frequent that Company where he must always be uneasie always contend and be in danger of his Life A Second Reason is Because their End is Destruction They shall be utterly burnt with Fire Who would walk with men that are going strait to Hell Who would live with men that have Ulcers of uncurable Plagues running upon them when their Company is so infectious May be it has prevail'd already so far on thee that when out of their Company thou choofest not the ways of Life and Peace and returns again to the same without the least Antidote what canst thou look for but the Death of the Wicked that liv'st their Life For as the Tree falls so it will lye O that Children who have disobey'd the Commands of Parents when alive would at least let their last Will be sacred with them This Solomon observ'd long though at last too much forgot it How highly doth God commend the Rechabites Jer. 35. for obeying their Fathers severe Commands to drink no Wine and to live in Tents So highly displeased must he be with them who disobey most necessary and easie Precepts The Text and the Time both though not the Occasion where so much Love and Duty dwells obliges me to this The second thing is the Acknowledgment of his Infirmities Although my House altho he make it not to grow For the Matter of it tho it 's not an Auricular or particular Confession or in order to a Priestly Absolution yet from the Knowledge of his Life we may guess at the ground of his Grief 1. David had much Guilt on his Conscience tho he was a man according to Gods Heart yet his Perfection was not sinlesness he was not of the Quakers Principles to boast of his Perfection but did mourn over his Iniquities though committed some Twenty as his Murder of Vriah some Forty years before this 2. David had many Designs to fulfill he wanted to reap the Comfort of his Labours as to his own House or the House of God he had conquer'd all his Enemies round about and now he wanted to enjoy a triumphant Peace and plentifull possession He had Moses-like brought the People to the borders of the Land of Rest but he must not go over to possess that beautiful Mountain of Lebanon tho' he begg'd hard for it He had with most industrious Pains and incomparable Expences prepar'd all Materials for the House of God 1 Chron. 28. and God will not let him lay one Stone of the House for all that Psal 146.4 In that very day his thoughts perish All a mans Purposes were they never so good or usefull perish when the appointed Hour comes 3. Davids Children were not so with God as he would have had them there had been Incest Murder and Rebellion among them and these who surviv'd tho some of them lovely Children and wiser than their Father and the root of the Matter in them too Solomon the most wise was belov'd of the Lord and the Lord heard his Prayers again and again yet that Zeal that the Old Man had for God was not in him 4. Davids Grace did not grow or bud and flourish as the Original has it he had Faith but it did not flourish in the pleasant Blossoms of Joy and Assurance Psal 51.8 12. The Joy of thy Salvation that he wanted The temporal Afflictions that the Godly meet with for their Backsidings might be sufficient Warnings and Motives to others to walk more circumspectly and Watchfully all their days Here is an Intimation of twenty years Desertion and the Hour of Death fill'd up with the dreadful aspect of Guilt The Counsel of dying Persons about Religion about Conscience about Duty and Sin ought to be highly esteemed then they feel how evil and bitter a thing it is to sin against God If we see our righteous Fathers groaning over and smarting for their Infirmities on their Death-bed what may we expect if we get our Souls for a Prey The third Thing is what was David's Comfort under the sense of approaching Death thus arm'd with the Terrors of his own Guilt and the Frowns of Heaven It is certain no mean Cordials no Temporary thing can support his fainting Spirits then Rooms full of Gold the Company of all our Friends and Relations the sweetest Harmonies of Musick the daintiest Dishes the strongest Cordials and most skill'd Physicians the only Helps a Man must betake himself to are Spiritual for the Carkass perishes If a Man be not skill'd in Divinity and have some Spiritual Experiences there is nothing that can bring any shadow of relief to him but it is not every Divine either that can administer to himself or others support against Death tho' that is the only Science that affords relief Some expound the 3 4 5 Verses as so many different Topicks of relief to his Condition 1. Experience The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me Shall God let me perish to whom he has given his Holy Spirit in such a measure But this might be baffl'd God has taken his Spirit from thee thou hast sinn'd away that Grace a deserted and tempted Soul is full of Error and either may not believe the Doctrine of Perseverance or may mistake the Graces of the Spirit for Gifts such as Balaam had 2. The Nature of the Blessed Trinity The God of Israel the Rock of Israel the Spirit of the Lord the Attributes of God the Mediatorial Offices of the Son and sweet Influences of the Spirit But these may all become Thoughts of Terror and Dread to a Soul without some sight of an Interest in them as Peter Depart from me for I am a sinful Man and Adam when he heard God's Voice hid himself in the Garden Therefore David 3. Finally concludes on the Covenant of Grace as that thorough which the spiritual Experiences were convey'd and as that which contain'd the Terms of his Interest in God its Properties and Articles did obviate all Objections the Disease could never be too strong for its Balsams nor the poyson'd Arrows of Death could never drink up its comforting spirits This affords the Doctrine I intend for the subject of the following Discourse Doct. The Covenant of Grace is able to comfort all the Covenantees in it against the Assaults of Death arm'd with the most dreadful Stings that the Law Sin Satan or Desertion can afford to it This is the Honey we may eat out of the Carcase of this Lyon of the Tribe of Juda this is the rich Legacy left by his Will to all that are in Covenant with God this is his advice to all poor Sinners as ever they would be safe at death be sure to be in Covenant with God We have not this on his Experience only he found it so at Death nor on his Testimony only the word of a King is too weak a Pillar to build the Salvation of our Immortal Souls upon nor on the Testimony alone of the Spirit of God speaking by him But the same Spirit
are 1. Potestative in the Person 's Power to perform them 2. Casualis the other Party being uncertain whether we would Perform them or not 3. Causalis in respect of Right being of some Valuable Considerations and leaves a bare Necessary Connexion or Ordered Covenant instead of a Conditional Covenant and the many Ifs used in Scripture to be the Ifs of Demonstration used by Civilians in Testaments or Logicians in Arguing not the If of a proper Condition tho' it 's usual among Divines and Protestants to use it for Priority of Order and that is not inconsistent with Graciousness But I need not squeeze this Covenant so to bring Graciousness out of it by such Inferences when Rom. 4.14 the Inheritance is said to be of Grace the Covenant call'd a Covenant of Peace and its Blessings sure Mercies when all the Covenantees are Sinners Rebels when the greatest of them are often Chosen and that like Manasse in the Heighth of their Iniquity and when all their Sins are forgiven at once when the first Condition or Duty of the Covenant is meer Faith a Receiving and when to do that is the Work of the Spirit both as to first and last of it Heb. 12. The Author and Finisher of our Faith Eph. 2.8 It is the Gift of God And so long as one Spark of Life remains in that Appetite fixed or determined on God our right in the Covenant stands I believe Lord help my Vnbelief Faith as a Grain of Mustard-seed And tho' it shou'd lose sight of many of its Objects it ought to be receiving and trusting God for the Vnbelief of Man will not render the Faith of God of none effect We may sing Grace Grace to every Article of this Covenant and what can support a Man in sight of Death if Grace will not A Man cannot discern himself in a Covenant of Grace and not see God on a Throne of Grace and when a Soul apprehends God as gracious it apprehends him as 1. Good for that is the ground-work 2. As Love for that 's the Spring 3. As Merciful for the Object 's miserable 4. As Sovereign Free and Absolute in dispensing of Blessings and Benefits for to shew Grace is absolute Monarchy Hence all the Acts of Government are for Exalting this Throne to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace Eph. 1. I see my Guilt but I see Pardoning Grace I feel sin but I feel restraining and renewing Grace I see Death but I see over-ordering Grace This supports the Soul The Fourth Property is the Everlastingness of the Covenant Thou hast made with me an Everlasting Covenant Psal 103.17 The Mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting Isa 55.3 The sure Mercies of David are called an Everlasting Covenant The Covenant of Works was before the Covenant of Grace in Time and in Order of Execution as all Means are before their End but the Covenant of Grace was before it in Divine Intention Grace could not have been so branched forth in Mercy and Forgiveness if the former had not been both made and broken On this Account this Covenant of Grace was from Everlasting being founded on Everlasting Love With an Everlasting Love have I loved thee therefore with Loving-kindness will I draw thee It is founded on the everlasting Thoughts that did emanate from that Love Psal 40.5 The thoughts that were ever of Old they are more than can be numbred and on the everlasting Purposes that those Thoughts did result in 2 Tim. 1.9 According to his Grace and Purpose which was given us in Christ before the World began And as it was from Everlasting so it is unto Everlasting A Person once brought into it shall always remain in it Psal 89.33 If they break my Statutes c. then will I visit their Transgressions with the Rod c. nevertheless my Loving-kindness will I not utterly take from them There is a threefold ground of this Perseverance 1. Because of God's engaging his own Fidelity he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail the Unbelief of Men will not render the Faith of God of none effect 2. His Promise unto Christ Once have I sworn to David that his Seed should endure for ever 3. The Promise of persevering and securing Grace he will put his Fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from him The Confederating Parties the Ever-living God and Immortal Souls are Everlasting and this Relation between them shall never be altered this is the Reason of Christ's proving of Abraham Isaac and Jacob's being yet alive Matth. 22.32 from God's being their Covenanted God I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Psal 24.7 The Faculties of our Soul under the Figure of Doors or Gates are called everlasting for they are so many Capacities or Desires for seeking after receiving and enjoying of that King of Glory Hence is that explicatory Verse 5 6. This is the Generation of them that seek him that receive the Blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his Salvation There is an everlasting God and an everlasting Soul an everlasting Appetite and an everlasting Satisfying that the Commerce among the Inhabitants of the holy Hill of the Lord consists in and this Covenant of Grace contains the Municipal Laws of that Traffick This is another Pillar that renders the Covenant of such a supporting Nature especially at Death for that cannot break an everlasting Tye tho we dye to this World and all the Relations founded by other Covenants whether Marriage Peace War Friendship Death is the Death of all of them but it makes not the least breach upon this Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life shall be able to separate us from the Love of God We are still alive to God and must receive the Promises suitable to that separate State between Soul and Body and must perform the Duties proper to it whereof we know nothing so much as the God in that Covenant Relation we go to which contains Comfort enough against the loss of all the Relatives we part with The Fifth Property is its Harmonious Order and the greatest Controversies among Protestants are about this the different Methods and Systems of Divinity are so many different Orders they conceive divine Wisdom to have fram'd the Covenant in And no wonder we mistake in attempting to fathom the depth of divine Mysteries untill the Eyes of our Understanding be enlightned with Vision and we admitted to read the Divine Records in their Original in Heaven We but know in part and no man that knows but a part of a Book only can give a true Analysis of it for every new Notion that we attain alters somewhat of our former Method This Order is called the Form of sound Words the Form of Godliness Order is a Disposition of things according to their natural or useful Priority or Posteriority the former
are nor are the same things requir'd of Infants and adult Persons Pagans and Christians 2. Precepts about our Life precede them about our Work Faith that is the Appetite we live by is first Commanded Christ is the true Bread of Life and Faith the fix'd and determin'd Desire on him Parents have as much Care about feeding their Children as afterwards when Men about their Calling and Trade The subject of Faith is Man's Appetite and Desire that is the faculty it resides in the Gift of Faith is the Presentation of Objects or forming Idea's of God in Christ that determines this desire alone upon him Psal 4. Who will shew us any good there 's the Faculty the Soul of Man as passive and recipient Lord lift on me the Light of thy Countenance there it 's determin'd by Faith that is the Exercise of Faith Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen there the Object determining it the Gift of Faith the way it is wrought is by presenting the Objects immediately to the Mind the kindly entertaining these Objects is our Duty and our first Duty and the Duty of Self-preservation or Maintenance We quench the Spirit who works them we provoke him if we do not 3. Precepts about External Ordinances precede Internal and Spiritual Exercise Phil. Work in and about your own Salvation as Camero well translates it to which Ability of Spiritual Performance is annexed I will work in you to will and to do 1. Ordinances keep the mind from Distraction with worldly business then our minds are retir'd to contemplate spiritual Objects only they are helps to keep us from quenching the Spirit 2. Hence Ordinances are the Means of working Faith Before they call I will answer while they are yet speaking I will hear The Spirit presents the Idea's of which the Words are signs to the Mind Faith comes by hearing therefore People ought to be Careful of their Choice of a Ministry Understanding Sound and whom the Lord has sent to whom he has given a Commission thus the Word becomes the Seed of Regeneration for beholding in this Glass the Glory of the Lord we are chang'd into the same Image 2 Cor. 3. It 's Satans Conclusion for deserted Souls to forsake Ordinances or to abstain for want of Grace and yet to continue in them without obtaining Grace is to lose their end 4. Precepts about forbearing sin Mortification are before Practice of Godliness Cease to do evil learn to do well 3. An harmonious Order is seen in the Relation of these two to one another 1. In the strictness of the Relation The relation between God and the Creature is as soon broken and dissolved as this they are inseparably perpetually and universally united no man has a right to the Promises that is not under Obligation to the Precepts If a Man lives holily never question his right to the Promises if a Man has a Right to one Promise he has a Right to all 2. In the Sweetness and Comliness of the Relation 1. There are more Promises than Commands the Duty is but an Acknowledgment a Quit-rent there are Promises for Ability Exercise Perseverance Rewards to every Command 2. There is a Priority in the Promises a Stock some Talents before we Trade 3. An Usefulness We have Ability to Obey from the Promise we have Knowledge what to do from the Precept We have the Motive of Reward from the Promise we have the Light and Conduct about the way from the Precept We are kept from Despair by the Promise and preserv'd from Presumption by the Command We were undone if the Covenant wanted its Precepts 3. The Third thing the Order of the Covenant is discernable in is about its Ends. 1. God's Glory 2. Christ's Honour 3. Sinners Salvation For the first God has his Sovereignty Exalted in the Obedience of his Son for he and we his Obedience and ours are both enjoyned in this Covenant it 's more Glory to have such a Subject than ten Thousands of Angels his Wisdom in its Contrivâ—nce how to save his own Justice and Truth and yet save the Rebel to be Just and Justifier of the Ungodly is a Wonder of Wisdom His Justice in his Son's Sufferings his Mercy in Sinners Salvation 2. Christ's Honour is highly Exalted It 's a Question among Divines whether any Creature should ever have been so nighly United to God as that Humane Nature is if Man had not fallen if not what an Honour to all the Humane Nature especially the Man Jesus suppose there should have been what an Honour for a Man to be in such an Office the King of Kings and Lord of Lords one Mediator the Angels Sovereign and Sinners Saviour to have a Fulness not only for himself but all Creatures How wonderful is his Condescending Love who by Union and Birth thus high and yet became as a Worm and no Man and his Exalted Glory who was as a Root out of a dry ground the Scorn and Contempt of the People and became higher than the Heavens and Holyer than the Angels the Visible Image of the Invisible God in his Incommunicable Attributes to have Life in himself an Independent Life when once given the Wisdom of God and the Power of God all the Works of God being managed by him 3. Sinners Salvation It is wonderfully ordered to render their Salvation 1. Possible 2. Easie 3. Certain 4. Suitable The apparent Repugnancies were either from the Law Law-giver Surety or Sinner 1. The Law threatned present Death but not Eternal In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye He did Dye the Eternity was founded on the Perpetuity of sinning and Heinousness of the Crime not on the Letter of the Law it spoke nothing against an Intervening Surety after the Sinner was once dead to relieve him from that Death It is appointed for all Men once to dye but the Law spoke nothing against a Resurrection 2. The Law-giver was satisfi'd since his Truth in the Law was sav'd since the Obedience and Sufferings of the Mediator did sufficiently evince the Holiness and Justice of the the Governour 3. As to the Surety having his Life wholly in his own Power it was lawful for him to dye and since it was in his Power to Redeem his Brethren to re-establish the Order of Divine Government to glorifie his Maker more than any thing done by Creatures yet could there was a becomingness that he should Decency makes a thing in some respect a Duty It was in the Power of his Hand to relieve his Brethren We cannot thoroughly Love our Brethren without doing what we can for Relief to their Misery His Incarnation was an act of Choice but once Man and made under the Law the Love of his Brethren was a Duty 4. As to the Sinner it 's not only made possible but easie for tho Justification and Sanctification were both impossible to Man the satisfying for past Guilt or the ceasing from sin yet Christ having done both