away our guilt on the Cross and pleads for our Persons at the Throne of Grace That Blood which silenc'd the Curse pacifi'd Heaven and purg'd Earth is given to us for our refreshment This is the Bread sent from Heaven the true Manna The Cup is the Cup of Blessing and therefore a Cup of Goodness †1 Cor. 10.15 'T is true Bread doth not cease to be Bread nor the Wine cease to be Wine neither of them lose their Substance but both acquire a Sanctification by the relation they have to that which they represent and give a nourishment to that Faith that receives them In those God offers us a Remedy for the Sting of Sin and troubles of Conscience He gives us not the Blood of a meer Man or the Blood of an incarnate Angel but of God blessed for ever A Blood that can secure us against the wrath of Heaven and the tumults of our Consciencies A Blood that can wash away our Sins and beautifie our Souls A Blood that hath more strength than our Filth and more prevalency than our Accuser A Blood that secures us against the terrours of Death and purifies us for the Blessedness of Heaven The Goodness of God complies with our senses and condescends to our weakness He instructs us by the Eye as well as by the Ear He lets us see and taste and feel him as well as hear him He vails his Glory under Earthly Elements and informs our understanding in the Mysteries of Salvation by signs familiar to our Senses and because we cannot with our Bodily Eyes behold him in his Glory he presents him to the Eyes of our Minds in Elements to affect our understandings in the representations of his Death The Body of Christ Crucified is more visible to our Spiritual sense than the invisible Deity could be visible in his Flesh upon Earth And the Power of his Body and Blood is as well experimented in our Souls as the power of his Divinity was seen by the Jews in his miraculous actions in his Body in the World 'T is the Goodness of God to mind us frequently of the great things Christ hath purchased That as himself would not let them be out of his mind to communicate them to us so he would give us means to preserve them in our minds to adore him for them and request them of him whereby he doth evidence his own solicitousness that we should not be depriv'd by our own forgetfulness of that Grace Christ hath purchased for us It was to remember the Redeemer and shew his Death till he came * 1 Cor. 1â—â— 25 26. 1. His Goodness is seen in the end of it which is a sealing the Covenant of Grace * Amyral 〈◊〉 p. 16 â—7 The common Nature and End of Sacraments is to seal the Covenant they belong to and the truths of the Promises of it The legal Sacraments of Circumcision and the Passover sealed the legal Promises and the Covenant in the Judaical Administration of it And the Evangelical Sacraments seal the Evangelical Promises as a Ring confirms a contract of Marriage and a Seal the Articles of a Compact By the same reason Circumcision is call'd a Seal of the Righteousnâ—ss of Faith †Rom. 4.11 other Sacraments may have the same Title God doth attest that he will remain firm in his Promise and the Receiver atteâ—ts he will remain firm in his Faith In all Reciprocal Covenants there are mutual Engagements and that which serves for a Seal on the part of the one serves for a Seal also on the part of the other God obligeth himself to the performance of the Promise and Man engageth himself to the performance of his Duty The thing confirm'd by this Sacrament is the perpetuity of this Covenant in the Blood of Christ whence it is called the New Testament or Covenant in the Blood of Christ * Lâ—ke 22.20 In every repetition of it God by presenting confirms his resolution to us of sticking to this Covenant for the Merit of Christs Blood and the Receiver by eating the Body and drinking the Blood engageth himself to keep close to the Condition of Faith expecting a full Salvation and a blessed Immortality upon the Merit of the same Blood alone This Sacrament could not be called the New Testament or Covenant if it had not some relation to the Covenant and what it can be but this I do not understand The Covenant it self was confirm'd by the Death of Christ †Heb. 9.15 and thereby made unchangeable both in the Benefits to us and the Condition requir'd of us but he seals it to our sense in a Sacrament to give us strong consolation Or rather the Articles of the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Son agreed on from Eternity were accomplisht on Christs part by his Death on the Fathers part by his Resurrection Christ performed what he promsed in the one and God acknowledgeth the validity of it and performs what he had promised in the other The Covenant of Grace founded upon this Covenant of Redemption is sealed in the Sacrament God owns his standing to the terms of it as sealed by the Blood of the Mediator by presenting him to us under those Signs and gives us a right upon Faith to the enjoyment of the Fruits of it As the right of a House is made over by the delivery of the Key and the right of Land translated by the delivery of a Turf whereby he gives us assurance of his reality and a strong support to our confidence in him Not that there is any vertue and power of sealing in the Elements themselves no more than there is in a Turf to give an Infeoffment in a parcel of Land but as the power of the one is derived from the Order of the Law so the confirming power of the Sacrament is deriv'd from the Institution of God As the Oyl wherewith Kings were anointed did not of it self confer upon them that Royal Dignity but it was a sign of their investiture into Office order'd by Divine Institution We can with no reason imagine that God intended them as naked Signs or Pictures to please our Eyes with the Image of them to represent their own Figures to our Eyes but to confirm something to our understanding by the Efficacy of the Spirit accompanying them * Daille Melâ—â—g part 1. p. 153. They convey to the Believing Receiver what they represent as the great Seal of a Prince fixed to the Parchment doth the Pardon of the Rebel as well as its own Figure Christs Death and the Grace of the Covenant is not only signified but the Fruits and Merit of that Death communicated also Thus doth Divine Goodness evidence it self not only in making a Gracious Covenant with us but fixing Seals to it not to strengthen his own Obligation which stood stronger than the Foundations of Heaven and Earth upon the Credit of his Word but to strengthen our weakness and
support our security by something which might appear more formal and solemn than a bare word By this the Divine Goodness provides against our Spiritual faintings and shews us by real Signs as well as Verbal Declarations that the Covenant sealed by the Blood of Christ is unalterable and thereby would fortifie and mount our hopes to degrees in some measure suitable to the kindness of the Covenant and the dignity of the Redeemer's Blood And it 's yet a further degree of his Goodness that he hath appointed us so often to Celebrate it whereby he shews how careful he is to keep up our tottering Faith and preserve us constant in our obedience obliging himself to the performance of his Promise and obliging uâ— to the payment of our Duty 2. His Goodness is seen in the Sacrament in giving us in it an union and communion with Christ There is not only a Commemoration of Christ dying but a Communication of Christ living The Apostle strongly asserts it by way of Interrogation * 1 Cor 1â— The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ In the Cup there is a communication of the Blood of Christ a conveyance of a Right to the Merits of his Death and the Blessedness of his Life We are not less by this made one Body with Christ than we are by Baptism †1 Cor. 12.13 And put on Christ living in this as well as in Baptism * Gal. 3.27 That as his taking our infirm Flesh was a real Incarnation so the giving us his Flesh to eat is a Mystical Incarnation in Believers whereby they become one Body with him as Crucified and one Body with him as Risen For if Christ himself be receiv'd by Faith in the Word †Colos 2.6 He is no less received by Faith in the Sacrament When the Holy Ghost is said to be receiv'd the Graces or Gifts of the Holy Ghost are receiv'd So when Christ is receiv'd the Fruits of his Death are really partaked of The Israelites that eat of the Sacrifices did partake of the Altar * 1 Cor. 10.18 i. e. had a communion with the God of Israel to whom they had been Sacrificed and those that eat of the Sacrifices offer'd to Idols had a fellowship with Devils to whom those Sacrifices were offer'd Verse 20. Those that partake of the Sacraments in a due manner have a communion with that God to whom it was Sacrificed and a communion with that Body which was Sacrificed to God Not that the Substance of that Body and Blood is wrapped up in the Elements or that the Bread and Wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ but as they represent him and by vertue of the Institution are in Estimation himself his own Body and Blood by the same reason as he is call'd Christ our Passeover he may be call'd Christ our Supper †1 Cor. 5.7 For as they are so reckon'd to an unworthy Receiver as if they were the real Body and Blood of Christ because by his not discerning the Lords Body in it or making light of it as common Bread he is judged guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ guilty of treating him in as base a manner as the Jews did when they Crown'd him with Thorns * 1 Cor. 11.27.29 By the same reason they must be reckon'd to a worthy Receiver as the very Body and Blood of Christ So that as the unworthy Receiver eats and drinks Damnation the worthy Receiver eats and drinks Salvation It would be an empty Mystery and unworthy of an Institution by Divine Goodness if there were not some communion with Christ in it There would be some kind of deceit in the Precept Take Eat and Drink this is my Body and Blood a conveyance of Spiritual vital influences to our Souls For the natural End of eating and drinking is the nourishment and increase of the Body and preservation of Life by that which we eat and drink The infinite Wise gracious and true God would never give us empty Figures without accomplishing that which is signified by them and suitable to them How great is this Goodness of God he would have his Son in us one with us straitly joyn'd to us as if we were his proper Flesh and Blood In the Incarnation Divine Goodness united him to our Nature in the Sacrament it doth in a sort unite him with his purchas'd Priviledges to our Persons we have not a communion with a part or a Member of his Body or a drop of his Blood but with his whole Body and Blood represented in every part of the Elements The Angels in the Heaven enjoy not so great a priviledge They have the honour to be under him as their Head but not that of having him for their Food they behold him but they do not taste him And certainly that Goodness that hath condescended so much to our weakness would impart it to us in a very glorious manner were we capable of it But because a Man cannot behold the Light of the Sun in its full splendor by reason of the infirmities of his Eyes he must behold it by the help of a Glass and such a communication through a coloured and Opake-glass is as real from the Sun it self though not so glorious but more shrowded and obscure 'T is the same light that shines through that Medium as spreads it self gloriously in the open Air though the one be maskt and the other open-fac'd To conclude this by the way we may take notice of the neglect of this Ordinaâ—â—â— If it be a token of Divine Goodness to appoint it 't is no sign of our estimation of Divine Goodness to neglect it He that values the kindness of his friend will accept of his invitation if there be not some strong impediments in the way or so much familiarity with him that his refusal upon a light occasion would not be unkindly taken But though God put on the disposition of a Friend to us yet he looseth not the authority of a Soveraign and the humble familiarity he invites us to doth not diminish the conditiâ—n and duty of a Subject A Soveraign Prince would not take it well if a Favourite should refuse the offer'd honour of his Table The Viands of Godare not to be slighted Can we live better upon our poor pittance than upon his Dainties Did not Divine Goodness condescend in it to the weakness of our Faith and shall we conceit our Faith stronger than God thinks it If he thought fit by those Seals to make a Deed of Gift to us shall we be so unmannerly to him and such enemies to the security he offers us over and above his word as not to accept it Are we unwilling to have our Souls enflamed with love our Hearts filled with comfort and arm'd against the attempts of our Enemies 'T
This unchangeableness of Gods Will shews him as ready to accept any that come to him as ever he was so that we may with confidence make our addresses to him since he cannot change his affections to goodness The fear of change in a friend hinders a full reliance upon him An assurance of stability encourages hope and confidence This attribute is the strongest Prop for faith in all our addresses t is not a single perfection but the glory of all those that belong to his nature for he is unchangeable in his love Jer. 31.3 in his truth Psal 117.2 The more solemn Revelation of himself in this name Jehovah which signifies chiefly his Eternity and immutability was to support the Israelites faith in expectation of a deliverance from Egypt that he had not retracted his purpose and his promise made to Abraham for giving Canaan to his posterity * Exod. 3.14 15 16 17. Herein is the basis and strength of all his promises therefore saith the Psalmist those that know thy name will put their trust in thee * Psal 9.10 Those that are Spiritually acquainted with thy name Jehovah and have a true sense of it upon their hearts will put their trust in thee His goodness could not be distrusted if his unchangeableness were well apprehended and considered All distrust would fly before it as darkness before the Sun it only gets advantage of us when we are not well grounded in his name and if ever we trusted God we have the same reason to trust him for ever Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength or as t is in the Hebrew a Rock of Ages that is perpetually unchangeable We find the traces of Gods immutability in the Creatures he has by his peremptory decree set bounds to the Sea hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed * Job 38.11 Do we fear the Sea overflowing us in this Island No because of his fixt decree And is not his promise in his Word as unchangeable as his Word concerning inanimate things as good a ground to rest upon 1. The Covenant stands unchangeable Mutable Creatures break their Leagues and Covenants and snap them asunder like Sampsons Cords when they are not accommodated to their interests But an unchangeable God keeps his the Mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee nor shall the Covenant of my peace be removed * Isa 54.10 The Heaven and Earth shall sooner fall asunder and the strongest and firmest parts of the Creation crumble to dust sooner than one Iota of my Covenant shall fail It depends upon the unchangeableness of his Will and the unchangeableness of his word and therefore is called the immutability of his Counsel Heb. 6.17 T is the fruit of the everlasting purpose of God whence the Apostle links purpose and grace together * 2 Tim. 1.9 A Covenant with a Nation may be changeable because it may not be built upon the Eternal purpose of God to put his fear in the heart but with respect to the Creatures obedience Thus God chose Jerusalem as the place wherein he would dwell for ever * Psal 132.14 yet he threatens to depart from them when they had broken Covenant with him and the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the City to the Mountain on the east side * Ezek. 11.33 The Covenant of grace doth not run I will be your God if you will be my people But I will be their God and they shall be my people Hos 2.19 c. I will betroth thee to me for ever I will say thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God His everlasting purpose is to write his Laws in the hearts of the elect He puts a condition to his Covenant of Grace the condition of faith and he resolves to work that condition in the hearts of the Elect and therefore believers have two immutable pillars for their support stronger than those erected by Solomon at the porch of the Temple 1 Kings 7.21 called Jakin and Boaz to note the firmness of that building dedicated to God these are Election or the standing Counsel of God and the Covenant of grace He will not revoke the Covenant and blot the names of his elect out of the book of life 2. Perseverance is ascertained It consists not with the Majesty of God to call a person effectually to himself to day to make him sit for his Eternal love to give him faith and take away that faith to morrow his effectual call is the the fruit of his Eternal Election and that Counsel hath no other foundation but his constant and unchangeable Will a foundation that stands sure and therefore called the foundation of God and not of the Creature the foundation of God stands sure the Lord knows who are his * 2 Tim. 2.19 T is not founded upon our own natural strength it may be then subject to change as all the products of nature are The fallen Angels had Created Grace in their innocency but lost it by their fall * Turretin Ser. p. 322. Were this the foundation of the Creature it might soon be shaken since man after his revolt can ascribe nothing constant to himself but his own inconstancy But the foundation is not in the infirmity of nature but the strength of grace and of the grace of God who is immutable who wants not vertue to be able nor kindness to be willing to preserve his own foundation To what purpose doth our Saviour tell his Disciples their names were written in Heaven * Luk. 10.20 but to mark the infallible certainty of their Salvation by an opposition to those things which perish and have their names written in the Earth * Jer. 17.23 or upon the sand where they may be defaced And why should Christ order his Disciples to rejoyce that their names were written in Heaven if God were changeable to blot them out again or why should the Apostle assure us that tho God had rejected the greatest part of the Jews he had not therefore rejected his people elected according to his purpose and immutable Counsel because there are none of the elect of God but will come to Salvation For saith he the Election hath obtained it * Rom. 11.7 that is all those that are of the Election have obtained it and the others are hardned Where the Seal of Sanctification is stampt it is a testimony of Gods Election and that foundation shall stand sure The foundation of the Lord stands sure having this Seal the Lord knows who are his that is the foundation the naming the name of Christ or believing in Christ and departing from iniquity is the Seal * Cocceius As t is impossible when God calls those things that are not but that they should spring up into being and appear before
to do a dishonest action in the sight of a grave and holy man one of great reputation for Wisdom and Integrity how much more should we lift up our selves in the ways of God who is Infinite and Immense is every where and infinitely superior to man and more to be regarded We could not seriously think of his Presence but there would pass some entercourse between us we should be putting up some Petition upon the sense of our Indigence or sending up our Praises to him upon the sense of his Bounty The actual thoughts of the Presence of God is the Life and Spirit of all Religion we could not have sluggish Spirits and a careless Watch if we consider'd that his Eye is upon us all the day 3. It will quell Distractions in Worship The actual thoughts of this would establish our thoughts and pull them back when they begin to rove The mind could not boldly give God the slip if it had lively thoughts of it the consideration of this would blow off all the Froth that lies on the top of our Spirits An eye taken up with the presence of one object is not at leisure to be fill'd with another He that looks intently upon the Sun shall have nothing for a while but the Sun in his Eye Oppose to every intruding Thought the Idea of the Divine Omnipresence and put it to silence by the awe of his Majesty When the Master is present Scholars mind their Books keep their Places and run not over the Forms to play with one another The Masters Eye keeps an idle Servant to his Work that otherwise would be gazing at every Straw and prating to every Passenger How soon would the remembrance of this dash all extravagant fancies out of Countenance just as the News of the approach of a Prince would make the Courtiers bustle up themselves huddle up their vain sports and prepare themselves for a Reverent Behaviour in his sight We should not dare to give God a piece of our heart when we apprehended him present with the whole we should not dare to mock one that we knew were more inwards with us than we are with our selves and that beheld every motion of our mind as well as action of our body 2. Let us endeavour for the more special and influential Presence of God Let the Essential Presence of God be the ground of our Awe and his gracious influential Presence the Object of our Desire The Heathen thought themselves secure if they had their little petty Houshold-Gods with them in their Journeys such seem to be the Images Rachel stole from her Father Gen. 31.19 to company her Travel with their Blessings she might not at that time have cast off all respect to those Idols in the acknowledgment of which she had been Educated from her Infancy and they seem to be kept by her till God called Jacob to Bethel after the Rape of Dinah Gen. 35.4 when Jacob called for the strange Gods and hid them under the Oak The â—â—â—â—cious Presence of God we should look after in our actions as Travellers that 〈◊〉 a Charge of Money or Jewels desire to keep themselves in Company that may protect them from High-way men that would rifle them Since we have the concerns of the Eternal Happiness of our Souls upon our hands we should endeavour to have Gods Merciful and Powerful Presence with us in all our ways Psal 14 In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy Paths acknowledg him before any action by imploring acknowledg him after by rendring him the Glory acknowledg his Presence before Worship in Worship after Worship 'T is this Presence makes a kind of Heaven upon Earth causeth affliction to put off the nature of misery How much will the Presence of the Sun out-shine the Stars of lesser Comforts and fully answer the want of them The Ark of God going before us can only make all things successful It was this led the Israelites over Jordan and setled them in Canaan Without this we signify nothing tho' we live without this we cannot be distinguisht for ever from Devils his Essential Presence they have and if we have no more we shall be no better 'T is the enlivening fructifying presence of the Sun that revives the languishing Earth and this only can repair our ruin'd Soul Let it be therefore our desire That as he fills Heaven and Earth by his Essence he may fill our Understandings and Wills by his Grace that we may have another kind of Presence with us than Animals have in their brutish state or Devils in their Chains His Essential Presence maintains our Beings but his gracious Presence confers and continues a Happiness A DISCOURSE UPON Gods Knowledg Psal 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great Power his Vnderstanding is Infinite 'T IS uncertain who was the Author of this Psalm and when it was Penn'd some think after the return from the Babylonish Captivity 'T is a Psalm of Praise and is made up of matter of Praise from the beginning to the end Gods benefits to the Church his Providence over his Creatures the Essential excellency of his Nature The Psalmist doubles his Exhortation to Praise God v. 1. Praise ye the Lord sing Praise to our God to praise him from his Dominion as Lord from his Grace and Mercy as our God from the Excellency of the Duty it self 't is good 't is comely some read it comely some lovely or desirable from the various derivation of the Word Nothing doth so much delight a gracious Soul as an opportunity of Celebrating the Perfections and Goodness of the Creator The highest Duties a Creature can render to the Creator are pleasant and delight-lightful in themselves 't is comely Praise is a Duty that affects the whole Soul The Praise of God is a decent thing the Excellency of Gods nature deserves it and the Benefits of Gods grace requires it 'T is comely when done as it ought to be with the Heart as well as with the Voice a Sinner Sings ill tho' his Voice be good the Soul in it is to be elevated above Earthly things The first matter of Praise is Gods erecting and preserving his Church v. 2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem he gathers together the out-casts of Israel The Walls of demolish'd Jerusalem are now re-edified God hath brought back the Captivity of Jacob and reduced his People from their Babylonish Exile and those that were disperst into strange Regions he hath restor'd to their Habitations Or it may be Prophetick of the calling of the Gentiles and the gathering the out-casts of the Spiritual Israel that were before as without God in the World and strangers to the Covenant of Promise Let God be praised but especially for Building up his Church and gathering the Gentiles before counted as out-casts * Isaâ— 11.12 he gathers them in this World to the Faith and hereafter to Glory Obs 1. From the two first Verses observe 1.
Pet. 1.12 It was publish'd in Paradise but in such words as Adam did not fully understand It was both discover'd and clouded in the Smoke of Sacrifices It was wrapped up in a Vail under the Law but not open'd till the Death of the Redeemer It was then plainly said to the Cities of Judah Behold your God comes The whole Transaction of it between the Father and the Son which is the Spirit of the Gospel was from Eternity the Creation of the World was in order to the manifestation of it Let us not then regard the Gospel as a Novelty the consideration of it as one of Gods Cabinet Rarities should enhance our Estimation of it No Traditions of Men no Inventions of vain Wits that pretend to be wiser than God should have the same Credit with that which bears date from Eternity 8. Observe That Divine Truth is Mysterious According to the revelation of the mystery Christ manifested in the flesh The whole Scheme of Godliness is a Mystery No Man or Angel could imagine how two Natures so distant as the Divine and Human should be united how the same Person should be Criminal and Righteous how a Just God should have a Satisfaction and Sinful Man a Justification how the Sin should be punish'd and the Sinner saved None could imagine such a way of Justification as the Apostle in this Epistle declares It was a Mystery when hid under the Shadows of the Law and a Mystery to the Prophets when it sounded from their Mouths they searched it without being able to comprehend it †1 Pet. 1.10 11. If it be a Mystery 't is humbly to be submitted to Mysteries surmount Human Reason The study of the Gospel must not be with a yawning and careless frame Trades you call Mysteries are not learned sleeping and nodding Diligence is required we must be Disciples at Gods Feet As it had God for the Author so we must have God for the Teacher of it the Contrivance was his and the Illumination of our Minds must be from him As God only manifested the Gospel so he only can open our Eyes to see the Mysteries of Christ in it In Verse 26. we may observe 1. The Scriptures of the Old Testament verifie the substance of the New and the New doth evidence the Authority of the Old By the Scriptures of the Prophets made known The Old Testament credits the New and the New illustrates the Old The New Testament is a Comment upon the Prophetick part of the Old The Old shews the Promises and Predictions of God and the New shews the Performance What was foretold in the Old is fulfilled in the New the Predictions are cleared by the Events The Predictions of the Old are Divine because they are above the Reason of Man to foreknow None but an Infinite Knowledge could foretell them because none but an Infinite Wisdom could order all things for the accomplishment of them The Christian Religion hath then the surest Foundation since the Scriptures of the Prophets wherein it is foretold are of undoubted Antiquity and owned by the Jews and many Heathens which are and were the great Enemies of Christ The Old Testament is therefore to be read for the strengthning of our Faith Our Blessed Saviour himself draws the Streams of his Doctrine from the Old Testament He clears up the Promise of Eternal Life and the Doctrine of the Resurrection from the words of the Covenant I am the God of Abraham c. Mat. 22.32 And our Apostle clears up the Doctrine of Justification by Faith from Gods Covenant with Abraham Rom. 4. It must be read and it must be read as it is writ It was writ to a Gospel End it must be studied with a Gospel Spirit The Old Testament was writ to give Credit to the New when it should be manifested in the World It must be read by us to give strength to our Faith and establish us in the Doctrine of Christianity How many view it as a bare story an Almanack out of date and regard it as a dry Bone without sucking from it the Evangelical Marrow Christ is in Genesis Abrahams Seed in Davids Psalms and the Prophets the Messiah and Redeemer of the World 2. Observe the Antiquity of the Gospel Is made manifest by the Scriptures of the Prophets It was of as Ancient a date as any Prophesy The first Prophesy was nothing else but a Gospel Charter it was not made at the Incarnation of Christ but made manifest It then rose up to its Meridian lustre and sprung out of the Clouds wherewith it was before obscur'd The Gospel was preached to the Ancients by the Prophets as well as to the Gentiles by the Apostles Heb. 4.2 Vnto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them To them first to us after to them indeed more cloudy to us more clear but they as well as we were Evangeliz'd as the word signifies The Covenant of Grace was the same in the Writings of the Prophets and the Declarations of the Evangelists and Apostles Though by our Saviours Incarnation the Gospel Light was clearer and by his Ascension the Effusions of the Spirit fuller and stronger yet the Believers under the Old Testament saw Christ in the Swadling Bands of Legal Ceremonies and the Lattice of Prophetical Writings they could not else offer one Sacrifice or read one Prophesy with a Faith of the right stamp Abrahams Justifying Faith had Christ for its Object though it was not so Explicit as ours because the Manifestation was not so clear as ours 3. All Truth is to be drawn from Scripture The Apostle refers them here to the Gospel and the Prophets The Scripture is the Source of Divine Knowledge not the Traditions of Men nor Reason separate from Scripture Whosoever brings another Doctrine coyns another Christ nothing is to be added to what is written nothing detracted from it He doth not send us for Truth to the Puddles of Human Inventions to the Enthusiasms of our Brain not to the See of Rome no nor to the Instructions of Angels but the Writings of the Prophets as they clear up the Declarations of the Apostles The Church of Rome is not made here the Standard of Truth but the Scriptures of the Prophets are to be the Touch-stone to the Romans for the Trial of the Truth of the Gospel 4. How great is the Goodness of God The Borders of Grace are enlarged to the Gentiles and not hid under the Skirts of the Jews He that was so long the God of the Jews is now also manifest to be the God of the Gentiles The Gospel is now made known to all Nations according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God Not only in a way of Common Providence but Special Grace in Calling them to the Knowledge of himself and a Justification of them by Faith He hath brought Strangers to him to the Adoption of Children and lodged them under the Wings of the Covenant that were before alienated from
all affections to sin lye down in Sorrow and bewail what he hath done amiss against so tender a God Can you expect that any man that Promises you a great honour or a rich donative should demand less of you than to trust his word bear an affection to him and return him kindness Can any less be expected by a Prince than obedience from a pardoned Subject and a redeemed Captive If you have injured any man in his Body Estate Reputation would you not count it a reasonable Condition for the partaking of his Clemency and Forgiveness to express a hearty sorrow for it and a resolution not to fall into the like Crime again Such are the Conditions of the Gospel suted to the Consciences of men 5. The Wisdom of God appears in that this condition was only likely to attain the end There are but two Common Heads appointed by God Adam and Christ By one we are made a living Soul by the other a quickning Spirit By the one we are made sinners by the other we are made righteous Adam fell as a Head and all his members his whole Issue and Posterity fell with him because they proceeded from him by natural Generation But since the second Adam can not be our Head by natural Generation there must be some other way of engrafting us in him and uniting us to him as our Head which must be Moral and Spiritual this can not rationally be conceived to be by any other way than What is sutable to a reasonable Creature and therefore must be by an act of the Will Consent and Acceptance and owning the terms setled for an Admission to that Union And this is that we properly call Faith and therefore called a receiving of him John 1.12 Now this Condition of enjoying the Fruits of Redemption could not be a bare Knowledge for that is but only an act of the Understanding and doth not in itself include the act of the Will and so would have united only one Faculty to him not the whole Soul But Faith in an act both of the Understanding and Will too and principally of the Will which doth presuppose an act of the Understanding For there cannot be a Perswasion in the Will without a Proposition from the Understanding The Understanding must be convinced of the truth and goodness of a thing before the Will can be perswaded to make any motion towards it and therefore all the Promises Invitations and Proffers are suted to the Understanding and Will To the Understanding in regard of Knowledge to the Will in regard of Appetite to the Understanding as true to the Will as good To the Understanding as practical and influencing the Will 2. Nor could it be an intire Obedience That as was said before would have made the Creature have some matter of boasting and this was not sutable to the Condition he was sunk into by the fall Besides mans Nature being corrupted was rendered uncapable to obey and unable to have one thought of a due Obedience 2 Cor. 3.5 When man turned from God and upon that was turned out of Paradise his return was impossible by any strength of his own his Nature was as much corrupted as his re-entrance into Paradise was prohibited That Covenant whereby he stood in the garden required a perfection of action and intention in the observance of all the Commands of God But his Fall had crack'd his Ability to recover happiness by the terms and condition of an intire Obedience yet man being a person governable by a Law and capable of happiness by a Covenant if God would restore him and enter into a Covenant with him we must suppose it to have some Condition as all Covenants have That Condition could not be works because mans Nature was polluted Indeed had God reduced mans Body to the dust and his Soul to nothing and framed another man he might have govern'd him by a Covenant of Works But that had not been the same man that had revolted and upon his revolt was stain'd and disabled But suppose God had by any transcendent Grace wholly purified him from the stain of his former Transgression and restored to him the strength and ability he had lost might he not as easily have rebelled again And so the Condition would never have been accomplisht the Covenant never have been performed and Happiness never have been enjoyed There must be some other Condition then in the Covenant God would make for mans Security Now Faith is the most proper for receiving the Promise of Pardon of Sin Belief of those promises is the first natural reflection that a Malefactor can make upon a pardon offered him and acceptance of it is the first consequent from that beliefe Hence is Faith entitled a perswasion of and embraceing the Promises Heb 11.13 and a receiving the atonement Rom. 5.11 Thus the Wisdom of God is apparent in annexing such a Condition to the Covenant whereby man is restored as answers the end of God for his glory the State Conscience and necessity of Man and had the greatest congruity to his recovery 9. This Wisdom of God is manifest in the manner of the publishing and propagating this Doctrine of Redemption 1. In the gradual discoveries of it Flashing a great light in the face of a suddain is amazing should the Sun glare in our Eye in all its brightness on a suddain after we have been in a thick darkness it would blind us instead of comforting us So great a work as this must have several digestions God first reveals of what Seed the Redeeming Person should be the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 Then of what Nation Gen. 26.4 then of what Tribe Gen. 49.12 of the Tribe of Judah then of what Family the family of David then what works he was to do what sufferings to undergoe The first Predictions of our Saviour were obscure Adam could not well see the Redemption in the Promise for the punishment of death which succeeded in the Threatning the Promise exercised his Faith and the Obscurity and bodily Death his Humility The Promise made to Abraham was clearer than the Revelations made before yet he could not tell how to reconcile his Redemption with his Exile God supported his Faith by the Promise and exercised his Humility by making him a Pilgrim and keeping him in a perpetual dependance upon him in all his motions The Declarations to Moses are brighter than those to Abraham The delineations of Christ by David in the Psalms more illustrious than the former And all those exceeded by the Revelations made to the Prophet Isaiah and the other Prophets according as the Age did approach wherein the Redeemer was to enter into his Office God wrapt up this Gospel in a multitude of Types and Ceremonies fitted to the Infant state of the Church Gal. 4.3 An Infant State is usually affected with sensible things yet all those Ceremonies were fitted to that great end of the Gospel which he would bring forth in
admirable is it for God to speak so kindly to us through the pacifying Blood of the Covenant that silenc'd the terrours of the old and setled the tenderness of the new 2. His Goodness is seen in the Nature and Tenor of the new Covenant There are in this richer Streams of Love and Pity The language of one was die if thou Sin that of the other live if thou believest †Turreti ser p. 33. The old Covenant was founded upon the obedience of Man the new is not founded upon the inconstancy of Mans Will but the firmness of Divine Love and the valuable Merit of Christ The head of the first Covenant was Humane and mutable the head of the second is Divine and immutable The Curse due to us by the breach of the first is taken off by the indulgence of the second * Rom 8.1 We are by it snatcht from the Jaws of the Law to be wrapt up in the bosom of Grace †Rom. 6.14 For you are not under the Law but under Grace from the Curse and condemnation of the Law to the sweetness and forgiveness of Grace Christ bore the one being made a Curse for us * Gal. 3.13 that we might enjoy the sweetness of the other By this we are brought from Mount Sinai the Mount of Terrour to Mount Sion the Mount of Sacrificing the Type of the great Sacrifice †Heb. 12.18 22. That Covenant brought in Death upon one offence this Covenant offers Life after many offences * Rom. 5.16 â—7 That involved us in a Curse and this enricheth us with a Blessing The breaches of that expell'd us out of Paradise and the embracing of this admits us into Heaven This Covenant demands and admits of that Repentance whereof there was no mention in the first That demanded Obedience not Repentance upon a failure and though the exercises of it had been never so deep in the fall'n Creature nothing of the Laws severity had been remitted by any vertue of it Again the first Covenant demanded exact Righteousness but conveyed no cleansing vertue upon the contracting any filth The first demands a continuance in the Righteousness conferr'd in Creation the second imprints a gracious heart in Regeneration I will pour clean Water upon you I will put a new Spirit within you was the voice of the second Covenant not of the first Again as to Pardon Adams Covenant was to punish him not to pardon him if he fell That threatned Death upon Transgression this remits it That was an Act of Divine Soveraignty declaring the will of God this is an Act of Divine Grace passing an Act of Oblivion on the Crimes of the Creature That as it demanded no Repentance upon a failure so it promised no Mercy upon guilt That convened our Sin and condemned us for it this clears our guilt and comforts us under it The first Covenant related us to God as a Judge every transgression against it forfeited his indulgence as a Father The second delivers us from God as a condemning Judge to bring us under his Wing as an affectionate Father In the one there was a dreadful frown to scare us in the other a healing Wing to cover and relieve us Again in regard of Righteousness That demanded our performance of a Righteousness in and by our selves and our own strength This demands our acceptance of a Righteousness higher than ever the standing Angels had The Righteousness of the first Covenant was the Righteousness of a Man the Righteousness of the second is the Righteousness of a God †2 Cor. 5.21 Again in regard of that Obedience it demands it exacts not of us as a necessary condition the Perfection of Obedience but the sincerity of Obedience an uprightness in our intention not an unspottedness in our action an integrity in our aims and an industry in our compliance with Divine Precepts * Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect i. e. sincere What is hearty in our actions is accepted and what is defective is over-looked and not charg'd upon us because of the Obedience and Righteousness of our surety The first Covenant rejected all our services after Sin the services of a Person under the sentence of Death are but dead services This accepts our imperfect services after Faith in it That administred no strength to obey but supposed it This supposeth our inability to obey and confers some strength for it †Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes Again in regard of the Promises * Heb. 8.6 The old Covenant had good but the new hath better Promises of justification after guilt and sanctification after filth and glorification at last of the whole Man In the first there was provision against guilt but none for the removal of it Provision against filth but none for the cleansing of it Promise of happiness implied but not so great a one as that Life and Immortality in Heaven brought to light by the Gospel †2 Tim. 1.10 Why said to be brought to light by the Gospel because it was not only buried upon the fall of Man under the Curses of the Law but it was not so obvious to the conceptions of Man in his Innocent State Life indeed was implied to be promised upon his standing but not so glorious an immortality disclosed to be reserved for him if he stood As it is a Covenant of better Promises so a Covenant of sweeter Comforts Comforts more choice and Comforts more durable An everlasting Consolation and a good hâ—pe are the fruits of Grace i. e. the Covenant of Grace * 2 Thes 2.16 In the whole there is such a love disclosed as cannot be exprest The Apostle leaves it to every Mans mind to conceive it if he could what manner of love the Fâ—ther hath bâ—stowed upon us that we should be call'd the Sons of God †1 Joh. 3.1 It inâ—â—ates us in such a manner of the love of God as he bears to his Son the Image of his Person * John 17 2â— That the World may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me 3. This Goodness appears in the choice gift of himsâ—lf which he hath made over in this Covenant You know how it runs in Scripture I will be their God and they shall be my People †Gen. 17.7 A propriety in the Deity is made over by it As he gave the Blood of his Son to Seal the Covenant so he gave himself as the Blessing of the Covenant He is not ashamed to be called their God * Jer. 32.38 Though he be environ'd with Millions of Angels and presides over them in an unexpressible glory he is not ashamed of his condescensions to Man and to pass over himself as the propriety of his People as well as to take them to be his 'T is a diminution of the sense of the place to understand it of
God as Creator what reason was there for God to be asham'd of the Expressions of his Power Wisdom Goodness in the works of his hands but we might have reason to think there might be some ground in God to be ashamed of making himself over in a Deed of Gift to a mean Worm and a filthy Rebel this might seem a disparagement to his Majesty but God is not asham'd of a Title so mean as the God of his despis'd People A Title below those others of the Lord of Hosts glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing Wonders riding on the wings of the Wind walking in the Circuits of Heaven He is no more asham'd of this Title of being our God than he is of those other that sound more glorious He would rather have his Greatness vail to his Goodness than his Goodness be confin'd by his Majesty He is not only our God but our God as he is the God of Christ He is not asham'd to be our Propriety and Christ is not asham'd to own his People in a Partnership with him in this Propriety †Heb. 11.16 I ascend to my God and your God This of Gods being our God * John 20.17 is the quintessence of the Covenant the Soul of all the Promises In this he hath promised whatsoever is Infinite in him whatsoever is the Glory and Ornament of his Nature for our use Not a part of him or one single Perfection but the whole vigor and strength of all As he is not a God without Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Power and Infinite Goodness and Infinite Blessedness c. so he passes over in this Covenant all that which presents him as the most adorable Being to his Creatures He will be to them as Great as Wise as Powerful as Good as he is in himself And the assuring us in this Covenant to be our God imports also that he will do as much for us as we would do for our selves were we furnisht with the same Goodness Power and Wisdom In being our God he testifies 't is all one as if we had the same Perfections in our own power to employ for our use For he being possessed with them 't is as much as if we our selves were possessed with them for our own advantage according to the Rules of Wisdom and the several Conditions we pass through for his Glory but this must be taken with a relation to that Wisdom which he observes in his proceedings with us as Creatures and according to the several Conditions we pass through for his Glory Thus Gods being ours is more than if all Heaven and Earth were ours besides 'T is more than if we were fully our own and at our own dispose it makes all things that God hath ours* And therefore not only all things he hath Created †◠Cor. 3. â—2 but all thingâ— that he can Create Not only all things that he hath contrived but all things that he can contrive For in being ours his Power is ours his possible Power as well as his active Power his Power whereby he can effect more than he hath done and his Wisdom whereby he can contrive more than he hath done so that if there were need of employing his Power to Create many Worlds for our good he would not stick at it for if he did he would not be our God in the extent of his Nature as the Promise intimates What a rich Goodness and a fulness of Bounty is there in this short Expression as full as the expression of a God can make it to be intelligible to such Creatures as we are 4. This Goodness is further manifest in the Confirmation of the Covenant His Goodness did not only condescend to make it for our happiness after we had made our selves miserable but further condescended to ratifie it in the solemnest manner for our assurance to over-rule all the Despondencies unbelief could raise up in our Souls The reason why he confirmed it by an Oath was to shew the immutability of his glorious Counsel not to tie himself to keep it For his Word and Promise is in it self as immutable as his Oath They were two immutable things his Word and his Oath one as unchangable as the other but for the strength of our Consolation that it might have no reason to shake and totter * Heb. 6.17 18. He would condescend as low as was possible for a God to do for the satisfaction of the dejected Creature When the first Covenant was broken and it was impossible for Man to fulfil the terms of it and mount to Happiness thereby he makes another And as if we had reason to distrust him in the first he solemnly Ratifies it in a higher manner than he had done the other and swears by himself that he will be true to it not so much out of an Election of himself as the Object of the Oath †Heb. 6.13 Because he could not swear by a greater he swears by himself whereby the Apostle clearly intimates that Divine Goodness was raised to such a height for us that if there had been any thing else more sacred than himself or that could have punished him if he had broken it that he would have sworn by to silence any diffidence in us and confirm us in the reality of his intentions Now if it were a mighty Mark of Goodness for God to stoop to a Covenanting with us it was more for a Soveraign to bind himself so solemnly to be our Debtor in a Promise as well as he was our Soveraign in the Precept and stoop so low in it to satisfie the distrusts of that Creature that deserved for ever to lie soaking in his own ruines for not believing his bare word What absolute Prince would ever stoop so low as to Article with Rebellious Subjects whom he could in a moment set his Foot upon and crush much less countenance a causeless distrust of his Goodness by the addition of his Oath and thereby bind his own hands which were unconfin'd before and free to do what he pleased with them 5. This Goodness of God is remarkable also in the Condition of this Covenant which is Faith This was the easiest Condition in its own Nature that could be imagin'd No difficulty in it but what proceeds from the pride of Mans Nature and the obstinacy of his Will It was not impossible in it self it was not the old Condition of perfect Obedience It had been mighty Goodness to set us up again upon our old Stock and restore us to the Tenor and Condition of the Covenant of Works or to have requir'd the burdensom Ceremonies of the Law Nor is it an exact knowledge he requires of us all Mens understandings being of a different size they had not been capable of this It was the most reasonable Condition in regard of the excellency of the things proposed and the effects following upon it Nay it was necessary It had been a want of
Goodness to himself and his own Honour he had cast that off had he not insisted on this Condition of Faith it being the lowest he could condescend to with a salvo for his Glory And it was a Goodness to us 't is nothing else he requires but a willingness to accept what he hath contrived and acted for us And no Man can be happy against his will without this belief at least Man could never voluntarily have arriv'd to his Happiness The Goodness of God is evidenced in that First 'T is an easie Condition not impossible 1. It was not the Condition of the old Covenant The Condition of that was an entire Obedience to every Precept with a Mans whole strength and without any flaw or crack But the Condition of the Evangelical Covenant is a sincere though weak Faith He hath suited this Covenant to the Misery of Mans fall'n Condition He considers our weakness and that we are but Dust and therefore exacts not of us an entire but a sincere Obedience Had God sent Christ to expiate the Crime of Adam restore him to his Paradise Estate and repair in Man the ruin'd Image of Holiness and after this to have renewed the Covenant of Works for the future and settled the same Condition in exacting a compleat Obedience for the time to come Divine Goodness had been above any accusation and had deserv'd our highest admiration in the pardon of former Transgressions and giving out to us our first Stock But Divine Goodness took larger strides He had tried our first Condition and found his mutable Creature quickly to violate it Had he demanded the same now 't is likely it had met with the same issue as before in Mans disobedience and fall we should have been as Men as Adam * Hos 6.7 transgrâ—ssing the Covenant and then we must have lain groaning under our Disease and wallowing in our Blood unless Christ had come to die for the Expiation of our new Crimes for every Transgression had been a violation of that Covenant and a forfeiture of our Right to the benefits of it If we had broke it but in one tittle we had rendred our selves uncapable to fulfil it for the future that one Transgression had stood as a bar against the pleas of after Obedience But God hath wholly laid that Condition aside as to us and setled that of Faith more easie to be perform'd and to be renew'd by us 'T is infinite Grace in him that he will accept of Faith in us instead of that perfect Obedience he requir'd of us in the Covenant of Works 2. It is easie not like the burdensom Ceremonies appointed under the Law He exacts not now the legal Obedience expensive Sacrifices troublesom Purifications and Abstinencies that Yoak of Bondage †Gal. 5.1 which they were not able to bear * Acts 15.10 He treats us not as Servants or Children in their Nonage under the Elements of the World nor requires those innumerable bodily Exercises that he exacted of them He demands not 1000 of Lambs and Rivers of Oyl but he requires a sincere Confession and Repentance in order to our absolution an unfain'd Faith in order to our Blessedness and elevation to a Glorious Life He requires only that we should believe what he saith and have so good an opinion of his Goodness and Veracity as to perswade our selves of the reality of his Intentions confide in his Word and rely upon his Promise cordially embrace his Crucified Son whom he hath set forth as the means of our Happiness and have a sincere Respect to all the discoveries of his Will What can be more easie than this Though some in the days of the Apostles and others since have endeavoured to introduce a multitude of legal Burthens as if they envied God the Expressions of his Goodness or thought him guilty of too much Remissness in taking off the Yoak and treating Man too favourably 3. Nor is it a clear knowledge of every Revelation that is the Condition of this Covenant God in his kindness to Man hath made Revelations of himself but his Goodness is manifested in obliging us to believe him not fully to understand him He hath made them by sufficient Testimonies as clear to our Faith as they are incomprehensible to our Reason He hath reveal'd a Trinity of Persons in their distinct Offices in the business of Redemption without which Revelation of a Trinity we could not have a right Notion and Scheme of Redeeming Grace But since the clearness of Mens understanding is sullied by the fall and hath lost its Wings to fly up to a knowledge of such sublime things as that of the Trinity and other Mysteries of the Christian Religion God hath manifested his Goodness in not obliging us to understand them but to beleive them and hath given us reason enough to believe it to be his Revelation both from the Nature of the Revelation it self and the way and manner of propagating it which is wholly Divine exceeding all the Methods of Humane Art though he hath not extended our understandings to a capacity to know them and render a reason of every Mystery He did not require of every Israelite or of any of them that were stung by the fiery Serpents that they should understand or be able to discourse of the Nature and Qualities of that Brass of which the Serpent upon the Pole was made or by what Art that Serpent was formed or in what manner the sight of it did operate in them for their Cure it was enough that they did believe the Institution and Precept of God and that their own Cure was assured by it It was enough if they cast their Eyes upon it according to the direction The understandings of Men are of several sizes and elevations one higher than another If the Condition of this Covenant had been a greatness of knowledge the most acute Men had only enjoyed the benefits of it But it is Faith which is as easie to be performed by the ignorant and simple as by the strongest and most towring Mind 'T is that which is within the compass of every Mans understanding God did not require that every one within the Verge of the Covenant should be able to discourse of it to the reasons of Men He requir'd not that every Man should be a Philosopher or an Orator but a Believer What could be more easie than to lift up the Eye to the Brazen Serpent to be Cur'd of a fiery Sting What could be more facile than a glance which is done without any pain and in a moment 'T is a Condition may be perform'd by the weakest as well as the strongest Could those that were bitten in the most Vital part cast up their Eyes though at the last gasp they would arise to health by the expulsion of the Venom 2. As 't is Easie so 't is Reasonable Repent and Believe is that which is requir'd by Christ and the Apostles for the injoyment of
and delight in them If they be nauseous to him the indisposition of his mind is a dead Fly in those Boxes of precious Ointment Now Faith being a sincere willingness to accept of Christ and to come to God by him and Repentance being a detestation of that which made Mans separation from God 't is impossible he could be yoluntarily happy without it Man cannot attain and enjoy a true happiness without an operation of his understanding about the Object proposed and the means appointed to enjoy it There must be a knowledge of what is offer'd and of the way of it and such a knowledge as may determine the will to affect that end and embrace those means which the will can never do till the understanding be fully perswaded of the truth of the Offerer and the goodness of the Proposal it self and the conveniency of the means for the attaining of it 'T is necessary in the nature of the thing that what is reveal'd should be believ'd to be a Divine Revelation God must be judged true in the Promising Justification and Sanctification the means of happiness and if any Man desires to be Partaker of those Promises he must desire to be Sanctified and how can he desire that which is the Matter of those Promises if he wallow in his own lusts and desire to do so a thing repugnant to the Promise it self Would you have God force Man to be happy against his will Is it not very reasonable he should demand the consent of his reasonable Creature to that Blessedness he offers him The new Covenant is a Marriage Covenant * Hos 2.16 19 20. which implies a consent on our parts as well as a consent on Gods part That is no Marriage that hath not the consent of both Parties Now Faith is our actual Consent and Repentance and sincere Obedience are the Testimonies of the truth and reality of this Consent 6. Divine Goodness is eminent in his Methods of treating with Men to embrace this Covenant They are Methods of gentleness and sweetness 'T is a wooing Go dness and a bewailing Goodness His Expressions are with strong motions of affection He carrieth not on the Gospel by force of Arms He doth not solely menace Men into it as Worldly Conquerors have done He doth not as Mahomet plunder Mens Estates and wound their Bodies to imprint a Religion on their Souls He doth not erect Gibbets and kindle Faggots to scare Men to an entring into Covenant with him What Multitudes might he have raised by his power as well as others What Legions of Angels might he have Rendezvouz'd from Heaven to have beaten Men into a profession of the Gospel Nor doth he only interpose his Soveraign Authority in the Precept of Faith but useth Rational Expostulations to move Men voluntarily to comply with his Proposals †Isaiah 1.18 Come now saith the Lord let us reason together He seems to call Heaven and Earth to be judge whether he had been wanting in any reasonable ways of Goodness to overcome the perversity of the Creature * Isaiah 1.2 Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth I have nourished and brought up Children What various encouragements doth he use agreeable to the Nature of Men endeavouring to perswade them with all tenderness not to despise their own Mercies and be Enemies to their own Happiness He would allure us by his Beauty and win us by his Mercy He uses the Arms of his own Excellency and our necessity to prevail upon us and this after the highest provocations When Adam had trampl'd upon his Creating Goodness it was not crusht and when Man had cast it from him it took the higher rebound When the Rebels provocation was fresh in his mind he sought him out with a promise in his hand though Adam fled from him out of enmity as well as fear * Gen. 3. And when the Jews had outrag'd his Son whom he loved from Eternity and made the Lord of Heaven and Earth bow down his head like a Slave on the Cross yet in that place where the most horrible wickedness had been committed must the Gospel be preached The Law must go forth out of that Sion and the Apostles must not stir from thence till they had received the promise of the Spirit and publisht the Word of Grace in that ungrateful City whose Inhabitants yet swelled with indignation against the Lord of Life and the Doctrine he had preached among them †Luke 24.47 He would overlook their indignities out of tenderness to their Souls and expose the Apostles to the peril of their Lives rather than expose his Enemies to the fury of the Devil 1. How affectionately doth he invite Men What multitudes of alluring Promises and pressing Exhortations are there every where sprinkled in the Scripture and in such a passionate manner as if God were solely concern'd in our good without a glance on his own glory How tenderly doth he woe flinty hearts and express more pity to them than they do to themselves With what affection do his Bowels rise up to his Lips in his Speech in the Prophet * Acts 1.4.5 Hearken to me O my People and give ear unto me O my Nation my People my Nation Melting Expressions of a tender God solliciting a rebellious People to make their retreat to him He never emptied his hand of his Bounty nor devested his Lips of those charitable Expressions He sent Noah to move the Wicked of the old World to an embracing of his Goodness and frequent Prophets to the provoking Jews and as the World continued and grew up to a taller stature in Sin he stoops more in the manner of his Expressions Never was the World at a higher pitch of Idolatry than at the first publishing the Gospel yet when we should have expected him to be a punishing he is a beseeching God The Apostle fears not to use the Expression for the glory of Divine Goodness †Isaiah 51.4 We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us * 2 Cor. 5.20 The beseeching voice of God is in the voice of the Ministry as the voice of the Prince is in that of the Herald 'T is as if Divine Goodness did kneel down to a Sinner with wringed Hands and blubber'd Cheeks intreating him not to force him to re-assume a Tribunal of Justice in the nature of a Judge since he would treat with Man upon a Throne of Grace in the nature of a Father yea he seems to put himself into the posture of the Criminal that the offending Creature might not feel the punishment due to a Rebel 'T is not the condescension but the interest of a Traytor to creep upon his knees in Sackcloth to his Soveraign to beg his life But it is a Miraculous Goodness in the Soveraign to creep in the lowest posture to the Rebel to importune him not only for an amity to him but a love to his own life and
we can Pag. 123 124 They must not be of him in a corporeal shape Pag. 124 125 There will be in them a similitude of some corporeal thing in our Fancy Pag. 125 126 We ought to refine and spiritualize them Pag. 126 Right Conceptions of him a great help to Spiritual Worship Pag. 176 177 God Concurs to all the Action of his Creatures Pag. 529 His concurring to sinful actions no blemish to his Holiness Pag. 530 ad 533 Various Conditions of men a fruit of Divine Wisdom Pag. 356 Conditions of the Covenant v. Covenant Faith and Repentance Confession of sin men may have bad ends in it 93. Partial ones a practical denial of God's Omniscience Pag. 326 Conscience proves a Deity Pag. 33 ad 36 Fears and stings of it in all men upon the commission of sin Pag. 34 35 Though never so secret ibid. Cannot be totally shaken off Pag. 35 36 Comforts a man in well-doing Pag. 36 Necessary for the good of the world ibid. Terrified ones wish there were no God Pag. 52 53 Men naturally displeas'd with it when it contradicts the desires of self Pag. 71 72 Obey carnal self against the light of it Pag. 84 Accusations of it evidence God's Knowledge of all things Pag. 313 God and he only can speak peace to it when troubled Pag. 471 720 721 His Laws only reach it Pag. 724 725 756 757 Constancy in that which is good we should labour after and why Pag. 238 Nothing but an Infinite good can content the Soul Pag. 36 37 Vide Satisfaction and Soul Contingents all foreknown by God Vide Knowledge of God Contradictions cannot be made true by God Pag. 432 433 434 435 Yet this doth not overthrow God's Omnipotence ibid. 'T is an abuse of God's Power to endeavour to justifie them by it Pag. 483 Contrary qualities linkt together in the Creatures Pag. 22 351 Conversion carnal Self-love a great hindrance to it Pag. 82 There may be a conversion from sin which is not good Pag. 90 91 Men are Enemies to it Pag. 98 99 The necessity of it Pag. 100 The difficulty of it Pag. 101 God only can be the Author of it Pag. 102 655 The Wisdom of God appears in it in the Subjects Seasons and Manner of it Pag. 367 368 369 And his Power Pag. 467 ad 470 And his Holiness Pag. 516 And his Goodness Pag. 654 655 And his Soveraignty Pag. 730 ad 734 He could convert all Pag. 730 731 Not bound to convert any Pag. 732 733 The various means and occasions of it Pag. 747 748 Genuine Convictions would be promoted by right and strong Apprehensions of God's Holiness Pag. 552 553 Corruptions the Knowledge of God a a comfort under fears of them lurking in the heart Pag. 333 †The Power of God a comfort when they are strong and stirring Pag. 486 In God's People shall be subdued Pag. 770 The Remainders of them God orders for their good Pag. 362 ad 366 The Covenant of God with his People eternal 194. and unchangeable Pag. 234 235 God in Covenant an eternal good to his people Pag. 194 195 The Conditions of the Covenant of Grace evidence the Wisdom of God Pag. 388 Suited to mans lapsed state and Gods glory ibid. Opposite to that which was the cause of the Fall ibid. Suited to the common Sentiments and Customs of the World and Consciences of men Pag. 388 389 Only likely to attain the end ibid. Evidence Gods Holiness Pag. 515 516 The Wisdom of God made over to Believers in it Pag. 4â—5 And Power Pag. 485 And Holiness Pag. 552 †A Promise of Life implyed in the Covenant of Works Pag. 612 Why not exprest Pag. 614 615 The Goodness of God manifest in making a Covenant of Grace after Man had broken the first Pag. 629. In the naâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—oâ— of it Pag. 629 630 631 In the â—â—â—â—ice gift of himself made over â—n it Pag. 631 632 In its confirmation Pag. 632 Its Conditions easy reasonable necessary Pag. 533 534 535 536 It promises a more excellent Reward than the life in Paradise Pag. 642 643 Covetousness vide Riches and World Creation the Wisdom of God appears in it 347 ad 351. should be meditated upon 351. motives to it Pag. 417 ad 4â—0 His Power Pag. 439 ad 445 His Holiness Pag. 507 508 His Goodness Pag. 604 ad 615 Goodness the end and motive of it Pag. 592 593 Ascribed to Christ Pag. 472 ad 475 The Foundation of God's Dominion Pag. 707 708 Creatures evidence the Being of God 5 Pag. 14 ad 29 In their production Pag. 15 ad 21 In their harmony Pag. 21 ad 27 In pursuing their several ends Pag. 27 28 29 In their preservation Pag. 29 Were not and cannot be from Eternity Pag. 16 17 190 191 None of them can make themselves Pag. 17 18 19 Or the World Pag. 20 Subservient to one another Pag. 22 251 252 Regular uniform and constant in it Pag. 24 25 Are various Pag. 25 26 347 348 Have several Natures Pag. 27 All fight against the Atheist Pag. 42 God ought to be studied in them Pag. 45 All manifest something of God's perfections ibid. Setting them up as our end v. End Must not be worship'd v. Idolatry Used by man to a contrary end than God appointed Pag. 89 All are changeable Pag. 220 221 Therefore an immutable God to be preferred before them Pag. 237 Are nothing to God Pag. 264 Are all known by God Pag. 284 285 Shall be restored to their primitive end Pag. 205 206 207 644 645 Their beautiful order and situation Pag. 348 349 Are fitted for their several ends Pag. 349 350 None of them can be Omnipresent Pag. 251 252 Or Omnipotent Pag. 426 427 Or infinitely perfect Pag. 431 God could have made more than he hath Pag. 427 ad 430 Made them all more perfect than they are Pag. 430 Yet all are made in the best manner Pag. 431 The Power that is in them demonstrates a greater to be in God Pag. 436 Ordered by God as he pleases Pag. 455 The meanest of them can destroy us by God's order Pag. 491 768 Making different ranks of them doth not impeach God's Goodness Pag. 595 596 597 Cursed for the sin of man Pag. 609 643 What benefit they have by the Redemption of man Pag. 643 644 Cannot comfort us if God be angry Pag. 768 All subject to God Pag. 717 ad 721 All obey God Pag. 781 Curiosity in enquiries about God's Counsels Actions a great folly Pag. 192 193 'T is an injuring God's knowledge Pag. 323 'T is a contempt of Divine wisdom Pag. 404 Should not be employ'd about what God hath not reveal'd Pag. 414 The consideration of God's Soveraignty would check it Pag. 775 D. DAy how necessary Pag. 350 Death of Christ its value is from his Divine Nature Pag. 382 Vindicated the honour of the Law both as to precept penalty Pag. 383 Overturn'd the Devils Empire Pag. 385 He suffered to rescue us