unto me look unto me and I will be thy Sun I le shew thee all that glory and the right way that will bring thee to it I promise thee I will trust me I will be a light unto thee 4. Their Shield Psal 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield The gods of the earth are so stiled Psal 47.9 The shields of the earth much more the God of glory Ephes 6.16 Faith is called a shield Above all taking the shield of Faith it signifies the same as God is a shield Faith is to the soul what-ever God is This is the grace that entitles the soul to God and applies God to the soul Gen. 15.1 Fear not Abraham I am thy shield What 's promised to the Father of the faithful stands sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 The state of Christians in this life is a militant state a state full of hardships and hazards By reason whereof as richly as they are provided for they are subject to fears of being undone and spoiled of all They are in fears about things eternal they have spiritual adversaries that lye in wait for their souls that fight against their souls that are tempting them and enticing them from their God that watch their opportunities to steal away their God by stealing away their hearts from him and such dangerous attempts of this kind they meet withall that they often are in great doubt what the issue may be They are in fears about things temporal their names are shot at their liberties are invaded their estates with all the comforts of their lives are in danger to be made a prey to day they are a praise to morrow a scorn to day they are full and abound but to morrow they may have nothing left they dye daily they are killed all the day long But what-ever their dangers and their fears thereupon are here 's sufficient provision made against all God is their shield Christian thou hast enough and all that thou hast is in safety Thou art compassed about with a shield secur'd on all hands there 's no coming at thee What-ever assaults are made thy God is a wall of partition betwixt thee and harm They are not shields of brass and iron thou are furnish'd with the strong God is thy defence Wherefore dost thou doubt O thou of little faith A Christian and yet afraid shifting for thy self taking care for the Asses and Oxen and Sheep vexing and loading and losing thy self in thy cares and fears from day to day Where is thy God man Doth not God take care for Oxen and Asses and all that thou hast But oh what meanest thou in this to be shifting thy self from danger by shrinking back from thy God securing thy self from affliction by taking sanctuary in Iniquity What art thou doing but throwing away thy shield to save thee from harm making a breach in thy wall to keep thee in safety Gen. 17.1 c. chap. 15.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect follow thou me stick to me and then Fear not Abraham I am thy shield This now is the first and great promise of the Covenant I am thy God and the second is like unto it CHAP. II. Christ in the Covenant 2. GOd hath put Christ into the Covenant and made over him to his people Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant He who is promised as the chief matter the Mediator Surety Scope of the Covenant is by a metonymy called the Covenant I will give thee for a Covenant that is I covenant to give thee to the people Whatever glory and blessedness there is in the fruition of God wo is me there is a great gulfe fixed between me and it over which there is no passing there 's a partition-wall raised over which there 's no climbing there 's an hand-writing against me whilst that stands all that is in God is nothing to me Were this God mine I had enough Let me be put to labour or suffering let me dig or beg or starve and die whether I be rich or poor have somthing or nothing be a praise or a reproach it matters not so God were mine But oh how may I obtain Who shall bring me to God why the Lord God hath given thee his Son to undertake for thee and to be thy way unto the Father Heb. 11.19,20 Jesus Christ who is the morning star the Sun of righteousness the Image of the Invisible God the first-born of every creature by whom are all things who is before all things the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead In whom dwells all fulness even the fulness of the Godhead bodily who hath made peace by the blood of his Cross Col. 1. and chap. 2. Whose Name is Wonderful Councellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 This Jesus is granted thee in the Covenant to bring thee to God To which blessed and glorious purpose he is exhibited 1. As the Light of Life 2. As the Lord our Righteousness 3. As our Lord and King 4. As our Head and Husband 1. As the light of Life A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel Luk. 1.32 In him was life and the life was the light of men John 1.4 He that followeth me shall have the light of life John 8.12 there is a light that serves to kill and destroy to bring death and condemnation to light the light of the Law that killing letter concerning which the Apostle Rom. 7.9,10 When the commandment came sin revived and I died the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death But Christ brings life and immortality to light heaven glory the invisible God which are lost out of reach and out of ken are all discovered in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 To give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ He is the Image of the Invisible God the brightness of his Fathers glory the glass in which by reflection we see the Sun John 14.8,9 Shew us the Father and it suffices us Why sayes he Hast thou known me Philip and yet sayest shew us the Father He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and this is the light of life John 17.3 this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. As the Lord our righteousness This is his Name Jer. 23.6 He shall be called the Lord our righteousness To this end he is given to us 1. As our propitiatory Sacrifice 1 John 2. The propitiation for our sins 1 Cor. 5. Christ our Passover Rev. 13.8 A lamb slain from the beginning of the world Our price our ransome to satisfie Justice pacifie wrath discharge from the Curse to blot out the hand-writing break down the wall of partition to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for
Lord hath rebounded on his own head Though hee be as Gad a serpent in the way yet you may now tread upon this serpent and it shall not hurt you The strong man is now bound if hee be a god still hee 's a God in chains a prince in fetters he must ask leave of your father ere he can touch one hair of your heads Hee cannot tempt you nor cast a bank against you nor shoot an arrow at you without a commission from heaven The devils are subject to you He is cast out and in your Lords name you may cast him out In my name shall ye cast out devils out of possessed bodies out of possessed souls you may be instruments to bring many a soul to repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are held captive by him at his will Every sinner that is converted by you you have cast out a devil out of that soul Though he be an adversary still yet such an adversary as may be resisted whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 And if you will resist hee shall flee from you James 4.17 Stand and your enemy runs Nay more hee is not only a conquer'd enemy but made your servant This viper shall yield you medicine against his own poyson His smitings shall be an excellent oyl his messengers he sends to buffet you his thorns he sticks in your flesh shall be a prevention of greater evils The very destruction he intends to bring upon you shall promote your salvation 1 Cor. 5.5 Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Behold the devil is the Churches servant and such a servant as in their present state they cannot well want The executioner of their censures A Common-wealth may as well want a Jaylour or an Hang-man as the Church a Devil Behold Sathan divided against Sathan the devil without against the devil within the destroyer of souls become the destroyer of sin Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh Though much against his mind his hand is against his own party Hee 's made to kill his own friends which otherwise would kill the soul Whether he will or no the very tormentour is made a saviour that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christians as much as you feel of the devils malice you could ill want his service there 's many a soul lost and undone by a sleeping that might have been recovered and rouzed by a raging devil His winds shall blow off your chaff his floods shall wash away your filth his earth-quakes shall open your prison-doors his tempests shall drive you to harbour Some men want a tempest to save them from a wrack Nay once more he is not low enough yet he shall be yet brought lower You have assurance of his total and final overthrow Rom. 16.20 The god of peace shall tread Sathan under your feet shortly Rev. 20.10 The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone 'T is but a little while and when he hath done his work he shall be sent to his place where he shall be shut up and a seal set upon him whence he shall come out no more for ever He shall tempt no more vex no more deceive no more destroy no more torment you no more he shall be thrust out he shall be chain'd up the tormentour shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Stand Christians stand your ground a little while follow your work hold up your holy profession hold on your holy course keep your hearts keep your garments keep on your armour keep under corruption resist temptation bear your affliction hold out faith and patience fight against your adversaries watch with your Lord this one hour and behold hee that shall come will come he cometh quickly and hee that is in the world shall bee consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his appearing Hee shall bee cast out hee shall bee cast down and rise no more for ever CHAP. VII Death in the Covenant 7. GOd hath put Death into the Covenant 1 Cor. 3.21 Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or DEATH all are yours Death there is a great purchase you 'l say what advantage is that yes death is advantage To dye is gain For 1. The Commission of Death is changed 'T was once take him Jaylour away with him carry him down to Prison with him there to bee reserved to the Judgement of the great day It is now take him Janitour take him Porter take him in give him an entrance into his Master's joy Death doth but take the Bride when shee is ready and lodges her in the Chamber of the Bride-groom this made death the Apostles desire Philip. 1.23 I desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better 2. Death is conquered What does this mean Your enemie is yours other than this your enemy is conquered to you a conquered enemy is made a Tributary death is dis-armed it hath lost its sting when a Serpent hath lost its sting you may take it into your bosome Hee that can say Death where is thy sting may go on and add Thankes bee to God which hath given me the victory A Signet sent from Heaven with a Death's head is a precious token Come Christians bee of good courage set your feet on the neck of this King of terrours 3. Death is at once The destruction of all their enemies when once death hath done its office upon them then farewel Edom and Ammon and Amaleck and Aegypt fare-well the pricking bryer and the grieving thorne then farewel sin and sorrow for ever the Egyptians they have seen and fear'd and felt to day they shall never see again for ever It destroys it self their last enemy by destroying them it hath its welcome and farewell the same moment it is but welcome death and farewel death for ever Death dies with them once dead they dye no more for ever mortality is swallowed up of life death is cast into the lake of fire that is its Region there there they die and dye and dye again over and over for ever and ever but for the Saints it doth but set them on the banks of that good Land whether it cannot follow them our Lord by death by ours as well as his own hath delivered those who for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Christians you may now not onely with patience but with desire expect the assault of this King of terrours What shall tribulation and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword shall sorrows and fears and mortality dye with mee yea shall sin dye with mee then welcome death Lord strengthen me this once let mee dye with the Philistines Would it bee good for
the nostrils feel and smell So knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves temperance knows and abstains patience knows and suffers humility knows and stoops repentance knows and mourns obedience knows and does compassion knows and pitties hope knows and expects confidence knows and rejoyces And therefore wee believe and love and obey and hope and rejoyce because we know God gives us this knowledge as the eye of our souls and by that eye hee enters with all his power and Glory Ephes 3.19 That ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and bee filled with all the fulness of God Day-light is not that light wee receive by reflection from the Moon and Stars at second hand when the Sun is risen and come in among us then it is day When the Sun of Righteousness is risen in the heart there 's the light of life God is and God dwells in this light and where God dwells every unclean thing vanishes can Darkness dwell with the Sun can Death dwell with Life according to the measure of the manifestation of God in us so far forth is sin necessarily vanished Thou art but the carkasse of a Christian the light that is in thee is darkness the life that is in thee is death if thou bee not in the whole man renewed after the Image of him that Created thee If Christ bee not formed in thy heart if the Love the humility the meeknesse the patience the compassion the holiness of the Lord Jesus be not begotten in thee whatever thou knowest thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know if thou hast all knowledge and hast not charity and so if thou hast all knowledge and hast not humility meekness holiness thou art nothing thou art but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cimbal Doubting Christian that complainest of and bewailest thine ignorance and fearest that thou knowest not God look upwards where his Glory dwells lift up thine eyes and see or if thou canst not see lift up thy heart for eyes Lord where dwellest thou let mee see thy Face shew mee thy Glory pitty thy blinde let the eyes of this blinde bee opened and the tongue of this dumb shall bee loosed and speak forth thy praise Look upward and if yet thou seest not thy God look inward canst thou see his Face in thy soul canst thou see his Image on thy heart canst thou behold in this Glasse the Glory of the Lord and finde thy self changed into his Image Comfort thine heart how short sighted soever thou seemest to bee how dimme soever thy Candle burns how weak soever in the Knowledge of God thou complainest thou art thou hast seen God thou hast seen his Face in peace God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into thine heart and given thee the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ 2. A Fructifying Power this Sun-shine makes a fruitful soil Colos 1.9,10 my desire for you saith the Apostle is that you may bee filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdome and Spiritual understanding That yee might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful unto every good work and encreasing in the Knowledge of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power unto all Patience and long suffering with joyfulness and Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the Glory and praise of God Full of Light and full of Love of Faith of Patience of Humility and fruitful in every good work Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things A good man hath a good treasure within him a treasure of Heavenly Wisdome of Divine Truth a treasure of Light God hath shined into his heart Hee 's filled with all the fulness of God And what is laid up within hee brings forth without An evil man hath an evil treasure Satan hath been filling his heart Act. 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thine heart the treasures of darkness are there a treasure of lust and lies Falshood and folly are found with him these treasures of darkness within bring forth darkness dark souls lead dark lives their way is dark their deeds are darkness O how fruitful are sinners in their unfruitful works filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickednesse covetousness maliciousnesse envy murther debate deceit malignity c. Rom. 1.29,30 Their hearts are full and thereupon their mouths full their eyes full their hands full mouths full of cursing eyes full of adultery hands full of violence filled with all unrighteousness O Generation of Vipers how can yee being evil having such hearts speak good things all is evil that comes from you and how can it bee otherwise Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks And in like manner O Generation of Believers How can yee being good but bring forth good things Or how can you say or think there is a treasure of Grace a fountain of light within when no streams spring forth Penury in the life speaks no great plenty in the heart the Truths of God within you are the Seed of God the good seed that hee sows in his fields where there 's good seed sown in good ground you will expect a fruitful Harvest a barren crop speaks a barren soil or no good seed sown there 1 John 2.3 Hereby we do know that wee know him if wee keep his Commandements We know God but are you sure of it are you not mistaken No wee are not mistaken wee know that wee know him But how do you know it Why how are trees known By their fruits ye shall know them How do yee know that this is indeed the Tree of Knowledge Why see what fruits are hanging upon it wee keep the Commandements Here 's Obedience growing here 's Holiness and Righteousness and Mercy Doubtless this is the right Tree for behold all the Commandements the two Tables hanging upon the boughs of it and not broken but kept and observed Wee may as well say Obedience is no Obedience Duty is no Duty Faith and Love and Humility and Patience are not what they are as that the Tree that brings forth this fruit is not the Tree of Knowledge Wee know that wee know him because wee keep his Commandements Yea and the Tree of Life too both in one a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 Where these fruits are not found where are nothing but shews and sounds painted fruits where are nothing but the fruits of unrighteousness contention strife covetousness sensuality and the like he 's very ignorant indeed that is not able to say what ever I am ignorant of this one thing I know that I know not God Christian boast not of what thou hast but consider what thou doest try thy head by thine heart and thy
the latter dayes But how can goodness be the Object of fear We fear evill and not good The meaning is they shall fear to wrong or abuse goodness They shall fear to wrong the Lord because he is good in the latter dayes These latter dayes that this Promise refers to shall be dayes of more grace wherein there shall be not onely a more clear revelation of the goodness of God they shall know the Lord and his goodness But a more plentifull communication and diffusion of the goodness of God they shall love the Lord and his goodness They shall see themselves both more obliged by goodness and shall feel themselves more seasoned with goodness By grace they shall be better natured Religion doth not make morose but more generous free and ingenuous There 's nothing more abhorrent to an ingenuous spirit then to be base and unworthy Abuse of goodness is an unworthiness which an ingenuous nature abhors as death to be guilty of 't is its destruction 't is disingenuity The abuse of the goodness of God is great unthankfulness and unthankfulness is great disingenuity Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris Call me unthankfull and you call me all that 's naught Call me any thing else but unthankfull Indeed were I all thanks I should still be unthankfull I should still be behind-hand with the goodness of the Lord my debt is greater then I can pay yea greater then I can acknowledge but shall I return evil for his good If I cannot pay should I deny my Debt He that is unthankfull whatever God requires of him saies wickedly this is more then I owe thee God I owe thee nothing I care not for thee Oh this is dreadfull to a gratious heart If this be in sin for all sin is unthankfulness if this be in sin if this be the signification of all my neglects of God and my duty to him then the Lord forbid what ever I suffer that I should yeeld to sin How shall I do this wickedness How shall I neglect this duty and sin against God How should I look my God or my own soul in the face should I be so unworthy For thy sake Lord let me not sin against thee thou art good thou art kind thou art gracious thou art holy O let me not be a Devil what heart where a Devill is not but such goodness will charm it into love Shall I sin Shall I rebell For thy sake Lord I will not do it I will not for mine own sake for where then shall I appear In sinning against God I sin against mine own soul I dare not for my life sin and Death sin and Hell are link'd together but were it not so might I sin and escape sin and not die yet for thy sake Lord I will not do it Thou art good good in thy self good to me thou att my God thou art my Father love care tenderness compassion kindness is all that is in thine heart towards me what I am what I have what I hope for that I breathe that I live all is thy goodness thy bounty to me Oh let me not rise up against the Womb that bare me and the Paps that give me suck I would not to my childe to my servant to my friend but Oh let me never to my Father to my God return evill for good and hatred for his good will Let not this evill which I fear ever come upon me put thy fear into mine heart O Lord that I may not sin against thee CHAP. XV. Obedience in the Covenant 7. OBedience Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Obedience is either of the Heart or of the Life In this Scripture God undertakes for both 1. For the obedience of the Heart he undertakes in the former words I will put my Spirit in your heart where the Spirit dwells be rules Where Satan dwells he rules and where the Spirit of the Lord dwells there God rules the Spirit in the heart is the Law in the heart Those two Promises I will put my Spirit in your hearts and I will write my Law in your hearts signifie the same thing The Law in the heart is the will of man melted into the will of God The Law of God may be in the mouth and the heart a Rebel its reception into the heart notes the hearts subjection to it The Obedience of the heart includes two things 1. The opening of the heart to the Word 2. The resolution of the heart for the Work of the Lord. 1. The opening of the heart to the Word What wilt thou have me to do Lord That 's the voice of an obedient heart Veniat verbum submittemus Speak Lord command Lord what wilt thou And when he speaks whatever it be the word is embraced and accepted of the heart Dan. 4.27 Let my counsel be acceptable to thee The acceptance of the word in the heart is signified by its hearkening to it To hearken is more then to hear though they sometimes note the same thing yet ordinarily hearing is of the ear hearkening of the heart Psal 81.11 Israel would not hearken my people would none of me They heard what the Lord spake but they would not hearken that is as t is there interpreted they would none of the Lord. They rejected the word of the Lord which he spake unto them When the word is let come in with Authority suffered to rule in the soul when the heart gives up it self unto it then it is accepted there 's its hearkening to it 2 The resolution of the heart for the work of the Lord Psal 110.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments I have vowed and I will perform I have covenanted and I am determined to keep thy statutes The word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not do that 's the rebellious Whatsoever the Lord shall speak we will do that 's the obedient heart Where the heart is thus resolved to obey this is that obedience which shall be accepted unto salvation Where this resolution is as there is opportunity there will be practice and where there 's not opportunity in Gods account this is it This is Praying this is Hearing this is giving and feeding and cloathing and visiting this is walking circumspectly working righteousness shewing mercy exercising Faith and Patience and Repentance this is our keeping the Commandments of God and walking in his Statutes an heart to obey is our obeying an heart to do is our doing an heart to suffer in Gods account is our suffering for his Name But here it must be carefully noted that though sincere resolution for Obedience be Obedience yet every resolution is not that resolution Resolution for Obedience is then sincere where 1. It flowes from an inward and rooted inclination 2. It 's bottomed on a
venture on the Truth dare you venture your souls on the Falshood of it Dare you stand forth and say If this word be not a lye let me be damned for ever I am content that the everlasting worm shal gnaw my heart that the infernal fire shal burn my flesh and bones and soul for ever and ever if it prove not at last a meer Forgery and Imposture Do you believe the Scriptures to be true indeed If you do what do they preach to you Do they speak any thing if not this That there is another life and death besides that which is within the kenn of mortal eyes that the other life and the other death are Eternal that upon your being found within or without the Covenant of God hangs your eternal judgment either for life or death that whilst you are in a Covenant with death and in a course of iniquity you are without the Covenant of God and can have no benefit by it that under sin and out of Covenant out of Covenant and out of Christ out of Christ and under Condemnation Are there any things which that word which you profess to believe to be as true and to stand as sure as Heaven and Earth are there any things that this speaks more plainly then these things and such like What and yet secure in a state of sin Aliens from God enemies of all Righteousness and yet in quiet Are you resolved to sell Eternity for time life for death a soul for the pleasures of sin Is this the choice you have made and are you resolved to stand to it Let me have this world my Portion here my good things here and then let me be damned in the other world Let me sin here and suffer hereafter let me laugh here and lament hereafter let me flourish and prosper and live at ease and in honour and in pleasure and at liberty here and let my Prison and my Pain and my Anguish and my Plagues be beneath there let me be torn let me burn let me roar let me die so I may be rich and be merry and rejoyce a while here let time be my Heaven and eternity be my Hell speak in earnest is this your choice or that you may not be put to it to make a new choice will you take upon you to make a new Gospel And dividing what God hath joyned together will you joyn what he hath divided Will you write this for Gospel Holiness and Hell sin and glory Christ and the Curse the Devil and the Crown Let the wicked hold on his way and the unrighteous his thoughts let him still run away from the Lord and be shall have mercy and from his God and he will abundantly pardon Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto death and few there be that finde it but broad is the gate and wide is the way that leadeth unto life and the whole world are going in thereat Blessed are the proud in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that laugh now blessed are the froward the merciless the impure in heart the persecutors for Righteousness sake for great is their reward in Heaven Within shal be the Doggs and the Swine the Whoremongers the Sorcerers the Drunkards the Ruffians the Blasphemers the Gallants the Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye And without shall be the Lambs and the Doves the Holy and the Humble and the Meek and the Merciful and the Upight in heart and the Poor in spirit and Peace-makers the persecuted for Righteousness sake and whosoever loveth truth and maketh God his trust these shal go into everlasting fire but the ungodly into life Eternal Are these the Articles of your Creed Is this your Gospel if it be O what is your Heaven If it be not if the old Gospel must stand Oh where are your souls Are your souls lost and are they not worth the recovery Why will ye dye turn and live Oh when shal it once be As an Embassadour for Christ to whom is committed the word of Reconciliation having hinted to you what 's Law so in the name of the Eternal God I publish to you the everlasting Gospel The Lord God having entred into a Covenant of life with the first Adam for himself and all mankinde in him this Covenant being broken whereby sin hath entred and death by sin and all the world is now becom guilty before God bound over to the vengeance of eternal Fire and under an utter impossibility of recovery by ought that that Covenant can do hath out of his abundant grace made a new Covenant on which whosoever shal lay hold shal be delivered out of the state of Death and Wrath into a state of Life and Blessedness Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do being weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and with him this gracious grant that whosoever believeth in him shal not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And this is the Covenant that hath been declared unto you This new Covenant is a Marriage-Covenant Hos 2.10 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee to me in righteousness and in loving-kindness and in mercies In it the Lord makes offer and invites you to accept of an Husband and a Dower The Husband is the Kings son the Lord Jesus Christ and with him the lost Kingdom and all that belongs to the Kingdom of God for a Dower Liberty for the Captives the opening of the Prison to them that are bound riches to the poor eyes to the blinde feet to the lame healing to the diseased and life to the dead And whoever among you all who are persons under the Law held by the cords of your sins whose souls are fast bound in fetters of Iron who are willing that your Covenant with death be made void and your agreement with Hell be disannulled and will joyn your selves to the Lord and be brought within the bonds of this Covenant all the blessings of this Covenant are made over and stand sure unto you The Grant is made the Deed is drawn and sealed the Lord hath set to his Seal come you in and seal the Counter-part set to your seal and the Match is made up Christ and with him all things are yours and you are his Accept and live refuse and dye for ever Come on then sinner what sayest thou Dost thou consent Dost thou accept Or as Laban to Rebekah Wilt thou go with this man Let me espouse thee to this one Husband onely let me first tell thee The matter is solemn and thou must be serious 'T is for life 't is for Eternity Consider therefore and let thine heart lying prostrate before the Almighty come in and make answer to these demands which from him and in his great and dreadful Name I make unto thee 1. Wilt thou have Jesus for thine Husband Understand before thou answer The taking
Christ from henceforth unto death Thou wilt have Christ but when Shall this be the Marriage-day VVilt thou from henceforth be the Lords or when shall it be Must it be to morrow first or next moneth or next year or some time or other thou knowest not when May we not take thy promise as they did the Prophecy Ezek. 12. Is it not for many dayes to come is it not of the times that are afar off To morrow thou wilt hereafter thou wilt as good as thou hast said nothing As good thou hadst said never as not yet Speak Soul wilt give thy self to the Lord wilt presently if thou wilt how long wilt thou abide with him wilt thou not endorse on thy Deed of Gift a power of revocation wilt thou not repent not return again from Heaven to Earth wilt be chaste and play the Harlot no more wilt be faithful to the death obedient to the death Is this thy voice I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back As the Lord liveth nothing but death no not death it self shall part thee and me I am perswaded I am resolved that neither life nor death Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall separate me from the love of God or withdraw me from Jesus Christ my Lord. Now Soul gather up all this together stand thou before the Lord the God of all the Earth and this once more say Wilt thou have Jesus Christ for thy Husband dost thou choose him for thy Lord wilt thou cleave to him in love wilt thou lean upon him for righteousness and strength for righteousness to pay thy debts and for strength to pay thy vows wilt thou be subject to him thou knowest the commandments how holy how strict they be Wilt thou obey them in all things wilt exercise thy self to godliness in the strictness of it wilt be a thorow-pac'd Disciple wilt not content thy self with such a cold or lukewarm indifferency in Religion as thy lazy flesh will bear as thy credit thy safety or the temper of the times will bear wilt follow thy Lord fully Wilt thou take up thy lot with Christ be it better or worse shall his Father be thy Father his Inheritance be thy Inheritance yea and his Sufferings thy Sufferings his stripes his bonds his poverty be thine wilt thou espouse not his Crown onely but his Cross too whither ever he goes wilt thou go where he dwells wilt thou dwell wilt say where ever my Lord is there let his Servant be Wilt thou forsake all others all thy sins wilt thou be made clean wilt give up thy sores and thy ulcers thy filthy and fleshly lusts to be purged out does thine heart stand disengaged from every sin is there not any one iniquity concerning which thine heart sayes Let this stay with me wilt search out thy sins wilt accomplish a diligent search sweep every corner search every chamber of thine heart life wilt go down to the bottome of thy great deep to find out what lodges there wilt faithfully endeavour no more to allow thy self in any known iniquity wilt use all Gods means for the conquering and casting them out Wilt forsake the world wilt cast away thine Idols shall thy Mammon be no more a god nor a demy-god to thee shall it neither carry away thine heart from him nor so much as share with him in it wilt thou not bow down to this golden Image nor serve it wilt thou no longer serve thy greedy appetite shall thine heart no longer go after thy covetousness wilt thou abandon thine estate thy pleasures thine honours thy friends and companions so far forth as any of these divide or entice or steal away thine heart from thy Lord When ever they say Come away wilt thou say Get you hence VVilt forsake the Devil wilt fear and flie from and no longer hearken to his temptations wilt no longer regard his promises nor his threatnings his flatteries nor his frowns Coming off from the tents of all these wilt cleave unto thy Lord from henceforth from this day forward and not depart from him for ever Wilt hold on thy course wilt run out thy race wilt be faithful to the death wilt hope to the end for the grace that shall be brought unto thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ What sayest thou If thou sayest no as the Lord liveth thou speakest this word against thine own life If thou refusest to enter into this Covenant thou sayest I will not be the Lords I will none of him I will not live let death and wrath and chains and plagues be my portion for ever I will not be the Lords I will not leave my sins and my pleasures and my companions for his love that is I will be a Fool and a beast and a Devil I will die and will not see life Mistake not thy self be not deceived 't is a matter of life and death that is before thee 'T is whether Heaven or Hell a God or no God a Christ or no Christ a Soul or a lost Soul everlasting life or everlasting Fire shall be thy portion that stands now to be determined by thy consent or refusal look to it be wise this once for eternity Consent and thou art blessed consent and he is thine and with him the Kingdome Thy Lord hath given his consent already view the hand-writing the whole New Testament which is written in blood and sealed as 't is written there thou hast his I will in every line almost visible before thee put to thine and 't is done What sayest thou dost thou consent shall thine heart come in and put to thine hand and subscribe for thee I will Let that be done and then say after me A form of words expressing mans covenanting with God O Most Dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech Thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy Door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked practice The Terms of our conversion are either from which or to which But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy Mercy The Terms from which we must turn are Sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottome of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but Conscientiously to use all means that
hath it in the greatest excellency and perfection of it that doth pertingere ad summum gratiae Aquin. 2. Ex parte habentis gratiam in respect of the person that hath it and thus a person is said to be full of grace that hath as much grace as he is capable of Christ is full of grace in both respects that grace which is in him is grace in the highest perfection of it and as much as his vessel can hold 3. That this fulness of Christ is ours and for us John 1.16 Of his fulness do we receive grace for grace Coloss 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God Your life that is both your spiritual life grace and your eternal life glory 1 John 5.11 This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son Our life is said to be in Christ in three respects 1. It s hid in Christ as the effect in the cause As the life of the branches is hid in the root so is the life of a Christian in Christ He is our root 2. It is deposited with Christ it is laid up with him committed to his trust and custody with him it is secured and put into safe hands 3. The dispensation of it is committed to him from him it is at his pleasure to be derived to us Of his fulness we receive The Son hath life in himself and he giveth it to whom when and in what measure soever he pleaseth Christian art thou nothing in thy self Thou hast enough in thy Jesus Art thou dark He 's a Fountain of light Art thou dead He 's a fountain of life Art thou poor and low weak in knowledge in faith in love in patience c He 's a treasure of all grace and what he is he is for thee Is he wise he is wise for thee Is he holy He is holy for thee Is he meek merciful humble patient He is so for thee Is he strong is he rich is he full 'T is for thy sake as he was empty for thee weak for thee poor for thee so for thee he is mighty he is rich and full Whilest thou bewailest thine own poverty and weakness Oh bless thy self in thy Lord in his riches righteousness and strength 2. A complication of interests As the head and body as the Husband and Wife so Christ and his Saints are mutually concerned are rich or poor must stand and fall live and die together As the husband conveyes to the wife a title to what he hath as the wife holds of the husband so is it betwixt Christ and his Church they have nothing but through him their whole tenure is in capite they hold of the Head they have nothing but through him and whatsoever is his is theirs His God is their God his Father is their Father his blood his bowels his merits his spirit his victories all the spoils he hath gotten all the revenue and income of his life and death all is theirs For them he obey'd suffered liv'd died rose ascended is set down in glory at the right hand of God He obeyed as their head died as their head rose ascended reigneth as their head and hath in their names taken possession of that inheritance which he purchased for them This is that Jesus which is given to us and thus is he granted and made over to all his Saints in this Covenant of God CHAP. III. The Spirit in the Covenant 3 GOd hath put his Spirit into the Covenant the Almighty the Eternal Spirit the Holy Spirit the spirit of Glory and of God This Holy and eternal Spirit is first poured forth on our head the Lord Jesus to annoint him our Redeemer to furnish and qualifie him for that great undertaking Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon mee because hee hath annointed mee to preach good tidings to the meek c. Isa 11.2,3,4 I will put my Spirit into him the spirit of Wisdome and Vnderstanding and of the fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 And hee is promised to each member Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you To all these hee is granted 1. As a Spirit of VVisdome and Revelation 2. As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification 3. As a Spirit of Truth and Direction 4. As a Spirit of Comfort and Consolation 1. As a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Ephes 1.17,18 To enlighten them to open their blinde eyes and to shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that they may know what the hope of his calling is and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints To counterwork the spirit of this world whose work is to blinde mens eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4,5,6 This is hee by whom the Father hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 the light that the spitit brings in is a marvellous light and that in three respects 1. It is a marvellous thing that ever light should come into such dark souls That those that were born blinde and upon whom the god of this world had for many years together been trying his skill to thicken their darkness to encrease and seal them up under it that ever such eyes should bee opened and the light of life should shine in upon such hearts this is a marvellous thing When our Lord Jesus in the dayes of his flesh opened the eyes of those that had been born blinde the people ran together and wondred at the sight If you should see stones to live if you should see dead stocks or dry bones to walk up and down the streers if you should see Trees or Houses or Mountains full of eyes this were not more full of wonder than to behold blinde sinners receiving their sight Thou wert once darkness art thou now light in the Lord stand and wonder at thy cure 2. They are marveâ—lous things which this light discovers 'T is a wonder that such eyes should ever see and they see wonders The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders There are heights and depths and lengths and breadths Wee have seen strange things to day Strange love strange grace wonderful wisdome wonderful pitty patience mercy wonderful providences wonderful deliverances incomprehensible excellencies unspeakable joy and glory 't is a wonder there should bee such things every day before our eyes and yet wee could not see them till now and 't is a wonder that when wee did not see them before wee should ever see them now that those things which wee despised derided mocked at stumbled at as meer foolishness and fancy wee should now see and admire even to astonishment that that Jesus which was to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishness should bee to the same men when called the Wisdome of God and the Power of God O the deep things of God!
head never so many stars appear nor with such lustre as in a frosty night grind the spices and their fragrancy flows out Saints are never more Saints than in the house of bondage or the Land of their pilgrimage our Winter-weather makes us warm at heart As our outward man perishes our inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Persecution is the time of life We are delivered to death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4.11 Decayed soul comfort thine heart the cross comes now thou shalt live now thou shalt recover This weakness will strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die Now faith and love and patience and courage that have so long hung the wing now lift up the head the day of your redemption draweth nigh this night is your day of hope 2. A more clear revelation of special Love Lovest thou me Lord there 's enough Let me hear thy voice let me see thy face Kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth Thy loving kindness is better than life send forth thy light and thy truth let these tell me thou lovest me Thy love-sick Spouse is sick for love O when wilt thou say Thou knowest that I love thee Why come up with me on the cross that withered tree bears more blossomes of love than all the green trees of the field The whole Gospel is hung upon the cross Where our Lord hung there 's sin nail'd the curse vacated death vanquished pardon peace joy glory shewed forth in open sight There 's love with all its tokens go up and take Fear not to be baptized with thy Lords Baptism nor to drink of his cup this cup also is the communion of the blood of Christ Come with me into the wilderness there will I speak comfortably to thee When thou most wantest it where thou wilt most value it there will I shew thee my loves Our Lord loves not to have love slighted the full soul loathes the honey-comb thou hast yet too many Lovers to bid thy Lord welcome he keeps his best Wine till all thine own be sowred then it will relish and then thou shalt have it His oyl is for thy wounds The Childe never knows so much of the Parents heart and bowels as when 't is sick or in distress then every look is love every word is pity and compassion O the soundings of Christs bowels towards his swooning children when thou knowest hatred then look to know love When thou art persecuted when thou art cast out and trodden under foot of men then will he take thee in and cherish thee 3. A more full manifestation of glory There 's not a prison into which the Saints are cast but hath a window into the palace Calvary becomes a Tabor where they have a sight of their Lord in his glory Golgotha becomes a Pisgah where they may look over Jordan into the land of promise Hast thou known little of heaven thou hast not yet been in the deep Of Stephen the first Gospel-Martyr its said Acts 7.55 He looked up stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And Chap. 6.15 All that sate in the Council saw his face as the face of an Angel Such an admirable splendor and serenity in his countenance as spake him rather an Angel then a man O what an heaven was there within that cast out such a divine lustre on his face His joy was too big for his heart his face must have its share yea his very adversaries at second hand beheld the glory of God He looked up and saw heaven opened Looking down he might see hell opened all his tormentors about him the jaws of death ready to devour and swallow him up but looking up he saw heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God O there he is for whose sake is all this My beloved my beloved is yonder Behold the region of light whither this dark tempest is wasting me his hell and his heaven meets but the light swallows up the dark Hell ceases to be hell where heaven appears to bee heaven This is the portion of suffering Saints When you read what 's written of those armies of Martyrs that have gone before of their unspeakable joys their undaunted courage their admirable boldness of their chearing their friends confounding their foes their rejoycing in their stripes singing in their stocks leaping in their chains boasting of their bonds kissing their stakes embracing the flames riding up in triumph in their chariots of fire not repenting of their Faith nor accepting of deliverance what doth this speak but that their eyes as well as their anchor are within the vail whither Christ their fore-runner is gone before them Oh who would not be with them who would fear sufferings Soul what art afraid of whither art thou running from what art thou hiding thy self what is thine ease or thy liberty or thy quiet why so loth to loose from this shore lanch forth into the deep Fear not transportation into thine house of bondage when thou art once there 't is but look up and thou art in Paradise Such are the sufferings of Christ This is the cross of the Covenant 4. In summe as that which comprehends all the rest a more manifest exhibition of Christs special presence Jer. 30.11 I am with thee to save thee Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Through fire and water thou must go we went through fire and water into a wealthy place but whither ever thou goest he will go with thee When the bush was on fire the Lord was in the bush when the three children were in the furnace the Son of God was there with them Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted he saved them by the Angel of his presence in his love and his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Though all men forsook me the Lord stood with me and strengthened me 2 Tim. 4.16,17 The Saints shall never have this to charge upon the Lord I was in prison and thou visitedst me not He is ever with them to bear their burthens and ease their shoulders to plead their cause and maintain their innocence to wash their stripes to wipe off their tears to heal their wounds to bind up their broken bones to revive their weary spirits to perfume their prisons to lighten their dungeons to lead them in their wandrings to converse with them in their solitudes to give down from above in divine smiles in illapses of spiritual joys assurances of dearest love tenderest care melting sympathie gracious acceptance to give down from above what-ever is wanting beneath In fine to preserve them
carnal pleasures and sensual delights these rose-buds rot the flowers of your gardens wither dead Flyes are in all your ointments the light of the Lord hath shined all your glories into darkness The waters of the Sanctuary have made all your waters brackish there remains no pleasure in them Hee that hath known the Lord hath more or less according to the measure of his knowledge received in the relish and sweetness of it and what hee hath received in hee sends forth before men he hath received and hee is a sweet savour As the Preachers so the Practitioners of piety are a sweet savour of Christ unto God and hand down the sweetness of God unto men They are of savoury lips and of savoury lives the savour of their graces is shed abroad in the Churches of Christ Carnal hearts send forth a stench instead of a sweet smell they are all rottenness the savour of a sepulchre is all they have Their waies stink their words stink their very breath smells of a rotten heart Yea the very best they have their pleasures stink their garments their gallantry their powders and perfumes and sweet odours stink of their proud and vain and sensual hearts But O what a sent do their ulcers and their excrements their oathes and their curses and their scoffs and their lyes send forth Sinners learn to know the Lord and this will quickly change your savour And you that know any thing of God think not that your knowledge is saving till your souls have received in and your waies do send forth the savour of his Knowledge The last of these the savour of this Knowledge the pleasure that it brings in to the soul though taken alone it is but of uncertain signification there may bee some pleasure and joy arise from the common Knowledge of God and sometimes but little taste where there is the truth of Religion But taken in conjunction with the former where is found both the power and the savour the evidence of its soundness will be more full Find all together this transforming this fructifying this savoury Knowledge and you may rest satisfied that this is the saving Knowledge of God And of this is the promise I will give them an heart to know me Oh! how much need have wee still to wait and beg for the accomplishment of this Promise how little sound Knowledge is there found among us Some are weak in Knowledge who have been long taught of God and yet are not taught of God God hath been teaching them but they have not learned of him They have had a good Master but have been ill Schollars weak men so wee call a man of low understanding a weak man Oh! how many weak Souls are there even among professing Christians who though for their time they might have been teachers of others had yet need bee taught the first Principles of the Oracles of God Some men have not knowledge of God I speak this to their shame 1 Cor. 15. Others are men of Knowledge but of weak Knowledge who know much but to little purpose their great Knowledge hath little power in them their Lusts are too strong for their Light Isa 8.11 I spake unto thee with a strong hand and instructed thee If God have spoken to these men yet his hand hath not instructed them the nail hath not been struck deep enough it dwells in the head onely it hath not reached their heart they have an eye but far enough from having an heart to know the Lord their Knowledge doth not lead them on to Religion but must serve them instead of Religion it is all the Religion they have to know what it is 't is made to serve and not suffer'd to guide and govern to serve their turns to serve their interest to serve their pride and their covetousness Their Knowledge of God makes them Devils it helps them to play the Hypocrites to bee Deceivers of others yea and of their own souls It will seek them out acceptable words put prayers into their mouths praises into their lips spirituallize their language furnish them with savoury discourses carry them plausibly through Duties wherein though God hath the Name though Souls have the Name yet are they all but sacrifices to their Lusts The Knowledge of God humbleth but this Knowledge puffeth up and lifteth up puffeth them â—p in their own and lifteth them up in others thoughts and when it hath done this it hath done them all the service they have for it to do unlesse it may bee they have some worse work for it To make rents and divisions in the Church of Christ to maintain disputes to cavel and quarrel to divide and make parties to make twenty Religions out of one till at length they make that one to bee none Whilest the Apostle saies some men have not the Knowledge of God I speak this to your shame I may say also some men have the Knowledge of God I speak this to their shame What the Knovvledge of God and no more Humility the Knowledge of God and no more Charity I speak this to your shame Have the Faith of Christ in respect of persons have the Knowledge of God in respect of Parties Know God and yet divide and scatter and confound them that are of God yea and contend and quarrel about such small differences as somtimes is seen here is God and not there with us and not with you when it may bee a little Charity would tell you for the main hee may bee with both and so much uncharitableness makes it a question whether with either The more such men pretend to the Knowledge of God the greater their shame Friends beware you bee not undone either by your Ignorance or your Knowledge Love not darkness and call not darkness light call not that the Knowledge of God which is not mis-use not that which is hast thou no Knowledge What and such a Promise before thee I will give them an heart to know mee they shall all know me What and such a Gospel before thee the work whereof is to open blinde eyes and to turn from darknesse to light open thy mouth sinner and God will open thine eyes ask and thou shalt have seek and thou shalt finde See wink not at the light that shines round about thee Love not darkness if thou love not death This is Eternal Life to know thee What then is ignorance there 's death in thine heart if there bee no light in thine eye Hast thou Knowledge bee thankful and bee humble bee not high minded but fear prize it but do not abuse it Hast thou received the Knowledge of the Truth Live under the Power of the Truth thou Knowest resign up thy self to it to its transforming Power give it leave to work and to change thee into its own Image Let this new light make thee a new man to its governing Power let it teach thee and rule thee let it teach as one that hath Authority let
and is not a foot or wing to carry him on towards him And therefore what-ever hee begs to himself 't is that he may have it for God What hee gives he gives to God whom hee forgives 't is for the Lords sake whether hee eats or drinks or works or buyes or sells or what-ever else hee does hee does it all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 For him hee prayes for him he waits for him he labours for him hee suffers for him hee lives to him hee dies To me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall bee ashamed but that with all boldness as alwayes so now also Christ may bee magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death This is the one thing hee intends this is the one thing he seeks in all take his whole course together hee can say with the Apostle This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus 3. Hee does what hee does And that 1. Not feignedly but really 2. Not faintly but heartily 1. Really Hee pursues this end in a plain and honest way He that hath this one heart hath but one way Heart and life go hand in hand he makes strait steps to his heart and his heart makes strait steps to his feet he doth 〈◊〉 and he doth also 〈◊〉 As hee looks strait on so hee walks strait on to his mark Hee doth not look one way and row another Hee is a Jacob a plain man a plain-dealing man a Nathanael in whom is no guile Hee turns his inside outwards his life is not a Cloak but a Commentary on his heart The expositours of his inward man His end is in his heart and his heart is in his face in his tongue in his duties and all his wayes He is no Politician 2 Cor. 1.12 Not in fleshly wisdom his Religion is not a blind or a device to delude the simple hee is down-right and in earnest in all hee does Hee does the same thing he seems to do his praying is praying indeed his fasting and almes are such indeed his very profession is practice he would not believe nor make others believe but that hee is what hee is Hee seeks not commendation from men but approbation with God His design is not inordinately to commend himself to the good opinion though hee would bee made manifest in the consciences of others Hee would not bee a lye or a cheat Hee abhorres all lying but most of all a religious lye He would not lye for God much less against him such a lye is as blasphemy to him Hee loves not Images hee would have a soul in all his practices A prayer without a soul a sacrifice without an heart a religious carkass is an abomination to him Hee would not make such a noble medium as Religion to serve to so base an end as the serving the flesh Hee hath other work to do than to serve times or tables then to please himself or men than to serve wills or humours or lusts hee hath a soul a conscience a God to look after he hath but one business to do but one Master to serve if hee be a Magistrate he rules for God if he bee a Minister hee preaches for God if he bee a Parent he educates for God if hee bee a Master hee governs for God to him he dedicates himself and his house hee writes on his doors this is Bethel this is none other but the house of God If he be a childe or a servant he obeyes in the Lord and for the Lord he knows he hath to do with God in all hee does when hee is dealing with men with his friends with his family in his calling in his recreations in all hee hath to do with God and hee can take comfort in nothing but what God will take pleasure in Thou hast no pleasure in iniquity Thou lovest truth in the inward parts And there 's no truth in the inward parts but when there 's truth also in the outward parts when the heart and tongue and wayes agree 'T is vain to say mine heart is good when the ways are naught A false tongue deceitful wayes will give the lye to the heart Hee cannot subsist longer than hee hath smiles from heaven Communion with God is his life his all is in God His heart dies when that fountain is stopp'd If hee cannot have clearness and boldness in the presence of God hee can no longer look himself in the face but blushes and hangs downs his head with shame Hee values not either the applause or the scorns of men so hee may have a witness of his acceptance with God O Lord dost thou regard wilt thou accept of me 't is enough Let all the world call me Thou Fool Thou Pharisee Thou Hypocrite so the Lord will say my childe 't is well 'T is falsely spoken 't is foolishly 't is weakly done 't is pride 't is singularity 't is scrupulosity thus the world cry let them alone oh my soul I will hearken what the Lord God will say if hee saies Thou hast been faithful I will hearken what conscience will say if it says well done let all else say what they please this is my rejoycing mine onely rejoycing the testimony of my conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God I had my conversation in the world 2. Heartily What-ever hee does for God he does it with a good will Hee hath cast up all his business into one and hee is intent upon it Hee works righteousness as sinners work wickedness with both hands earnestly Micah 7.3 Hee is religious in good earnest hee prayes in good earnest he hears in good earnest hee runs in good earnest the powers of his soul being all united in one chanel run more strongly his many springs falling all into one stream make a river that bears down all bayes before it The Psalmist prays Psal 86.11 Vnite mine heart to fear thy Name Unite my heart to thee and unite mine heart in it self that it may all run toward thee Unite my heart to fear and so unite my heart to love thy name unite mine heart to serve and follow and live to thee As if he should have said O my God mine heart is divided and discomposed scattered up and down I know not where my pleasures have a part my estate hath a part my friends have a part my family hath a part there 's little or none left for God I have too many things to fear too many things to love and care for too many things to serve and follow to follow the Lord with any strength or intention of mind Call in all Lord all my parts all my powers command their joynt and united
bee willing and obedient yee shall eat the good of the Land but if yee refuse and rebel yee shall bee slain with the sword the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it 3. Tenderness of the affections I shall instance onely in three viz. Love Fear Sorrow The tenderness of love is seen in its Benevolence Jealousie 1. In its benevolence Our goodness extends not to the Lord but our good will does Our love can add nothing to him can a man bee profitable to God Job 22. If thou bee righteous what givest thou to him chap. 35.7 Yet though it can adde nothing it would not that any thing be detracted from him whilest hee can have no more it would that hee should have his own all that is due his due praise his due honour and homage and worship and subjection from every creature it would have no abatement not the least spot or stain upon all his glory What 's an affront to God is an offence to love Love beareth all things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. all things from God all things from men And yet there are two things the love of God cannot bear his dishonour his displeasure 1. His dishonour Love would have God to bee God to live in the glory of his Majesty in the hearts and eyes of all the world His reproach is grievous to him that loves for this is the cloud that takes God out of sight Hee loves and honours and would that God should bee loved and honoured of all hee fears and would that the whole world should fear him Hee would receive in his own breast every arrow that 's shot against his maker hee would that his own name and soul might stand betwixt his God and all reproach and dishonour Hee would bee vile so the Lord may bee glorious so God may increase he 's content to decrease Hee 's not so tender of his own heart and bowels as of the holiness of his God Hee would suffer and die and bee nothing rather than that God should not bee all in all Hee would rather never think nor speak nor bee rather then not bee in word and thought and life holiness to the Lord. But O what or where would hee bee rather than his own hand should bee lift up against him To see the Lord robb'd of his holiness wrong'd in his wisdome or his truth or his soveraignty to see sin that devil to see the world that Idol set up in the throne and the God of glory made to stand aside as insignificant to hear that blasphemy God is not worth this lust or not worthy this labour and what is said less in every sin is a sword in his breast The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon mee Love hath tasted of God it hath fed on his fulness it hath its nourishment from his sweetness it hath been warmed in his bosom all his goodness hath passed before it upon this it lives and feeds and having found and felt what the Lord is its impatient that all this goodness should be clouded or belyed Love kindled from heaven is keen and the keen is a tender edge the least touch of what offends will turn it Lam. 1.20 I am in distress my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within mee for I have grievously rebelled Psal 42.3 My tears have been my meat continually while they daily say unto me where is thy God! Where is that care and help and that salvation of thy God thou trustedst in thy God is not such an one as thou boastedst him to bee when I remember when I hear such things my soul is poured out within mee Love is large hee that loves hath a large heart hee can never receive or do too much hee would have all hee can and he would give all hee hath to the Lord. Hee 's tender how any thing bee withheld that is due how any thing bee wasted elsewhere that might bee useful to the Lord. 2. His displeasure The displeasure of men it bears and rejoyces the wrath and rage of Sathan it bears and triumphs though all the world and hell to boot bee displeased and provoked so God smiles 't is well enough Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon mee and mine heart is glad Psal 4. Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 Let him correct mee but O not in fury let him smite but not frown let him kill mee so hee will but love mee And though hee smite though hee kill mee yet will I love and trust in him O my God let mee rather die in thy love then live in thy displeasure there 's life in that death this life is death to me Let mee not be dead whilest alive turn away thine anger which kills my heart It is impatient of divine displeasure and thence 't is grievous to it that it does displease thence it quarrels with sin and falls so foul with it self for it Is this thy kindness to thy friend lovest thou God soul what and yet provokest him thus daily love and yet neglect to seek and follow thy God love and yet so lame and so slow and so heavy and so sparing in thy services to him Is this all thy love will do not deny thine ease or thy pleasure or thy liberty or thine appetite or thy companion for the sake of the Lord chuse rather to pleasure thy friend or thy flesh than to please God Is this thy love Is this thy kindness to thy friend O false heart O unworthy unworthy spirit how canst thou look thy God in the face how canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is no more with him 2. In its Jealousie Hee that loves the Lord is jealous and Jealousie hath a tender edge hee is Jealous not of but for the Lord not of his God but of himself least any thing should steal away his heart from God Love would bee chaste would not bestow it self elsewhere and yet is in great Jealousie it may bee enticed and drawn away Hee that loves the Lord there is not any thing whether Wife or Childe or Friend or Estate or Esteem that gets near his heart but hee 's jealous of them least they steal it away Get you down keep you lower this heart is neither yours nor mine O my God 't is thine 't is thine Lord take it wholly to thee keep it to thy self let no other Lovers bee sharers with thee 2. There 's a tenderness of fear The tender heart is a trembling heart the tenderness of fear is manifested in its Suspition Caution 1. In its Suspition the fearful are suspitious they look farther then they see hee that is in dread will bee in doubt what may befall him hee suspects a surprizal every bush is a theef every bait he doubts may have an hook under There is a foolish and a causeless fear and there is a prudent and an holy fear this fear is a principle of wisdome Psal 111.10
firm belief of Scripture Revelation 3. It 's built on the highest and weightiest Reasons 4. It 's the result of the most mature and deep deliberation 1. A sincere resolution flowes from an inward rooted inclination Psal 119.112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes Our new purpose is from our new nature It is not produced by some sudden fright or sence of danger or meerly by a present force of Argument but by a Divine power working the heart to a suitableness to the will and waies of God and an habituall propension and inclination thereto Resolution for holiness without an holy inclination is a Blade without a Root as fresh and as green as it looks 't will wither and come to nothing no Ropt no Fruit nor lasting The heart is the root of action and grace is the life of the root When our Resolutions are the Blade sprouting forth of this living Root then they will abide and bring forth the Ear and an Harvest 2. A sincere resolution is bottomed on a firm Assent to the truth of Scripture Revelation A Christian resolves for godliness because he believes God that he is as he hath said the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him He is built on the Scriptures as his hopes so his purposes have the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles on which they stand Whatever Resolution hath not this Foundation is but as an house upon the Sands 3. A sincere Resolution is founded on the highest Reason Where we resolve without Reason we will quickly find a Reason to change Where we resolve we know not why we shall change we know not how soon To resolve we know not why and to resolve on we know not what will be alike unstable Though there be Reason for Religion yet Religion may be taken up without Reason Whatever Reason there be for it yet if it be not understood or considered 't is all one as if there were no Reason at all And if there seem some Reason for it yet if it be not the highest Reason when a stronger then it comes we quickly change our purpose The Reasons we have for our serving and following God are the highest of all Reasons and that whether we respect it as our duty or our happiness For 1. There 's none can lay such claim to us as God Whos 's am I Who hath made me Who hath bought me 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are his Psal 100.2,3 Serve the Lord with gladness For the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his Pasture What reason have you to serve men or to serve sin or the world Men think they have reason for it but what reason Are any of these Gods Are men your Gods Is sin or the world God Do you owe your selves to them It is he that hath made us and his we are As the Apostle concerning obedience to Parents much more may it be said here Children obey your God for this is right This is his due and your duty if any one can lay as good a claim to you let him carry you away for servants 2. There 's none can be better to us then God None can require and none can reward our obedience as he Where can you be better then with God Hee l require no more then that you serve him till you can find a better Master He that saith 't is best to serve sin and the world is a fool and hath said in his heart there is no God If God be God he is the chief yea the onely good If any thing in the world upon what account soever be thought better then the Lord that 's set up for a God in his room 3. Whomsoever we serve 't is God must pay us our Wages at last God is Judge he is the Rewarder both of the evill and the good both of those that serve him and those that serve him not If you receive the Lord he will be your reward if you serve him not he will reward you but what reward have you Those mine Enemies which will not have me to reign over them bring them and slay them before me There 's their reward Sin hath its rewards but what are they but vanity and vexation Or if they were better how long will they last But when sin hath paid the most it can Oh what a reward is there behinde that God hath to pay you This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sorrow 4. The Wages which God will give shall certainly be blessed or dreadfull according to our Obedience or Disobedience The reward that God hath to give is an eternal reward Eternal salvation to them that obey him everlasting destruction to him that serveth him not I have a soul this carkass is the least part of me there 's another world a world to come a few years is the most I have to spend in this I must abide eternally eternally in the other world How inconsiderable is it what I have here whether little or more better or worse in a short time that will come all to one But oh my eternity what 's that like to be Why t is God that must determine it and he will certainly reward every man according to his works Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them which by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life But to them that are contentious and obey not the truth tribulation and anguish c. There 's glory and shame mercy and wrath life and death set before me there 's no third state one of the two must be my lot and this is it that doth determine which If I obey I live if I disobey I die for ever Now when my resolution is founded on such Reasons as these then which none can be imagined higher and more weighty till eternity become of less regard then time and an immortall soul be set below a perishing body and when the question being put Shall I follow God or not God or the world God or my lust Speak soul give in thy Answer when this is the Answer it gives Why there 's none can lay such claim to me as God there 's none can be as good to me as God whomsoever I serve its God must be my Rewarder my everlasting blessedness or eternal ruine depends on him and must be infallibly determined according to my obedience or disobedience This is the plain case Obey and Live Obey or die for ever And therefore what can I say less or more but that I am the Lords and will be his Servant Let others chuse whom they will serve as for me O my soul serve thou the Lord. This resolution thus founded is like to stand 4. A sincere Resolution is the fruit of mature deliberation Deliberation gives Reason
its full weight makes the strength of it appear it layes all things in the Ballance it s the comparing of Reasons for and against the weighing of Arguments and Objections encouragements and discouragements casting the cost as well as the gain particularly In this deliberation there must be a considering 1. What there is in this Obedience 2. What it is attended with that may discourage 1. There must be a considering What there is in this Obedience Or otherwise we resolve upon we know not what Now there are five things in this Obedience Subjection Activity and Industry Integrity Circumspection Spirituality 1. Subjection Servants must be subject must not be at their own wills but at the will of another The heart of man naturally affects Dominion that 's the great controversie of sinners with God Who shall be Lord We are Lords we would be at least we will come no more unto thee Jer. 2.31 Obedience yields that God should be Lord yea and all others also whom he hath made Lords over us The servants of Christ must not be and yet must be the servants of men they must not serve the lusts but must be subject to their righteous Lawes and Commands God must be obeyed and Magistrates Ministers Masters Parents must be obeyed in the Lord and for the Lord yea and they must be when God will have it so the Servants of servants While they must not serve the humours of the greatest they must serve the necessities of the meanest must stoop to the lowest of Offices even to the washing of the feet of the least Disciple All this the Lord expects of them and they must be subject They must not dispute but do his will onely it must be considered that there is a double disputing the will of God There is a disputing whether that which is pretended to be the wil of God be so or no this ought to be done And there is a disputing or questioning that which is granted to be the will of God whether it be fit to be done or safe to be done Is it not better to let it alone What advantage is there in it What reason is there for it No they must not thus dispute this is Reason enough God will have it so Gods will is ever Reason and it must be our Reason It 's enough for thee to say This is that which the Lord hath commanded and I must be subject This is one thing that must be considered I will Obey but can I be Subject 2. Activity and Industry The servant of the Lord must be Active and Industrious Whom he sends into the Vineyard he sends to work and not to sleep The life of a Christian is laborious whilest others are in their beds he must be on his knees whilest others take their Pleasure he must take Pains whilest others take their times now a little and then a little he must sit at it be ever about his Masters business An active spirit is an excellent spirit and t is necessary in a Christian 1. An Active spirit is an Excellent spirit Sluggards are the refuse of the Earth But here it must be considered that there is a double Activity Naturall and Gracious 1. Natural which arises from an innate vigour and vivacity of some mens spirits There needs not industry in such to bring forth action 't is but leaving nature to its course and that will fly high enough of it self It requires more Industry to regulate and sometimes to restrain then to put forth into Action It s more labour for them to rest then to be doing 2. Gracious Which is either Natural Activity managed and improved for God turn'd into a right course running in a right Channel or a Naturally Unactive spirit raised and quickened by grace and Religious Industry This gracious this holy Activity this is the Excellency it is the extract of the spirits and life of all our Parts and graces and will go further and do more high Honour and more abundant service to God and his Gospel then is done by a thousand others An Active Sinner is by accident the worst of men How much service for the Devil will he dispatch in a little time An Active sinner is life and death met together He is all life and yet dead and the more he hath of death because so much of life like poyson in Wine he destroyes the more effectually Yet the evill is not in his Activity but in the matters wherein he is imployed the good mettal or keenes of a Weapon is its Excellency but in a mad mans hand better a wooden then an iron sword An Active Spirit is so Excellent that its pity that ever sin should have the using of it 't were well for Religion if the Devil were a Drone and had no other servants but the Sluggards of the Earth But Activity when set right is of great price in the sight of God It is of great price in the sight of God because it sets a great price upon God Slothfulness puts a slight upon God when the Scriptures have set forth the Magnalia Dei the great things and the deep things of God when the Lord Jesus is evidently set forth as crucified before our eyes as the Propitiation for sin when the preciousness of his blood the tenderness of his bowels the riches of his grace the sufficiency of his righteousness his satisfaction and pardons are all held forth in open sight when the beauties of holiness the joyes of the spirit that peace which passeth all understanding are laid forth to view when the most glorious things are spoken of the City of God Jerusalem which is above when God in his word calls to us Awake sleepers arise sluggards see what 's before you all this may be yours if you will Sloathfulness puts this slight upon all Tush all this is not worth the breaking my sleep for 't is not all worth my labour to seek after my ease and my quiet is better to me then God and all his glory We may best understand the value we put on things by the pains and the cost we are content to be at to purchase them When sinners bestow themselves so upon the world will bear such labour and travell are so constantly so indefatigably industrious in the pursuance of it and withall run such hazards and dangers for it they make it evident enough what rate they put upon it he whose time and his strength whose days and his nights yea whose soul and his hopes must all be laid out in a purchase must all go for a piece of Land or a little money or pleasure we need no other proof what a bargain he thinks this world to be I care not much for this world 't is a vanity a shadow the fashion of it passeth away I hope t is far enough off my heart how ever I am charged with greediness after it But what then mean all the expences of thy time of thy strength
may sometimes be of carnal respects that may have an influence upon the exerting and bringing them forth yet the great poise that moves the Wheels the swaying motive that brings us on is God and our respects to his will and Honour Now for this also the Lord undertakes promising not onely assistance but success sufficient grace and efficacious grace I will cause them to walk in my Statutes and they shall keep my judgments and do them I will not onely teach them my Statutes I will not onely incline their hearts to my testimonies I will not onely strengthen them for my work but I will cause them to walk in my Statutes The even shall be sure they shall keep my judgments and do them my word shall fail my promises shall be of none effect let me be accounted unfaithfull if I do not make them faithful to me CHAP. XVI Perseverance in the Covenant 8. PErseverance Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me The Perseverance of the Saints is founded on the Election of God and the immutability of his Counsel The foundation of the Lord standeth sure Rom. 8.38 Whom he did Predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This golden Chain will hold not a link of it shall be broken on whomsoever the first link Election hath taken hold it will infallibly bring him up to the last Glory God is not as man that he should repent But not to wade farther into this deep our business lyes in the Promise of God There are two sorts of Promises concerning Perseverance There are Promises To Perseverance Of Perseverance 1. The Promise of eternal life is made to Perseverance Hold out to the end and be saved Overcome and reign Be faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2,10 If thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever 1 Chron. 28.9 If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Christians beware of Apostacy beware of Presumption Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Let it not be said of you ye did run well He runs well that gives not off that sits not down on this side the goal So run that ye may obtain 2. There are Promises of Perseverance The Covenant of God is an everlasting Covenant He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Psal 111.5 There are two things in the fore-mentioned Scripture Jer. 32.40 secured to Believers which secure their Perseverance 1. God will not depart from them 2. They shall not depart from him 1. God will not depart from them I will not turn awâ—… from them God is with me but I fear I shall provoke him away I shall weary him out by my sins and drive him from me No saith the Lord I will not turn away from them to do them good I will never fail thee nor forsake thee 2. They shall not depart from him 'T is true the Lord will be with me but t is onely while I am with him if I depart he wil depart if I forsake him he will caâ—… me off for ever Here 's my great fear that I shall turn away from him there is in me an evil heart of unbelief that 's ever departing from the living God Oh this false and fickle heart I dare not trust it for a day I dare not undertake for it for an hour I doubt it will be gone ere I am aware my corruptions are strong my temptations are many every day brings its temptations and I am in great fear that by one means or other one day or other I shal fall before them and depart from the living God! No saies God fear not thou shalt not depart I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me They shall be kept by my Almighty Power through faith unto salvation My grace shall be with them and my grace shall be sufficient for them and shall preserve them to my Heavenly Kingdom And here is the Saints security The Lord God will not turn away from them nor ever suffer them to run away from him If the Promise fail then may their faith also fail It s true there may be gradual declinings and departures of the Saints from Christ for a season but total or final there shall not be They shall not be of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Though they fall they shall rise again they may turn but they shal return As Hypocrites will not stay with Christ alwaies so neither will Saints alwais stay from him And there 's a like reason of both Sinners sometimes will step aside and salute Religion and take some turnes with Christ but after a while away they must again And there is a double Reason of it 1. There 's that within them 2. There 's one without them That will fetch them back 1. There 's that within them that will fetch them back Corrupt nature the power of unmortified Lust this it that bears the sway in their hearts and however for the time the stream may be somewhat turn'd out of its course or bayd up however by the impetus of some external Motives or Arguments or the impulses of an awakened Conscience or some sudden heat of affection they are carried on after and in some fair compliance with the Lord Jesus yet when the Bay is removed when the external force is spent Conscience laid to sleep the heat of affection allaid which is often almost as soon out as in thou very natures will reduce and bring them back to their old course What is it that pulls a Stone or a lump of Clay down again that is thrown into the Ayr Why when the vis impressa by which they were forc'd up is spent their natures their innate gravities will bring them down to their place Sinners need no other weights to pull them down to this Earth then their earthly hearts 2. There 's one without them that will fetch them off Satan the god of this world whose they are and whom they serve who though he indulge them so much liberty for their Religion as is consistent with their captive state and may possibly secure them the more under his Dominion Hypocrites are often the faster to Satan for being so near to Christ the very Religion they have is but the Devils snare by which he holds them back from Religion yet lest by venturing them too farr they should be lost to him at last he that first tempted them so near to Christ Hypocrites are often beholding to the Devil for their Religion they have will quickly tempt them back again And so on the other side there are the like Reasons why Saints cannot alwaies
what I am to my self I will be to you h h Psal 34.9,10 And you shall be my People a chosen generation a Kingdom of Priest an holy Nation a peculiar Treasure unto me above all people i i Exod. 19.5.6 1 Pet. 2.9 I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I take you for mine for ever My Name shall be upon you and you shall be Pillars in the Temple of your God and shall go no more out k k Rev. 3.12 My Livery shall you wear and the stamp of my own Face shall you carry l l Ezek. 36.25,26 with Eph. 4.24 and I will make you my Witnesses and the Epistles of Christ unto the world m m Esay 24 8. 2 Cor. 3.3 and you shall be chosen Vessels to bear my Name before the sons of men And that you may see I am in earnest with you lo I make with you an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure n n 2 Sam. 23 5. and do here solemnly deliver it to you as my act and deed sealed with sacred blood o o 1 Cor. 11.25 and ratified with the Oath of a God p p Heb. 6.17 a God that cannot lie that knows no place for repentance q q Tit. 1,2 1 Lam. 15.29 Come ye blessed receive the Instrument of your salvation take the writings behold the sâ—als here are the conveyances of the Kingdom Fear not the doâ—ation is free and full See it is written in blood founded on the All-sufficient merits of your Surety r r Heb. 9.16,17,18 in whom I am well pleased Å¿ Å¿ Matth. 3.17 whose death makes this Testament unchangeable for ever so that your names can never be put out not your Inheritance alienated nor your Legacies diminished nothing may be altered nothing added nothing substracted no not for ever t t Gal. 3.15,16,17 Happy art thou O Israel Who is like unto thee O People The blessings of the Covenant are either its glorious Liberties and Immunities or its Royal Priviledges and Prerogatives u u Deut. 33.29 Onely believe and know your own blessedness Attend O my Children unto the blessings of your Father and hear and know the glorious immunities and the Royal Prerogatives that I here confirm upon you The Immunities and Liberties of the Covenant consisting in 1. Our general discharge from all our debts Here I seal you your Pardons Though your sins be as many as the sands and as mighty as the Mountains I will drown them in the deeps of my bottomless mercies w w Micah 7.19 I will be merciful to your unrighteousness I will multiply to pardon x x Heb. 8.12 where your sins have abounded my grace shall super-abound though they be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though red like crimson they shall be as wooll y y Esay 1.18 Behold I declare my self satisfied and pronounce you absolved z z Job 33.24 The price is paid your debts are cleared your Bonds are cancelled a a Esay 43.25 Coll. 2.13,14 Whatever the Law or Conscience or the Accuser hath to charge upon you here I exonerate you I discharge you I even I am he that blotteth out your transgressions for my Names sake Who shall lay any thing to your charge when I acquit you Who shall impeach or implead you when I proclaim you guiltless b b Rom. 8.33,34 Sons Daughters be of good chear your sins are forgiven you c c 1 Ioh. 2.12 Mat. 9.2 I will sprinkle your consciences and put the voice of peace into their mouths d d Ezek. 36.25 Heb. 9.14 Esay 57.19 and they shall be your Registers in which I will record your Pardon and the voyce of Guilt and Wrath and Terrour shall cease e e Heb. 10.22 Esay 27.4,5 2. Our release from the house of bondage particularly Here I sign your release from the house of Bondage f f Rom. 6.17,18 1 Cor. 7.22 Come forth ye captives come forth ye prisoners of hope for I have found a ransom g g Job 33.24 I proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound h h Esay 61.1 42.7 Behold I have broken your bonds and shook the foundations of your prisons and opened the iron gates i i Luke 4.18 By the blood of the Covenant have I sent forth the prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water k k Zech. 19.11 Arise O redeemed of the Lord put off the raiment of your captivities arise and come away From the dark and noisome prison of sin The dark and noisome prison of sin shall no longer detain you l l John 8.34,35,36 I will loose your fetters and knock off your bolts Sin shall not have dominion over you m m Rom. 6.14 I will heal your back-slidings I will subdue your iniquities n n Mic. 7.19 Jer. 3.12 I will sanctifie you wholly o o 1 Thess 5.23,24 and will put my fear in your hearts that you shall not depart from me p p Jet 32.40 Though your corruptions be strong and many yet the aids of my Spirit and cleansing vertue of my word and physick of my corrections shall so work together with your prayers and endeavours as that they shall not finally prevail against you but shall surely fall before you q q Ezek. 36.27 Eph 5.26 Esan 27.9 From the strong and stinking goal of the grave From the strong and stinking goal of the grave do I deliver you O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction r r Hos 13.14 my Beloved shall not ever see corruption Å¿ Å¿ Psal 16.10 I will change your rottenness into glory and make your dust arise and praise me t t Dan. 12.2,3 Esay 26.19 What is sown in weakness I will raise in power what is sown in corruption I will raise in incorruption what is sown a natural body I will raise a spiritual body u u 1 Cor. 15.42,43,44 This very flesh of yours this corruptible flesh shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality w w 1 Cor. 15.53 Death shall be swallowed up in victory and mortality of life x x 2 Cor. 5.4 1 Cor. 15.54 Fear not O my children Come and I will shew you the enemy that you dreaded See here lies the King of terrours like Sisera in the tent fastened to the ground with the nail struck through his temples Behold the grateful present the head of your enemy in a Charger I bequeath you your conquered adversary and make over death as your Legacy y y 1 Cor. 3.22 O death where is thy sting where now is thine armour wherein thou trustedst z z 1 Cor. 15.55 Come my people enter into your chambers a a
be your Advocate to endite your prayers and make intercession for you and shal fill your mouths with the Arguments that he knows will prevail with me n n Rom. 8.26.27 He shal be Oyl to your Wheels and Strength to your Ancles Wine to your Hearts and Marrow to your Bones and Wind to your Sails He shal witness your Adoption o o Rom. 8.16 He shal seal you up to the day of Redemption and be to you the earnest of your Inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession p p Eph. 4.30 and 13,14 2 Cor. 1.22 He giveth all things with himself both present and to come And as I give you my self so much more all things with my self q q Rom 8.32 Earth and Heaven Life and Death things present and things to come r r 1 Cor. 3.22 Things present ours Things present are yours Lo I give you Calebs blessing The upper Springs and the neather Springs I will bless you with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Å¿ Å¿ Eph. 1.3 The upper springs or blessings spiritual as Adoption Access Audience Peace Perseverance c. To you pertaineth the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the Service of God and the Promises t t Rom. 9.4 To you will I give the white Stone and the new Name u u Rev. 2.17 access into my presence w w Eph. 3.12 the acceptation of your Persons x x Eph. 1.6 the audience of your Prayers y y 1 Joh. 5.14,15 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you z z Joh. 14.27 I will undertake for your perseverance and keep you to the end and then will crown mine own gift with eternal life a a Jer. 32.40 Joh. 10 28,29 1 Pet. 1.5 Phil. 1.6 I have made you heirs of God and co-heirs with your Lord Jesus Christ and you shal inherit all things b b Ro. 8.17 Rev. 21.7 I have granted you mine Angels for your Guardians The Protection of his Angels The Courtiers of Heaven shal attend upon you they shal be all ministring spirits for your good c c Heb. 1.14 Behold I have given them charge over you upon their fidelity to look after you and as the tender Nurse to bear you in their arms and to keep you from coming to any hurt d d Psal 91.11,12 These shal be as the careful Shepherds to watch over my Flock by night and to encamp round about my Fold e e Psal 34.7 The Inspection of his Ministers My Ministers I give for your Guides f f Eph 4.11 Paul Apollos Cephas all are yours g g 1 Cor. 3.22 I am alwaies with them and they shal be alwaies with you to the end of the world h h Matt. 28 20. Eph. 4.13 You shal have Pastours after mine own heart i i Jer. 3.15 and 23.4 and this shal be my Covenant with you that my Spirit which is upon you and my words which I have put into your mouth shal not depart out of your mouth nor the mouth of your seed nor of your seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever k k Esay 59.21 The Rod of his Discipline In short All my Officers shal be for the profiting and perfecting of you l l Eph. 4.12 All mine Ordinances shal be for edifying and saving of you m m Act. 20.32 Rom. 1.16 The very severities of my house Admonitions Censures c. And the whole Discipline of my Family shal be for preventing of your infection curing of corruption procuring your salvation n n 1 Cor. 5.5,6,7 Matt. 18.15 The light of his Word My WORD have I ordained for converting your souls enlightning your eyes rejoycing your hearts cautioning you of your dangers cleansing your defilements and conforming you to mine Image o o Psal 19 7,8,9,11 Eph. 5 26. 2 Cor. 3.18 To you I commit the Oracles of God p p Rom. 3.2 Here you shal be furnished against Temptations q q Matt. 4.4,7 Eph. 6.17 hence you shal be comforted under Distresses and afflictio s. r r Psal 119 92,93 Here you shal finde my whole Counsel Å¿ Å¿ Act. 20.27 This shal instruct you in your way correct you in your wandrings direct you into the truths to be believed detect to you the errours to be rejected t t 2 Tim. 3.16 Psal 119.105 The pledges of his Sacraments My Sacraments I give you as the Pledges of my love You shal freely claim them they are childrens bread Lo I have given them as Seals to certifie all that I have here promised you u u Rom. 4.11 and when these sacred signes are delivered unto you then know and remember and consider in your hearts that I therein plight you my troth and set to my hand and do thereby ratifie and confirm every Article of these Indentures and do actually deliver into your own hands this glorious Charter with all its Immunities and Priviledges as your own for ever w w 1 Cor. 11.25 Gen. 17.10 The Nether-springs or Mercies Temporal And having sowed to you so largely in Spiritual blessings shal you not much more reap the Temporal Be you not of doubtful mind all these things shal be added unto you x x Luk. 12.29,31 The supply of his Creatures My creatures I grant for your servants and supplies y y Psal 8.3 to the end Heaven and Earth shal minister to you All the stars in their courses shal serve you and if need be shal fight for you z z Jud. 5.20 And I will make my Covenant for you with the Beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and you shall be in league with the stones of the field and all shal be at peace with you a a Job 5.23 Hos 2.18 I will undertake for all your necessities Do I feed the Fowles and clothe the grass and do you think I will neglect my children b b Matt. 6.25 to the end I hear the young Ravens when they cry shal I not much more fulfil the desires of them that fear me c c Psal 145 19. with the 147.9 Fear not you shal be sure to want no good thing d d Psal 34. ver 10. and you would not your selves desire riches pleasures or preferment to your hurt I will give meat to them that fear me I wil be ever mindful of my Covenant e e Psal 111 5. The Cooperation of his Providences My Providences shal cooperate to your good f f Rom. 8.28 The cross winds shal blow you the sooner and swifter into your Harbour Yâ—u shal be preferred when you seem most debased and then be greatest gainers when you seem to be deepest losers and most effectually promote your good when you seem most to
Å¿ Å¿ Prov. 2.3.4,5 and 8.38 Lu. 11.13 I am content to abate the rigour of the old terms t t Rom. 4.6 I shall not stand upon satisfaction u u Lu. 7.42 I have received a ransome and do onely expect your acceptance w w Rev. 22.17 1 Tim. 2.6 I shall not insist upon perfection x x 1 Joh. 1.8,9 Walk before me and be upright and sincerity shall carry the Crown y y Prov. 11.20 Gen. 17.1 Psa 97.11 Yea both the faith and obedience that I require of you are mine own gifts z z Eph. 2.8 Phil. 2.13 I require you to accept my Son by believing but I will give you an hand to take him a a Phi. 1.29 Joh. 6.65 and to submit to and obey him but I must and will guide your hands to write after him and cause you to walk in my statutes b b Ezek. 36 27. I will take you by the arms and teach you to go c c Hos 11.3,4 I will order your steps d d Psal 37. â—3,31 Yea those things will I accept of you as the conditions of Life which viewed in the strictness of my Justice would deserve eternal Death e e Eph. 3.8 with 1 Thess 3.10 Heb. 5.9 with Eccl. 7.20 Grace Grace The voice of the Redeemed AMen Hallelujah Be it to thy servants according to thy word But who are we and what is our Fathers House that thou hast brought us hitherto And now O Lord God what shal thy servant say unto thee for we are silenced with Wonder and must sit down in Astonishment for we cannot utter the least title of thy Praises What meaneth the heighth of this strange love And whence is this unto us that the Lord of Heaven and Earth should condescend to enter into Covenant with his Dust and take into his Bosom the viperous brood that have so often spit their venome in his face We are not worthy to be as the Hand-maids to wash the feet of the servants of our Lord how much less to be thy Sons and Heirs and to be made partakers of all these blessed Liberties and Priviledges which thou hast settled upon us But for thy goodness sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things Even so Father because so it seemed good in thy sight Wherefore thou art great O God for there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee Sam. 7.18 to the end And what Nation on Earth is like thy people whom God went to redeem for a people to himself and to make him a name and to do for them great things and terrible For thou hast confirmed them to thy self to be a people unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God Wonder O Heavens and be moved O Earth at this great thing Rev. 21.4 For behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Be astonished and ravished with wonder for the infinite breach is made up The Offender is received and God and man reconciled and a Covenant of peace entered and Heaven and Earth are all agreed upon the termes and have struck their hands and sealed the Indentures O happy Conclusion O blessed Conjunction Shall the stars dwell wtth the dust Or the wide distant Poles be brought to mutual embraces and cohabitation But here the distance of the termes is infinitely greater Rejoyce O Angels shout O Seraphims O all ye friends of the Bridegroom prepare an Epithalamium be ready with the Marriage song Lo here is the wonder of wonders For Jehovah hath betrothed himself for ever to his hopeless Captives and ownes the Marriage before all the world and is become one with us and we with him He hath bequeathed to us the precious things of Heaven above and the precious things of the Earth beneath with the fullness thereof and hath kept back nothing from us And now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servants and hast left us nothing to ask at thy hands but what thou hast already freely granted Onely the wâ—rd which thou hast spoken concerning thy servants establish it for ever and do as thou hast said and let thy Name be magnified for ever saying The Lord of Hosts he is the God of Israel Amen Hallelujah A SOLILOQUY Representing The Believers Triumph in Gods Covenant And the various Conflicts and glorious Conquests of Faith over Vnbelief By the same Authour CHAP. XVIII The soul taketh hold on Gods Covenant YEa Hath God said I will be a God unto thee Is it true indeed Will the Lord be mine Will he lay aside the Controversie and conclude a Peace Will he receive the Rebel to mercy and open his doors to his Prodigal I will surely go unto my Father I will take unto me words and bow my self before his Foot-stool and say Esay 56.4 O Lord I have heard thy words and do here lay hold on thy Covenant I accept the kindness of God and will adventure my self upon thy Fidelity and trust my whole happiness here and hereafter upon these thy Promises Farewel deceitful world get thee under my feet Too long have I feared thy vain threats too long have I been deluded with thy flattering Promises Canst thou promise me or deny me such things as God hath Covenanted to give me I know thou canst not and therefore I renounce thee for ever from being the Object of my Faith or Fear Nor longer will I lean to this rotten Reed no longer will I trust to this broken Idol Avoid Sathan with thy tempting Baits In vain dost thou dress the Harlot in her Paint and Bravery and tell me Matt. 4.8,9 ALL THIS WILL I GIVE THEE Canst thou shew me such a Crown such a kingdom as God hath promised to settle upon me Or that which will ballance the loss of an infinite God who here gives himself unto me Away deceitful Lusts and Pleasures get you hence I have enough in Christ and his Promises to give my soul full content These have I lodged in my heart and there is no longer room for such guests as you Never shall you have quiet entertainment more within these doors Thou God of Truth I here take thee at thy word Thou requirest but my acceptance and consent and here thou hast it Good is the word of the Lord which he hath spoken and as my Lord hath said so will thy servant do My soul catcheth hold of thy Promises These have I taken as my heritage for ever Let others carry the Preferments and Possessions of this world it shal be enough to me to be an Heir of thy Promises She maketh her boast in God O happy Soul how rich art thou What a Booty have I gotten It is all
I know thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World I do here resign my Heart to thee that madest it humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty that it is the firm resolution of my heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my resolution through thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this World rather then to turn from thee to the wayes of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity least they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous Rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most Graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck or my Soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majesty I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self body and soul for thy servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of my life The mediate terms are either principal or less principal The Principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the onely means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the onely New and Living Way by which Sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a marriage covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blinde and naked a most loathsome polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory But sith such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine Offices I renounce mine own unworthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own wisdome and do here take thee for mine onely Guide I renounce mine own will and take thy Will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me The less Principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus accepted And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the Rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdome I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke and set my Shoulder to thy Burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Onely because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation bebeseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldest discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty Power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven CHAP. XX and Last An exhortation to the Saints COme ye People beloved you that are highly favoured The Lord is with you Blessed are you amongst men and women The Likes are fallen to you in a pleasant place yea you have a goodly heritage Come and enter upon your Lot let your hearts be glad let your glory rejoyce but that your joy may be full hearken to these following counsels Make sure your interest in the Covenant Rejoyce not in that that 's none of thine Make sure all lies upon this Your life all the comforts and concernments of it both your eternal safety hereafter and your success in all the parts of your Christian course here depend on your interest in the Covenant VVhat have you if Christ be not yours and what have you in Christ if you be not in Covenant whence are your hopes either of mercy at last or of prospering in any thing at present but from the Covenant of Promise And what have you thence if your name be not in it Oh give not rest to your selves till this be put out of doubt what ever duties you perform what ever ease or hope you finde hereupon what ever transportation of affection you feel in your hearts in the midst of all enquiry But am I in Covenant How shall I know that you 'll say why make a strict and narrow enquiry whether those special graces already mentioned be wrought upon you Common mercies though even these be Covenant mercies to the Saints yet
up your hearts with all your heart grudge not that the Lord requires but bless God that he will accept of an offering this hath a comfortable signification If the Lord had meant to destroy us he would not have accepted an offering at our hands Judg. 13.23 2. A Thank-offering Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High Offer up your selves in token of yuor thankfulness to the Lord. Be ye both the Priests and the Lambs for the sacrifice Present your selves to the Lord as the accomplishments of his Covenant as the fruits of the death of your Redeemer as the Trophies of his Victory as the spoils which he hath recovered from Death and Hell making a shew of them openly that it may be seen that the promise of God is not of none effect and that Christ did not die in vain Let your Lord Jesus when he comes down into his Garden where he left his blood reap his pleasant fruits and carry up your purified Souls as the signals of his glorious atchievement Offer up your sins to the Lord these unclean beasts will be an acceptable sacrifice There 's more real honour growing up to the Lord from one mortified Saint then from ten thousand Anthems from the most seraphick tongues Offer up your duties to the Lord your obedience for a sacrifice To obey is better then sacrifice then thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Let your whole life be this sacrifice let every day be a Sabbath every duty an Eucharist every member a Cymbal sounding out the praises of God Offer up the calves of your lips unto the Lord. O let your souls be filled with wonder and your mouths with praise Whence in this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me Oh whence is this to us that the Lord our Father should come and come so near to us Oh whence is it That the Mighty God should indent and come into bond with sinful man that he who was free from all men should make himself debtor to any That the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity should dwell in Houses of Clay and pitch his Tabernacle in the Dust That he who humbleth himself to behold the Heavens should come down into the earth and after what is he come down but after a dead Dog or a Flea that he should make a league with the stones of the gâ—ound with the beasts of the field and creeping things should espouse dust and ashes and gather up vile worms into his bosome should set his heart upon shadows and adopt the refuse of the earth for Sons and Daughters to himself should raise the poor out of the dust and the beggar from the Dunghil should do such great things and should choose the foolish and the weak and the base and the contemptible and bostow on them among all the world these high honors should make them the Head and the honourable whom the world hath made the Tail the filth and the off-scouring of all things should give himself to be the portion his Son to be the ransome his kingdome to be the heritage of bankrupts prisoners and captives Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him Soul what is God that thou shouldst be yet unmindful of him How is it that the tongue of the dumb is not yet loosened that the feet of the lame do not leap as an Hart Oh what is that love whence this strange thing hath broken forth This this is the womb that bare thee hence hath thy righteousness sprung forth hence have thy dignities thy astonishing hope and joys arisen to thee this is it that yearned upon thee in thy mercy that reprived thee from death redeemed thee from darkness rescued thee as a brand out of the burning that pitied thee in thy blood washed thee from thy blood spared thee pardoned thee reconciled thee and brought thee an enemy a rebel a traitor into a Covenant of peace with the God of glory Ah contemptible dust that ever there should be such compassionate contrivements and such astonishing condescentions of the eternal Deity towards so vile a thing O love the Lord all ye his Saints O bless the Lord ye beloved ye people near unto the Lord. Alas that our hearts should be so narrow that the waters should be so shallow with us where are our eyes if we be not yet filled with wonders what hearts have we if we have not yet filled our lips with praise Open all thy springs O my soul let them flow forth in streams of love and joy let every faculty be tuned and strained to the height let heart and hands and tongue and eyes lift up their voice be astonished O heavens be moved ye strong foundations of the earth fall down ye Elders strike up ye heavenly Quires lend poor mortals your Notes to sing forth the high praises of God who rideth on the heavens and hath caused us to ride on the high places of the earth and made us sit together in hevenly places shewing forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus Awake up my Glory awake Psaltery and Harps I my self wil awake right early My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for he that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his Name Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his People who hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David who hath laid help on one who is mighty and exalted one chosen among the People and hath given him for a Covenant to them Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name who hath redeemed thy life from death and crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Salvation to our God that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and glory and honour and blessing for thou livedst and wast dead and art alive for evermore Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God for ever Hallelujah Hallelujah FINIS