no variance man was then righteous perfectly righteous now the proper work of a Mediator is to make peace and reconciliation between God and us At the first in the state of innocency there was peace and friendship between God and man there was no enmity in God's heart towards man nor no enmity in man's heart towards God But upon the fall a breach and separation was made between God and man so that man flies from God and hides from Gen. 3. 8 9 10. God and trembles at the voice of God Fallen man is now turned Rebel and is become a desperate enemy to God yea his heart is full of enmity against God The Rom. 8. 7. wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God not an enemy as the Vulgar Latine readeth it but enmity in the abstract The word signifies the act of a carnal mind comprehending thoughts desire discourse c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the words noting an excess of enmity As when we see a proud man we say there goes pride so here is enmity nothing can be said more for an enemy may be reconciled but enmity can never a vicious man may become vertuous but vice cannot There are natural Antipathies between some creatures as between the Lyon and the Cock the Elephant and the Boar the Camel and the Horse the Eagle and the Dragon c. But what are all these Antipathies to that antipathy and enmity that is in the hearts of all carnal men against God Now whilst men stand under a Covenant of works there is none to interpose by way of mediation but fallen man lies open to the wrath of God and to all the curses that are written in his book When breaches are made between God and man under the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator to interpose and to make up all such breaches but under the Covenant of works there is no Mediator to interpose between God and fallen man These three things I have hinted a little at on purpose to work my reader if under a Covenant of works to be restless till he be got from under that Covenant into the Covenant of grace where alone lies man's safety felicity happiness and comfort Now this consideration leads me by the hand to tell you Secondly That there is a Covenant of grace that all believers all sincere Christians all real Saints are under for under these two Covenants all mankind fall The Apostle calls this Covenant of grace The law of faith Rom. â— â—â— Now First this Covenant of grace is sometimes stiled an everlasting Covenant Isa 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David You need not question my security in respect of the great things that I have propounded and promised in my word for the encouragement of your faith and hope for I will give you my bond for all I have spoken which 2 Sam. 23. 5. shall be as surely made good to you as the mercies that I have performed to my servant David The word everlasting hath two acceptations it doth denote 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 Psal 105. 9 10. Heb. 13. 2 c. long time 2. Sometimes it denotes a perpetual duration a duration which shall last for ever In this respect the Covenant of grace is everlasting it shall never cease never be broken nor never be altered Now the Covenant of grace is an everlasting Covenant in a twofold respect First â—x parte faedeâ—antis in respect of God who will never break Covenant with his people but is their God â—it 1. 2. Psal 90. 2. and will be their God for ever and ever Psal 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our God even unto death I and after death too for this is not to be taken exclusively oh no! for he will never never Five times in scripture iâ— this preâ—ious o◠〈◊〉 renewed Joh. 1. 5. Deut. 31. 8. 1 King â— 57. Gen. 28. 15. That we may be 〈◊〉 a preâ—â—ing of it tiâ—l we haâ—e 〈◊〉 all the 〈◊〉 out of â—â— Isa 66. 11. leave them nor forsake them Heb. 13. 5. There are five Negatives in the Greek to assure God's people that he will never forsake them According to the Greek it may be rendred thus I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Leave us God may to our thinking leave us but forsake us he will not So Psal 89. 34. My Covenant will I not break Heb. I will not prophane my Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth Heb. The issue of my lips I will not alter Though God's people should prophane his Statutes vers 31. yet God will not prophane his Covenant though his people often break with him yet he will never break with them though they may be inconstant yet God will be constant to his Covenant Isa 54. â—0 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on
be deceived That Covenant that is built upon this rock of God's eternal purpose must needs be sure and therefore all that are in covenant with God need never fear falling away there is no man no power no devil no violent temptation that shall ever be able to overturn those that God has brought under the bond of the Covenant Joh. 10. 28 29 30 31. 1 Pet. 1. 5. But Secondly Consider that the Covenant of Grace is confirmed and made sure by the blood of Jesus Christ Heb. 13. 20. Heb. 9. 16 17. The main point which the Apostle intended by setting down the inviolableness of men's last Wills after their death is to prove that Christs death was very requisite for ratifying of the New Testament consult these scriptures Mat. 16. 21. Luk. 24. 26. Heb. 2. 10. cap. 2. 17. which is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant Christ by his irrevocable death hath made sure the Covenant to us The Covenant of Grace is to be considered under the notion of a Testament and Christ as the Testator of this will and testament Now look as a man's will and testament is irrevocably confirmed by the Testator's death For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilest the Testator liveth These two verses are added as a proof of the necessity of Christ's manner of confirming the new Testament as he did namely by his death The Argument is taken from the common use and equity of confirming Testaments which is by the death of the Testator A Testament is only and wholly at his pleasure that maketh it so that he may alter it or disanul it while he liveth as he seeth good but when he is dead he not remaining to alter it none else can do it In the seventeenth verse the Apostle declareth the inviolableness of a man's last will being ratified as before by the testator's death This he sheweth two ways 1. Affirmatively in these words A Testament is of force after men are dead 2. Negatively in these words otherwise it is of no strength Now from the affirmative and the negative it plainly appears that a Testament is made inviolable by the Testator's death so Jesus Christ hath unalterably confirmed this Will and Testament viz. The New Covenant by his blood and Heb. 9. 15. death 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 eternal inheritance Christ died to purchase an eternal inheritance and on this ground eternal life is called an eternal inheritance for we come to it as heirs through the good will grace and favour of the purchaser thereof manifested by the last Will and Testament Hence you read This is my blood Maâ— 26. 28. of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Again This cup is the new testament in my â—uk 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 25. blood which is shed for you The Covenant is called both a Covenant and a Testament because his Covenant and Testament is founded established ratified and immutably sealed up in and by his blood Christ is the faithful and true witness yea truth it self his word shall not Rev. 3. 14. Joh. 14. 6. Mark 13. 31. pass away If the word of Christ be sure if his promise be sure if his Covenant be sure then surely his last Will and Testament which is ratified and confirmed by his death must needs be very sure Christ's blood is too precious a thing to be spilt in vain but in vain is it spilt if his Testament his Covenant ratified thereby be altered If the Covenant of Grace be not a sure Covenant then 1 Cor. 1â— 14. Christ died in vain and our preaching is in vain and your hearing and receiving and believing is all in vain Christ's death is a declaration and evidence of the eternal counsel of his father which is most stable and immutable in it self but how much more is it so when it is ratified by the death of his dearest son In whom all the promises are yea 2 Cor. 1. 20. and Amen that is in Christ they are made performed and ratified By all this we may safely conclude that the Covenant of Grace is a most sure Covenant there can be no addition to it detraction from it or alteration of it unless the death of Jesus Christ whereby it 's confirmed be frustrated and overthrown Certainly the Covenant is as sure as Christ's death is sure The sureness and certainty of the Covenant is the ground and bottom of bottoms for our faith hope joy patience peace c. take this corner this foundation stone away and all will tumble were the Covenant uncertain a Christian could never have a good day all his days his whole life would be filled up with fears doubts disputes distractions c. and he would be still a crying out Oh! I can never be sure that God will be mine or that Christ will be mine or that mercy will be mine or that pardon of sin will be mine or that heaven will be mine Oh! I can never be sure that I shall escape the great damnation the worm 2 Thes 1. 9. that never dies the fire that never goes out or an eternal separation from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power The great glory of the Covenant is the certainty of the Covenant and this is the top of God's glory and of a Christian's comfort that all the mercies that are in the Covenant of Grace are the sure mercies of David and that all the Grace that is in the Covenant is sure Grace and that all the glory that is in the Covenant is sure glory and that all the external internal and eternal blessings of the Covenant are sure blessings I might further argue the sureness of the Covenant of Grace from all the attributes of God which are deeply engaged to make it good as his wisdom love power justice holiness faithfulness righteousness c. And I might further argue the certainty of the Covenant of Grace from the seals which God hath annexed to it You know what was sealed by the Kings Ring could not be altered God hath set his seals to this Covenant his Est 8. 8. broad seal in the Sacraments and his privy seal in the witness of his spirit and therefore the Covenant of Grace is sure and can never be reversed But upon several accounts I may not now insist on these things And therefore Eighthly and lastly the Covenant of Grace is stiled a well ordered Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Oh the admirable counsel wisdom love care and tenderness Rom. 11. 33 34 35 3â— 1 Câ—â— 2. 7. Eph. 1. 8.
eternal act of oblivion upon them and utterly bury them in the grave of oblivion as if they had never been The sins that are forgiven by God are forgotten by God the sins that God remits he removes from his remembrance Hâ—b 10. 13 to 19. cap. 10. 1 to 15. Christ hath so fully satisfied the justice of God for the sins of all his seed by the price of his own blood and death that there needs no more expiatory sacrifices to be offered for their sins for ever Christ hath by the sacrifice of himself blotted out the remembrance of his peoples sins with God for ever The New Covenant runs thus And their sinful errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo escar guhod I will Jer. 31. 34. not remember any more but the Greek runs thus And their sinful errours and their unrighteousnesses I will not remember Heb. 8. 12. again or any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are two negatives which do more vehemently deny according to the propriety of the Greek Language that is I will never remember them again I will in no case remember them any more I will so forgive as to forget Not that in propriety of phrase God either remembers or forgets for all things are present to him he knows all things he beholds he sees he observes all things by one eternal and simple act of his knowledg which is no way capable of change as now knowing and anon forgetting but it s an allusion to the manner of men who when they forgive injuries fully and heartily do also forget them blot them out of mind or rather as some think its an allusion to the manner of the old Covenants administration in the Sacrifices where there was a remembrance again Heb. 10. 1 2 3 c. of sins every year there was a fresh indictment and arraignment of the people for sin continually But under this New Covenant our Lord Jesus Christ hath by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified Christ See from vers 5. to vers 20. hath for ever taken away the sins of the Elect there needs no more expiatory sacrifice for them they that are sprinkled with the blood of this sacrifice shall never have their sins remembred any more against them God 's not remembring or forgetting a thing is not simply to be taken of his essential knowledge but respectively of his judicial knowledg to bring the same into Judgment not to remember a thing that was once known and was in mind and memory is to forget it but this properly is not incident to God it is an infirmity To him all things past and future are as present what he once knoweth he always knoweth his memory is his very essence neither can any thing that hath once been in it slip out of it For God to remit sin is not to remember it and not to remember it is to remit it These are two reciprocal propositions therefore they are thus joyned together I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no Jer. 31. 34. Isa 43. 25. more I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins To remember implyeth a four-fold act 1. To lay up in the mind what is conceived thereby 2. To hold it fast 3. To call it to mind again 4. Oft to think of it Now in that God saith I will remember their iniquities no more he implyeth that he will neither lay them up in his mind nor there hold them nor call them again to mind nor think on them but that they shall be to him as if they had never been committed God's discharge of their sins shall be a full discharge such sinners shall never be called to account for them both the guilt and the punishment of them shall be fully and everlastingly removed Let the sins of a believer be what they will for nature Mat. 12. 31. â—sa 55. 7. Jer. 31. 12. Ezk. 18. 22. â—sal 32. 2. Rom. 4 8. Now if God will not remember nor mention his peoples sins then we may safely and roundly infer that either there is no Purgatory or else that God severely punishes those sins in Purgatory which he remembers not and never so many for number they shall all be blotted out they shall never be mentioned more 1. God will never remember he will never mention their sins so as to impute them or charge them upon his people 2. God will never remember he will never mention their sins any more so as to upbraid his people with their follies or miscarriages He will never hit them in the teeth with their sins he will never cast their weaknesses into their dish when persons are justified their sins shall be as if they had not been God will bid them welcome into his presence and embrace them in his arms and will never object to them their former unkindness unfruitfulness unthankfulness vileness stubbornness wickedness as you may plainly see in the return of the Prodigal and his father's deportment towards him Luk. 15. 20 21 22 23. When he was a great way off The Prodigal was but conceiving a purpose to return and God met him The very intention and secret motions and close purposes of our hearts are known to God The old Father sees a great way off dim eyes can see a great way when the Son is the object his father saw him and had compassion His bowels rowl within him the Father not only sees but commiscrates and compassionates the returning Prodigal as he did Ephraim of old My bowels Jer. 31. 20. are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him or as the Hebrew runs I will having mercy have mercy have mercy on him or I will abundantly have mercy on him Look saith God here is a poor prodigal returning to me the poor child is come back he hath smarted enough he hath suffered enough I will bid him welcome I will forgive him all his high offences and will never hit him in the teeth with his former vanities And ran The feet of mercy are swift to meet a returning sinner It had been sufficient for him to have stood being old and a Father but the Father runs to the Son And fell on his neck He cannot stay and embrace him or take him by the hand but he falls upon him and incorporates himself into him How open are the arms of mercy to embrace the returning sinner and lie him in the bosom of love and kissed him Free rich and soveraign mercy hath not only feet to meet us and arms to clasp us but also lips to kiss us one would have thought that he should rather have kicked him or killed him than have kissed him But God is pater miserationum he is all bowels All this while the father speaks not one word his joy was too great to be uttered he ran he fell on his neck and kissed him and
Christ was manifested to be a true man he had a body like ours a body subject to manifold infirmities yea to death it self That body which Christ had is said to be prepared by God the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated prepared is a Metaphor from Mechanicks who do artificially fit one part of their work to another and so finish the whole God fitted his son's body to be joyned with the Deity and to be an expiatory sacrifice for sin The word prepared implies that God the father ordained formed and made fit and able Christ's humane nature to undergo suffer and fulfil that for which he was sent into the world God the father is here said to have prepared Christ a body because Christ having received of his father the humane nature out of the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Mat. 1. 20. Luk 1. 31. 35. Holy Ghost here gives up the same unto the service of his father to do to suffer to die that he might be a sacrifice of expiation for our sins As for the words of the Psalmist Psal 40. 6. Mine ear hast thou opened Heb. digged open It is a proverbial manner of speech whereby there is implyed the qualifying or fitting a man unto obedience in service the ear or the opening of the ear Isa 50 5. Job 3. 16. being an emblem or symbol or a Metaphorical sign of obedience Now St. Paul following the translation of the Septuagint and being directed by the spirit of God expounds this of God's sanctifying and fitting a body unto Christ wherein hs was obedient even unto the shameful death of the Cross These words thou hast bored through mine ears do import that Christ now becoming man gives up himself to be a willing servant of his father to obey him unto the death of the cross And it is a similitude taken from the servants of the Hebrews who after that they had served their masters six years would not depart out of their master's service the seventh year but abide in it continually until death for a testimony whereof their ear was bored thorow on the posts of the door as may be seen Exod. 21. 6. It is therefore as much as if he should say thou hast given me a body that is willing and ready in thy service even unto death But to conclude this head the Apostle speaking of disanulling the sacrifice of the Law he uses this word body to set out a sacrifice which should come in stead of the legal sacrifices to effect that which the legal sacrifices could not effect But Fourthly Observe that Christ our Mediator freely and readily offers himself to be our pledg and surety Then said I lo I come to wit as surety to pay the ransome and to do thy will O God Every word carrieth a special emphasis as 1. The time Then even so soon as he perceived that his father had prepared his body for such an end then without delay this speed implyeth forwardness and readiness he would lose no opportunity 2. His profession in this word said I he did not closely secretly timorously as being ashamed thereof but he maketh profession before-hand 3. This note of observation Lo this is a kind of calling Angels and men to witness and a desire that all might know his inward intention and the disposition of his heart wherein was as great a willingness as any could have to any thing 4. An offering of himself without any enforcement or compulsion this he manifesteth in this word I come 5. That very instant set out in the present tense I come he puts it not off to a future and uncertain time but even in that moment he saith I come 6. The first person twice expressed thus I said I come he sendeth not another person nor substituteth any in his room but he even he himself in his own person cometh All which do abundantly evidence Christ's singular readiness and willingness as our surety to do his father's will though it were by suffering and by being made a sacrifice for our sins God's will was the rule of Christ's active and passive obedience Jesus Christ our only Mediatour and surety by free and ready obedience and death did make a proper real and full satisfaction to God's justice for the sins of all the Elect. Christ hath by his death and blood as an invaluable price of our redemption made sure the favour of God the pardon of our sins and the salvation of our souls Christ hath freed his chosen from all temporal spiritual and eternal punishments properly so called so that now the mercy of God may embrace the sinner without the least of wrong to his truth or justice But Fifthly Observe that Jesus Christ our surety does not only agree with his father about the price that he was to lay down for our redemption but also agrees with his father about the persons that were to be redeemed and their sanctification Heb. 10. 10. By the which will that is by the execution of which will by the obedience of Christ to his heavenly father we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Jesus Christ agrees with the father that all those shall be sanctified for whom he has suffered and satisfied The vertue efficacy and benefit of that which ariseth from the aforesaid will of the father and of the son is expressed under this word sanctified To pass by the notation and divers acceptations of this word sanctified let it suffice to tell you It is not here to be taken as distinguished from justification or glorification as it is else where taken but 1 Cor. 1. 30. cap. 6. 11. so as comprising under it all the benefits of Christ's sacrifice In this general and large extent it is sometimes Heb. 10. 14. cap. 2. 11. A◠26. 18. taken only this word sanctified here gives us to understand that perfection consisteth especially in holiness for he expresseth the perfection of Christ's sacrifice under the word sanctified which implyeth a making holy this Eccles 7. 31. was that special part of perfection wherein man was made at first and whereunto the Apostle alludeth where Eph. 4. 2◠he exhorteth To put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness for this end Christ gave himself even unto death for his Church that he might sanctifie it The principal thing under this Eph. 5. 25. word sanctified in this place is that Christ's sacrifice maketh perfect in this respect Christ's sacrifice is here opposed to the legal sacrifices which could not make perfect So that Christ's sacrifice was offered up to do that which they could not do for this end was Christ's sacrifice surrogated in the room of the legal sacrifices now this surrogation had been in vain if Christ's sacrifice had not made us perfect if the dignity of his person that was offered up and his
the work of our Redemption Christ's being called the surety of the better Covenant shews that there was Heb. 7. 22. a Covenant between God the father and him as there is between a creditour and a sutety Christ gave bonds as it were to God the father and payed down the debt upon the nail that breaches might be made up between God and us and we restored to divine favour for ever But for the further clearing up of the Covenant of Redemption I shall in the second place lay down these propositions And The first is this That the Covenant of Redemption The First Proposition differs from the Covenant of Grace 'T is true the Covenant of Redemption is a Covenant of Grace but 't is not properly that Covenant of Grace which the Scripture holds out in opposition to the Covenant of works which I shall thus evidence 1. The Covenant of Redemption differs from the Covenant of Grace in regard of the Federates in the Covenant of Redemption 't is God the father and Jesus Christ that mutually covenant but in the Covenant of Grace the confederates are God and believers 2. In the Covenant of Redemption God the father requires of Jesus Christ that he should suffer shâ—d his blood die and make himself an offering for our sins In the Covenant of Grace God requires of us that we should believe and embrace the Lord Jesus 3. In the Covenant of Redemption God the father has made many great precious and glorious promises to Jesus Christ As sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool Heâ— 1. 13. Isa 53. 10. And he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands And Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal 2. 8. and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Heb. 1. 5. Psal 84. 11. Ezek. 36. 26 27. And I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son But in the Covenant of Grace God promises to us Grace and glory holiness and happiness both the upper and the lower springs 4. The Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ secures the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and believers for what God promises to us he did Tit. 1. 2. before the foundation of the world promise to Jesus Christ and therefore if God the father should not make good his promises to his Saints he would not make good his promises to his dearest son which for any to imagine would be high Blasphemy God will be sure to keep touch with Jesus Christ and therefore we may rest fully assured that he will not fail to keep touch with us 5. The Covenant of Redemption is the very basis or bottom of the Covenant of Grace God made a Covenant with Christ the spiritual David that he might make a Covenant Psal 89. 3 4. Râ—â— 11. 26 27. with all his Elect in him he made this agreement with Christ as the head and on this is reared up the whole frame of precious promises comprised in the Covenant of Grace as a goodly building upon a sure foundation But The second Proposition is this God the father in order The Second Proposition to man's Redemption and Salvation stands stiffly and peremptorily upon compleat satisfaction without full satisfaction no remission no salvation Satisfaction God will have to the utmost though it cost Christ his life and blood Man is fallen from his primitive purity glory Rom. 8. 32. and excellency and by his fall he hath provoked divine justice transgressed God's righteous Law and cast a deep dishonour upon his name the case standing thus God is resolved to have ample satisfaction in the reparation of this honour in the manifestation of his truth and in the vindication of his holiness and justice All the attributes of God are alike dear to him and he stands as much upon the advance of his justice as he does upon the glory of his Grace and therefore he will not remit one sin yea not the least sin without entire satisfaction In this God the father is fixt that he will have an offering for Isa 53. 10. 1 â—â—m 2. 6. sin in an expiatory and propitiatory way a price and a ransom he will have paid down upon the nail or else the captive sinner shall-never be released pardoned saved Now lost man being wholly uncapable of giving such a satisfaction to Divine Justice Christ must give it or fallen man must perish for ever Sin and sorrow iniquity and misery always go hand in hand The wages of sin is Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 1. 32. death Every sinner is worthy of death They which commit such things are worthy of death If God be a just and righteous God then sin cannot absolutely escape unpunished for it is but a just and righteous thing with God to punish the sinner who is worthy of punishment It is a righteous thing with God saith the Apostle to recompence 2 Thes 1. 6. tribulation to them that trouble you And as God cannot but be just so he cannot but be true and if he cannot but be true then he cannot but make good his threatnings against sin and sinners The word is gone out of his mouth In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely Gen. 2. 17. die And the soul which sins shall die Look as there Eâ—â—k 18. 4. is not a promise of God but shall take place in time so there is not a threatning of God but shall take place in time The faithfulness of God and the honour of God is as much concerned in making good of terrible threatnings 2 Pet. 1. 4. as they are concerned in making good of precious promises God has given it under his own hand That he will by no means clear the guilty And that the soul that Exod. 34. 7. Ezek. 18. 20. Rom. 2. 6. sinneth shall surely die And that the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him And that he will render to every man according to his deeds And will God abrogate his own laws or will he dare men to sport and play with his threatnings Will not every wise and prudent Prince look to the execution of their own Laws and shall not Isa 40. 28. Isal 147. 5. that God who is wonderful in wisdom and whose understanding is infinite see all his Laws put in execution against offenders surely yes Thus you see that God stands upon full satisfaction and will admit of no treaty of peace with fallen man without it Now sorry man is never able either by doing or suffering to compensate and make God amends for the wrong and injury that he has done to God by his sin and therefore one that is able by doing and suffering to give compleat satisfaction must undertake it or else we are lost cast and undone in both worlds Concerning that full and
15. 25. waters of Marah that made them sweet This water became sweet for the use and service of the Israelites for a time only and remained not always sweet after as appears by Plinies Natural History who makes mention Plin. Natural History â—â— 6. cap. 29 of those bitter waters in his time But the Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ does for ever sweeten all the bitter trials and afflictions that we meet with in this world The Jewish Doctors say that this tree was bitter and they give us this note upon it That it is the manner of the blessed God to sweeten that which is bitter by that which is bitter I shall not dispute about the truth of their notion but this I may safely say that it is the manner of the blessed God to sweeten our greatest troubles and our sharpest trials by that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ And thus you see the excellent properties of that Redemption that Jesus Christ by Covenant or compact with his father was engaged to work for us But The Fourth Proposition is this viz. That the blessed and glorious titles that are given to Jesus Christ in the holy Scriptures do clearly and strongly evidence that there was a Covenant of Redemption passed between God the father and Jesus Christ He is called a Mediatour of the Covenant of reconciliation interceding for and procuring of it and that not by a simple intreaty but by giving himself over to the father calling for satisfaction to justice that reconciliation might go on for paying a compensatory price sufficient to satisfie divine justice for the Elect There is one God and one Mediatour between 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. God and man to wit God incarnate the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to wit his Elect children to be testified in due time Let me glance a little upon the words One Mediatour between God and men in the Greek it is one Mediatour of God and men which may refer either to the two parties betwixt which he deals pleading for God to men and for men to God or to the two natures Mediatour of God having the divine nature and of men having the humane nature upon him one Mediatour not of Redemption only as the Papists grant but of intercession too we need no other master of requests in heaven but the man Christ Jesus who being so near us in the matter of his incarnation will never be strange to us in the business of intercession A ransom the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a counter price such as we could never have paid but must have remained and even rotted in prison but for our all-sufficient surety and Saviour The ransom that Christ paid was a real testimony of his Mediatorship betwixt God and man whereby he reconciled both The man Christ Jesus Paul speaks not this to exclude his divinity from this office of Mediatorship for he is God manifested in the flesh and God hath 1 Tim 3. 16. Act. 20 28. purchased his Church by his own blood But to shew that in his humane nature he paid the ransom for us and that as man he is like unto us and therefore all sorts and Heb. 2. 10. ranks of men have a free access by faith unto him and to his sacrifice He is also called a Redeemer I know that Job 19. 25. my redeemer liveth The word Redeemer in the Hebrew is very emphatical Goel for it signifieth a kinsman near allied unto him one that was bone of his bone and flesh Some read the words thus I know that my kinsman or he that is near to me liveth Ruth 3. 9 12 13. cap. 4. 4 5. of his flesh Christ is of our kindred by incarnation and redeems us by his passion The words are an allusion to the Ceremonial Law where the nearest kinsman was to take the wife and buy the land we were Satan's by na-nature but Christ our brother our kinsman hath redeemed Joh. 20. 17. us by the price of his own blood and will deliver us from hell and bring us to the inheritance of the saints 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. â—â—los 1. 12. in light and therefore deserves the name of a Redeemer Jesus Christ is near very near yea nearest of kin to us Eph. 5. 30. he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and blood of our blood For as much as the children are partakers of Heb. 2. 14 flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same Now 't is evident by the old Law of Redemption that the nearest kinsman was under a special obligation to redeem as you may see by comparing Ruth 3. 12 13. with cap. 4. 4 5. Boaz was a kinsman and had right to redeem yet because there was a nearer kinsman he would not engage himself but upon his refusal If thou wilt redeem it redeem it but if thou wilt not redeem it then tell me that I may know for there is none to redeem it besides thee and I am after thee Now Jesus Christ is nearest of kin to us and therefore upon the strictest terms and Laws of Redemption he is Goel our Redeemer If we consider Jesus Christ as a kinsman a brother we must say that he had not only a right to redeem us but that he was also under the highest obligation to redeem us There is a double way of redeeming persons 1. By force and power thus when Lot was taken prisoner by those four Kings that Gen. 14. 14 16. came against Sodom Abraham armed his servants and by force and power redeemed them â—â— we were all Satan's prisoners Satan's captives but Christ our nearest kinsman 2 Tim. 2. 25. our brother by spoiling principalities and powers rescues us out of that Tyrant's hand 2. There is a Redemption Colâ—s 2. 15 by price or ransom to redeem is to buy again 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price cap. 7. 23. Ye are bought with a price the word price is added not by a Pleonasmus but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to intimate the excellency and dignity of the price wherewith they were bought which was not silver or gold but the precious blood of Christ as 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Ye are bought with a price that is ye are dearly bought by a price of inestimable value but of this before Again sometimes Christ is called the surety of a better covenant By so much Heb. 7. 22. was Jesus made a surety of a better Testament so called from the manner of the confirmation of it viz. by the death of Christ Look as Christ was our surety to God for the discharge of our debt the surety and debtor in law are reputed as one person so he is God's surety to us for the performance of his promises The office of a surety being applied to Christ sheweth that he hath so far
be greatly accepted and highly esteemed of by my heavenly father Artaxerxes the King of Persia lovingly accepted of the poor man's Present of water because his good will was in it and put it into a golden vessel and gave him the vessel of Gold accounting it the part of a truly noble and generous spirit to take in good part small presents offered with an hearty affection Oh how much more will God the father kindly accept of Jesus Christ in Jerâ—m saith that the Jews cursed Christ in their Synagogues three times a dâ—y they so greatly abhorred the name Jesus that they would not pronounce it but if they did unawars happen to pronounce it then they would punish themselve with a blow on their faces c. his Mediatory office vers 7. Thus saith the Lord the Redeemer of Israel and his holy One to him whom man despiseth to him whom the nation abhorreth to a servant of rulers Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israel and he shall chuse thee God the father comforting of Christ tells him that though he were contemptible to to many yea to the Nation of the Jews and used basely like a servant by their Princes Herod Annas Caiphas and Pontius Pilat yet other Kings and Princes should see his dignity and glory and submit to him and honour him as the Saviour and Redeemer of the world God the father chose Jesus Christ to his servant and to be a Mediator for his Elect he designed him to that office of being a Saviour both to the Jew and Gentile and accordingly he accepted of him Thus saith the Lord In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritage Here you see that God the father still goes on to speak more and more comfortably and encouragingly to Jesus Christ for he tells him that he will be at hand to hear and help and assist him and he tells him that he will preserve him both in his This Jerom applies to the time of Christ's hanging on the Cross he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me for God made it appear that he heard him and forsook him not in that he raised him from the dead c. See Heb. 5. 7. person and in the execution of his office and he tells him that he will accept of his person and of his services and of his suits and intercession for himself and his people So Mat. 3. 17. And lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The voice from heaven was doubtless the voice of his father in that he saith This is my beloved Son my natural son by eternal and incomprehensible generation and therefore dearest to me and most acceptable with me my judgment is satisfied in him my love is settled upon him and I have an inestimable value for him and therefore I cannot but declare my approbation and acceptation both of him and his work I am well pleased in him I am infinitely pleased in him I am only pleased in him I am at all times pleased in him I am for ever pleased in him I am so well pleased in him that for his sake I am fully appeased with all them whom I have given him and who come unto him Joh. 6. 37 38 39 40. But Seventhly God the father promiseth highly to exalt Jesus Christ and nobly to reward him and everlastingly to glorifie him And nations that knew not thee shall run Isa 49. 4 5 6. Isa 40. 10. unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee These are the words of God the father to his son promising of him to set such a Crown of glory upon his head as should make the nations of the world run unto him God the father made Christ glorious in his birth by the Angel's Doxology Glory be to God on high in his baptism by his speaking Luk. 2. 1â— 14. Mat. 3. ult cap. 17. 1 2 3 4 5. Râ—m 1. 4. Act. 1 9 10 11. of him from heaven as his beloved son in his transfiguration on the mount in his resurrection and in his ascension into heaven So Isa 53. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours The meaning is this I will impart saith God the father to my son such honour glory renown and riches after his sufferings as Conquerours use to have and he shall have them as a glorious reward of all his conflicts with my wrath with temptations with persecutions with reproach with contempt with death yea and with hell it self The words are a plain allusion to Conquerours in War who are commonly exalted and greatly rewarded by their Princes for venturing of their lives and obtaining of Conquests as all Histories will tell you And indeed should not God the father reward Jesus Christ for all his hard services and his matchless sufferings he would express less kindness to him than he has done to heathen Princes for he gave Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as his hire for his service at Tyre and to Cyrus Ezek. 29. 18 19. Isa 45. 1 2 3. he gave hidden Treasure But alas what were their services to Christ's services or their sufferings to Christ's sufferings I have read of Cyrus how that in a great expedition against his enemies the better to encourage his souldiers to fight in an Oration that he made at the head of his Army he promised upon the victory to make every foot-souldier an horse-man and every horse-man a Commander and that no officer that did valiantly Colâ—s 2. 14 15. should be unrewarded And will God the father let the son of his dearest love who has fought against all infernal powers and conquered them go without his reward surely no. So in Psal 2. 7. I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee David was God's son by Adoption and acceptation Psal â—9 26 27. Prov. 8. Heb. 1. 5. but Christ was his son 1. By eternal Generation 2. By hypostatical union and so God had one only son as Abraham had one only Isaac though otherwise he was the father of many nations some by this day do understand the day of Eternity where there is no time past nor to come no beginning nor ending but always one present day Others by this day do understand it of the day of Christ's incarnation and coming into the world some again do
come into the world assume our nature be made under the Law tread the Wine-press of the Father's wrath bear the Curse and give satisfaction to his Justice Now upon the credit of this promise upon this undertaking of Christ God the Father takes up the Patriarchs and all the Old Testament-believers to Glory God the Father resting upon the promise and engagement of his Son admits many thousands into those 〈…〉 on s above before Joh. 14. 2 3. Christ took Flesh upon him Now as tâ—â— Father of old hath rested and relyed on the promise and engagement of Christ so Jesus Christ doth to this very day â—â—st and stay himself upon the promise of his Father that he shall in Isa â—3 10. due time see all his seed and reap the full benefit of that full Ransom that he has paid down upon the nail for all that have believed on him that do believe on him and that shall believe on him Christ knew God's infinite Love his tender Compassions and his matchless Bowels to all those for whom he died And he knew very well the Covenant the Compact the Agreement that past between the Father and himself and so trusted the Father fully in the great business of their everlasting happiness and blessedness relying upon the love and faithfulness of God his love to the Elect and his faithfulness to keep Covenant with him As the Elect are committed to Christ's charge to give an account of them so also is the Father engaged for their conversion and for their preservation being converted As being not only his own Joh. 6. 37. Isa 53. 11. given to Christ out of his love to them but as being engaged to Christ that he shall not be frustrate of the reward of his Sufferings but have a Seed to glorifie him for ever Therefore doth Christ not only constantly preserve them by his Spirit but doth leave also that burden on the Father Father keep those whom thou hast given me Joh. 17. 11. But Fourthly Jesus Christ promises and engages himself to his Father that he would bear all and suffer all that should be laid upon him and that he would ransom poor sinners and fully satisfie Divine Justice by his blood and death as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Isa 5â— 5 6. Joh. 10. 17. 18. cap. 15. 10. Luk. 24. 46. Heb. 10. 5 6 7 10. I have opened these Scriptures already Margin together The work of Redemption could never have been effected by silver or gold or by prayers or tears or by the blood of Bulls or Goats but by the second Adam's obedience even to the death of the Cross Remission of sin the favour of God the heavenly Inheritance could never have been obtained but by the procious blood of the Son of God The innocent Lamb of God was slain in typical prefigurations from the beginning of the world and slain in real performance in the fulness of time or else fallen man had layen under guilt and wrath for ever The heart of Jesus Christ was strongly set upon all those that his Father had given him and he was fully resolved to secure them from Hell and the Curse whatever it cost him and seeing no price would satisfie his Father's Justice below his Blood he lays down his life at his Father's feet according to the Covenant and Agreement of old that had past between his Father and himself But Fifthly The Lord Jesus Christ was very free ready willing and careful to make good all the Articles of the Covenant on his side and to discharge all the works agreed Joh. 12. 49 50. cap. 17. 6. on for the Redemption and Salvation of the Elect Joh. 17. 4. I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do There was nothing committed to Christ by the Father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the Debt is paid Colos 2. 14 15. Heb. 2. 14. Justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled of all their hurting and destroying power By the Covenant of Redemption Christ was under an obligation to die to Dan. 9. 24. satisfie to Divine Justice to pay our debts to bring in an everlasting Righteousness to purchase our Pardon and Heb. 9. 12. to obtain eternal Redemption for us all which he compleated and finished before he ascended up to glory And Act. 1. 9 10 11. without a peradventure had not Jesus Christ kept touch with his Father had not he made good the Covenant the Compact the Agreement on his part his Father would never have given him such a welcome to heaven as he did nor he would never have admitted him to have sat down Heb. 1. 3. Rom. 8 34. Colâ—s â— 1. Hâ—b 8. 1. cap. 10. 12. 1 â—et 3. 22. on the right hand of the Majesty on high as he did The right hand is a place of the greatest honour dignity and safety that any can be advanced to But had not Jesus Christ first purged away our sins he had never sat down on the right hand of his Father Christ's advancement is properly Mat. 26. 64. Act. 7. 56. of his Humane Nature That Nature wherein Christ was crucified was exalted for God being the Most High needs not be exalted yet the Humane Nature in this exaltation is not singly and simply considered in it self but as united to the Deity so that it is the Person consisting of two Natures even God-man which is thus dignified For as the Humane Nature of Christ is inferiour to God and is capable of advancement so also is the person consisting of a Divine and Humane Nature Christ as the Son of God the second Person of the sacred Trinity is in regard of his Deity no whit inferiour to his Father but every way equal yet he assumed our nature and became a Mediator betwixt God man he humbled himself and made himself inferiour to his Father his Father therefore hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 8 9. and set him down on his right hand If Christ had not Eph. 1. 20. expiated our sins and compleated the work of our Redemption he could never have sat down on the right hand of God Heb. 10. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God This verse is added in opposition to the former as is evident by the first Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in the former verse it was proved that the Sacrifices which were offered under the Law could not take away sins This verse proveth that there is a Sacrifice which hath done that that they could not do The Argument is taken from that Priest's ceasing to offer any more Sacrifices after he had offered one whereby is implyed that there needed no other because that one had done it to the full sin was taken away by Christ's Sacrifice for thereby a Ransom was paid
this deliverance of the Creature that our Apostle speaks of shall not be by a reduction into nothing but by an alteration into a better estate But I must hasten to a close Vers 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God The Judge before whom all do appear is our dear Lord Jesus who hath the keys of hell and death in Rev. 1. 18. Act. 17. 30 31. his hands and who is designed and appointed by God the Father to be the Judge of quick and dead he hath Authority and a Commission under his Father's hand to sit and act as Judge Here you see that John calleth the Judge absolutely God but Christ is the Judge therefore Christ is God absolutely and he will appear to be God in our nature in that great day The Parties judged who stand before the Throne are 1. Generally the dead all who had died from Adam to the last day he calls them the dead after the common Law of Nature but then raised from death to life by the Eph 2. 5. Colos 2. 13. power of God he speaks not of men dead in sins and trespasses but of such as died corporally and now were raised up to judgment But shall not the living then be judged Oh yes For we must all appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rom. 149 10. of Christ That he may be Judge of the quick and the dead and be Lord both of the dead and the living Under this phrase the dead are comprehended all those that then shall be found alive By the dead we are to understand the living also by an Argument from the lesser If the dead shall appear before the Judgment-seat how much more the living But the dead alone are named either because the number of the dead from Adam to the last day shall be far greater than those that shall be found alive on earth in that day or because those that remain alive shall be accounted as dead because they shall be 1 Cor. 15. 52. changed in the twinkling of an eye Secondly he describes them from their age and condition for the words may be understood of both Great and small which takes in all sorts of men Tyrants Emperours Kings Princes Dukes Lords c. as well as Subjects Vassals Slaves Beggars rich and poor strong and weak bond and free old and young all and every one without exception are to be judged for the Judgment shall be universal no man shall be so great as to escape the same nor none so small as to be excluded but every one shall have justice done him without respect of persons as that great Apostle Paul tells us We must all appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad I am no admirer of the School-men's notion who suppose that all shall be raised about the age of Lum lib dist 44 33. which was Christ's Age but do judge that that perfection which consisteth in the conforming them to Christ's glorious body is of another kind than to respect either age stature or the like Stand before God that is brought to Judgment the Joh. 3. 18. guilty standing ready to be condemned and the Saints standing ready in Christ's presence to be absolved and pronounced blessed And the books were opened Christ the Judge being set on his Throne and having all the world before him the books are opened 1. In the general the books are said to be open 2. Here is a special book for the Elect The book of life was opened 3. Here you have sentence passed and pronounced according to what was written in these books and according to their works And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Here the Judicial Process is noted by imitation of Humane Courts in which the whole Process is wont to be drawn up and laid before the Judge from whence the Judge determineth for or against the person according to the Acts and Proofs that lie open before him The Equity Justice and Righteousness of Christ the Judge that sits on his white Throne is set forth by a Metaphor taken from Humane Courts where the Judge pronounceth sentence according to the written Law and the Acts and Proofs agreeing thereunto All things are Heb. 4. 13. Rev. 1. 14. naked and bare before him whose eyes are as a flame of fire But to shew that the Judgment shall be as accurate and particular in the trial and just and righteous in the close as if all were registred and put on Record nothing shall escape or be mistaken in its circumstances but all things shall be so cleared and issued beyond all doubts and disputes as if an exact Registre of them had been kept and published in all which there is a plain allusion unto the words of Daniel speaking thus of this Judgment The Dan. 7. 10. Judgment was set and the books were opened We find six several books mentioned in the Scripture First The Book of Nature that is mentioned by David Psal 139. 16. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 'T is a Metaphor from curious work men that do all by the The world saith Clemens Alexandrious is Deâ— Scriptura the first Bible that God made for the instruction of Man Book or by a Model set before them that nothing may be deficient or done amiss Had God left out an eye in his common place Book saith one thou hadst wanted it The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work The Psalmist looks upon that great Volume of heaven and earth and there reads in Capital letters the Prints and Characters of God's glory This Book saith one was imprinted at the New Jerusalem by the finger of Jehovah and is not to be sold but to be seen at the sign of Glory of every one that lifts up his eyes to heaven In this Book of nature which is made up of three great leaves Heaven Earth and Sea God hath made himself visible yea legible even his eternal power and Godhead So that all men are left without Rom. 1. 20. excuse Out of this Book the poor blind Gentiles might have learned many choice lessons as First that they had a maker Secondly That this Maker being before the things made is eternal without beginning or ending Thirdly That he must needs be Almighty which made all things out of nothing and sustained such a Mass of creatures Fourthly The order variety and distinction of creatures declare his marvellous Wisdom Fifthly In this Book they might run and read the great goodness and the admirable kindness of God to the sons of men in making