many doubts do you who are weak believers finde answered in the Ministry of the Gospel how often hath your weak faith been raised by it and your hearts encouraged to trust and many times refreshed and revived with confidences and perswasions that indeed Christ is youâ—s and shed his blood for the remission of your sins And for the Sacrament you know that it is the seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. As a seal assures and confirms the matter contained and conveyed in a Deed so doth the Sacrament confirme and assure weak believers of all the good of the Covenant and of all the benefits purchased by the blood of Christ that Ordinance is appointed only for believers and it is appointed for this very end to strengthen their faith and to breed assurance in them of their union and communion with Christ And as for the communion of Saints I would to God that we knew it more the helps are very great therein we may freely open our hearts and the spiritual condition of them one to another and meet with such experiences and such directions resolves and satisfactions and such supports and encouragements and comforts and succours of prayers as would much conduce towards our assurance c. Fourthly Look well to your faith strengthen that and manage that well for Look to your faith that gets the first sight and hath the first news of pardon and salvation let me commend unto you three things about this 1. Take some pains to clear it out that you have faith in truth my reason for this advice is first If that were evidenced you may then certainly conclude your particular interest Secondly till it be evidenced your doubts and fears about a personal application will be still in force yea if I were sure that I had faith in truth then indeed I may conclude that Christ is mine and dyed for me but I am not suâ—e of that 2. Act your faith on Christ glorifie him so far as to venture on him alone for your pardon for your peace for your salvation you know what he is and what he hath done and suffered and you know that your hearts are given up unto him and have chosen him to be your Lord Jesus Christ well now rely on him as yours and on his blood as shed for the remission of your sins Trust him upon his Word which he hath spoken of all that believe on him that they shall not perish but have everlasting life why this is a faithful saying I will cast my self upon him whom I have believed I will trust that in his Name and by his blood God hath forgiven my sins and is reconciled to me c. You would not imagine how much this would conduce to assurance 3. Live by faith although you cannot read your pardon or peace in experience yet you may read it in the promises he that believes shall be saved whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins c. Now live awhile upon these promises give glory to them if you can live upon the truth of them you shall ere long taste the goodnesse of them Fifthly Patiently wait upon God do not quarrel with him nor limit him to this prayer nor to this time but keep on in his ways by upright walking and Patiently wait upon God humbly expect the answer and issue Psal 81. 8. I will hearken saith David what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his Saints Cant. 3. 1. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth Ver. 2. I will rise and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth Ver. 3. I said unto the watch-men Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Ver. 4. It was but a little that I passed from him but I found him whom my soul loveth Whether every one who is indeed â—â—deemed â—y Christ may know some time or other that Christ dyed for him Case 3. Whether every one who is indeed redeemed by Christ doth certainly know some time or other that Christ dyed for him in particular Or whether every one for whom Christ effectually dyed doth some time or other attain unto a certain evidence thereof in this life Answered Sol. This is a very nice question and I would warily speak unto it six things will be granted by us First That every believing person may attain unto this certain evidence there are causes and means sufficient to produce it promises faith spirit conscience c. Secondly That every believing person should attain it it is pressed upon him in the Word to strive to make it sure and to come to the assurance of faith Thirdly That God hath promised such a knowledge unto all that are his in Covenant Hosea 2. 23. I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say unto them that were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God Fourthly The Church of Christ and Believers both in the Old and in the New Testament generally have obtained unto this evidence Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63. 16. And O Lord thou art our Father see we beseech thee we are all thy people Isa 64. 8 9. Abraham Job David the Church in the Canticles my beloved is mine and I am his Paul and those Believers in Corinth they were sealed and had given unto them the earnest of the spirit in their hearts 2 Cor. 1. 12. The believing Ephesians had the like In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1. 13. and of the Thessalonians the Apostle saith that the Gospel came not in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance 1 Thes 1. 5. Fifthly There are many Believers among our selves who can say as Paul of Christ he loved me and gave himself for me Sixthly There are many weak Believers who as yet cannot certainly say thus much although they may safely say so much for the weakest faith gives an interest in Christ and therefore in his benefits Now for a direct answer to the case I conceive that every true Believer effectually Every believer doth some time or other attain unto it brought in by the Gospel to Christ doth some time or other attain unto a certain evidence that â—hrist is his and dyed for him only let me distingnish concerning this Assertion and then I will give you my reasons why I think so You must distinguish of Assurance or Evidence thus it is eitheâ— Some distinctions about it 1. Real which is so much light as indeed declares the truth of interest or relation it over-tops actual doubtings in their prevalency it turns the scale it makes a soul to know thy faith is right and Christ belongs to thee and dyed therefore for thee 2. Gradual which is like the
grace and salvation shall never part 2. The second thing which I would shew unto you about the comparison of the This Covenant is a better Covenant than that old Covenant under which the Fathers lived Covenant is this That the new Covenant of grace under which we do live is a better Covenant then that old Covenant of grace under which the Fathers lived and the people of God of old time For the managing of this mighty and intricate Point I shall deliver unto you three particulars 1. That none of the people of God in any age of the world since the fall of Adam had a Covenant of works given unto them by God for life but the Covenant which God made with them for life was a Covenant of Grace 2. Wherein that Covenant of Grace under which the people of God of old lived consents or agrees with the Covenant of Grace under which we do now live 3. The pre-eminency or betternesse of this New Covenant in a comparison with that old Covenant 1. That none of the people of God in any age of the world since the fall had a Covenant None of the people of God since the fall had a Covenant of works given them for life but a Covenant of Grace as of works given unto them by God for life but they had all of them a Covenant of Grace given unto them for life Let us if you please calculate the several Ages or times of the Church of God and then you shall clearly see the truth of what I speak 1. As soon as Adam fell God was pleased to set up the Covenant of Grace in the form of a promise for he made a promise of Christ as a Saviour and deliverer Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Here is an express Immediately upon Adams fall promise of Christ who is called the seed of the woman because he was to take our nature upon him And the work or Office of Christ is to bruse the head of the Serpent that is Jesus Christ was to conquer and destroy him and surely the conquest and destruction of of Satan imports our full deliverance from him and restoration of us into the estate of freedom and grace and happinesse The which Christ doth by having his heel bruised that is by dying and suffering for us and hereby procuring life and salvation The Apostle calls it His putting to death concerning the flesh 1 Pet 3. 18. And in this respect Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. 8. because the death of Christ by which our deliverance and salvation is wrought was published and promised from the beginning of the world Now there is no Covenant wherein Christ comes in on the behalf of sinners but that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace 2. Again pursue this from Adam to Abel and from Abel to Enoch and from From Adam to Noah Enoch to Noah it is evident they were not under a Covenant of works but of grace And I will give you one reason for it or rather the Apostle will do it for me who speaking of Abel and Enoch he doth commend the one for his more excellent sacrifice Heb. 11. 4. and the other for his pleasing of God verse 5. and both of them and Noah also for faith for he adds in verse 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God whence I argue thus That those persons who enjoyed such a faith by which their persons and services were pleasing unto God and graciously accepted of him those were not in a Covenant of works but in a Covenant of Grace Nay look on the words once more verse 4. By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous And verse 7. Noah became heir of the righteousness which is by faith verily a righteousnesse by faith is no righteousnesse in a Covenant of works but of grace It is that righteousnesse through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. 3. Let us advance one step further from Noah to Abraham where we shall hear From Noah to Abraham of the Covenant again Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant between me and thee and verse 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Here is a Covenant expresly made twixt God and Abraham but what Covenant was it Surely not a Covenant of works but a Covenant of grace And that I shall clear unto you by four particulars which I pray you well to consider and observe 1. In this Covenant you have Jesus Christ promised unto Abraham so the Apostle in Gal. 3. 16. To Abraham and his seed was the promise made he saith not to thy seeds as speaking of many but of one who is Christ 2. Abraham In relation to this Covenant is stiled a believer yea the Father of all them that believe Rom. 4. 11. And the Gospel was the means of his faith which was a justifying faith Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed 3. He received the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4. 11. 4. Moreover it is said of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that they are in the kingdom of Heaven Matth. 8. 11. And of all the Elders with Abraham that they did desire a better Country that is an heavenly Heb. 11. 16. And this also proves that neither he or they were under a Covenant of works which never brought any to Heaven but under a Covenant of Grace for by grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 5. 5. Let us go forward from Abraham to Moses and there let us consider whether the Church were under a Covenant of works or of grace That From Abraham to Moses God set up a Covenant in Moses time the Scripture doth clearly teach us Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice and keep my Covenant Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people verse 6. And ye shall be un to me a kingdom of Priests and an holy nation Exod. 34. 27. After the tenour of these words I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel Deut. 4. 13. He declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandements and he wrote them upon two tables of stone Quest Whether the Law given upon Mount Sinai were a Covenant of works Some things premised But here it is earnestly objected What was not the Law which was given upon Mont Sinai a Covenant of works what was it else but a plain
THE BOWELS OF Tender Mercy SEALED IN THE Everlasting Covenant WHEREIN Is set forth the Nature Conditions and Excellencies of it and how a Sinner should do to enter into it and the danger of refusing this COVENANT-RELATION ALSO THE Treasures of Grace Blessings Comforts Promises and Priviledges that are comprized in the Covenant of Gods Free and Rich Mercy made in JESUS CHRIST with BELIEVERS By that Faithful and Reverend Divine Mr Obadiah Sedgwick B. D. late Minister of the Gospel in Covent-Garden London Perfected and intended for the Press therefore corrected and lately revised by himself and published by his own Manuscript allowed by himself in his life-time by those whom he intrusted with this work for that purpose LONDON Printed By Edward Mottershed for Adoniram Byfield and are to be sold by Joseph Cranford at the Sign of the Castle and Lyon in St. Pauls Church-yard 1661. To the Reader Good Reader HAD not the Reverend Author of this Book requested our Attestation unto all the Pieces which after his death should be printed in his Name there would not have been any need to preface this Treatise with an Epistle The Title Page suggesting the subject matter of the ensuing Discourse may be sufficient to encourage the real self-studying Christian to peruse it especially such who have been experimentally acquainted with the many practical Pieces which have been heretofore sent unto the Press from the same hand The Bowels of Tender Mercy sealed in the Everlasting Covenant How full of sweetness is this one short Sentence Every word hath its weight and worth When aged dying David upon the Review of his own Condition and Relations had mentioned the Everlasting Covenant made with himself ordered in all things and sure He addeth This is all my salvation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23. 5. Who knoweth all the Treasures of Grace and Comforts which are comprized in the Covenant of Gods free and rich Mercy made in Jesus Christ Is there any spiritual want which may not be supplied or any soul-discouragement which may not be conquered yea or any concernment wherein the humble believing Christian may not be much advantaged by the improvement of this Covenant thus grounded and thus confirmed As nothing is so sweet as Gods tender mercy unto a sin-sick soul so there can be no such confirmation unto feeble faith as the unchangeable engagements of the Almighty through Jesus Christ Therefore prize with thanks and improve with diligence this and such-like holy helps which Divine Providence putteth into thine hand By so doing thou shalt glorifie the Everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ and advance the power of Godliness with peace and joy in thine own heart through him in whom we are Thy Friends and Servants Humphrey Chambers D. D. Edmund Calamy Simeon Ash Adoniram Byfield THE BOWELS OF TENDER MERCY Sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant The First Part. CHAP. I. Isaiah 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David 〈…〉 In the words you 〈…〉 1. The matter of the 〈…〉 with you 2. The Amplification of that Covenant or if you please the qualification of that Covenant An everlasting Covenant The sure mercies of David You see the words give me occasion to speak of the great mystery of godlinesse wrapt up in the Everlasting Covenant the nature whereof I shall especially apply my self to open to you This Proposition or Doctrine lies clear and full in the Text. Doct. That theris a Covenant which God makes between himself and all who believe in Christ I will make a Covenant with you For the explication of this I shall speak There is a Covenant betwixt God and believers Of a Covenant in general 1. Of a Covenant in general 2. In special 1. Of a Covenant in general where I will shew you First What it is Secondly That there is a Covenant betwixt God and Believers Thirdly Why God makes such a Covenant with them SECT I. Quest 1. WHat A Covenant is What it is Answ 1. A Covenant in General is a compact or mutual Described agreement betwixt parties in which they binde each other to the performance of what they do by agreement promise to each other Conference and conference proposals and proposals offers and offers arguings and arguings simply do not constitute a Covenant Things may be propounded and yet rejected Nor doth the liking of what is propounded do it Approbation and consent of one party no nor yet his obligation can formally make up a Covenant but there must be actus mutuus a mutual consent a mutual promise a mutual agreement a mutual engagement or obligation and this makes up a Covenant as to the substance of it As to the Covenant of Marriage it is not speaking nor liking not promise by one party but the liking and consent and promise must be mutual else it makes not up the Covenant of Marriage so it is in this 2. Covenants are either Covenants are Sinful 1. Sinful They have made a Covenant with death and hell Isa 28. 18. How do they make a Covenant together They engage themselves in the service of sin and expect to be as secure from death and hell as if they had made a formal Covenant and Agreement with them 2. Civil Which are the binding arguments betwixt man and man in matters Civil of a worldly consideration for goods wares lands peace or the like as the Covenant betwixt Abraham and Abimilech and betwixt Ahab and Benhadad c. 3. Sacred As the Covenant betwixt God and man Sacred Betwixt God and man It is observable that there was no state in which man was at any time but God made a Covenant with him as soone as he was created and as soone as he fell God made a Covenant with him And Gods Covenant with man I speak only in the general doth consist in a In what it consists free promise on Gods part with a stipulation of duty on mans part There is a Susception on Gods part and an engagement on mans part God promiseth some good and man promiseth obedience Their concurrence in these or their obliging Agreement in these make up the Covenant God promiseth life and all good to man and man promiseth all obedience to God God promiseth what he pleaseth and requireth what he pleaseth and man promiseth unto God what God requireth And here by the way note that in every Covenant betwixt God and man the whole draught of it depends upon the Soveraigne will and pleasure of God who proposeth what rewards he pleaseth and imposeth what termes he pleaseth and draws up the Covenant in what termes he pleaseth And the reason hereof lies in the absolute power and authority of God over man who is infinitely inferiour to God and wholly subordinate to him and therefore man may not indent with him by proposing Articles of Agreement but he must accept what the Lord is pleased to propose either by way of duty
betwixt God and his people 2. Neverthelesse though there be such a Covenant betwixt God the Father Yet there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people Proved and his Son Jesus Christ yet there is a Covenant made betwixt God and his people The places above mentioned do expresly prove it when God saith I will be their God and they shall be my people I will marry you unto my self and I will bring you into the bond of my Covenant 〈◊〉 20. 37. and we are said to enter into Covenant with the Lord Deut. 29. 12. These expressions plainly prove a Covenant betwixt God and us And truly unanswerable Arguments evince this Truth 1. Christ is said to be the Mediatour of this Covenant Heb. 9. 15. Now he could not be the Mediatour of this Covenant betwixt God and himself but of the Covenant Because Christ is the Mediatour of it betwixt God and us 2. To whom the seales of the Covenant are given with them is the Covenant made the seales of the Covenant and the Covenant go to the same persons The seals of the Covenant are given unto his people but the seales of the Covenant are for and to believers Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. 3. How can we plead the Covenant betwixt God and us if there were no such Gods people plead this Covenant Covenant Remember thy Covenant Oh how can God be said to remember his Covenant and to do us good for and according to his Covenant with us if there were not a Covenant betwixt God and us Lastly How is God said to be faithful in Covenant with us and how are we God is faithful in his Covenant with us and we are faithful with God Gal. 3. 16. opened and cleared said to be faithful in Covenant with God and why are we exhorted to be so and how can there be such a sinne as breach of Covenant for which God will be avenged if there were no Covenant betwixt God and us 3. The place mentioned in Gal. 3. 16. doth not contradict this truth where it is said The promises are made to Abraham and to his seed not seeds as speaking of many but seed as of one and to thy seed which is Christ This place surely will not carry it out that there is no Covenant with us but with Christ For 1. How do you read in this place of Promises made to Abraham the promises were made to Abraham if there were no promises but to Christ or how can the promises be made only to Christ and yet to Abraham 2. The promises were made to Abraham and then to his seed which is Christ if Christ here should be understood personally the order here mentioned could not hold for then Christ should come to claim the promises in Abrahams right and not Abraham in his 3. By Christ in this place is not meant Christ personally but Christ mystically considered the Church of Christ the company of believers and those are the seed of Abraham who is stiled The father of the faithful And truly I know not why men do so wrest this Text which the Apostle only mentions to prove that all that are justified are justified not by works but by faith forasmuch as the promise of Grace to this purpose was made to Abraham and his seed to all Believers as ver 29. If ye be Christs then are you Abrahams seed and Heirs according to the Promise SECT III. 4. BEfore I passe from the general consideration of a Covenant made betwixt Why God makes a Covenant betwixt himself and his people To put an honour upon his people Dut. 26 18 19. God and us it may be demanded why the Lord is pleased to make a Covenant betwixt himself and his people The causes thereof amongst many others may be these 1. To put an honour upon his people Some do derive the word Berith which signifies the Covenant from a root which signifies to purifie and to separate and to select and verily the Lord when he makes a Covenant with any he doth separate them from others looks on them takes them and ownes them for his peculiar people and agrees with them as the chosen and choycest of all others The first staffe in Zach. 11. 10. is called beauty and this was the Covenant And indeed it is a high honour to be in Covenant with God there is a fourfould honour to us in this 1. One in that God in this becomes ours and we are made nigh unto him A fourfold honour in this 2. A second in that God is ours and we his in a very peculiar way of relation 3. In that God in Covenant opens his love and all his treasures to us tells us of his special grace and love and great intentions of good to us 4. In that he obligeth himself to us in his faithfulnesse to performe all his Covenant In all this there is a great favour done unto and a great honour put upon us Hence when the Lord told Abraham that he would make a Covenant with him Abraham fell upon his face Gen. 17. 2 3. he was amazed at so great a love and honour and why It is a special favour for God to make a Covenant with us hence that of David Who am I O Lord c. 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. That we might know what to expect from God and upon what termes for the That we might know what to expect from God Covenant as it is a Declaration of all the good which God will bestow upon us so it is also a Rule or Direction what we are to be and to do here you may see all that we need and all that God requires 3. That we might be encouraged in our whole course of obedience there being sufficiency promised and security enough given by God in this Covenant for all To encourage us in obedience good unto all such who are faithful in Covenant with him Walk before me and be thou perfect and I will be a God al-sufficient unto thee Gen. 17. 1. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant Psal 25. 10. 4. That we might be bound fast unto himself the Covenant binds fast on both parts God binds himself to us and we also are bound by it to him Jer. 13. 11. To bind us fast to God As the girdle cleaveth to the loynes of a man so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah saith the Lord that they might be unto me for a people and for a name and for a praise and for a glory Thus you have heard in the general what a Covenant is and that there is such a Covenant betwixt God and believers and Reasons also in the General why God makes a Covenant with them CHAP. II. Of the Covenant in special I Shall now descend to something
more special to shew unto you what that Covenant is which God makes between himself and his people There are who do distinguish of a twofold Covenant 1. There is Foedus absolutum which is such a promise of God as takes in no stipulation or condition at all that There is an absolute Covenāt runnes altogether upon absolute termes such a Covenant was that which God made with Noah that he would never drown the world any more Gen. 9. 11. and such a kind of Covenant is that when God promiseth to give faith and perseverance unto his elect Heb. 8. 10 c. Both these Covenants are absolute and without any condition there is nothing in them but what is folded up in the promises themselves 2. Foedus Hypotheticum which is a gracious promise on Gods part with an obligation to duty on our part for although it be natural to God to recompence And an Hypothetical Covenant any good as it is to punish any evil And although man doth owe unto God whatsoever God covenanteth with him for yet it so pleaseth his Divine Will thus to deale with us that in binding of us to duty unto himself he binds himself in reward unto us and promiseth such and such a recompence upon the condition of such and such a performance Now this kind of Covenant is twofold The Covenant is either The Covenant of nature 1. Foedus Naturae as some stile it or Foedus operum the Covenant of works as we usually call it the Apostle calls it the Law of works Rom. 3. 27. This is the Covenant which God made with man in the state of innocency before the fall wherein God promised unto man life and happinesse upon condition of perfect and personal obedience and it is summed up by the Apostle Gal. 3. 12. Do this and live God having created man upright after his own Image and so having furnished him with all abilities sufficient for obedience thereupon he made a Covenant with him for life upon the condition of obedience I say he made such a Covenant with Adam as a publick person and as he promised life to him and his posterity in case of obedience so he threatened death and a curse unto him and his posterity in case of disobedience In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 17. Cursedis every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. 2. Faedus Gratiae the Covenant of Grace the Apostle calls it the law of faith Or the Covenant of grace Rom. 3. 27. and it is especially expressed thus He that believes shall be saved Mark 16. 16. The just shall live by faith Gal. 3. 11. This is that Covenant of which the Text speaks and of which by Gods assistance This is stiled I intend to discourse This Covenant which is sometimes stiled the Covenant of life life is restored The Covenant of life and life is promised and life is setled by the Covenant no life for a sinner out of it And sometimes it is stiled a Covenant of peace Numb 25. 12. Behold I give Covenant of peace unto him my Covenant of Peace Peace is the comprehension of all blessings and prosperity our good is in this good Covenant of grace and all peace flowes out of it peace with God and peace of cosncience And sometimes it is called a Covenant of salt Num. 18. 19. 2 Chron. 13. 5. A A Covenant of salt firm sure uncorruptible Covenant which lasts for ever Sometimes it is stiled the promise Psal 105. 42. He remembred his holy promise The promise and Abraham his servant It is called the promise by way of eminency it is made up altogether of promises all on Gods part which he will do is under promise and all on our part which we are to do is likewise under promise Sometimes it is called the mercy and the truth Mic. 7. 20. Thou wilt perform The mercy and the truth the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham The Covenant is called mercy because mercy only drew this Covenant It was meer mercy which moved God to make new bonds with us yea all mercy is wrapped up in it And it is called Truth because the Lord God who makes this Covenant will certainly and truly performe all that good and mercy which in it he makes over unto his people Hence also it is called the oath Luke 2. 73. The oath which he sware unto The Oath our father Abraham You do not read of Gods Oath in the Covenant of works that Covenant wanted a Mediatour and was not sealed with an oath but in this Covenant of grace there is the oath of God to declare unto us and to confirm us as touching the immutability of his will and purpose for the accomplishment of all that good mentioned in this Covenant And it is called a Testament and a new Testament Matth. 26. 28. My A Testament and New Testament blood of the New Testament Heb. 9. 15. He is the Mediatour of the New Testament A Testament is Testatio mentis that which we commonly call a mans Will about the bestowing of his estate amongst his children c. The new Covenant is called a Testament because it is ratified and confirmed by the death of the Testator and because it is as it were his last Will written down There are precious Legacies bestowed and setled by God the Father in this Covenant upon all his children and all of them are confirmed and ratified to them by the death of Christ This Covenant of grace thus gloriously set out in the Scripture wherein God proclaimes all his goodnesse to us which is the foundation of all our lives and comforts hopes and happinesse which is the foundation of all godlinesse and holy walking which is a sure and our only anchor I am now in a more distinct way to discourse of In the handling whereof I shall confine my self to these six particulars 1. The differences of this Covenant of grace from the Covenant of works 2. The proper nature of this Covenant in the absolute consideration of it 3. The adjuncts and properties of this Covenant 4. The condition of the Covenant of grace 5. The Mediatour of this Covenant 6. The special gifts and legacies that are bequeathed in this Testament CHAP. III. Differences of the Covenant of grace from the Covenant of works THe differences of this Covenant of grace from that Covenant of works Although there are some things wherein both these Covenants agree As 1. In the general end which is the Seven things in which they agree glory of God 2. In the persons contracting and covenanting which are God and man 3. In the intrinsecal forme there is a condition and restipulation in both 4. In some things promised in them both and required as to the matter of them in both 5. In the Authour God is the Authour of
them both 6. In the forme of inscription as in that the Law of works was written in the heart of Adam so in this the Law of grace is written in the heart of every one confederated 7. In the unchangeablenesse both of the one and of the other both of them are immutable Although that Covenant of works as it is a Covenant for life ceaseth unto believers yet it stands in force upon and against all unbelievers I say notwithstanding all these general concordancies correspondencies and agreements between them they do yet differ in nine particulars which I Nine things in which they differ shall the rather mention that you may understand the infinite goodnesse of God in making this Covenant of grace and his infinite mercy in it and your own happinesse by it if any of you be brought into the Covenant And also to affect your hearts that you may press the more after a personal interest therein Thus then the Covenant of works and of grace do differ 1. In their special end The end which God aimed at in the Covenant of works was the declaration and magnifying of his justice and his end in making In their special end the Covenant of grace is the declaration and magnifying of his mercy In the Covenant of works it is Do this and live if you sinne you dye for it Here is no place for Repentance no place for mercy In the Covenant of works when Adam had sinned there was no commission of enquiry whether he repented or not of what he had done the enquiry was only of the fact What hast thou done Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said unto thee Thou shalt not eat and being found guilty death and curse are pronounced against him Gen. 3. 11 19. Thus it is in the Covenant of works The soul that sinnes shall die 〈◊〉 18. 4. In this God reveals his wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men Rom. 1. 18. And thus he makes his power and justice known in that Covenant But in the Covenant of grace his intention and purpose is to glorifie his mercy to proclaim his glory The Lord The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 6 7. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes c. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8. 10 12. In this Covenant there is place for repentance and mercy for the penitent Repent that your sinnes may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. He that forsakes his sins shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. So that as to the Covenant of works you must be altogether perfect and alwayes so if you sinne at all you are cast and condemned But as to the Covenant of grace the sinner being penitent is received to mercy and spared This is one great difference betwixt the Covenant of Works and of Grace 2. In the condition of man with whom God doth Covenant The Covenant In the condition of man with whom God doth Covenant of works was made with man as perfect upright innocent and then sinlesse and therefore it is called by some Pactum Amicitiae a Covenant of friendship because before the fall there was nothing of variance or enmity betwixt God and man that estate was an estate of love and kindnesse and friendship God was Adams friend and Adam was a friend to God they agreed together and conversed as loving friends But the Covenant of grace was made with man as breaking friendship as fallen off by sinne as under the estate of emnity when his sinnes had separated betwixt him and his God and therefore this Covenant is called Pactum Reconciliationis a Covenant of Reconciliation an agreement made betwixt parties who had fallen out The Lord was pleased to look after man again and to take pity on him and to propose new Articles of life unto him 3. In their foundations The Covenant of works as to our part was founded In their foundations upon the strength of that righteous nature which God gave unto Adam and in him unto us so that his standing was upon his own bottome upon the sufficiency of his own power and will with which he was created But the foundation of the Covenant of grace is Jesus Christ not our own strength but the strength of Christ who is the Rock the Corner-stone the foundation-stone upon which you are built And this is one reason why Adam fell and lost that life promised in the Covenant of works and why such as are brought into the Covenant of grace fall not so as to lose that blessed life promised unto them Adam had more inherent strength of grace than we have he at his first creation was without all sinne yet he being left to the strength of his own will willingly brake with God willingly transgressed and lost all But we though weaker in our selves than he yet being brought into this Covenant of grace though we meet with as great temptations as he yet fall not as he did because the foundation of our strength is greater than his Jesus Christ holds us in his own hands Joh. 10. 28. And we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. 4. The Covenant of works was made without a Mediatour There was no The one made without a Mediatour dayes-man betwixt God and man none to stand between them There was none and needed none because there was no difference then betwixt God and man Man was then righteous perfectly righteous A Mediatour is a third person betwixt two different parties to make up the breach which ariseth betwixt them but when the Covenant of works was made betwixt God and man all was righteousnesse and therefore all was peace there was no use of a Mediatour to bring them into peace and set them at one who were hitherto in perfect love and union But in the Covenant of grace there is a Mediatour The other with a Mediatour Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant Heb. 12. 24. Man being fallen there is now a necessity of a Mediatour to satisfie Gods Justice to destroy enmity to make peace to bring us neare to God again and to gain us confidence and acceptance with God The Covenant of grace could not have been drawn up without a Mediatour God would never have treated with sinners but by a Mediatour who should satisfie him for the wrong and injury done unto him and who should set mercy as it were at liberty to showr and fall down on sinful man and who should undertake to see all Articles performed Objection It may be objected that the Law given at Mount Sinai was a Covenant of works and yet that was delivered by the hand of a Mediatour Gal. 3. 19. Sol. I shall say no more to this at present but that the
Law given on Mount Sinai though materially it respected works yet formally and intentionally it was not then given and established as a Covenant of works by which we should be justified and live this I shall afterwards make evident and therefore shall say no more unto it at the present 5. The Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace do differ in the condition In the condition of life promised of life promised in both Life is promised in both Covenants but upon different conditions Do this and live saith the Covenant of works Believe on Jesus Christ and live saith the Covenant of grace The condition of the one consists in giving The condition of the other consists in receiving The condition of the one is to give in a perfect righteousness of our own unto God and the condition of the other is by faith to receive a perfect righteousnesse from Christ In the Covenant of nature or of works there is forum justitiae where the sentence of absolution passeth if we be found righteous and the sentence of condemnation if we be found unrighteous the question is not then about faith but love not whether you believ'd but whether you obey'd But in the Covenant of grace there is forum misericordiae and the sentence of absolution passeth not upon our doing but upon our believing and the sentence of condemnation passeth upon all unbelievers Now here fall in two notable questions 1. Question Whither faith were not required in the Covenant of works Whether faith were not required in the Covenant of works How faith was rerequired Sol. To this I answer three things 1. Faith was required in the Covenant of works as Faith may be taken either for a dependance on God the only Authour of being and blessing or for an expectation of that good of life which God promised with a reliance upon God for it or for a perswasion of Gods love to him and acceptance of his obedience whil'st continuing upright with God As to these considerations of faith Adam who lived under the Covenant of works had faith and did exercise it for he was bound to acknowledge God as the only fountaine of his good and to depend upon him as so And he was bound to believe the possession of that life which God promised to him whil'st he should continue perfectly obedient and likewise he was bound to be perswaded of the love of God unto him in that course of obedience and also the acceptance of his obediential services unto God 2. But that faith which respected the Covenant of works was different from that faith which respects the Covenant of grace and is now required For 1. How not required That faith was such as looked on a promise of life made by God to a perfect creature and as so continuing but that faith which respects the Covenant of grace looks upon the promise of God in Christ made in respect to us sinners and lost in our selves 2. That faith looked on God as a creatour and preserver but this faith looks on God as a Redeemer and merciful Father 3. That faith was natural concreated with Adam not raised nor infused in a Gospel-way but this faith is now promised and infused in a supernatural way by the Spirit of Christ through the dispensation of the Gospel 4. That faith could not be at all in any but so long as he was perfectly righteous and therefore it ceased upon the cessation of that righteousnesse it was principally grounded upon inherent Righteousnesse But this faith is in a sinner who hath no righteousnesse of his own but relies upon the righteousness of another even the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ 3. Although there was a kind of faith in Adam under the Covenant of works Faith not required in both for the same end yet that faith was not for this end and purpose to be the condition of that Covenant There it was a part of his righteousnesse but was not stipulated as the condition of life as that upon which his life and justification did depend But the faith required in the Covenant of grace comes in purposely as the condition of life and justification for the sinner 2. Quest. Whither the Covenant of grace doth not require works as well Whether the Covenant of grace requires works Works are required in both as the Covenant of nature or of works If so what difference is there then between them as to doing Sol. Questionlesse the Covenant of grace requires good works This is a faithful saying saith Paul Tit. 3. 8. and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which believe in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works Matth. 5. 16. But yet there is a vast difference betwixt the good works as required in the Covenant of works But with a difference and as required in the Covenant of grace They differ in their spring and fountain and they differ in their manner of Wherein this difference lies working but herein especially they differ as to these Covenants that in the one they are a condition of life but in the other Testimonies and Evidences of life in the one they are the matter of life and justification in the other they are nothing at all they are no part no reason they have no intrest or hand at all in the justification of a sinner Faith therein wholly excludes them and fixeth only on the righteousnesse of Christ Although they are alwayes present in the justified man yet they are never present in his justification before God 6. The Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace do differ thus The In the one the least sin undoes the sinner least sin undoes the sinner under the Covenant of works but it doth not so in the Covenant of grace The Covenant of works passeth sentence against you upon the least obliquity Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing to do it and you have no remedy against this sentence in the Covenant of works But it is not so in the Covenant of grace This is a Remedy and a Sanctuary and a City of Refuge against the sentence passed in the Covenant of works In the other there is a remedy If the condemned and distressed sinner can fly unto and reach to the Covenant of grace Christ will satisfie for him and make his peace and procure mercy for him Nay the Covenant of grace deals more favourably with us It doth not cast us out for every transgression but as a father pities his child that serves him so doth the Lord pity them that feare him Psal 103. 13. Unlesse we utterly violate the Covenant of grace we may yet find grace and mercy If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes
1 John 2. 1 2. 7. The Covenant of works if we could attain unto it would now be matter The one would be matter of glorying in our selves of glorying in our selves If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory Rom. 4. 2. The elder brother who represented these work-men how did he boast himself These many years did I serve thee neither transgressed I at any time thy Commandment c. Luke 15. 29. I am not as other men said that proud Pharisee you might have challenged life by a debt by the Covenant of works To him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4. 4. You might have earned happinesse if I may so speak at your fingers ends and might have demanded your wages after you had done your work But the Covenant of grace cuts off all boasting and glorying The other cuts off all boasting in our selves Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. And Jesus Christ is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption That according as it is written he that glorieth might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. You cannot glory in your wisdome for that you have from Christ nor in your sanctification for that you have from Christ c. you have all from Christ therefore all your glorying must be in Christ There is a twofold glorying one in the Testimony of conscience this you may have who are under the Covenant of grace 2 Cor. 1. 12. Another is A twofold glorying in the confidence of our own works This the Covenant of grace doth utterly exclude God forbid that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. 14. All is of grace by the Covenant of grace all is given and freely given Christ is given and grace is given and mercy is given and life is given and salvation is given and therefore all boasting and glorying in our selves is excluded by the Covenant of grace 8. They differ thus The Covenant of works breeds terrours and fear and The one breeds fear and terror despair If a man expect life by it his heart must sink within him considering how short he is of that righteousnesse therein required for life as also that abundance of unrighteousnesse in himself exposing him to wrath from a just God But the Covenant of grace is a ministration of life and peace and joy and The other is a ministration of life boldnesse you have here a sure refuge to fly unto a sure Rock to stand upon and a sure Anchor to trust unto 9. There are many other differences between them as the impossibility of Other differences summed up life by the one as the case now stands and the certainty of life by the other and the diversity of life promised in the one from that in the other and a difference in respect of the seals for the one and for the other And a difference in respect of extent The Covenant of works was with all men but this with believers only And a difference in respect of Appeals though you may appeal from the Covenant of works to the Covenant of grace yet there is no appeal from the Covenant of grace c. But I shall not stay any longer upon this first particular only by the way make some few Uses from the consideration of both these Covenants 1. Use In what a miserable condition are all unbelievers and impenitent persons who are strangers and forreiners to the Covenant of grace enemies to Christ and therefore utterly disinterested in the Covenant of grace Surely In what a miserable condition are all unbelievers mercy is not to be found in any other Covenant but in this In the Covenant of works you are condemned and accursed by reason of transgression your lives are forfeited you are under the curse cursed is every one c. Neither doth the Covenant of works mitigate or reverse or alter the sentence It admits of no mercy at all Mercy which is the only remedy against it is found only in the Covenant of grace There is the Throne of grace set up and there is the Mercy-seat to be found But unbelievers because they refuse Christ and impenitent sinners because they choose their sinnes exclude themselves from Christ and from this Covenant of grace and therefore they shall live and die accursed and condemned men 2. Vse See and admire the infinite goodnesse of God in making this Covenant Admire the goodness of God in making this Covenant of grace of grace not insisting on the other Covenant of works not holding us unto it to take us as it were out of the hand of justice and to put us into the hand of mercy not to sue the old bond but to make a new treaty that so he might pardon our former transgressions What infinite goodnesse was this Oh! this was exceeding pity and exceeding kindnesse and exceeding goodnesse to take off the yoke of bondage and to bring us into the bond of a new Covenant to set up a Mediatour to make another Covenant where we might yet find life mercy and peace not to deal with us in justice but in mercy not according to the desert of our doings but according to the riches of his grace in Christ 3. Use Here is singular support unto troubled consciences unto all who are Here is support for troubled consciences wounded with the sense of their sinnes and of their own inability to satisfie Gods justice and of their utter unworthinesse of mercy Indeed if you look into the Covenant of works in this condition there is no comfort for you no help for you no hope for you That Covenant speaks not one word of grace of mercy of peace of hope at all but if it sends you sinners it pronounceth you cursed Yet in this case if you look to the Covenant of grace there is hope and help The Covenant of grace looks not at the righteous but at sinners and it holds out a satisfaction made by Christ which could never be made by the sinner and as it hath mercy for sinners so it communicates that mercy freely unto every mourning broken-hearted penitent and believing sinner yea it doth not only comprehend mercy but every grace which makes us capable of mercy and that to be freely given by God to them that seek him 4. Use Take heed of resting upon your own works of seeking life and justification Rest not upon your works from them and for them this is to set up the Covenant of works and this is to seek life and justification in a way where it is impossible for a sinner to find it and you utterly overthrow the Covenant of grace by it The Covenant of works by which if you will be justified supposeth personal perfect and stedfast righteousnesse neither admits it of any
repentance nor will it make a new composition with you after your sinnings but as it will clear and acquit you upon perfect and stedfast righteousness so it will unalterably condemn you for any unrighteousnesse 5. Vse By no means sleight nor neglect Christ any longer but hearken Sleight not Christ any longer to his voice consider and embrace his offers he is the door at which you must first enter if you would be interested in the Covenant and by him you must be delivered from the Covenant of works Grace and truth mercy and peace love and life are by Jesus Christ CHAP. IV. The proper nature of the Covenant THe proper nature of the Covenant of grace in the absolute consideration thereof this I shall lay down in this description of it The Covenant of grace is a new compact or agreement which The Covenant described God made with sinful man out of his own meer mercy and grace wherein he promiseth that he will be our God and that we shall be his people and undertakes to give everlasting life and all that conduceth thereunto unto all who believe in Christ There are divers things considerable in this description which I desire And opened to open 1. This Covenant is a new compact and agreement betwixt God and man There was another agreement before this a Covenant of another nature and upon other It is a new Covenant with man termes and considerations and for another end But man stood not to that agreement he did voluntarily transgresse it and thereby deprived himself of all the benefits promised in that Covenant and fell under that death and curse which God had threatened for the breach and transgression of it Now the new Covenant is as it were a plank after that ship-wrack It is another Indenture for life it is not the same agreement renewed nor the former Lease or Bond renewed but a new one of another kind and nature made with man in another condition and capacity and upon another condition God presently made a new Covenant or agreement with fallen man different from the former made with created righteous man If he had not done so If it had not been so All man-kind had been lost 1. All man-kind had been eternally lost Sinful man could never have been recovered never have been restored to life but by a Covenant of grace nothing but grace can recover the lost sinner Rom. 3. 19. Every mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Ver. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne 2. The Lord had lost all the glory of his mercy if he had left us to the sentence God had lost all the glory of his mercy of the first Covenant Indeed there his justice and wrath and severity had been exceedingly magnified but his mercy had not risen and appeared at all unto us had not God made this new Covenant with us being become sinners and so fit objects of his mercy Now the intent of God was to exalt his mercy and that man should know the greatnesse and exceeding riches of it and therefore God was pleased to make a new treaty this Covenant of grace 3. There had been no news of a Christ nor thought of him else As Christ There had been no news of a Christ is never effectually given unto any but unto the lost so he was never made known untill the fall of man And remember it That as Christ was not so he could not be revealed in a Covenant of works whil'st life was held by that tenure Christ is not to be found there where life is claimed by a righteousnesse of our own he is only to be found in a Covenant of grace which gives life unto sinners upon the righteousnesse of another Rom. 3. 21. But now the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifested Ver. 22. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe These are the principal reasons why God made a new Agreement another Covenant a Covenant of grace with sinful man namely because he would not lose all man-kind nor leave them despairing and Because he would exalt his own mercy and likewise give his Son Jesus Christ and lay upon his shoulders the Redemption and salvation of his people 2. This Covenant is such an agreement with sinful man as springeth and riseth â—is Covenant springeth from the mercy and grace of God from the mercy and the grace of God Hence you have these expressions According to his mercy he saved us Tit. 3. 6. By grace ye are saved Eph. 2. 5. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ ver 7. This Covenant may be considered Mercy and grace appears in this Covenant several wayes and in all of them you may see the meer mercy and grace of God 1. In respect of the constitution of it Nothing out of God and nothing in God but his meer mercy and his own grace laid out and appointed this In the constitution of it Covenant of grace with sinners Grace was the foundation of it 2. In respect of admission It is the meer mercy and grace of God which In admission to it opens the door and takes in the sinner into this Covenant with himself I will love them freely I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 3. In respect of dispensation All the communications from it and all the In the dispensation of it impartings of the treasures of it are the flowings of mercy and the overflowings of the grace of God But I am now only to speak of the mercy and grace of God as the foundation Mercy is the foundation of it For the causa impulsiva these alone are the moving cause why God made this new Covenant For 1. There could be no cause or reason in us we were become sinners we were There could be no cause or reason in us become miserable Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ver. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine saith the Lord. This was our condition a sinful polluted loathsome condition when God set his love upon us and entred into a Covenant with us 2. There was sufficient and pregnant cause on our part why the Lord should There was cause in us to the contrary never have looked after us or accepted of us any more Jer. 3. 7. They say
not faithful you could have no comfort in any of his Attributes nor in any of his promises nor yet any confidence or assurance at all But this faithfulness of God gives life as it were unto all his Attributes and unto all his Promises and unto all our hopes and confidences What are a thousand Bonds and Indentures if they were not sealed what are a million of promises and protestations from a man who is unfaithful who regards not his word who will break his word with you faithfulness is all in all a faithful heart a faithful friend a faithful God and this is the great satisfaction of all our doubts and fears But will God do me good but will he performe what he hath promised if I were sure that he were sure he will not faile me this would stay me this would satisfie me I had enough Now you have it cleared out unto you that your God is a faithful God Quest But you may perhaps desire to know the particular portions of comfort from this that your God in Covenant is a faithful God Sol. I will present a few of them unto you 1. The faithfulnesse of God is a sure pledge unto you for all your enjoyments For This is a sure pledge of all our enjoyments It is if I may so express it the very seal of God to performe all the Bond of his Covenant the security which God gives you for all his engagements as full assurance as God can make for the performance of all his promises it is a sure foundation for your faith to rest upon a foundation that cannot be shaken and which shall never be removed you are as sure to enjoy all the good which God hath promised to you as God is God and as God is your God In hope of eternal life whiâ—h God that cannot lye hath promised Titus 1. 2. God hath promised to forgive our sinnes and to cleanse us from our sinnes and he is faithful to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 Joh. 1. 9. God hath promised to sanctifie us throughout And faithful is he who hath called â—s who will also do it 1 Thes 5. 24. God hath promised to establish us and to keep us from evil And the Lord is faithful who will establish you and keep you from evil 2 Thes 3. 3. 2. The faithfulness of God is a mighty and effectual and prevailing Plea This is an effectual and prevailing plea with God with your God O Lord This is my want and distress and that is thy promise for help and thou art faithful who hast promised in thy truth and in thy faithfulness to answer me keep Covenant with me remember thy word do not faile me why this comes close to God this concernes him near he hath taken his Oath upon it that he will not lye that he will not deceive that he will not fail his people 3. The faithfulness of God is enough to answer all your fears and doubts O It is enough to answer all our fears and doubts they are such great things and they are such hard things and unto sense and reason such improbable and impossible things and who am I c. Sol. Why dost thou find these things promised by God unto thee God wants not power to do them and he is faithful and will do them the faithful God will performe every good thing which he hath promised though thy unbelief many times saith He will not and thy fears dispute how he can though thy reason fail thee and though thy sense faile thee and though thy heart faile thee yet thy God will never faile thee thy faithful God will not fail thee God is faithful and he will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able c. 1 Cor. 10. 15. 4. The faithfulness of God is a support unto you under all his silence and under It is a support under all his delayes all his delayings of the good which he hath promised and you do so earnestly crave Your prayers are not in vain your waitings are not in vain Perhaps you have waited at the gate of heaven many a day yea and many a year for assurance of mercy for power over such a sinne for victory over evil thoughts and temptations and afflictions and yet you are not heard and still you are put off and hereupon your heart begins to faint God will not do me this good and he will not remember his promise O but do you remember that your God is a faithful God and a faithful God cannot lye a faithful God will keep his Covenant will remember his Covenant will perform his Covenant he may be silent unto your prayers he may delay you long but he is faithful he hath his time and he will surely take his time to answer and succour you 5. The faithfulness of God will break down all contrarieties and contradictions It will break down all contradictions and oppositions and oppositions Heaven and earth shall sooner fail and pass than that one Word or title of Gods promise shall fail or perish his Word of promise shall take effect though all the Devils in hell oppose it and though all the men on earth oppose it and though all the powers of unbelief oppose it this stands in the way and that stands in the way but yet God is faithful and his promise shall be made good Sarah was old c. But she judged him faithful who had promised Heb. 11. God should never be trusted if he were not faithful 8. Graciousness is another Attribute of your God your God is a gracious God is a gracious God God and he is and will be a gracious God unto all his people Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Psal 86. 15. Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious The graciousness of God is such an Attribute of God whereby he doth favourably and freely love and chuse and bless and do all good unto his people without any desert and notwithstanding any unworthiness on their part It is the reason and account of all his actings towards them It is all the Plea you have to all the good which God doth promise You must distinguish 'twixt the actions and blessings of God and 'twixt the ground or reason of them There are many and great blessings which God intends and confirmes upon his people and the cause of them all is the graciousnesse of God Gods graciousness the cause of all blessings Of The love of God Viz. 1. The love of God is an unspeakable blessing and the graciousness of God is the reason of that love I will love them freely Hos 14. 4. He set his love upon you because he lovâ—d you Deut. 7. 7 8. 2. The election of God is an unspeakable blessing and the foundation of that election is the graciousness of God Ther is a reward according to the
Rom. 6. 14. Here you see expresly that there is a freedome from the dominion of sinne even upon this account that we are under the Covenant of grace Though you be not totally freed from the inhabitation of sinne for sinne doth dwell in us whiles we dwell on earth and though you be not totally freed from the rebellion of sinne for peccatum hostis est quamdiu est The flesh lusteâ—h against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. and there is a law in our members warring against the law of our minds Rom. 7. 23. yet you are totally freed from the dominion of sinne which consists in the effectual Rule Command and Sovereign strength of sinne and a free and full and willing subjection or obedience unto the Law and authority of sinne and verily this freedome or deliverance is a wonderful mercy and happinesse unto the people of God whither you consider 1. The great and utmost distance twixt you and God 2. The basenâ—sse of servitude in which every one lives over whom sinne hath dominion for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage 2 Pet. 2. 19. You were but very slaves to your lusts and to the devil whiles sinne did rule over you 3. The height of enmity As you were the basest of slaves so you were the worst of enemies living not only as aliens without God but as desperate enemies opposing and fighting against God 4. The superfluity of naughtinesse a full contrariety your whole hearts and your whole lives were nothing else but a constant dishonour unto God and contradiction to his Will and Glory 5. The certainty of destruction which would infallibly have attended you had not the mercy and grace of God rescued and delivered you I say certain destruction to your souls as there is a certain destruction to the life of our bodies if we fall into the sea and lie under it 6. The sweet and immediate communion 'twixt the deliverance from the dominion of sinne and admission to the Kingdome of Christ It is a translation from death to life The Apostle joins these together in Colos 5. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne 3. They have immunity or freedome from the damnation meritoriously depending upon the guilt of sinne As salvation depends upon the merits of Christ so From damnation for sinne doth damnation depend on the merit of sinne There is so much merit in sinne as to render us obnoxious not only to temporal destruction but also to eternal destruction for the wages of sinne is death even that death which stands in opposition to eternal life Rom. 6. 23. But from the effectual redundancy of this damnation upon your persons you are every one freed who are in Covenant with God For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3. 15. And the ground of this your immunity from the damnation due unto you for your sinnes is the satisfaction which Christ hath made for your sinnes unto the justice of God and thereupon the obtaining of riches of mercy from your God who according to his Covenant with you blots out and forgives all your sinnes and never remembers them any more For this is a sure truth that remission of sinnes and actual damnation for sinnes are incompatible or inconsistent Now whether this be any cause of comfort that you and your sinnes are parted and that you and hell are for ever separated I leave it to any one of you to judge for mine own part I do look upon four things as very great mercies 1. That I am delivered from the power of sinne 2. That I enjoy the pardon of sinne 3. That I shall never be damned for sinne 4. That I shall be saved notwithstanding all my sinnes 4. They have immunity or freedome from justification by the Law from all legal From justification by the Law tryals for life Although you are not freed from the Law as it is a rule for life yet you are freed from the Law as it is a Covenant of life although you are not freed from the Law as it is the image of the good and holy will of God yet because you are under the Covenant of grace you are freed from the Law as it is a reason of salvation and justification The Covenant of grace takes you off from that Court and that Bar which pronounceth life upon your own good works and pronounceth death upon your own evil works Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 3. 11. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of God for the just shall live by faith As the Law calls for perfect and personal righteousnesse of our own so the Law will not justifie you it will not give life unto you unlesse it finds that righteousnesse in you you live not if you be not perfectly righteous absolution is pronounced upon your own perfect innocency and condemnation is pronounced upon any defect or breach And verily upon this account no man living can or shall be justified therefore here is comfort that being in Christ and in this Covenant of grace ye are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses See the Apostle Acts 13. 39. Your life doth not lie now in your own righteousnesse but in the righteousnesse of Christ nor doth it depend upon your own works but upon the obedience of Christ That expression of Luther is an excellent expression Christus solus me justificat contra mea mala opera sine operibus meis bonis Though my works have been very good yet not those but Christ doth justifie me and though my works have been very ill yet the righteousnesse of Christ can and will justifie me my evil works shall not damne me and my good works cannot acquit me it is Christ it is Christ and not the Law which justifies me 5. They have immunity or liberty from the rigour of the Law The Law in the rigour of it exacts of us a most absolute obedience a most exquisite and full obedience From the rigor of the Law it will not abate us the least grain or scruple if it be not every way adequate for matter and manner and measure your obedience will not passe nor will it be accepted according to the rigour of the Law Cursed is every one who doth not continue in every thing that is written to do it But when once you are under the Covenant of grace when once God is your God and you are his people neither you nor your services are judged by the exactnesse of your services but by the sincerity of your hearts Though much be wanting which the Law prescribes yet if that be present which your merciful God and Father
the life of your comforts it is your Paradise and your Heaven here on earth 5. Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation when once it is made manifest Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation Four things we should alwayes maintain The unchangeableness of out Covenant-relation unto you against all the suggestions of Satan and against all the risings and oppositions of your own unbelief I here are four things especially which you should still maintain and make good for at them doth Satan most strike at 1. The unchangeablenesse of the Covenant-relation This God is our God for ever and ever He will be our Guide even unto death Psal 48. 14. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are many times under Spiritual sâ—â—ences God seems not to regard your prayers and many times under Spiritual delaies God puts you off from day to day and many times under Spiritual desertions God hides his face from you and Satan in such cases puts it upon you to question and disown your Covenant-relation If God were your God it would not be thus But notwithstanding all these or any other trials of your selves yet God still maintains his interest in you and your relation to himself God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew saith the Apostle Rom. 11. 2. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the housâ— of Jacob and will look for him Isa 8. 17. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me So Hosea 2 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 2. The tendernesse of your Covenant-relation The tendernesse of Gods love The tenderness of your Covenant-relation unto you and the tendernesse of Gods care over you Do not suffer Satan to raise jealousies and do not you nourish any jealousies about these if you do so you dishonour your God by them and make your soules to serve him with bitterness your God loves you with as tender love as ever Father loved his dearest child Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant childe my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31. 20. His love is set upon you Deut. 7. 7. And he doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. He loves you with an everlasting love and therefore draws you with loving kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. And your God hath a most tender care over you as a man hath over his jewels which are his chiefest treasures I will make up my jewels Mal. 3. 17. and as a man hath over the apple of his eye he led him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye Deut. 32. 10. And as an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreads abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings verse 11. So the Lord c. 3. The goodnesse of the Covenant relation that God still is and will be The goodnesse of the Covenant relation good unto you that he prepares of his goodnesse for and he prepares mercy and truth for you and layes up exceeding goodnesse for you reserves it for you and is never weary nor will ever turn away from you from doing of you good 4. The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant that as at the first when he took The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant you into the Covenant this was the work of his own grace so all along in the dispensations of the Covenant the Lord still acts in a way of grace towards you alwayes and altogether upon free termes he freely loved you and he freely chose you and he freely called you and still he freely blesseth you and doth good unto you and upon gracious termes he deals with you all the dayes of your life in all things for which you have to deal with him 6. Walk and live like a people who have such a God to be your God in Covenant Walk and live like a people in Covenant with God as your relation is different from all other peoples relation so your conversation should be different from the conversation of all other people as your condition is now higher than the condition of other people for God exalts you by making you to be his people so the word avouching signifies in Deut. 26. 18. so your walking must be better than that of other people and as your enjoyments and hopes transcendently exceed all other mens so your returns must be in some proportion answerable unto your great interest in so good a God and as God by becoming your God makes you high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. so hath he formed you for himself that you should shew forth his praise Esay 43. 21. You are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Which in time past were not a people â—ut are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy verse 10. Quest If any of you demand how that people should live and walk who have How a people in Covenant should walk God to be their God in Covenant Sol. I answer Such a people should walk 1. By faith in a continual dependance upon their living and giving God 2. In a singular love and delight in their good and merciful God 3. With holinesse before their Holy and Omnipresent God 4. With uprightnesse before their Omniscient and All-sufficient God 5. Without inordinate cares before their Faithful and Never-failing God 6. Without inordinate fears before their Almighty God 7. Without offence or grieving of their Loving God 8. With all contentednesse and well-pleasednesse of Spirit before their Wise and gracious God 9. With all humility before their Great and Merciful God 10. With all cheerfulnesse and gladnesse of heart before their Blessing and Blessed God 11. In all constancy of obedience before their Eternal God 12. In all the kinds of zeal for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured them as to be their God 1. You who are the people of God and have God to be your God in Covenant Live and walk by faith in dependance upon the living God you should live and walk by faith in a continual
dependance upon your engaged and promising God 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith not by sight Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith Psal 115. 9. O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield ver 10. O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield ver 11. Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield And mark the reasons annexed why every one of these should trust in the Lord ver 12. The Lord hath been mindful of us you have had experience of his goodnesse for the time past and therefore trust in him and you shall every one of you finde him to be your good God still for the time to come therefore still trust in him he will blesse us he will blesse us He will bless the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron ver 13. He will blesse them that fear the Lord both great and small There are six Arguments to perswade you unto this one duty viz. to depend Arguments for it upon your God by faith 1. Because he is your God and your Father and this comprehends within He is your God and Father it all the foundations and grounds for your faith and dependance He is an infinite all-sufficiency and goodnesse and he undertakes all your helps and supplies and stands engaged unto you for whatsoever is necessary to life and godlinesse and gives unto you so many promises as so many bonds and assurances that he will do you good and besides all this he is able to performe them and likewise faithful in his word yea and besides all this he loves you above all the people in the world and looks on you with tender compassions 〈◊〉 loving kindnesses and assures you that he will do you good for his own Names sake What can there be more and what can he said more to draw and perswade any to depend on a God and to rely upon him 2. Because you are his people Should not a people seek unto their God You are his people saith the Prophet Esay 8. 19. Whether should children go but to their father I am a Father to Israel and Ephraim is my first-borne Jer. 31. 9. And wilt not thou cry unto me My Father Thou art the guide of my youth Jer. 3. 4. Upon whom should the wife depend but upon her husband why The Lord is married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Thy Maker is thy husband Esay 54. 5. And how is he married unto you why In righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving kindnesse and in mercies and in failhfulnessâ— Hosea 2. 19 20. Truly even this alone that you are his people lays bond enough upon you to depend and trust upon your God for what is it to be his people but to choose him alone to be your God and for to acknowledge him by trusting upon him and loving of him and obeying of him if he be a God not worthy of your trust you are a people not worthy of his love and care 3. Because your God hath given unto you that choice grace of faith for this God hath given faith for this end end to act all along upon the Covenant of grace that he hath given faith unto you it is unquestioanble otherwise you were not his people now your faith is given unto you for foure ends One is for entrance that you might become his people and choose him for your God A second is for acquaintance that you as such a people might hold communion with such a God A third is for discovery that you might be able to finde out and behold all the undertakings and promises of your good God A fourth is for reliancâ— that you might be able to trust upon him for all that good which he hath promised unto you Faith is the eye which is given for to see our good and it is the feet which are given us to carry us to the fountaine of our good and it is the hand which is given to lay hold to take to receive all the good which our God hath promised us 4. Because it concerns you above all people to honour your God And how can you It concerns you above all people to honour your God honour him if you will not trust him faith hath if I may so expresse my thought all the glory of God in its hand you cannot possibly put more honour upon God than by believing and depending on him this is indeed to set him up as a God as the original of all c. 5. Because you know his Name How often have you found it good for you You know his Name to draw near to God And when you have laid the whole burden on his promises by faith you have alwayes found him a very faithful and helpful God Now saith David They that know thy Name will trust in thee 6. Have you any other to depend upon Every creature naturally is in a You have no other to depend upon state of dependency it is weak and wanting and an insufficiency to it self and therefore it must lean upon some stronger prop than it self And do not you finde it so with your selves finde you no wants at all can you be a sufficiency unto your selves under those wants will any or can any but God supply the wants of the people of God Most of your wants are above all Creature helps 2. You who are the people of God should walk in an exceeding love of your Walk in an exceeding love of your loving God good and loving God Matth. 22. 37. Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy minde 1 John 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us Deut. 11. 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Sairts There is a love of desire O God thou art my God my soul thirsts for thee Psal 63. 1. Of delight Delight thy self in the Lord Psal 37. 4. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. 11. Of Admiratâ—on who is a God like unto thee Micah 7. 18. Of Satisfaction I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Psal 17. 15. Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us John 14. 8. Thy favour is better than life Psal 63. 3. Of Adhaesion never to part with God nor forsake him I held him fast I would not let him go Cant. 3. I and you should love as with the choicest kinde of love Foederal love so with the highest degrees of love you should love him more than all the world and more than all your friends and more than all your kindred more than father or mother sister or brother and more than your nearest relation than husband or wife and more than all your possessions and more than your own safeties and more
hath taken him to be her husband Would ye build the top of the house before you have laid the foundation Reflexive acts are the last acts never are they the first acts in the Covenant Nay it were a very delusion and falsehood to know that God is your God before you take him to be so he is not your God neither are you his people untill you consent to take him for your God 2. The only way to know your interest in the Covenant is to accept of the Covenant The only way to know your interest in the Covenant is to accept of it As to know that your sinnes are pardoned the way to this is to believe the promise of pardon and to know that Christ is yours the way is first to receive and embrace Christ by faith So the way to know that God is your God is first to take him to be your God to become his people 6. God will refuse none from this Covenant who are indeed willing to have God will refuse none from this Covenant who are willing to have him to be their God him to be their God in Covenant as Christ spake in Revel 22. 19. Whosoever will let him come and drink of the water of life freely so say I Whosoever is willing to have God to be his God and to close with God as God manifests himself a God in Covenant let him come God will be his God in Covenant Quest How is that will you say Sol. Thus it iâ— The Lord saith I am God Almighty I 〈◊〉 the Lord the Lord graciâ—uâ— and merciful long-suffering abundant in 〈◊〉 and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne Will you accept of such a God to be your God O with all our hearts we are undone unlesse the merciâ—ul and gracious God be our God! And saith God I am an holy God I the Lord am holy the Lord thy God is an holy God I am of purer eyes than to behold sinne I hate and abhorre it and if you will have me to be your God you must be holy as I am holy your hearts must be holy and your lives must be holy you must be willing to renounce and forsake every one of your sinful lusts and every one of your sinful wayes Are you willing to be holy in all manner of conversation if your hearts can answer to the Lord O Lord I have been a sinful wretch and I have a sinful heart which is the burden of my soul I am content to be made holy I beseech thee make me holy I should blesse thee with all my soul if thou wouldest be pleased to give thy holy Spirit to me if thou wouldest change my heart by thy renewing grace if thou wouldest cleanse me from all my uncleannesse if thou wouldest mortifie and subdue in me every sinful lust and affection And saith God I am the great and mighty God the Lord of all the Lord of Lords and I give Lawes to all my people and will be feared and obeyed and I will have you to set up my Will for your Rule and I will have you to do the work which I appoint you and to walk only in such pathes of righteousnesse and obedience as I require and prescribe Are you willing to receive the Law from my mouth and to obey my win and to do all that I command you though men dislike it and men reproach you for it if now you can answer O Lord we are willing thus to take thee for our God and in all these respects to be thine then God will own you as his people in Covenant Quest But O Lord how shall we be able to compasse this and to attaine all this Sol. Nay that is not the question saith God but are you willing thus to take me for your God if you be cordially willing thus to take me I will be your God and I am your God and according to my Covenant I engage my self unto you to give you holinesse to change your hearts and to give you mercy to pardon your sinnes and to give you grace and power to mortifie your lusts and to give you strength to obey my Will to walk in my Statutes and to do them all O Sirs this willingnesse such a willingnesse as this to accept of God to be our God this is accepted and this is enough to enter you into this gracious Covenant with God and truly this willingnesse to accept of God to be your God comes from God willingnesse and Gods goodnesse and Gods power and Gods grace to make you to be his people None have this willingnesse wrought in them but those only whom God will take into Covenant with him Some are willing in their straits to have the merciful God to be their God but they are not willing to have the holy God to be their God Some are willing to have the gracious God and the rewarding God to be their God but they are not willing to have the commanding and ruling God to be their God These indeed would not have God to be their God in Covenant but if you find willing hearts in all respects to close with God as he wholly and fully manifests himself to be a God in Covenant that he should universally form you up unto himself fear not come to him he will certainly be your God SECT XVI THe last Use from this discourse of the Covenant shall be of direction whâ—t 5. Use course any sinner should take that he may be brought into this Covenant of Direction what course a sinner should take to be brought into this Covenant grace The necessity and happinesse whereof he hath heard so much The Directions which I would commend unto you for this are these 1. Go unto God and beseech him to be your God and to make you to be his people Beg of God to be your God and make you his people for none can make God to be a God in Covenant unto him but God himself and none can take God to be his God in Covenant but from the strength of God alone Hence it is that as to the first entrance into the Covenant we for our parts are rather passive than active and are rather Covenanted than Covenanting God must make us to be his before we can come to be his yea he must make us willing to be his before we can be willing to be so and therefore if you have observed it not only the making of a new Covenant is settled and raised by the gracious Will of God but the bringing of us into that Covenant doth totally depend upon the gracious and powerful pleasure of the same God I will be their God and they shall be my people As to bring in a sinner unto Christ it is not sufficient that he is the effect of his purchase but it is likewise required that he be the fruit of his conquest Jesus Christ must by his Spirit rescue him out of the possession
God doth look upon the humble and contrite spirit and he will hear the desire of the humble He will prepare their hearts and cause his ear to hear Ezek. 16. 61. Thou shalt remember thy wayes and be ashamed c. ver 62. And I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. 4. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant then you must get Get faith faith for God is a God in Covenant only with believers and there are three degrees of faith necessary unto this work one is a faith of acceptance a second Three degrees of faith necessary is a faith of dependance a third is a faith of reliance I will explain my self in all these 1. A faith of acceptance is necessary to put us into the Covenant and to finde A faith of acceptance God to be our God that is we must have so much faith as to accept of Christ and to unite us unto Christ for in that union twixt us and Christ in this relation of God to us is he to be found By him we have accesse unto the Father Ephes 2. Out of Christ you shall never finde God to be reconciled unto you nor to be your God As to Christ God first is a God in Covenant and Father in Covenant so to us God becomes our God and our Father upon our being in Christ Christ received the Covenant for himself and for all who are his he is as it were the head and the principal in the Covenant all his come into Covenant under him as in relation to him 2. A faith of dependance upon Christ particularly for his great satisfactions A faith of dependance unto God that is we must depend upon the blood of Christ and by faith offer that up as a satisfaction for all our sinnes and transgressions which have all this while kept God and us at distance and difference his blood is the sacrifice by which Gods justice is satisfied and truly untill divine justice be satisfied for our sinnes there is no hope of a Covenant to be made 'twixt God and us and therefore by faith look upon the blood of Christ and offer up that blood by faith Lord here is the blood of the Covenant here is the blood of Christ to satisfie for my sinnes and to expiate my sinnes now in this blood of his become my God in Covenant 3. A faith of reliance upon the mediation of Christ as the atonement and A faith of reliance peace and reconciliation Christ did make peace by his blood and he did reconcile us by it Colos 1. 20 21. And we who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Ephes 2. 13. I know not a more exact way to get God to be our God than by getting into Christ in whom alone our re-union with God is to be found and by whom alone God and we are knit together again not without cause is he called the Mediator of the new Covenant who undertakes between God and us as you shall hear ere long he undertakes to take away all which may keep up the difference 'twixt us and he undertakes to present all which may make a reconciliation betwixt us he doth make the way so open and so clear that our entrance into Covenant will certainly follow if once we were possessed of him by faith his blood being shed for the remission of our sinnes and likewise to procure a reconciliation 'twixt God and us and therefore above all things strive for faith to unite you to Christ and then by faith plead out the reconciliation purchased by Christ 5. Apply your selves unto the Ordinances of Christ which are the means to work all these things in you and particularly this faith which is so necessary and so immediate Apply your selves to the Ordinances of Christ to our admission into the Covenant Ephes 1. 13. In whom you also trusted after that you heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation the Gospel is that Ordinance by which God makes known the Covenant of grace and by which faith is wrought to bring us into Christ and by him into Covenant with God and by which our faith is so enlarged and confirmed that at length we come to know that God is indeed our God in Covenant 6. I will adde one direction more as an help to bring us into the Covenant Seriously meditate and taking of God to be our God and that is a serious meditation of God himself and of the nature of this Covenant of grace 1. A serious meditation of God there is nothing in him to discourage you Of God from coming into Covenant with him and there is all in him to encourage you 1. There is nothing in him to discourage you from coming into Covenant with him There is nothing in him to discourage us He doth not in this Covenant treat with you for any personal satisfaction for the wrong which you have done him neither doth he insist for any goodnesse that you should work in your own hearts nor doth he except against you for any unworthinesse in you nor doth he distinguish you away for the greatnesse of your former transgressions nor yet doth deny you hope and accesse although you have a long time denied him audience unto his gracious offers nor doth he capitulate with you in your own name but by a Mediator who is most pleasing to him and prevalent with him 2. There is all in and from him to encourage you to come into Covenant There is all in and from him to encourage you with him for he doth expresse himself to be a merciful God towards sinners to be a gracious God to the sinners that come to him to be a tender God easily moved at the tears and cryes of those who would be his people to be a willing God to accept of you and to close with you and therefore he first makes known this Covenant and he first offers to treat with you about this Covenant and he makes the termes of agreement as fair as grace it self can frame them and he out of his own cost provided and sent Jesus Christ to be both the Messenger of the Covenant and the Mediator of the Covenant and besides all this he affords unto you the Gospel to work faith in you that so you may become the people of his Covenant and moreover he makes promises unto you of every thing which belongs to the making of a people to be the people of his Covenant yea and he promiseth his own Spirit to them that ask him by whose mighty operation we come indeed to be his people Truly a serious meditation of all this might conduce much to perswade our hearts to come in unto him and take him for our God in Covenant A second meditation of the nature of this Covenant of grace both as to the Of the nature of
34. 6. How great is his goodnesse Zach. 9. 17. The riches of his goodnesse Rom. 2. 4. No good thing will he with-hold Psal 84. 11. 2. The Mediator of this Covenant how full and rich is Jesus Christ Of his By the Mediator of this Covenant fulnesse do all we receive he fills all in all The Godhead dwells bodily in him in him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge there are the unsearchable riches of Christ he is a perfect Redeemer and is able to save to the utmost 3. The Covenant it self There is nothing left out and there is nothing which can be added unto it the wisdome and goodnesse of God have made it a By the Covenant it self compleat store-house and treasury of all the good and of all the help which all the children of God have do or ever shall need Here is grace and here is glory here is all things pertaining to life and all things pertaining to godlinesse here is for the life present and for the life which is to come here are all sorts of comforts for the distressed and all sorts of helps for the needy and all sorts of defences for the exposed here is the Sunne and the Shield and exceeding great reward Vse This is an exceeding stay and comfort to all the people of Gods Covenant other people are in want and know not whether to go for help or for any good but This is stay to Gods people you have a good God to go unto and a good Covenant to go unto Other people may know whither to go for this or that particular good but they know not whither to go for all the good which they do need they may go to one friend for counsel and to another for almes and to another for physick but to whom can they go for mercy to pardon their sinnes or for peace to ease their troubled souls but you who are the people of God you have a Covenant to go unto which contains all manner of good for all the conditions of your souls and for all the conditions of your bodies Here is mercy to pardon and loving-kindnesse to comfort and righteousnesse to justifie and grace to sanctifie and peace to quiet and glory to save here is food for the body and rayment and safety and blessing and defence here is all others may give and finde a little help and a little comfort and a little provision but you have a Covenant to go unto which can give you all things richly to enjoy abundant goodnesse abundant compassions abundant mercies abundant love abundant grace abundant joy abundant consolation and abundant salvation all things all good things are treasured up in this Covenant and there they are in their perfection not one good without another but all good together not a little of one and a little of another but every good in perfection and fulnesse a perfect God and a perfect Mediator and perfect love and mercy and righteousnesse c. 2. This is an exceeding encouragemtnt unto you under any wants or in any And an encouragement in wants to go to God in faith great distresses to go by faith unto your God who hath made a full and perfect Covenant with you O thou distressed sinner here is mercy enough laid up for thee and here is peace enough and goodness enough and power enough and grace enough and help enough God doth not promise unto you a little of his mercy nor a little of his kindnesse nor a little of the righteousnesse of Christ nor a little of holinesse nor a little of spiritual joy Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide enlarge the desires of your hearts you do not crave enough and I will fill it I will plentifully answer and satisfie you Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly unto the Throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need you have no cause to be dejected either with the multitude of your wants or with the depth and greatnesse of your distresses nor have you any cause to doubt and fear the supply and redresse of these for God hath made a full rich and perfect Covenant with you whiles there are answerable supplies and super-abounding helps and these in a Covenant and for you there is more reason to set your faith on work to fetch in the supplies than to set your feare on work because of your wants in all your distressed and needy conditions be pleased to look on this Covenant seriously do so bring your wants and distresses thither and there shall you finde proper helps and plentiful engagements and now stirre up your faith to believe and to take hold on God Lord here is the mercy which I need and here is the exceeding riches of mercy which I do need and here is the love the great love and here is the grace the abundant grace and here is the comfort and the abundant comfort and here is the strength the greatnesse of that strength which I do need here it is laid up for thee by me I come unto thee in the Name of Christ whose I am and I beseech thee abundantly to pardon me to supply all my need according to thy riches in glory SECT III. 3. A Third property of this Covenant is that it is a giving Covenant Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant between thee and me in the Original It is a giving Covenant it is I will give thee my Covenant as God spake unto Phineas Num. 25. 12. I give unto him my Covenant of peace so he doth give a Covenant unto his people Isa 42. 6. I give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the people survey In it the Covenant all over you shall finde it to be a giving Covenant in all the particulars of it God gives himself to be ours therefore he is called our Husband Isa 54. 5. The husband gives himself to the wife so doth God to us God gives himself to be ours And he gives Christ he gave his onely begotten Sonne John 3. 16. and Christ did give himself Gal. 2. 20. He gives Christ And he gives his love Cant. 7. 12. There will I give thee my love His love His peace Eternal life His Spirit And he gives his peace John 14. 27. My peace I give unto you And he gives eternal life John 10. 28. I give unto them eternal life And he gives his Spirit He will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. And he gives the new heart and the new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you A new heart And he
made one of thy people but yet look on me graciously and bring me into the Bond of thy Covenant Thou sayest thou wilt give all and all freely O save me freely and love me freely and justifie me freely freely give me Christ and freely give me faith and freely give me mercy c. 3. Is the Covenant which God makes with us a gracious Covenant Let all in Covenant remember To be humble all their dayes Then let all who are brought into Covenant remember two things 1. To be humble all their dayes you differ indeed from other men now and you have a different relation from them and different conditions from them and different enjoyments from them and different hopes from them I but who or what made you thus to differ nothing in you nothing of your own you were in the same lump of sinne and confusion and in the same common Rode of destruction with other men it was the meer grace of God that made the difference it was his free love and his free mercy and his free Spirit and his free call and his free giving of Christ unto you and of faith unto you therefore do not blesse your selves but grace nor glory in your selves but in grace was it not the root which bred and bare the branches glory in the root but do not glory in your selves glory in the grace of God which is the only root of your lives hopes enjoyments all 2. Remember still that you are in a Covenant of grace The Covenant is not That you are still in a Covenant of grace a Covenant of grace only whiles you are brought in but it is a Covenant of grace after that you are brought in unto it you could finde nothing to rest on before nor must you finde any thing to rest on but the grace of God after that you are got into the Covenant of grace you shall find wants still and weaknesses still and unworthinesse still but withal remember that you are under a Covenant of grace still what 's that my meaning is that God will still deal with you in a gracious way and you may go unto him still upon his own gracious termes and as so expect continual helps and supplies from him Save me for thy mercies sake said David Receive us graciously said the Church As your admission into the Covenant owes it self wholly to the grace of God so your pleading and expectations and confidences must still look at the same grace for as he loves you freely so he blesseth you freely and as he hath done you much good already upon gracious reasons so he will continue to do you good and good all your dayes upon the same termes O how vainly and simply do we trouble and disquiet our own souls as if the gracious Covenant were sometimes free and sometimes not free that some of the things promised in the Covenant must drop out freely and yet other things must be pumped out by something of our own that the lesser mercies are free but the greater mercies must come off upon harder termes and conditions that our coming into Covenant this is all of grace but our receipts from the Covenant these are not so truly these are many times our thoughts but the Lord knows that the thoughts of man are vain and these are so for as we are found by grace and made by grace so we live and are brought up by grace till we come to glory And as our admissions into the Covenant are only gracious so all our receptions are so and must be so all our dayes that God alone may have all the glory SECT V. 5. A Fifth property of this Covenant is this It is an ordered Covenant a well-ordered Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting This CovenaÌ„t is a well ordered Covenant Covenant ordered in all things and sure This Covenant is not a casual sudden rash confused indigested work but it is an ordered work it is made upon the counsel and wisdom and love and care of the infinite and perfect God and still so managed and carried on There are five things which do shew that this Covenant is an ordered Covenant and a well-ordered Covenant As appears 1. The adequate sutablenesse or answerablenesse of it to all and every one of the By the adequate sutablenesse of it to all a sinners wants sinners wants and straits and misâ—ries and necessities and desires Let any want whatsoever befall a sinner let his strait and necessity be what it may be yet here is an help and here is a remedy and here is a sutable succour for him in this Covenant Do'st thou want a reconciled God here he is do'st thou want a Christ here he is do'st thou want faith holinesse patience meeknesse love any spiritual grace here it is dost thou want peace and rest and ease and joy and comfort for a troubled conscience here it is dost thou want any thing which respects thy soul here it is or any thing that respects thy body here it is take any sinner under any want at any time of his life the Covenant contains an answerable help and therefore it is an ordered Covenant and a well-ordered Covenant that Common Wealth is well-ordered where no wholesome Law and no wholesome Remedy is wanting for the people 2. The right placing of all persons and of all things in this Covenant By the right placing of all persons and all things in this Covenant things are well-ordered when they are well-placed a thing out of place is out of order when the Master is in his place and the servants in their place and the children in their place now the family is rightly ordered Now in the Covenant all the persons are set in their right places Christ keeps his place as Mediator and God the Father keeps his place as a Donor and the believing sinner his place as a receiver here it is revealed what Christ is to do and what the Father will do and what the believer is to do and all things are set in their right place not promiscuously and confusedly but with an orderly regard unto sinners every one hath a right proportion set out every one hath a right portion set out here is hope for one that despairs and here is ease for one that is laden and here is peace for one who is broken-hearted and here is mercy for one that is penitent and here is a Christ for one that hath faith and here is redemption for one in bondage and here is righteousnesse for one that is ungodly and here is graciousnesse for one that is unworthy and here is riches for one that is poor and here is help for one that is needy and here is strength for one that is weak and here is balme for one that is wounded mercy is well-ordered and comfort is well-ordered and a Mediator well-ordered and righteousnesse well-ordered c. 3. The motions or
workings of all things in this Covenant to the right end The motions and workings of all things in this Covenant to the right end when every thing acts to its right end this shews a right ordering now in this Covenant every thing works to the right end which is to the praise and glory of Gods grace God himself works for this and Jesus Christ works for this and every good thing given and received works for this and every believer who is brought into Covenant works for this Christ is given and mercy is given and grace is given and glory is given and because all is given therefore all exalts the glory of Gods grace Christ is the surety and Christ is sent and Christ dyed and Christ made satisfaction and Christ made peace and Christ purchased all for the sinner and this also exalts the grace of God towards sinners the sinner is called by grace and made a believer and as a believer he receives all by grace and he acts in the strength of grace and is led on and preserved by grace and what he is he is by grace and what he works he works by grace and what he hopes for he hopes for by grace and that which he rests on is grace and what he magnifies and sets up is not himself nor any thing of his own but only the grace of God 4. All the good of the Covenant is dispensed in a right season and this All the good of the Covenant is dispensed in a right season also shews that it is a well-ordered Covenant when things are out of time they are out of order If Snow or Frost should come in the time of Harvest this would be disorderly and if physick should come when the person is dead this would be disorderly Things are well-ordered when they come neither too soon nor too late but in the very season when we need them and when they will do us good And after this manner are all the dispensations of this Covenant they are let out and come in the very time aâ—d minute of our â—eed When a poor sinner knows not what to do then doth Christ appear and then doth mercy appear and then doth help appear Isa 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them 2 Cor. 6. 2. He saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee when Davids heart was overwhelmed and ready to faint then God took him up and comforted him And when the Church was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit then saith God with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee when Ephraim was ashamed and even confounded then saith God My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him when Paul was pressed above measure and his own strength was found insufficient against Satans temptations then he received an answer my grace is â—ufficient for thee O beloved thus is the Covenant ordered that you shall have mercy in the fit time and help in the best time and deliverance in the best time and answers to your prayers in the best time though you have not your desires presently answered yet your God is a gracious God and therefore intends your good and he is a wise God and therefore knows the best time and he is a faithful God and therefore will lose no time 5. This Covenant is so framed that there is still a strong foundation It is so framed that there is still a strong foundation of hope and confidence for a poor sinner A foundation laid For the admission of poor sinners For the impetration of all the good a sinner needs of hope and confidence for a poor sinner and by this it appears that it is a well-ordered Covenant here is a firme foundation laid 1. For the admission of poor sinners If a Christ and Mediator if mercy in all the abundance of it if free grace in all the glory of it may be esteemed a fair foundation for hope and confidence here every one of them stands ready to make way for the sinner I will satisfie for all his sinnes and make peace for him saith Christ the Mediator I will forgive and abundantly pardon all his sinnes saith the merciful God I will love him freely and receive him graciously saith the God of love and grace 2. For the impetration and assecution of all the good that a poor sinner doth need or can desire For in this Covenant there is a Christ who merits all and a God who promiseth to give all and hath bound himself to perform all and who rejoyceth over his people to do them good and accounts it his praise and honour to accomplish and performe unto them all the good which he promiseth unto them and puts them upon it still to call and still to trust and still to receive from him 3. For the preservation and continuation of them in this Covenant for the For the preservation of them in this Covenant Lord hath sworn the everlastingnesse of it and he gives all effectually to hold up and maintain an everlasting union and communion 'twixt himself and his people and keeps them by his own power through faith unto salvation and charges none other but Jesus Christ himself to look to them and to keep them in his Name and he undertakes this charge and will fully execute it and faithfully and therefore as he conquers all the enemies of his servants sinne and Satan and the world so he furnisheth them with all graces accompaning salvation and still strengthens those graces untill they come to receive the end of their faith even the salvation of their souls Vse 1 and surely this Covenant must needs be well-ordered which opens a way to receive in poor sinners and which hath reasons within it self and Then the wisdome of God is in this Covenant as well as his goodnesse Therefore do not displace the order God hath set in his Covenant By interesting our selves in the benefits of the Covenant before we interest our selves in God upon which the received sinner may with confidence plead for all good and which will keep them for ever fast with God Is the Covenant of grace an ordered Covenant and a well-ordered Covenant then certainly the wisdome of God is in it as well as the goodness of God the goodnesse of God is in it as to all the mercies and blessings wherewith this Covenant is furnished and the wisdome of God is in it as to the placing and disposing and dispensing of all those mercies and blessings Therefore take heed of displacing that order which God hath set in his Covenant we do displace the order of the Covenant and consequently do presume to correct the wisdome of God when 1. We do apply and interest our selves in the benefits of the
Covenant before we do apply God himself and interest our selves in him to lay hold on his mercies before we lay hold on himself to appropriate the purchase of Christ before we do embrace and appropriate Christ himself this is to disorder and displace the Covenant which first propounds God himself and Christ himself to be received and then the portion of all good things promised after this 2. We do disjoyne the things in the Covenant which God hath ordered to come By disjoyning those things God hath put together By expecting the gifts of the Covenant without the reasons of the Covenant By limiting God in the dispensations of his Covenant together as when we will have the mercy of the Covenant but not the repentance of the Covenant and the hope in Christ from faith in Christ and the promised salvation without the promised holinesse which leads unto that salvation 3. We do expect the gifts of the Covenant without the reasons of the Covenant upon the account of our goodnesse and not upon the account of Gods graciousnesse 4. We do limit God in the dispensations of his Covenant in his answers helps and blessings to our time and to our measure and to our haste and do not submit and leave these to the times of his wisdome and faithfulnesse Vse 2 Is the Covenant of grace an ordered Covenant and a well-ordered Covenant then let no man ever think to enjoy God or any good from Gods Covenant but in that way which God himself hath declared you must believe and repent There is no enjoying God 〈◊〉 in his own way c. Vse 3 Is the Covenant an ordered Covenant then doubt not of the enjoyment of mercy and blessednesse you who are his people but come with confidence unto your God who hath ordered love and mercy and peace and comfort and His people should not doubt of the enjoyment of mercy blessings and happinesse for you SECT VI. 6. A Sixth property of this Covenant is this it is a holy Covenant Luke It is a holy Covenant 1. 72. To performe the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Dan. 11. 28. His heart shall be against the holy Covenant Psal 105. 42. He remembred his holy promise c. The Covenant is stiled holy in sundry respects 1. In respect of the parties interested in the Covenant viz. God and his In respect of the parties interested in it people both of them are holy God is holy he is an holy God Josh 24. 19. Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Rom. 4. 8. His people are holy that thou mayst be an holy people to the Lord thy God Deut. 26. 19. The people of thy holinesse Esay 63. 18. The holy people Dan. 12. 7. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 1. 2. A holy Nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 17. Although before we are brought into the Covenant we are a wicked and unholy defiled and polluted people yet when we are brought into the Covenant then we are made holy we are changed and washed and sanctified and are made partakers of his holinesse 2. In respect of the condition of the Covenant faith as you shall hear shortly In respect of the condition of the Covenant is the condition of this Covenant and true faith is a holy faith building up your selves in your most holy faith Jude ver 20. Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 9. Which are sanctified by faith Acts 26. 18. Faith unites us to the holy Christ and to the holy God and draws holinesse from Christ and sets up that holy Christ in our hearts 3. In respect of the matter promised in the Covenant holinesse is one principal In respect of the matter promised thing promised in it God doth promise to give his holy Spirit Luke 11. 13. and to cleanse us from all iniquity Jer. 33. 8. and from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1. 9. and to refine us with refining fire Mal. 3. 2. Hierusalem shall be holy Joel 3. 17. and to sanctifie us and purifie us I am the Lord who sanctifies you Lev. 20. 8. The God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thes 5. 23. I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 17. 19. By the which will we are sanctified Heb. 10. 10. The change of a sinful heart the giving of a new heart and a new spirit the taking away the heart of stone and the giving of an heart of flesh the work of regeneration and of renovation these are expresly the matter in the Covenant 4. The Author of this Covenant doth expresly command holiness Be ye holy The Author of this Covenant commands holinesse for I am holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. Speak unto all the Congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Lev. 19. 2. Whatsoever things are pious whatsoever things are lovely c. think on these things Phil. 4. 8. This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 5. This Covenant doth exceedingly encourage holinesse Blessed are the pure The Covenant doth encourage holinesse in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the undefiled in the way Psal 119. 1. Being now become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. God is glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. The Saints are the excellent on the earth Psal 16. 3. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Psal 50. 5. This honour have all his Saints Psal 149. 9. He will keep the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints Psal 37. 28. He preserveth the souls of his Saints Psal 97. 10. He delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked ibid. The Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 8. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints 2 Thes 1. 10. 6. All about the Covenant respects holinesse and makes for holinesse all that work of renovation promised in the Covenant all that deliverance promised All about the Covenant respects holiness in the Covenant is that now we should serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the mercies promised lead to holinesse to the love of God to the fear of God to repentance all the glory and happinesse there promised take in holinesse as a way thereunto the Christ there is made unto us sanctification as well as redemption the Spirit of Christ is there to sanctifie and there to comfort and seal us the two broad seals of the Covenant have holinesse written in them baptisme is a Laver
God power is necessary to give a being unto all undertakings The power of God If a poor man promiseth much yet there is no certainty of it because though he be very willing yet he is very unable the engagement exceeds his stock of ability But God is able to performe all the good promised to his people in the Covenant Rom. 4. 21. Abraham was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform For the clear understanding of this remember four particulars 1. There is not any one promise of God but hath the power of God accompanying No promise of God but hath the power of God engaged for it it and engaged for it whether for temporal things see an excellent place for this Numb 11. 18. The Lord will give you flesh and you shall eat Ver. 19. Ye shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor ten nor twenty but a whole month Verse 20. And Moses said verse 21. The people are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh for a whole month Shall ver 22. the flocks and herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall the fish of the sea be gathered together for them as if he had said But art thou able to make this promise good the Lord said unto Moses verse 23. Is the Lords hand waxed short Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not he did make it good Or whether the promise be for spiritual things there is the power of God accompanying it Micah 7. 18. Who is a strong God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity He is able to pardon all our sinnes and able to change our hearts and to subdue our iniquities and to write his Law in our hearts and to make all grace to abound and to keep us from falling and to preserve us to his heavenly glory We are kept by the power of God 2. This power is a supreme and over-topping power it is an exceeding power This power is a supreme power a power that cannot be hindred If he will blesse who can curse If he be with us who can be against us No creature can raise up and stay it it is such a power as beares down all before it All that Pharaoh could do could not make or hinder the power of God from delivering his people according to his promise nor all the Kings could hinder their possessing of promised Canaan 3. This power is independent it takes not in any assistance to help it but is alone This power is independent sufficient to it self and unto all its works and unto all the purposes of God there is enough of his power as to creation so to conversion and pardoning and blessing 4. This power is an enduring power it still abides in strength Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save Isa 59. 1. His power remains the same This power is an enduring power for ever 2. The Will of God in reference to the Covenant to perform what God hath promised Micah 7. 20. Thou wilt performe the truth to Jacob. Jer. 33. 14. The Will of God I will performe that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel 1 Thes 5. 24. Faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it Phil. 1. 6. He that hath begunne a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ God was never forced to make it or to enter into this Bond but out of his own accord willingly became ours and this willingnesse was not extrinsecal depending upon the perswasion of another but it was intrinsecal arising only from his own entire love unto us Quest But the question may be concerning the kinds of Gods Will as to the performance The kinds of Gods will of this Covenant Sol. For answer unto that take these particulars 1. The will of God for the performance of his Covenant it is a peremptory and perfect Will it is a Will resolved a Will of purpose or according to purpose It is a peremptory and perfect will not an incompleat Will it may be I will and it may be I will not not a wishing but this is my purpose my decree I am resolved on it to blesse my people to bring upon them all the good of my Covenant 2. This Will is grounded on it selâ— it is a well-guided Will it doth not depend It is grounded on it self on any thing in us for then it might not be sure but only the good pleasure of his Will which is most sure Ezek. 36. 22. Not for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Name-sake Isa 48. 11. For mine own sake even for mine own sake will I do it Deut. 7. 8. Because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the Oath which he had sworne unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand 3. This Will is fixed and unalterable must not the Covenant then be sure It is fixed and unalterable Psal 89. 34. My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Verse 35. Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lye unto David And this willingnesse he hath expressed 1. In his promiseâ— yea promise upon promise that he will bring upon them all the good that he hath promised them Jer. 32. 42. and Jer. 33. 14. and Micah 7. 20 c. 2. In his Oath to all this I have sworn by my holinesse that I will not lye unto David Psal 89. 35. He confirmed it by his Oath saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 17. and an Oath for confirmation is an end of all strife ver 16. Luk. 1. 72. To perform the mercy promised to our fâ—thers and to remember his holy Covenant Ver. 73. The Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham surely God will not break his word of promise and lye surely God will not break his Oath and be perjured 3. This Covenant is gracious and therefore it is sure as the Apostle speaks It is gracious Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might bâ— by grace to the end the promise might bâ— sure to all the seed The former Covenant was not sure because it was of works and rested upon our own strength and performance but this Covenant iâ— sure because it is of grace and rests not on any sufficiency in us but only on the goodnesse and the sufficiency of Gods grace God in this Covenant doth promise to give us all things freely to work all our works in us and for us not to deal with us according to our deserts but according to the riches of his mercy 4. This Covenant is confirmed by the blood of Jesus Christ which is called It is confirmed by the blood of Christ the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 20. Matth. 26. 28. This
is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of sinnes Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance Ver. 17. A Testament is of force after men are dead It is called a Covenant and a Testament 1. A Covenant in respect of God and a Testament in respect of Christ 2. A Covenant in respect of the manner of Agreement and a Testament in respect of the manner of confirming Jesus Christ died as a Testator and by his death confirmed the Testamentary gift before made of life and salvation 5. I might adde more demonstrations of this truth as the sealings of the Spirit The sealing of the Spirit and sealings of the Ordinances and the sealings of the Ordinances Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are the seals of this Will and the sealings of the people of God in their continual experience of the truth and certainty of the Covenant in the performance of the Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Psal 119. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy Word 2. Quest Why God makes a sute Covenant with his people Why God makes a sure Covenant Certainty is a ground of faith Sol. The reasons are these 1. Certainty is a ground of faith We are commanded to believe and to be perswaded and to stand and rest c. and to rejoyce in believing Rom. 15. 13. If the Covenant were uncertain and unsure your faith would never be certain and sure Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw nâ—â—r with a true heart in full assurance of faith But how could we draw near in that fâ—ll assurance of faith Surely by believing and being fully perswaded to enjoy what God hath promised unlesse there were a certainty in the Covenant viz. That God will certainly performe what he hath promised unto us there cannot possibly be a certainty of faith upon uncertain promises 2. Certainty is a ground of peace this Covenant is stiled a Covenant of peace Certainty is a ground of peace because it settles and quiets and establisheth our hearts yea and the Covenant breeds perfect peace it stills all the fears and doubts and thoughts of heart and therefore it must needs be a sure Covenant and being so we have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. Two things are necessary to the settling of peace in the soul either 1. An actual fruition 2. A certain expectation Were the Covenant uncertain it may be God will be my God it may be he will not be my God it may be he will pardon my sins it may be he will not pardon my sins it may be he will save my soul and it may be he will not save my soul this uncertainty on Gods part would leave an uncertainty on our part and either of these uncertainties would certainly leave us to an uncertain distracted unsettled conscience O I can never be sure that God will be mine that mercy shall be mine c. 3. Certainty is the ground of hope and of patience God would have his people Certainty is the ground of hope and patience to hope in him and to wait for him to hope in his mercy and to wait for his promise Psal 130. 7. Lâ—t Israel hope in the Lord. Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Gird up the loynes of your mind be sober and hope to the end and therefore the Covenant is sure and must be so for hope is upheld by a sure and stedfast Anchor Heb. 6. 19. and patience by a sure word of promise wait for it for it will surely come Hab. 2. 3. God saith it twice in Joel 2. 26 27. My people shall never be ashamed and my people shall never be ashamed and Isa 49. 23. Thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me and Rom. 5. 5. Hope makes not ashamed O but we should be ashamed of our hope and ashamed of our patience if we should look for a God and wait for a God who either could not help us or else would fail us 4. The certainty of the Covenant is the great glory of the Covenant it is more The certainty of the CovenaÌ„t is the glory of it glory to God to make a sure Covenant than an unsure Covenant to be certain in his word than uncertain to be a faithful God than an unfaithful God and we glorifie him more upon the account of the surenesse of his Covenant here is mercy promised and this mercy is sure all the mercies in this Covenant are the sure mercies of David here is Christ promised and this Christ is a sure foundation Isa 38. 16. Here is grace and glory promised and they are sure and here are necessary outward blessings promised and they are sure waters O how this exalts the goodnesse of God! all of it is sure and our poore souls if they come into Covenant shall surely enjoy all the good thereof mercy and grace and righteousnesse and joy and peace and spiritual life 5. God makes a Covenant that is sure because he would draw the hearts of his God would draw the hearts of his people to himself alone people to himself alone There are four things which will draw and fix the heart where it can discover them 1. One is goodnesse this is the good which I need 2. A second is fulnesse here is all the good which I need 3. A third is freenesse all this good is to be had freely 4. A fourth is certainty I shall not faile of any part of this good why these are apt to work on the heart and to draw it and to fix it and all these God puts into the Covenant which he makes with his people it is good it is full it is free and it is certain I will do you good saith God and I will do you all good and I will do it freely and I will do it assuredly why then to whom should we go thou hast all the words of eternal life on whom should we trust but on thy self alone O Lord who art so full a goodnesse and so sweet a graciousnesse and so unquestionable a faithfulnesse and truth 6. This Covenant which God makes with his people is sure because none of None of Gods people shall ever have cause to complain of him the people of God shall ever have cause just cause to complain of him or to blame him David in a distempered fit mutters out Psal 77. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore But he corrects himself for this in verse 10. I said This is my infirmity c. But
if indeed God should not make good his Covenant if that should faile if it were unsure then many bills of complaint would come in against him Lord thou didst hold out a word of promise and commandedst me to rest on it and saydst Thou wouldst not faile me and lo I have quit all other confidences and cast all my hopes upon thy Word which thou saydst was sure and faithful and yet thou hast deceived and wronged me O no none shall ever be able thus to complaine of God or to charge him being truth and faithfulnesse it selfe Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people a sure Covenant then behold hold what a priviledge it is to have God to be our God and for any of us to be the It is a singular priviledge to have God for our God and to be his people people of his Covenant Herein they do excell all other people namely that their Relation is higher their condition is better their hopes are greater their possessions are sweeter and their supplies are sure Wicked men who are out of Covenant have nothing sure their lives are unsure They shall flye away as a dream and shall not be found yea they shall be chased away as a vision of the night Job 20. 8. Their pleasures and delights are unsure They take the Timbrel and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ and in a moment they go down to the grave Job 22. 12 13. Their wealth and riches are unsure Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world and increase in riches surely thou didst set them in slippery places how are they brought into desolation as in a moment Psal 73. 12 18 19. Their honours and greatnesse are unsure Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations They call their Lands after thâ—ir own names neverthelesse man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish Psal 49. 11 12. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they that have seen him shall say Where is he Thus Zophar in Job 20. 6 7. Their hopes are unsure The eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost Job 11. 20. Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spiders webb Job 8. 14. Thâ— expectation of the wicked shall perish Prov. 10. 28. Their possessions are unsure Thou fool this night shall they take away thy soul then whose shall all those things be which thou hast provided Luke 12. 20. When wicked men are in dangers they are not sure of preservation when they are in troubles they are not sure of deliverance when they are in straits they are not sure of help when they are in terrours of conscience they are not sure of mercy when they come to die they are not sure of salvation nothing is sure unto the wicked but wrath and destruction But now on the contrary all things are sure in the Covenant for the people of God The love in the Covenant is a sure love and the mercies in the Covenant are sure mercies and the peace and the joyes and all the blessings of it are sure yea the meanest as well as the greatest even his bread and his waters are sure and eternal life is sure c. Vse 2 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people a sure Covenant why An encouragement to troubled souls to come into Covenant may not this be a great encouragement unto troubled and distressed souls to come into Covenant with God not to stand off through feares and disputes but I shall not be accepted but I shall not finde mercy but to come in with faith and confidence There are five things which may in a special manner affect and encourage Five encouragements from poor broken-hearted sinners to venture in and to close with God in his Covenant 1. One is the thoughts of God towards them his thoughts are thoughts of mercy and peace towards you Jer. 29. 11. The thoughts of God towards them The compassions of God for them The designation of Christ to them 2. A second is the affectionate compassions of God for them To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at my Word Isa 66. 2. 3. The designation of Christ is in reference unto them The Lord hath anointed me saith Christ Isaiah 61. 1. to preach good tydings to the meek He hath sent me to binde up the broken-hearted 4. A fourth is the particular calls and invitations of God directed unto them Let The invitation of God directed to them him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him come and take the waters of life freely Rev. 22. 17. 5. A fifth is the several assurances which he is pleased to give unto them You The several assurances he gives them shall not be rejected saith Christ Him that câ—mes to me I will in no wise reject saith Christ John 6. 37. You shall not be despised saith God himself Who hath despised the day of small things Zach. 4. 10. Nay you shall be graciously accepted I will love them freely Hosea 14. 4. And you shall surely find mercy I will surely have mercy on him said God of Ephraim Jer. 31. 20. And though your sinnes have been many and great yet they shall certainly be pardoned If the wicked will turn from all his sins c. he shall surely live and not die All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Ezek. 18. 21. 22. Why what sweeter encouragement than this You shall find mercy and what stronger encouragement than this you shall surely find mercy God will be your God and he will certainly be so he will lovingly receive you and certainly he will do so and he will pardon all your transgressions and certainly he will do so Plenitudo gratiae certitudo gratiae these should work off all feares and troubles in our hearts c. Vse 3 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people a sure Covenant then blessed are the people who are in Covenant for all the good in the Covenant is Blessed are they who are in Covenant sure to them and shall be theirs assuredly God is surely their God and he hath said unto them as once to Jacob Gen. 32. 12. I will surely do thee good Peruse I beseech you all the Covenant of God and consider what riches and treasures and mercies and blessings and hopes and Reversions and promises you find there either you are possessed of them all or shortly shall be possessed of every one of them all is laid out upon you or is surely laid up for you what you have is sure and what you want is
2. That all is sure in the Covenant that there is no difference of any good which God hath promised as to the graciousnesse and as to the certainty of giving why all the good of the Covenant is freely given unto you and shall certainly be given unto you and therefore you who are the people of God be not satisfied with the little which you have but enlarge your hearts and enlarge your desires and enlarge your confidences for there is much more in the Covenant than as yet you have got out of the Covenant and there it is laid up for you and it will be as surely performed as any blessing which hitherto you have enjoyed Beloved the Covenant is not sure in one paâ—â—â— and unsure in another part this mercy promised is sure but that mercy promised is unsure the lesser is sure but the greater is unsure but all of it and all in it are sure pardon of lesser sinnes is sure and pardon of greater sinnes is sure yea pardon of all your sinnes is sure and as a pardoning mercy is sure so healing mercy is sure and helping mercy is sure God will as certainly heal and renew your hearts as he will pardon your sinful doings and God will as certainly subdue your strong corruptions and powerful temptations as he will do you any other good and he will as surely give you peace in conscience and Christ and eternal life and the joyes of the holy Ghost as well and as certainly as he hath given any truth of grace to you You think this may be had and that may be had but you seldome come up with faith to believe that all shall be had O Sirs we frequently forget that the Covenant of God is a sure Covenant and sure in all things but let us strive to raise our faith unto that heighth and to that latitude that all the Covenant is sure there is not one word of it which it shall fail God will surely performe all his good promises of the Covenant what you possesse you think is sure yea and all that God promiseth is sure and therefore stir up your hearts and look up to God with as much confidence for all which yet you want be it never so much and never so great for God will surely make good all his Covenant to you you have found the Covenant sure in many things O but the Covenant is sure in all things all the promises of God are Yea and Amen c. 3. Be not discouraged nor despond nor despair for the Covenant Be not discouraged is sure there are foure times when our hearts are very apt to faile us 1. One is long delayes of earnest prayers See Psal 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me and from the words of my roaring Verse 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent 2. Another is seeming dislike and discouragement of seeking Lam. 3. 7. He hath made my chaine heavy Ver. 8. Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayers Matth. 15. 23. He answered her not a word Verse 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of Israel Ver. 26. It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs 3. A third is a sensible contradicting or denial of our requests as Heztkiah spake for peace I have great bitternesse So when we pray for peace in conscience then we feel more distresse and trouble in conscience and when we pray against temptations then we finde more powerful and violent temptations and when we pray for deliverance from sinne we then feel more strong assaults and turbulent motions of sin 4. A fourth is when Gods dealings of providence seem quite opposite to his undertakings in his promise Judges 6. 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour said the Angel to Gideon Ver. 13. And Gideon said unto him If the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where are all his miracles which our fore-fathers told us of Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianices neither hast thou delivered thy people at all Exod. 5. 23. And so David to whom God promised a Kingdome but instead thereof he was banished the Kingdome and his life was sought for and pursued by Saul whereupon he concludes instantly that all men are lyars Psal 116. 11. In all these cases and many more we are very apt to be discouraged and to question at least the surenesse of Gods Covenant and to cry out with David Psal 77. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Ver. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Ver. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Neverthelesse notwithstanding all these contigencies and seeming contrarieties and manifold delays and strange dealings of God with his people his Covenant with them is sure and it shall certainly be performed as no work of man so no work of God doth or shall frustrate the Covenant of God with his people Therefore for the better support of your hearts under all these dealings of God with you carefully remember a few positions 1. They are tryals of our faith but no testimonies of Gods unfaithfulnesse He that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upon the God of Jacob Isa 50. 10. We think that we dare to rely on the word of promise as a truth of God as a sure word which will not faile us Now God by these contrary dealings tries the faith of his servants there is still my promise to hear and to do you good and here to your sense and feeling is something directly contrary unto it Can you in this condition glorifie my good and faithful Word Though all these clouds arise yet the Sun will break forth though all this befalls me I shall yet see him to be the help of my countenance and my God his Word is a tryed Word I will not fail God who cannot lye hath promised Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. why Beloved this is one principal end of Gods dealing with us in ways contrary to his promises namely to try and to demonstrate what our faith is in his promises 2. They are reasons of our patience but no characters of Gods change be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 12. God is pleased to hide himself from our prayers and seems to neglect them in this he tries our faith and God is pleased many times to delay his answers in this he exercises our patience he will be acknowledged not only as a
God and thou becamest mine 4. That the Lord doth love his people with a most tender love therefore he is With a most tender love said to betroth them unto himself in loving kindnesse and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. Loving kindnesse is a most affectionate love and mercies are tender bowels of love his love is more tender than the tenderest love of the mother to her sucking childe Isa 49. 15. yea his love is such to his people that he delights in them Isa 62. 4. and rejoyceth over them ver 5. and doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. 5. That the Lord doth love his people with a love from everlasting With a love from everlasting to everlasting and to everlasting Jer. 31. 3. Yea I have loved them with an everlasting love Hosea 2. 19. I will marry thee unto my self for ever in loving kindnesse Certainly the Covenant 'twixt God and his people must hold and continue for ever it must last for ever where there is such a love of God to his people viz. such a love to them as to Christ himself such a love from which nothing shall be able to separate such a love as depends only upon his own love and which is so tender and so affectionate and is everlasting If a Covenant made only by love and if a people brought into that Covenant only by love and loved at such a rate and height even to the giving of the Sonne of God to save them I say if yet such a Covenant may be broken and if such a people may be cast off then is the truest and faithfullest love and bond never to be trusted more neither can be sure if this love be not sure 3. The power of God in relation to his people in Covenant which is a securing The power of God which is A securing power and preserving power 1. A securing power it secures their union with and relation unto Christ and that for ever peruse that excellent place in John 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Ver. 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Ver. 29. My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Here is a description of such as are believers and are in Covenant they are called the Sheep of Christ and such as he knows and owns to be so and they hear his voice and follow him here is also a description of their sure and safe condition they shall never perish they shall never be parted from Christ ver 28. and here is a description of the cause or reason thereof viz. the greatnesse of the power of God He is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my hands as if he had said If these should misse of heaven and if these should perish it must be for want of power in me that I am not able to keep them some other power there must be which is stronger than the power of God by whose hand they are held and kept but my Father is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of his hands therefore they shall never perish but they shall have eternal life and if so then the Covenant 'twixt God and his people is an everlasting Covenant 2. A preserving power that God preserves his people the Scripture doth abundantly A preserving power testifie unto us and if I can make it evident that he by his power preserves them unto everlasting glory I think then that the everlastingnesse of the Covenant will appear unto you and for that see 1 Pet. 1. 5. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Mark he speaks of the people whom ver 2. he calls the elect of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit and ver 3. begotten again and of those he saith that they are kept by what power by the power of God by what means through faith unto what unto salvation untill they come to receive that incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that fades not away which is reserved in heaven for them ver 3. 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome 2 Thess 5. 23. I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 24. Faithful is he that callâ—th you who also will do it why what can more clearly demonstrate the everlastingnesse of the Covenant with the people of God than this that they are kept by the power of God unto salvation that they are preserved unto his heavenly Kingdome that God will preserve their whole spirit and their whole soul and their whole body blamelesse unto the coming of Christ 4. The presence of God with his people he is so present with his people The presence of God with his people that he is said to be nigh unto them and to be with them and to go along with them and to hold them in his hand and to hold their hand and to bear them up nay so as to dwell in them and walk in them and this presence it is a watchful presence Isa 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day and it is such a powerful presence you need no other and no more but Gods presence if he be with you who can be against you I will tell you Gods presence is enough to comfort you and it is enough to strengthen you and it is enough to uphold you and it is enough to raise you and it is enough to protect you and it is enough to save you If God be present with your hearts this is enough to make your graces to act If God be present with your graces this is enough to strengthen them and enough to preserve them Now God is present with every one of his people as to their bodies as to their souls as to their graces and in a special manner and for ever I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the Lord is round about his people for evermore c. 5. The promises of God these also do cleare the everlastingnesse The promises of God God promiseth to work in his people what mâ—kes them stâ—dfast as A real work of grace of the Covenant which I shall shew unto you in six particulars 1. God doth promise to work in his people whatsoever conduceth on their part to the perpetuity or everlastingnesse of the Covenant There are five things which will make us stedfast and firme in Covenant 1. One is a real work of grace on the heart when the heart is indeed changed or renewed though counterfeit grace will faile yet real grace is permanent And God
hath promised this unto his people Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you 2. Another is a sincere heart though hypocrisie be vanishing yet sincerity A sincere heart will continue there is faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse in sincerity and God hath promised to give this heart unto his people Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and one way Zach. 8. 3. Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and ver 8. They shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousnesse Isa 1. 22. Then shalt thou be called the City of righteousnesse the faithful City 3. A third is entire and exceeding love this will hold out unto the death yea Intire love it is stronger than death and this hath God also promised to give his people Deuteronomy 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul 4. A fourth is the fear of himself which is the beginning of wisdome and The fear of God the deliverance from sinne this also God promiseth to give unto his people in that Covenant Jer. 32. 40. I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 5. A fifth is sound faith 1. Of union 2. Dependance both these he Sound faith promiseth They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth fast for ever John 6. 45. They shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father cometh to me Zeph. 3. 12. And they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith 2. God doth expresly promise to keep his people from falling away from him God promiseth to keep his people from falling and that he will never leave nor forsake them 1 Sam. 12. 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name-sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Ver. 28. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever Psalme 94. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Hosea 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings 2 Thess 3. 3. The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you 3. God doth expresly promise to strengthen and increase their grace The righteous God promiseth to strengthen and increase their grace shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. The path of the just shall be as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. He will make all grace to abound he will work in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age 4. God doth promise to confirm his people unto the end and to finish the work God promiseth to confirm his people to the end which he hath begun in them 1 Cor. 1. 8. He shall confirm you to the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begunne a good work in you will perform it will perfect it he will carry it on untill the day of Jesus Christ 5. God doth promise to break down all which might else cause his people to God promiseth to over-power whatsoever may make his people tâ— break Covenant break off the Covenant There are but five causes supposable for the breaking off that Covenant on our part and God removes every one of them from his people 1. One is the power of sin but God hath promised to subdue our iniquities Mic. 7. 19. And sin shall not have dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. 2. A second is the power of Satan but God hath promised that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape 1 Cor. 10. 13. He hath promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his people Matth. 16. 18. He hath promised that the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. and that he will bruise Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. and resist the devil and he shall flye from you James 4. 7. 3. A third is the power of the world but said Christ to his Disciples John 16. 33. Be of good chear I have overcome the world and 1 John 5. 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even over faith 4. A fourth is the supposed liberty and inconstancy of mans will that a man if he will he may cast off his God and give over to be one of his people but this God promiseth to remove by giving of his own Spirit which shall cause us to walk in his Statutes and to keep his Laws and to do them Ezekiel 36. 27. and Jeremiah 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever 5. A supposition that God will substract or with-draw his grace from his people Neither shall this be for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance so Rom. 11. 29. And Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be takâ—n from her Luke 10. 42. 2. A second Argument to demonstrate the everlastingnesse of the Covenant 'twixt God and his people shall be taken from several considerations of Christ From several considerations of Christ and believers and believers who are the people in Covâ—nant 1. Christs suretiship 2. Christs Mediatorship 3. Christs union with them 4. Christs love 5. Christs intercession 6. Christs promises and preparations for them 1. The suretiship of Christ in Heb. 7. 22. Christ is said to be made a surety The suretiship of Christ of a better Covenant so I conceive the word should be rendred viz. Covenant and not Testament for a surety is not of a Testament but of a Covenant A surety is one who is engaged and stands bound for another and is responsable for him as Judah for Benjamine Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him of my hands shall they require him And in matters of contract 'twixt person and persons a surety is taken in for this very end That the contract may be made sure and good may not faile but be truly and perfectly performed and the surety is a distinct person undertaking and engaging in the behalf of him who is of himself the more weak and insufficient contractor As to this consideration Christ is stiled the surety of the
Covenant because he is a third person engaged not so much for God as unto God on our behalf that all that we are obliged for in Covenant unto God shall be truly and faithfuly made good and performed He as our surety stands bound to fill us with those graces to give us those affections and to supply us with such a sufficiency of strength as for ever to cleave unto the Lord in dependance and love and to walk before him in truth and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all out dayes 2. The Mediatorship of Christ you know that he is stiled the Mediator of The Mediatorship of Christ the Covenant Heb. 12. 24. You know that this is one difference 'twixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace that had no Mediator but this hath there God dealt with Adam as a righteous person and Adam had no other bottome and foundation for his standing but his own created righteousnesse as long as he kept that the Covenant remained and when he lost that the Covenant was broken for there was no Mediator to make up the breach But now for the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator upon whose shoulder the weight of the Covenant rests and as long as that Mediator lasts which is for ever so long that Covenant of grace shall last This Mediator is Jesus Christ who as Mediator doth confirm the Covenant by satisfying for sinne and making peace and reconciliation not suffering any enmity and difference to remain between God and his people but he doth if I may so expresse it keep up the League 'twixt them both by his merit with the Father and by his Spirit with believers by his Priestly Office he establisheth peace with God and by his Kingly Office he establisheth the hearts of the children of God his very Office as Mediator is to unite God and us together and to preserve that union for ever if at any time we sinne we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes and when we are weak he then puts out his strength to conquer temptations for us All these things considered it is clear that because of Christs Mediatorship the Covenant of grace must be everlasting 3. The union 'twixt Christ and the people of the Covenant That there is an The union betwixt Christ and his people union 'twixt Christ and believers is most evident in Scripture I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine so the Church speaks of Christ Cant. 6. 3. in respect of which union Christ and believers are stiled the head and the body Eph. 1. 22. A foundation and a building Eph. 2. 20 21. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. A Vine and the branches John 15. 5. A husband and wife 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 5. 32. And Christ dwells in us and we in him John 6. 54. He lives in us Galatians 2. 20. Christ liveth in me and we live in him Col. 3. 3. This union 'twixt Christ and us it hath two properties It is 1. Unio arcta a very near union so near is that union that in a proportion it doth answer the union 'twixt Christ and God his Father John 17. 22. That they may be one even as we are one and that we are entitled with the very Name of Christ himself 1 Cor. 12. 12. and that we are said to die with Christ and to live and rise with Christ and our sufferings are stiled his sufferings Col. 1. 24. and the persecution of Christians the persecution of Christ Acts 9. 4 5. Why persecutest thou me 2. Firma a very firm and lasting union therefore our marriage with him is called an everlasting marriage Hosea 2. 19. And Christ saith of every believer who hath union with him that he dwells in him John 6. 56. that he will not lose him ver 39. that he hath everlasting life ver 47. that he shall not die but live for ever ver 50 51. And indeed by vertue of this union with Christ all believers do enjoy an everlasting influence and an everlasting communion with God in Christ c. 4. The love of Christ unto believers who are the people of God in Covenant The love of Christ unto believers the Scriptures are very high in the expression of it John 15. 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love Ephes 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood John 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end Ephes 3. 19. The love of Christ which passeth knowledge His love is a fruitful love a watchful love an intire love a faithful love an helpful love and a preserving and upholding love is it imaginable that Jesus Christ having so much love to die for his people that they might not perish will after that leave them unto themselves that they may break the Covenant and so perish 5. The prayers and intercession of Christ the intercession of Christ is everlasting The prayers and Intercession of Christ He ever lives to make intercession he is our Advocate who appeares for us and our Intercessor who speaks for us and his prayers and intercession do prevail with the Father Thou hearest me alwayes Joh. 11. 42. Now you may read of four Petitions which Christ did put up for his for their constancy and perseverance in the Covenant Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those that thou hast given me Ver. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me before the foundation of the world 6. Christs promises and preparations and what are these Rom. 8. 1. Thâ—re is Christs promises and preparations no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved John 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall nâ—t perish but have eternal life John 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you 7. I might adde to all these the work of Christ on the hearts of believers in destroying The work of Christ on the hearts of believers the works of the devil in crucifying of their lusts in healing of their natures in quickening of their graces in conquering of temptations in drawing out their affections c. 8. The titles of Christ 1. Our Rock 2.
of his grace and mercy unto his people Now there are foure things which magnifie God in these First his graciousnesse freely to make us to be his people A second is his goodnesse in the plentiful blessing of his people And thirdly his faithfulnesse that he will surely blesse his people And fourthly his everlastingnesse that he will never forsake his people and never will turn away from doing of them good Why this exalts his mercy indeed that it endures for ever and his love indeed that it continues for ever and his grace indeed that as it is free so it is everlasting In respect of his people The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of perfect thankfulnesse 2. There are reasons for this in respect of his people I will mention a few of them 1. The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of full and perfect thankfulnesse Psal 100. 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise Be thankful unto him and bless his Name Verse 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting Psal 136. 1. O give thanks unto the Lord for hâ— is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2. His people have cause now to trust on him for ever Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in His people have now cause to trust in him for ever the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us Selah Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people an everlasting Covenant then that opinion is very false which delivers out unto us such a Covenant of grace as is mutable and alterable and may be broken off and cease between God For confutation of that opinion that the Covenant is mutable and alterable and his people That a man may be made a child of God and yet may become the child of the Divel that he may be graffed into Christ and yet may be broken off from Christ that he may have true faith and grace and yet he may lose true faith and grace that he may finde love and mercy from God and yet may so sinne as actually to forfeit and that for ever all the love and mercy of God Certainly this is a very sad assertion that any person should be translated from death to life that he should be delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kingdome of Christ that he should be effectually called and become a believer and thereupon a Sonne of God and heire of glory that he should for a while believe and rejoyce in his God and be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise and yet upon a sudden notwithstanding all the love and promises and engagements of God unto him in Covenant his Sun should set at noon-day he and his God should part and be utter enemies again that he should cast off God from being his God and God should forsake and cast him off from being any of his people and as it is a sad opinion so it is an opinion utterly inconsistent with this truth of the everlastingnesse of the Covenant of grace A relation which ceaseth to be that relation is not everlasting and that agreement or Covenant which is broken and frustrated that Covenant is not everlasting to be temporary and to be everlasting are questionlesse inconsistent neither will that evasion of a temporarinesse on our part and everlastingnesse of the Covenant on Gods part any way patch up the businesse because there is no such Covenant of grace which God hath made with his people Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Ver. 32. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord Mark the place God makes no such Covenant as shall be broken on our part but such a Covenant as shall hold and be kept on our part as well as on his part verse 33. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people c. And cap. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The principal if not the onely ground of this breaking and falling opinion is a supposition of a power in the will of man according to the pleasure and use whereof the Covenant of Gods grace must stand or fall must continue or break off And to speak plainly according to the Arminian doctrine all the stability and state of a sinners salvation is made to depend upon the will of a sinner the election of God the conversion of a sinner the beneficial Redemption by Christ the perseverance in Christ and grace all of these do lie at the mercy of the will of a poor sinner and truly I must confesse that if the Covenant of grace had no surer foundation then mans wâ—ll it may quickly cease to be an everlasting Covenant But we read of other and better foundations for the perpetuity of this Covenant thâ—n mans will we read that it is grounded on the immutable counsel of God and on his absolute promises and on his Oath and on the blood of Christ confirming and establishing of it and on his power and intercession and presence and love and Spirit and faithfulnesse But as to the opinion of these men which indeed is none other but that of the To state the stability of the Covenant upon the will of man Pelagians and Papists and Arminians Give me favour to speak a few words 1. It is very improbable that God would make a new Covenant with us and state the stability and everlastingnesse of it upon the will of us sinners for hereby 1. There should be no difference as to the ground of safety and certainty Is very improbable 'twixt this Covenant of grace and that of works for if Adam had improved the power and liberty of his will he had continued and had enjoyed the life which God promised unto him Now wherein doth the grace of this Covenant exceed the other of Works if eternal life be left unto the pleasure of our will as formerly it was to Adams 2. Nay it should be harder and more unsafe for us to be in the Covenant of grace than it was for Adam to be in the Covenant of works because in that condition Adams will was created with a perfect righteousnesse and conformity and sufficiency to have continued in that Covenant but we are fallen with him and
not sinners need mercy 3. Can mercy be found anywhere but in this Covenant of mercy or peace anywhere but in the Covenant of peace or life anywhere but in the Covenant of life 4. And doth not this Covenant hold out mercy unto you yea the best mercy and upon the best terms The other Covenant affords you no mercy it easts you off it condemns you to death and wrath And this Covenant yet offers you mercy and life and salvation and no Covenant but this doth so What and yet to refuse to come into it surely either you know not that you are sinners and what will befall you for your sins or else you are desperately wicked to slight and refuse the mercy and grace of God in this Covenant Ezek. 24. 13. Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee So may the Lord say unto some of us Because I would have shewed you mercy but you would not accept of mercy therefore you shall never have mercy And because I would have taken you into Covenant and you would not come into my Covenant of grace and life and peace I will never be a merciful God to you nor a gracious God to you but you shall dye in your sins and perish for ever Heb. 2. 3. Vse 2 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners to God and themselves much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant better then any other Covenant which God made with man Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners both unto themselves and unto God! who lay the Covenant of grace so low and impose such opinions upon it as if there were no difference twixt a Covenant of grace and a Covenant of works Surely it is either temptation which lies upon them or ignorance or unbelief that they thus stand off and fear and dispute and except and question and many times conclude against all encouragements to be taken into this Covenant and there to finde mercy and rest for their soules truely they do many times turn the Covenant of Grace into a very Covenant of Works O but there is no mercy to be had O but not for such great sins O but for me O but I can deserve nothing and bring nothing O but the sentence is past against me O but I have nothing to make my peace And thus they make the Covenant of Grace a very Covenant of Works no better then so a Covenant without mercy without grace without a Mediatour without a tender compassionate God and Father no City of refuge at all nor help to the poor sinner at all And when they are convinced of mercy in it and possible reception into it yet they think that God will not come off to this but upon very hard and difficult terms usually annexing the Legal condition to the promises of the Covenant of Grace Why sirs what do you mean thus to wrong God and his Covenant and your distressed souls Either there is a Covenant of Grace or there is not either that Covenant of Grace is a better Covenant than the Covenant of works or it is not If it be a better Covenant then the fallen and undone sinner may finde relief there and help there which he could not finde in the Covenant of Works for if the sinner can be no more relieved by this than by that Covenant it is then no better Covenant And now see what a slurre you cast upon the wisdome of God and upon the goodness of God and upon Jesus Christ and upon all the promises of God O distressed sinner If the merciful God if the gracious God if the giving God if the forgiving God if the freely loving God if the Lord Jesus as Mediatour and Surety if all the promises of God in Christ if all the offers of grace if all the calls of the Gospel may suffice to convince thee that this Covenant is the best Covenant that ever was or can be made for sinners with all suitableness and tenderness to the sinners condition Then dispute no more but pray for faith to give God the glory of his exceeding grace in this Covenant c. Use 3 Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant What a comfort is this to all believers who are effectually brought into this Covenant Is it no comfort to be Comfort to all Believers brought into such a good estate as better cannot be found or enjoyed If the Covenant of Grace be the best Covenant better then any other Covenant Then all in that Covenant are in the best condition of all other men It was a special kindness in Joseph to give his Father and his Brethren a pâ—ssession in the land of Ramesis what kindness then is that in God to make you to be his people and to become your God and to settle such a portion such a possession upon your soules as in heaven and earth a better Covenant cannot be how should you hearts rejoyce and blesse God for the Covenant of Grace and for bringing of you into that Covenant of grace where A Redeemer is only to be found and you have an interest in that Redeemer A reconciled God is only to be found and you have a propriety in that reconciled God pardoning mercy is only to be found and you have your shares in that pardoning mercy Renewing grace is only to be found and you have your portion in that renewing grace Salvation is only to be found and you have your possession of that salvation Others perhaps cry out O that we might have mercy and O that we might have Christ and O that God would be pacified towards us and reconciled to us and O that our sins might be forgiven and our soules accepted into life why you have all this and more than this Have you not cause to rejoyce who are brought into such a Covenant where you have a propriety in God and Christ and the Spirit and mercy and grace and glory yea into such a Covenant where you may finde relief and support for every want and against every fear and against every sin and against every temptation where all the sorts of mercies and helps and comforts are yours Yea unto such a Covenant where there is not only mercy but fulnesse and not only fulness but freenesse and with all these a certainty and unchangeablenesse Here is as much mercy and goodnesse and happinesse as you need and you shall surely have it and it shall continue unto you for ever Adam and God parted but you and your God shall never part you and Christ shall never part you and mercy and
and clear manifestation of the Law written in the heart of man at the first and now revived and set on foot by God himself Sol. This is I confesse somewhat a knotty question and therefore I would speak warily unto it 1. The Law given by Moses Ministerially was partly Moral in the Ten Precepts and partly Ceremonial in the Levitical Types and Ceremonies and partly Judicial in the civil Rules appertaining to the Jews as such a Nation in civil society but the debate will principally fall upon the Moral Law 2. Which may be considered two wayes viz. 1. As to the matter of it as to which I grant that therein is the Covenant of works to be found 2ly As to the form or Sanction of it as given at this time to the people of Israel thus I deny it to be a Covenant of works Although much which was in the Covenant of works be in this Covenant yet this Law or Covenant was not given for this end to the people of Israel to be a Covenant of works unto them that is such a Covenant upon or from which they must expect life upon their doing 3. You must distinguish twixt 1. The intention of God in giving the Law and 2ly The abuse or perverting of that Law I do grant that many of the Jews did set up a Legal Righteousness for their justifications and rested upon the works of the Law as if life came by them against which the Apostle Paul doth notably argue in his Epistle to the Romans and to the Galathians But this was not the intention of God in the Sanction of the Law They never could find a justifying righteousness by the Law or works of the Law under the notion of a Covenant of works Nor did God ever propound it for that end and because I meet with this choice question I will briefly deliver my own judgement concerning it in The question answered in three particulars three particulars 1. That God never did not will set up for sinners a Covenant of Works 2. That he did not in giving the Law to the Israelites set it up 3. That this Covenant on Mount Sinai was a Covenant of Grace at least subserviently and respectively 1. That God never did since the fall set up a Covenant of Works and I will God did never since the fall setup a Covenant of works Demonstraâ—ed give you arguments to demonstrate it 1. He did set up immediately after the fall a Covenant of Grace this the Scripture clearly shews us but a Covenant of works is inconsistent with a Covenant of Grace and a Covenant of grace is inconsistent with a Covenant of works They are mutually destructive one to the other If of works then no more of grace saith the Apostle Rom. 11. 6. So that you must either deny that God did set up a Covenant of grace for sinners which the Scriptures affirm or you must grant that a Covenant of grace is inconsistent with a Covenant of works which the Scriptures deny or you must confess that there is no Covenant of works since the fall set up by God for sinners 2. If God did set up a Covenant of grace for sinners and after that a Covenant of works for sinners Then he did set up a possibility for sinners to be saved and an impossibility also for sinners to be saved The reason whereof is this There is a possibility for a sinners salvation as to a Covenant of grace where mercy may be found and there is an impossibility of a sinners salvation as to a Covenant of works where no mercy is to be found for a sinner But for God to make salvation both possible and impossible for the same sinners were most inglorious and absurd 3. To put sinners upon contradictions is no way suitable with the wisdom and goodnesse of God But if God should have set up a Covenant of works for sinners after he hath set up a Covenant of Grace he should have put the sinner upon contradictions you must believe and you must not believe you must be justified and live by works and you must not do so The Covenant of grace saith you must believe the Covenant of works saith you must not believe That saith believe and you shall be saved this saith do this and live what is this but to build up and pull down to offer mercy and to deny mercy to give life and to take way life 4. To make the Covenant of grace to be changable and void is quite contrary to the intention and purpose of God who hath made that Covenant to he everlasting and never to be altered no more then the Priesthood of Christ is changeable of which God hath said Thou art a Priest for ever But if God should set up a Covenant of works after a Covenant of Grace this would void and frustrate the Covenant of grace It would throw down Christ as a Mediatour and the Righteousnesse of Christ and all the Fabrick of a Sinners salvation by a Christ God did not make a Covenant of works with the Israelites 2. As God never did after the fall make a Covenant of works with sinners so in particular he did not make such a Covenant with the Israelites when he gave the Law unto them from Mount Sinai he did not give that Law for to be a Covenant of works which I shall endeavour to prove thus Demonstrated 1. What Covenant God made with Abraham that Covenant he made with the seed of Abraham Gen. 17. 7. I will stablish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee But that Covenant with Abraham was the Covenant of grace and the seed of Abraham were those Israelites And if those who are the seed of Abraham were under that Covenant of grace with Abraham they could not be put off to another Covenant of Works in which Abraham was not unlesse you will say that God did act in different Covenants with Abraham and his seed 2. The Apostle saith the Law is not against the promises of God Is the Law then against the promises of God God forbid Gal. 3. 21. And do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. Mark the Law is not against the promises nor doth faith make void the Law both these can very well agree together but so they could not if the Law had been given as a Covenant of works for now the Law would be expresly against the Promises and faith would certainly make void the Law The promises of God are contrary to a Covenant of works and faith is destructive to a Covenant of works If therefore the promises and faith and the Law can consist Then the Law cannot be set up as a Covenant of works 3. That Covenant which God made with Moses and under which Moses stood was no Covenant of works but Moses and the people of
Israel were both under the same Covenant Exod. 34. 27. I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel If any doubt under what Covenant Moses did stand whether of works or grace let him peruse Heb. 11. 26. what a description he shall there finde of Moses He shall there finde him to be a Choice and eminent believer in Christ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt and having respect to the recompence of reward c. Now certainly such a choice believer in Christ was not under a Covenant of work 4. That Covenant which was confirmed by blood and sprinkling which typified the blood of Christ confirming and ratifying the Covenant was no Covenant of works But the Covenant which God then made with the Israelites was confirmed by blood Exod. 24. 7. Moses took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient verse 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Now this very place is quoted by the Apostle in Heb. 9. 19. He sprinkled both the book and the people verse 20. saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you and expresly interprets it and applies it to the blood of Christ verse 14. and veâ—se 23. And therefore that Covenant with that people was not a Covenant of works which never was nor shall be confirmed by the blood of Christ 5. That Covenant which did so convince of sin that it did also shew the way of expiation of sin and of forgivenesse could not be a Covenant of works for that Covenant convinces and condemns But this Covenant at Mount Sinai shewed sin and the way of forgiveness for it taught men to look for forgiveness in the blood of Christ specified in the sacrifices 6. If the Law had been given to the Israelites for a Covenant of Woâ—ks Then upon the breaking of that Covenant all the Israelites had been cut off from all hope of salvation My Reason is this Because a Covenant of Works once broken presently condemns and as to it Salvation therefore becomes impossible it not at all admitting of repentance or of mercy or of a righteousness and satisfact on by another But there was no such Covenant made with the Israelites as the sinning against which did make their salvation thus desperate but that upon repentance they might be received to mercy And for this see Deut. 4. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him if thou seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soule verse 30. When thou aâ—t in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient to his voice verse 31. For the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not destroy thee nor forsake thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he sware unto them Lo here is a way prescribed for repentance in case of transgressions And here is mercy and acceptance in case of repentance and all this in reference to the Covenant made with their Fathers and with them And are any of these to be found in a Covenant of works or upon the transgression of it 7. It had been strange kindnesse in God to help the Children of Israel out of Egypt by an out-stretched arm and after this to make such a Covenant with them that they should never have found mercy nor salvation as in a Covenant of works there is not 3. The Covenant made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai was at least subserviently the Covenant of Grace and given for gracious ends and purposes The Covenant at Mount Sinai was at lâ—ast subserviently the Covenant of grace I say a Covenant of Grace for the substance of it though propounded in a more dark way and in a manner fitting for the state of that people and that present time and condition of the Church namely so as to convince them of sin and of their own impotency and of the great need of Christ and to flie for mercy to God revealed in Christ and to be a Rule of life for a people in Covenant with God that so they might inherit the promises of mercy Gal. 3. 19. The Law was added because of transgressions verse 24. The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified through faith This assertion I shall endeavour to make out unto you from the Word As appears by of God 1. The Praeludium unto the Law makes much for this Read it in Exod. 19. 5. The Praeludium of the Law If you will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation And the Apostle makes use of these expressions and applies them to those who are in the Covenant of grace in 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen Geneeration a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar peoâ—le c. And verse 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy Now I beseech you mark me Is there any Covenant unlesse that of grace wherein the Lord doth thus own and thus exalt a people Is it not meerly of the grace of God in Christ by whom we are made Kings and Priests to God Is it imaginable that any people should be as it were Gods own proper goods which he loveth which he sets his heart upon which he keeps in store for himself for his own special use which he will not part withall which God accounts as his rare and exquisite and precious treasure as all this the word Segulah doth signifie and yet this people are not in a Covenant of grace The immediate Introduction to the giving of the Law 2. The immediate Introdâ—ction unto the giving of the Law Exod. 20. 2. I am the Lord thy God which have c. why there is the very Covenant of grace here is God as our God and blessed are the people who have the Lord to be their God and here is Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant implied for in Christ doth God become our God and there is our redemption from sin and Satan intimated by their deliverance out of Egypt and presently there is the worship of God instituted and appointed which if acceptable to God must be performed with faith for without faith it is impossible to please God God would not command his people so to worship him as to displease him Lev. 26. 12. I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor
with power Vers 42. It was he which was ordained of God c. Vers 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins 2. Consider him likewise in his Offices these were more darkly revealed in the Old Testament or Covenant in types and figures His Mediatorship was typified in Moses who stood between God and the People his Priestly Office was shadowed in Melchisedec his Prophetical Office in Moses who revealed the mind of God to the people his Kingly Office in David God shall give him the Kingdom of his Father David But in the New Testament these are clearly affirmed of Christ 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one Mediator between God and man the Man Christ Jesus He is expresly called our High Priest Heb. 4. 15. and chap. 5. 5 6. And expresly called a Prophet Acts 3. 22. And a King Joh. 18. 37. A King of Kings Rev. 19. 16. 3. Consider Christ in the business of Redemption in the Old Testament this was shadowed in the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt by Moses and the bringing of them into Canaan by Joshua And in the Brazen Serpent upon which they who were stung with the fiery Serpent and looked were healed But in the New Testament he is expresly called our Redeemer and our Redemption 1 Cor. 1 30. Heb. 9. 15. 4. Consider likewise the Benefits which we have by Christ in the Old Testament our Justification was shadowed in the Passover in the Blood of the Lamb and in the many Sacrifices of that time and in sprinkling the blood of the Sacrifice But in the New Testament this is clearly opened 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us And Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sin So our Adoption was figured in the first born and our Sanctification in those Legal washings from pollution and uncleanness But now in the New Testament we have it expresly Christ is made unto us of God Wisdom and Righteousness and Sactification 1 Cor. 1. 30. And that in him we receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 5. And to as many as received him he gave this dignity to be the Sons of God Joh. 1. 12. In Burdens and Liberty 2. The Old Testament had more of Burden in it and the New Testament hath more of Liberty in it Hence it is that the Old Covenant is called a Yoke Acts 15. 10. and a Burden Col. 2. 20. and a Bondage Gal. 4. 3. and an Hand-writing of Ordinances against sinners Col. 2. 14. What a number of Ordinances and daily Sacrifices O what a variety and sometimes costliness of extraordinary Sacrifices for several contingencies of legaâ— pollutions besides the obligation of them to the observation of days and moneths and years and ceremonial Sabbaths again the restriction of the people to worship at Jerusalem where Thrice every year all the males were to come and appear before God Deut. 16. 16. Moreover a great restraint of their liberty in the use of severall Creatures the eating of which was denied unto them But now understand the New Testament or Covenant all these Bonds and Yokes and Restraint are broken Christ hath set us at liberty from the yoke of bondage Gal. 5. 1. and hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us Col. 2. 14. and any of the creatures is allowed unto us being sanctified by the word and prayer The Church heretofore was as an infant but now it is a childe come to ripe years and enjoys a freedom by Christ 3. They differ as to Weakness and Power The Old Testament had but a very In Weakness and Power weak operation in respect of the New the Spirit was not so plentifully poured out as it is under the New Covenant and therefore the old ministration of the Covenant is called a Letter 2 Cor. 3. 6. and the new the Spirit he speaks comparatively of the one with the other That the old Testament did but as it were declare but the new doth work powerfully and effectually in our hearts Not that the old Covenant had no spiritual influence and operations for we read of many living under it who were choice and rare in grace Abraham for Faith and Moses for Meekness and Job for Patience and Josiah for Tenderness and Hezekiah for Vprightness c. But that the more plentiful effusion of the Spirit was reserved untill Christs Resurrection from the dead and ascention into Heaven at which time the New Covenant began to appear in its glory and efficacy gifts were aboundantly given unto men and Three thousand and Five thousand at once converted c. 4. In Limitation and Extent the Old Testament or Covenant was confirmed to In Limitation and Extent the people of the Jews and such Proselytes as came in amongst them Psal 147. 19. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgemenns unto Israel Verse 20. He hath not dealt so with any Nation To them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. To them pertained the Covenants and the Promises Rom. 9. 4. And therefore said Christ to the woman of Samaria Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4. 22. But the New Covenant is a more large and open door it takes in the Jews and the Gentiles yea some of all the Nations in the world there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 28. The Gospel publisheth Christ and the Covenant to Jews and Gentiles and it is powerful unto both c. God is become the God of the Gentiles also and not of the Jews only Rom. 3. 29. The great separation between the Jews and the Gentiles began upon the coming out of the children of Israel from Egypt and especially when the Ceremonial Law was set up as a partition wall And this Separation wall was broken down by the death of Christ Ephes 2. 14 c. and proclaimed immediately after his Ascention 5. They do differ in Time and Duration The Old Covenant was but temporary I mean as a Covenant with such and such ceremonies therefore it is called In Time and in Duration weak and vanishing Heb. 8. 13 What should the shadows do when the body it self is come But the New Covenant abides for ever It is the everlasting Gospel And it is an everlasting Ministration both for the matter and manner of it There might be many more differences between them produced but I shall spare to mention them Thus have you heard the betterness of the New Covenant and therewith a discourse of the several dispensations of the Covenant I will make a few useful Applications from what I have delivered and then I shall go on to another general Head of the Covenant Vse 1. See of what antiquity the Grace of God is and of what a length
it is See the antiquity of the Grace of God it hath been acting and putting forth it self from the beginning of the world it is of antient days and running along through all ages unto our age and so shall it hold on until the end of the World God hath had some ever since the fall whom he hath owned in special a manner for his people There is no age but his Covenant in some measure hath been afoot and some have been tasting of his Grace and Mercy We in our generation are not the only vessels of them thousands and thousands before us have been restored by Grace and saved by Grace Vse 2. How should this bow in our hearts to come into that Covenant of Grace This should move us to come into this Covenant which hath in so many Generations been found so full of mercy and life and to trust upon that God who is good and always keeps Covenant there is not any thing spoken of in any one Dispensation of the Covenant but it hath been still performed Surely that Covenant which hath held out so many years to so many Believers it will be sufficient and effectual for us all our days Vse 3. Then it is a gross error of the Anabaptists who put the Fathers under a carnall It discovers the erâ—or of the Anabaptists Covenant and that God fed them only with husks with Temporal Promises with earthly blessings as if they had no interest in God himself nor Christ nor Grace nor Glory whereas the Old Covenant under which they lived made up the same relation 'twixt God and them as between us and God and they had the same Christ revealed unto them as we have and their Faith looked on him as promised and to come as our faith looks on him as come and exhibited and they and we are the same children of God by faith and heirs of the same glory by Christ Vse 4. Then it is also a gross error to lay any other foundation than what is laid And their error who set up a Coveâ—anâ— of Woâ—ks â—or life my meaning is To set up a Covenant of Works for life and justification to build our confidences and hopes for life and salvation upon our own works for God as you have heard hath from age to age and from generation to generation set up a Covenant of Grace though in several ways of dispensation for his people and in these latter times as the Apostle stiles them hath setled fixed an invincible Covenant of grace to the worlds end And the Covenant of grace layes Jesus Christ alone for the sinners foundation and gives faith to lay the soule upon him not upon our own righteousness but upon his righteousness You do for lying vanities forsake your own mercies when you leave Jesus Christ and expect life from a Covenant of works Use 5 Vse 5. If they who had the Covenant of grace more dimly and darkly revealed were brought in as a people unto God what shall we say for our selves who have the Covenant of grace most clearly revealed in the Gospel and who have How unexcusable are sinners under this Covenant Christ and all the work of Redemption by Christ and all the way of salvation by Christ written as it were with the beams of the Sun what shall we say for our selves if yet 1. We remaine ignorant of mercy and life and Christ and salvation 2. We remaine obstinate and refuse to hearken unto the way of life and unto the terms of grace propounded unto us in the Gospel 3. We still receive the grace of God in vain and are no way wrought on by the ministration of the New Covenant but it is still a dead Letter unto us not a quickâ—ing Spirit c. O how inexcusable are our soules and how unanswerable shall we for all this grace of God and how heavy will the condemnation be for despising the grace of God shining amongst us with such glorious light in the face of Christ and in the Ministery of the Gospel of Christ If our Gospel be hid it is hid unto them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. in whom the god of this world hath blinded the mindes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them verse 5. Vse 6 O what manner of persons should the people of God be in these times who live under the new Covenant the best of all Covenants Better than the Covenant of works better What manner of persons should we be For knowledge than the Old Covenant of Grace for perspicuity for efficacy for liberty c. 1. What manner of men should we be in knowledge of Christ and of the grace of God in Christ 2. What manner of men should we be for soundness of judgement in the truths For soundness of judgment of the Covenant having so much light of the Gospel revealing the Covenant 3. What manner of men should we be in the estimation of Christ in affections In estimatioâ—s of Christ and in affection to him unto Christ in love to Christ in faith in Christ to whom Christ is so fully and so evidently made manifested by the Gospel in his Person in his Offices in his Love in his Redemption in his Salvation 4. How rich in grace how abounding in every grace to whom the New Covenant of grace is preached which is of more power and efficacy than any other How rich in grace Covenant which hath a more abundant presence and influence of the Spirit As to whom much is forgiven of them shall much be required So they who have received much from them doth God expect more 5. How should you serve your God and live up to Christ in all intention of mind How should such serve their God! and fervency of Spirit and freedom of heart and chearfulness of soul and readiness of obedience who are brought into that Covenant which sets you at liberty from a world of Ceremonies and Sacrifices and restraints and besides from sin and Satan 6. How chiefly should your hearts be raised to the better promises in Christ fully How should our hearts be raised to the better promises manifested now in the Gospel In the Old Testament you finde more mention indeed of temporal blessings and the spiritual were many times vailed in them But in the New Testament you finde the greatest mention of Spiritual blessings and temporal blessings be annexed unto them And why is this but because your hearts should be more taken up with and more set upon the great things of salvation and heaven than the mean things of earth and of this life O that you had hearts suitable and answerable to the choisest chiefest manifestations of the Covenant of grace and of the blessings more fully revealed and promised in the Covenant Use 7 How should we Gentiles blesse the Lord whom he hath reserved for
the times of the New Covenant which excels the other It is to me a very considerable Mystery that the Jews who were if I may so expresse my self the Original people of God the first fruits of the creature That they should have the largest time How should we Gentiles blesse the Lord who are reserved for the times of the new Covenant under the Old Covenant And we who are Gentiles that came in as it were at second hand should have all our time under the New Covenant That they by unbelief were so quickly broken off and the Gentiles have been for so many hundred years graffed in whatsoever the mystery of this dispensation may be certainly we who are sinners of the Gentiles have wonderful cause to blesse our God who hath given us so long a day in the day of his grace and have singular cause to improve such a mercy with fear and trembling As we may see the greatness of the freeness of Gods grace and the exceeding riches thereof to us so should we both lay hold on the grace revealed and walk with more faith and humility not be high-minded but fear for we stand by faith Remember saith Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 2. 12. That at that time ye were without Christ being Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world But verse 13. now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. CHAP. VI. Isaiah 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David I Have now discoursed of the Covenant of Grace as it stands in The condition of the Covenant opposition to the Covenant of Works and I have discoursed of the Covenant of Grace as to the vital nature of it what it was and I have discoursed of the Covenant of Grace as to the Properties and Adjuncts of it Now I shall proceed unto a fourth General consideration of this Covenant of Grace and that is the condition of it The Covenant of Grace herein agrees with all other Covenants that it is a mutual obligation God bindes himself and his people binde themselves there is something which he will do and there is something which we must do I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. 37. and surely theâ—e is a condition in that Bond. God hath his part in the Bond and we have our part in the Bond If you trace the Covenant from Abraham even unto Christ successively you shall all along finde a condition expressed and annexed unto the Covenant Abraham he believed Gen. 15. 6. And he was to walk uprightly Gen. 17. 1. and the many Rites in Moses time took in a condition of faith and obedience and so it did in Davids time and the like with the people of Israel in and after the Babylonish Captivity and so in Christs and the Apostles time SECT I. Object I Know there is a great dispute How any condition can be allowed in a Covenant of Grace And some are very eager against it and think that if any condition be admitted then presently we are Legalists and are setting up a Covenant How any condition can be allowed in the Covenant of Grace of works instead of a Covenant of Grace Sol. But I humbly conceive that there is no need of such heat nor fear of such an inconveniency in this Point if parties would but patiently hear one another and calmly consider the matter Therefore first I think it necessary to distinguish of that word condition which may be taken in a three-fold sense Distinguish of the word condition No such condition as to work any one grace in our own hearts 1. For such an Act which we may or may not perform according to the power and pleasure of our own free will without the preventing or determining grace of God And truely in this sense I know no godly Christian who doth or dare to thrust in a condition to the Covenant of Grace as if there were something to be done by us that is by the sole power of our free wills upon the drawing out of which a Covenant is made up and accomplished twixt God and us 2. For the doing of some work which hath in it a meritorious reason on our part either for the acceptance of our persons with God or for the performance of No such condition as merit and self-worthiness his promises unto us so as wages are due to a workman no such condition as merit and self-worthiness Neither in this sense dare we admit of a condition in the Covenant of Grace for the thirsty drink of the water of life freely and the poore buy without mony and without price Both our graces and our rewards are only of the grace of God in Christ 3. For some qualifications in the sinner not wrought in him by his own power but by the sole power of Gods grace without which he cannot stand in an actual relation But a qualification wrought by God without which we cannot stand in Relation to God unto God as his God nor can apply the promises of pardon and salvation by Christ unto himself In this sense we do hold a condition in the Covenant of Grace namely That something there is required of us which yet God doth promise to work in us and which he doth work effectually in the hearts of all the Elect in time therefore Faith is called the operation of God Col. 2. 12. and the work of his power 1 Cor. 2. 5. without which they cannot look on God as their God nor can apply the Promises of forgiveness and eternal life and which when they do finde wrought in themselves by the power of Gods grace they can and may apply both unto themselves In this sense there is a condition Look as to make up a conjugal Relation there is something required on either party The woman must be willing to take and receive the man for her husband as well as the man is willing to take the woman for his wife So it is in the making up of the Spiritual marriage which is the Covenant twixt God and us as he is willing to be our God so must we be willing to be his people And as be therein takes us to be his people so do we therein take him to be our God Only with this difference That in the civil Covenant of marriage our own will leads us to that but in the Spiritual God doth by his Such a condition as it is simply necessary so it is expresly deteâ—mined in Scripture Spirit work in us that will which is a condition necessary to make the Covenant between himself and us 2. A condition as thus interpreted as it is simply necessary to the Covenant of Grace being a mutual compact and not a meere promise so it is expresly determined in
Scripture Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life ye shall not perish if you do believe and ye shall have everlasting life if ye do believe Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant Exod. 24. 7. He took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient verse 8. and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Chap. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Chap. 13. 18. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins verse 39. And by him all that believe are justified c 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Verse 8. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 3. Every condition annexed unto a Covenant doth not make that Covenant to be a Every condition doth nor make the Covenant to be a Covenant of Works except it be the same condition The Covenant of grace Covenant of Works unless you do put the self same condition into that other Covenant which is placed in the Covenant of works But thus it is not in the Covenant of grace which 1. Puts not the same condition but another condition of a quite different nature from that condition in the Covenant of work There it is Do this and live Here it is Believe and you shall be saved 2. Puts such a condition which is compatible with the grace of God Indeed works that is a self perfect and absolute obedience is incompatible and inconsistent with salvation by grace but a saving by faith is not inconsistent with Requires another condition And a condition compatible with the grace of God grace Of which if any doth doubt let him but read the Apostle in Ephes 2. 5. By grace are ye saved verse 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace What can be can spoken more expresly to shew the consistence twixt grace and faith grace saves and yet faith saves ye are saved by grace through faith Now from all which hath been discovered it doth appear that the Covenant of grace can admit of a condition namely such a condition which is graciously given and such a condition which will in the nature and use of it exalt all the grace of God And truely this condition is Faith and no other thing for This condition is faith Faith 1. Is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. and Phil. 1. 29. It doth not at all flow from our selves Therefore believers are said Joh. 1. 13. to be born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 2. And it is such a gift of God as is compleatly adopted to the Covenant of Grace To no Covenant but that and to that it is For that Covenant on Gods part is all in offers and promises and givings and faith is all in receiving and is depending and acknowledging and magnifying the grace of God And that Faith is the condition annexed to this Covenant I shall present unto Demonstrations of it you a few Arguments besides the Scriptures above mentioned to demonstrate it 1. That without which God is not our God nor are we his people And upon Without faith God is not our God nor we his people which God is our God and we do become his people and children This is a condition of the Covenant But faith is that without which God is not our God nor are we his people and upon faith God is our God and we are his people and children See it in the particulars 1. Without Faith there is no Relation by way of Covenant twixt God and us 1. For God and unbelievers are not in Covenant 2. Refusers of the Covenant are not in Covenant 3. Persons under wrath and condemnation are not in Covenant He that believes not is condemned and he shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 3. 18. Ephes 2. 11. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh c. verse 12. That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world This was their condition before they were quickned from the dead and had obtained faith 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 2. Upon faith God becomes our God in Covenant and we become his people and children He upon believing becomes our God in Covenant Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me Hear and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you And Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father And that spirit of Adoption presupposeth faith None are sons but by faith And we upon believing do become his people and children Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus 2. That which gives you an interest in Christ the same thing gives you an interest in Faith gives an interest in Christ the Covenant of Grace For this is a sure truth that according to your interest in Christ so is your interest in God and in the Covenant Out of Christ you shall finde no God to be your God But Faith is necessary to give you an interest in Christ forasmuch as Christ becomes ours by faith By faith we are planted into Christ and built upon Christ and married unto Christ he is ours and we are his 3. If all the good of the Covenant comes unto us upon believing Then Faith is All the good of the Covenant comes to us upon believing the condition annexed unto the Covenant you can have none of the good of it but upon believing unbelief cuts you off from all title and all fruition but all the good of the Covenant comes to be setled upon you by believing If you believe you shall be saved If you believe you shall be justified and pardoned you have the
righteousnesse of Christ by faith and you have the pardon of your sins by faith you are heirs of all by faith He that believeth on the Sâ—n hath everlasting life Joh. 3. 26. The promise that he should be the heir of the World was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith Rom. 4. 13. 4. All the dealings with God as a God in Covenant is by Faith you can have no communion with him at all without faith you cannot acknowledge him All our dealings with God is by Faith nor love him nor desire him nor delight in him nor call upon him nor trust him nor take any thing from him nor make any use of him or of his promises but by faith Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him James 1. 6. But let him ask in faith c. SECT II. Quest 1. BUt now come three Questions what Faith that is which is necessary and which must be put forth to bring us into the Covenant and without which we neither are nor can be in Covenant with God 2. Whether Faith only be the condition What faith it is that is the condition 3. Why Faith is the condition 1. What Faith it is that is the condition Sol. There are several distinctions of Faith considered in the kindes of it of which I shall not speak and there are several conditions of the same Faith in respect of the particular acts issuing or following from it 1. That Faith which brings us into the Covenant is a Faith which respects A faith which respects Christ Christ or which is conversant about Christ No other Faith but this Faith and of this Faith there are divers acts 1. One is an uniting act 2. And there is a justifying act 3. A third is a drawing act The faith which brings us into the Covenant is that faith which doth unite us unto A faith that doth unite us to Christ Christ which makes us one with him And we being thus united to Christ we are thereupon and therefore in the Covenant Faith considered as justifying doth not bring us into the Covenant for our justifying follows our being in the Covenant we must first be in the Covenant before we can have Righteousnesse and forgivenesse of sins Neither doth faith as drawing any grace from Christ bring us into the Covenant Forasmuch as all the fruits of communion are consequents unto us being first in the Covenant But it is faith considered only as uniting us unto Christ which brings us into the Covenant For the opening of this Point which is as difficult and weighty as any that I meet with give me favour to enlarge my self a little in shewing unto you 1. That there is an union twixt Christ and us 2. That faith is the means or instrument of that union 3. That our interest in the Covenant necessarily flows from this union with Christ 1. That there is an union twixt Christ and us not an imaginary union an union There is a union betwixt Christ and us only in the apprehension of the minde as an object apprehended is conveyed and united to the intellect but a very real union Hence it is that the Church is called the Body and Christ is called the Head Ephes 5. 23. Christ is the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body And verse 30 Ye are members of his body and of his flesh and of his bonâ—s Now there is a real union 'twixt the body and the head and between every member of the body and of the head they are all joyned to the head by the Nerves and Ligatures from whence they receive their sensation and strength In like manner there is an union between us and Christ we are joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6. 17. and he is â—oyned unto us c. The Church is called a building and house and Christ is called the foundation and corner-stone Eph. 2. 20. We are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Corner-stone 1 Pet. 2. 4. To whom coming as unto a living stone verse 5 ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house c. There is an union twixt the building and the foundation the building depends upon the foundation and the foundation bears up the building The Church is the Branches and Christ is the Vine Joh. 15. 5. I am the Vine and ye are the branches The living branches have their union with the roots there they grow and there they live and are nourished The Church is called the Spouse and Wife of Christ and Christ the Husband I will marry thee to my self Hosea 2. 19. I have espoused you unto one husband saith Paul 2 Cor. 11. 2. And twixt them the union is so near that they are called one flesh Gen. 2. 24. so likewise are Christ and they who are united to Christ called one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. 2. That faith is the means and instrument of our union with Christ By which we Faith is the instrument of our union are near to him enjoy him are joyned unto him possesse him as ours And this the Scripture holds forth unto us abundantly in the several expressions of faith Our believing is sometimes stiled a coming to Christ Come unto me and No man comes to me except c. A receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him c. A livingly Christ and a living in Christ Because I live ye shall live also Joh. 14. 19. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God Gal. 2. 20. and a joyning to Christ 1 Cor. 6. 17. A being in Christ Ye are in Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. and that is by faith A partaking of Christ a planting of us into Christ and Christ is said to dwell in us by faith and so do we dwell in him by faith and abide in him by faith A eating and drinking of Christ Joh. 6. 56. When the Spirit of God works faith in our hearts our hearts are now brought in to Christ they are subdued and captivated We embrace Christ and we come in to Christ and Christ is ours and we are his and the whole heart ir setled upon Christ and knit unto Christ and becomes one with Christ 3. Our interest in the Covenant necessarily follows from this union with Christ Our interest in the Covenant 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 The â—â—â—enaÌ„t was 〈◊〉 â—ade with Christ and 〈◊〉 us in relation to Christ Being brought by faith into Christ you are now in the Covenant And that I shall clear unto you thus 1. The Covenant of God was made first with Christ as the head of the Church and with us in relation unto Christ and with Christ in
relation to us Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God promised before the world began To whom did he promise that eternal life for us but unto Christ with whom he did Covenant for us and in whom with us Isa 42. 6. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles The same you read in Isa 49. 8. Jesus Christ is not only the Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. nor only the surety of the Covenant Heb. 7. 22. nor only the Mediatour of the Covenant as standing twixt God and us Heb. 12. 24. but he is the principal confederate in the Covenant Christ stands as a publick person in the Covenant and when God made a Covenant with him he made it with him for himself and all his with all that should be brought in unto him As Adam stood in the Covenant of works not as a private person but as a publick person and that Covenant was made with him and with all his posterity so the Covenant which God made with Christ it was made with Christ as a publick person as the Head of all the Church with him and all his And therefore as soon as you are brought in by faith to Christ you are immediately brought into the Covenant 2. In Christ and by Christ God is our God and our Father and therefore if by faith you are brought into Christ you are brought into the Covenant Let God In and by Christ God is our God look on us as out of Christ he must look on us as enemies and not as children and if we look on God out of Christ we must behold him as our Judge but not as our Father But consider us as brought into Christ now we are reconciled to God and now in what relation God stands to Christ in the same he stands to us and in what relation Christ stands to God in the same do we stand to God And what priviledge Christ enjoyes the same do we enjoy by Christ he is a God to Christ and a Father to Christ Psal 89. 26. He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God c. And thus we being in Christ he is to us Joh. 20. 17. I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God and Christ is the Son of God and so are we the sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Christ is the Heir of God and so are we heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. 3. When you are by faith brought into union with Christ so that you are his Being by faith united to Christ we enjoy all blessings you now enjoy life and promises and all blessings 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life 1 Cor. 3. 22. All are yours verse 23. and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises and you may plead them all for they are yea and in Christ Amen Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ 4. This union with Christ directly stands in opposition to a sinners being cut off Our union with Christ brings us into a state of favour from God and brings him again into a state of favour The soule can no more receive ought from God till it be one with him by Christ than Christ could merit any thing for us till the Deity and the flesh were fully united and no more than the soul can impart any thing to the body till they be one Thus have you heard what faith that is which is the condition of the Covenant viz. A faith of union a faith which brings us into Christ and unites us with Christ I now proceed unto the second question SECT II. 2. Quest WHether Faith only be the Condition of the Covenant Is Whether faith only be the condition of the Covenant not Holinesse required Is not Repentance Is not new obedience Sol. For answer unto this we must distinguish 1. Between the Covenant and persons in the Covenant If you speak of persons Distinguish betwixt the Covenant and the persons in the Covenant in the Covenant certainly holiness is required of them ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy and be ye holy for I am holy and holiness is promised to all the people in Covenant And holinesse is wrought in all the people of the Covenant All the people of God are a holy people but though holiness be in the Covenanted yet it is not in the condition of the Covenant God doth not say If you be holy then I will be your God and accept of you but if you believe when you are brought into the Covenant then you are made holy but that which brings you into the Covenant that which God insists with you for so as to be your God is faith Receive my Christ believe on him and I will be your God 2. Though Faith be the only condition as to entrance in the Cvenant yet this faith will Though faith be the only condition yet it brings us to holiness bring you to holiness as a fruit of the Covenant For this faith brings you to Christ to union with him and communion with him in holiness As soon as faith brings you into union with Christ Christ makes you partakers of that unction of holiness wherewith he himself is anointed 3. There is a difference 'twixt the persons to whom promises are made and the There is a difference betwixt the persons to whom the promises are made and the condition upon which they are performed New obedience is a consequent effect and not an antecedent condition condition upon which those promises are performed Indeed you read of many promises made to broken-hearted and penitent persons but the application of them all is only by Faith The forgiveness of sin cannot be applyed by any hand but that of faith which seed the promise of it and seeks the performance of it by and for Christ 4. For newness of obedience this is a consequent effect and not an Autecedent condition for it is impossible to see fruits till you finde life And besides this that faith which lets you into Covenant is a very fruitful Faith it graffs you into such a root which can enable you and will do so for fruits of life as the first Adam doth his Branches for fruits of death So then it is faith and faith only which is the condition of the Covenant yet it is such a faith which though it takes no graces or works with it as competitors in the nature of a condition with it yet it doth inferre and draw after it all these Graces and all good works as Austin said Bona opera sequuntur justificatum licèt non praecedunt justificandum c. SECT III. 3. Quest VVHy is
Faith singled out to be the condition of the Covenant Why faith is the only condition of Grace Sol. 1. There is nothing whatsoever which doth so fit and answer a Covenant of Grace as Faith doth for in this Covenant God deals in promises and by a Mediatour Faith best answers the Covenant of grace And the promises are objects proper to faith As precepts are to obedience and threatnings to fear so are promises to faith And for Jesus Christ the Mediatour deale with him you cannot but by faith Object Indeed love deals with Christ as well as faith Christ is the object of our love and of our faith But then here 1. That love deals with Christ in the strength of faith first faith deales and then love deales with Christ 2. Though love deals with Christ yet it is another way than faith Love is bringing into Christ but Faiths work is receiving all from Christ and resting on Christ c. 2. There is nothing but Faith which will or can acknowledge a free Covenant And all as freely given unto us Set up any thing but faith and that will set up us Nothing but faith will acknowledge a free Covenant and pull down grace Any thing but faith must be something in our selves and something in our selves will deprive grace of the glory yea it will deny grace but faith will do none of this because faith is a meere gift of grace and faith receives all as free gift findes nothing in us at all but receâ—ves all and lives wholly on the grace of God in Christ 3. It is of faith that the promises might be sure so the Apostle Rom. 4. 16. It is of faith that the promise might be sure Adam had a Covenant as well as we and therefore some observe that he had one sacrament of death another of life to assure him of death in case he sinned as wel as to assure him of life in case he obeyed because it was made upon condition of works And truely if Adam who was so every wâ—y furnished could not hold up a Covenant upon a Condition of works much less should we do it being now utterly broken by him But now the promise of â—ife being made to us upon condition of faith it is therefore made sure for â—aith builds upon a sure foundation and faith hath a sure word of promise 4. The Covenant of grace excludes all boastings in our selves Rom. 3. 27. and Faith excludes all boasting in our selves therefore faith is necessary for us for boasting is excluded not by the Law of works but by the Law of Faith Ibid. If you should put in works for the condition then the sinner would be ready to boast All this I have kept from my youth This have I done and that have I done and I never offended thy will the wages is due debt to me O but this must never be c. 5. There are such things undertaken in the Covenant as nothing but faith can tell Nothing but faith can tell what to make of the things undertaken in the Covenant what to make of them I will forgive your iniquities and will give you a new heart and I will heale your back-slidings and I will love them freely and I will forgive your sins for mine owne sake These are absolute Mysteries without faith Before I proceed any further in this Point I would make some useful Application of what I have delivered already Is Faith the condition of the Conant SECT IV. 1. Use THen how are men mistaken How have they deluded themselves how To discover the presumption of many who plead their interest in the promises without the performance of the condition must they return ashamed who have nursed up their fancies and presumptions about the mercy of God and the many promises of God about salvation and other blessings yea and about God himself what a good and gracious and merciful God he is and so will be to them O but sirs There is a condition in the Bond. God makes many sweet and comfortable promises O but there is a condition And God saith he will be such a gracious and merciful God c. O but there is a condition and he saith that he will save and give eternal life O but there is a condition a condition that you think not of a condition that you never attained unto Faith is the condition of the Covenant You must be believers in Christ and then and so you must claim the promises you must have an interest in Christ or else you can never have an interest in the priviledges of the Covenant you have owned the promised mercy and the promised salvation in the Covenant O but you have not all this while owned Christ by saith and therefore you have all this while deluded your soules The Apostle faith all men have not faith and the Prophet saith Who hath believed our report and Christ himself saith He that believeth shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Why brethren If Faith be the condition of the Covenant If faith be necessary to bring us into the Covenant Then no unbeliever is yet in the Covenat for no unbeliever hath faith No no God is not the God of the dead but of the living and mercy is not the portion of unbelievers but of believers and salvation by Christ is interessed only on them who believe on Christ And thou art to this day an unbeliever thou art utterly destituâ—e of faith And there are six things which shew that thouÌ„ art so 1. One is the unsensiblenesse of thy sinful and wretched condition and of thy need which thy soule hath of Christ 2. A second is the exceeding ignorance in thy heart of Christ as the Mediatour of the Covenant 3. A third is the exceeding pride and confidence on thiâ—â— own righteousness and on thine own works 4. A fourth is the continual neglects and disesteeme of the Gospel of Christ 5. A fifth is the fruitless reception of the many offers of Christ 6. A sixth is the incomplyance of thy heart with the Lord Jesus and averseness and refusing of subjection unto Christ Thou wilt not have him to reign over thee Ah poor creature How hast thou befooled thy self and deluded thy soul with a vain presumption of interest in the Covenant whilst as yet thou hast not faith to interest thy soul in Christ 2. Use Is saith of union the condition of the Covenant Then as you have Look to your faith that it be a faith of union reason to look to your selves because all men have not â—aith so you have reason to look to your faith for you may have a faith which yet is not a faith of union That is a considerable passage of Christ in Joh. 15. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away verse 6. If a man abideth not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is
withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned A branch may be in a tree two wayes One is by a meer corporeal adherence by cleaving and sticking to the body of the tree and so every dead branch is in the tree as well as those that live such branches have no union they are dead and cut off and cast away into the fire Another is by a real participation of the life sap and influence of the root That which makes us to be in Christ any kind of way is Faith and according to the differences of faith are those differences of being in Christ You may read in Scripture of a dead faith James 2. 26. This dead faith takes in an external profession of Christ and a self aiming dependance on Christ to keep us from Hell and get us to Heaven But for all this there is no real union with Christ And we read too of a lively and unfeigned faith of a faith which joynes us and Christ in one Spirit which graffs us indeed into Christ and makes us partakers of the life and grace of Christ O where is this faith this living faith this ingraffing faith this uniting faith is the only precious faith and the only faith which brings us into the Covenant and the only faith which can look on God as our God and promising mercy and salvation unto us If you have not this faith you have no interest in Christ and if you have no interest in Christ you have no interest in God nor in the Covenant of God You cannot own God for yours nor can you own the promises of God as yours as made unto you But here now occurre two serious questions 1. One is How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union which unites Two serious Questions us to Christ 2. The second is How we may attain unto the faith of union which only brings us into the Covenant SECT V. 1. Quest HOw we may know whether our Faith be a Faith of real union with How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union Christ a faith which unites us to Christ indeed Sol. This is a most pertinent question because our real interest in the Covenant of grace depends upon it all depends upon it out of Christ and out of Covenant in Christ and in Covenant And if your faith be an uniting faith then Christ is yours and God is yours and all the good of the Covenant is yours Now there are five things which are to be considered about the faith of union or the faith which indeed unites us to Christ Five things about the faith of union 1. The manner 〈◊〉 it is wrought in the heart 2. The peculiar operations of it upon the soule in relation to this union 3. The very act or acts by which and upon which the soule is indeed brought into union 4. The qualities of this union by faith 5. The choice influences or effects which do alwayes attend that union with Christ by faith 1. If your faith be a faith which unites you to Christ Then it is the work and The manner how it is wrought in the heart It is the work of the Spirit of Christ fruit of the spirit and it is wrought by the Spirit in an uniting way 1. It is the work of the Spirit of Christ None doth or can raise and produce this faith but the very Spirit of God Col. 2. 12. Ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead His mighty power is put forth to produce it Ephes 1. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 5. Your faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith In all these places the Apostle speaks of that faith which interests your persons in Christ This faith he calls the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. and the power of God and the operation of God and the Spirit of Faith and in Isa 53. 1. The revealing of the Arm of God Consider this Faith in all the parts and degrees of it you shall finde that every one of them comes from the Spirit of God Faith is sometimes stiled knowledge and believing knowing why the right knowledge of Christ is a fruit or work of the Spirit of God Matth. 11. 25. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Faith is sometimes stiled acknowledgment Col. 2. 2. The acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. Faith or believing is sometimes stiled a coming unto Christ and saith Christ himself No man can come to me except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. It is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which ability to receive Christ depends only on the will of God verse 13. Well then uniting faith is the sole work of the Spirit of God if any man be brought into Christ and joyned unto Christ this work is wrought by the Spirit of Christ 2. The spirit works this uniting Faith in an uniting way or manner how is that The Spirit works this in a uniting way will you say Thus it is when the Spirit doth work this faith in us he doth it in a Gospel manner the Gospel way is the uniting way accompanying it all along 1. By Evangelical light 2. By Evangelical offers 3. By Evangelical promises 4. By Evangelical efficacy 1. He lets in such a Gospel-light into the soule of a broken and troubled sinner that The Spirit lets in a Gospel light into the soule be is now able to see and to discern the wonderful grace of God in Christ even the glories of Christ the sealing and anointing oâ— him to be the Mediator and Redeemer and Saviour of sinners and the life of the world the Prince of peace the only help and hope of them that are lost Joh. 3. 16. The Gospel saith so and the Spirit makes him to see it so The people that walked in darkness have seen great lâ—ght Isa 9 2. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. When he hath let in such a light that the sinner is convinced of the infinite Enables the soule to apprehend the singular kindness of God in the offers of Christ mercy and grace of God in Christ Then he further enables the sinner to apprehend the singular kindnâ—ss of God in the offers of this Christ unto him unto you is the word of this salvation sent Acts 13. 26. and verse 38. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And the â—pirit accompanies the Gospel in this offer As the Gospel outwardly offers Christ to sinners so doth the Spirit
as the Wife is subject unto the Husband and an obedience unto Christ as the members are obedient to the Head Quest And what subjection and obedience is that Sol. You know that it is voluntary and it is full and it is chearful and it is ingenuous and it is accurate and it is durable as long as the union and relation What that subjection is doth last The Wife willingly obeyes and obeyes every lawful and good command and doth it with all her heart and is very well pleased if her husband be pleased c. Why after this manner will faith fashion your hearts to Christ if it hath united you to Christ or rather thus will Christ upon your union with him fashion and enable your hearts Your hearts will look on Christ as one that hath authority and right to command them and give laws to them And your hearts will look on all his commands as good and holy and just and they will not be grievous unto you but you will be a willing people in the day of his power And thus by these chracters you may know whether you have this faith of union which indeed joynes you to Christ and is the condition of this Covenant SECT VI. 2. Quest NOw I proceed unto the second Question what is to be done to What is to be done to obtain this faith obtain this faith this faith of union which only brings us into the Covenant Sol. To help you in this seeing all our soules hopes and enjoyments depend upon it I would commend this course or practice unto you 1. Consider the Author of this faith to whom it doth really appertain to give this faith which unites to Christ 2. Consider what meanes he doth use for the giving and working of it in the hearts of sinners 3. Consider what concernes your selves in reference unto God and those means by which he doth work the faith which doth unite to Christ 1. Consider the Author of this faith who it is that can give this faith which Consider the Author of this faith unites us to Christ very much lies in this for if we mistake the cause it is very probable we shall misse of the effect if we go with our vessels to Cisterns that hold no water we shall returne empty and ashamed therefore remember 1. That no man whosoever is or can be the authour of this faith unto himself by No man can be the author of it to himself his natural power he cannot 1. Come to Historical Faith Matth. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee 2ly See his need of Christ the Spirit is sent to convince of sin 3ly Omnipotency is necessary Ephes 1. 19 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. The World by wisdome knew not God and verse 23. Christ to the Jews a stumbling block foolishnesse to the Greeks If any man had such a power to believe in Christ surely it would appear either in the gifted sinner who hath great parts of knowledge and understanding and wisdom or in the troubled and distressed sinner who longs for ease and rest to his poor soul and would put out all the power he hath to enjoy it But no such power is to be found in them as from themselves to enable their hearts to believe in Christ The knowing and understanding sinners in other matters may yet be grosly ignorant of Christ and averse to Christ and the things of Christ And the more spiritual knowledge any man hath of Christ or of himself the more inability shall he discern in himself to believe on Christ And the troubled and distressed sinner cannot of himself believe or lay hold on Christ though Christ be revealed to him and offered to him and all arguments used to perswade him yet he is concluded under unbelief except the Lord himself perswades and drawes his heart No persons can though they have Eloquence Piety Pity Art Diligence Wishing and Desires 2. That no Ordinances and meanes whatsoevever can of themselves be the author of this uniting faith If the Apostles of Christ did live amongst you and No means and Ordinances of themselâ—eâ— can be the Author of it did preach every day of the week unto you the Gospel of Christ neither they nor yet the Gospel which they preached could by their own power make any one sinner to believe on Christ Matth. 11. 17. We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented 'T is true that these are meanes and instruments of faith as you shall presently hear but the Axe which is an instrument cuts not of itself and the â—ord which is a means draws not of itself Neither the convincing Paul nor eloquent Apollos nor the affectionate John can prevaile 3. That no duties whatsoever are the authors of the faith which unites to No duties are the authors of faith Christ You may pray and should pray but Prayer as a work done by you is not the cause of faith and you may hear and read and meditate but none of these as your works can be the author of this faith All these may be done and yet your hearts remaine still faithlesse Rom. 10. 18. Have they not heard verse 16 But they have not all obeyed 4. God and God only is the Author of the faith which unites us to Christ No God and God only is the Author of faith man saith Christ himself Joh. 6. 44. can come to me except the Father draw him and verse 45. They shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me God himself must teach the heart And therefore Christ saith in verse 29. This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Ephes 2. 8. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Untill the Lord himself gives you faith you cannot believe untill the Lord say Come you cannot come untill the Almighty God say to your hearts Be willing and be able to take Christ to receive him to give consent to be his you will never be able and never be willing to close with him c. Therefore remember this every one of you who desire this faith of union I say remember That it is God only none but God who can give you Christ and none but God can give you faith which unites you to Christ it is his work and his alone Never look for it from any power in your selves or in any other creature but look only to God for it 2. Consider what means God doth use for the giving and working of faith Though Consider the means of working this faith the meanes of themselves give not faith yet God doth give faith by the meanes although the Conduit of itself gives not water yet the fountain sends it unto your houses by the Conduit Now that meanes is
To open the Gospel 2. Thy ear 3. Thy heart for it is by his Spirit that the Gospel proves to be unto you the word of Faith Our Gospel came in power and in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1. 5. If the Spirit of God did but reveale his Arm if he would but breath through the Gospel it would certainly be the power of God for faith in you 2. Again you must pray with all importunity and diligence and watchfulness and observation what God answers and spiritual violence and resolution and never cease wrestling with God I tell you it is one of the greatest requests that you can make to God O Lord unite me to Christ give me that faith by which I may be Christs and Christ may be mine And take this for thine encouragement That if the Lord hath given such a spiritual and steadfast frame of spirit as to pray he Patiently wait upon God in the use of meanes will at length give thee this faith 4. Patiently wait upon God in the use of Evangelical means untill he doth come in with his Spirit upon your Spirits to enable you by faith to close with Christ lye at the Pool do not limit God to this Sermon or to that Prayer and do not wrangle and murmure against God regard what concerns your self to do and trust God with his work and with his time never did any soule seek him or wait on him in vain nor return ashamed there is not one Prayer that you make nor any one Evangelical Sermon that ye hear but it is making way in your hearts for this uniting faith Some more light gets in to discover Christs fulness and our want Some more hope is raised of a possibility at length to enjoy Christ Some more power is given against the powers and workings and reasonings and fears and doubts of unbelief they have not that despairing dominion Some more bewailings of thy Christlesse condition and strong unbelief with a resistance of it Sometimes more renewed resolutions and courage well whatsoever comes of it I will not yet give over my suite I will venture a few prayers more something more is getting in and winning upon the heart towards Christ But Why may I not believe on Christ what if I should venture on him upon his offers upon his entreaties upon his commands upon his promises do I not sin against Christ and offend him thus to fear thus to dispute thus to question thus to stand off well I will come and believe on him O I cannot Lord help me Lord work in me both to will and to do when Lord how long yet will I wait on thee till thou shewest this mercy to me SECT VII 3. Vse IS faith the condition of the Covenant of grace And is that faith an uniting Comfort and encouragement Faith a faith which unities us unto Christ The next Use then shall be for Comfort and Encouragement 1. To sinners in general 2ly To believers in particular to such as yet finde themselves out of Covenant and to such as finde themselves partakers of this uniting faith 1. That faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace this is a comfort and To sinners in general encouragement to poor sinners who as yet finde themselves out of Covenant If God had put any other condition upon that Covenant every sinner had been utterly hopelesse suppose he had annexed and imposed the condition of actual and perfect and personal righteousnesse bring that and perform that and then I will be your God I will accept of you I will own you I will love you I will pardon you I will save you why no sinner could upon this termes have found an entrance or admission into the Covenant because the performance of If faith be the condition this Covenant is impossible to a sinner as such a condition is inconsistent with the grace of God so such a condition is impossible with the state of sin which is a state of impotency and of death But now faith being the condition of the Covenant as there is a door open for grace to manifest it self so there is hope for a sinner to partake of that grace for if God will capitulate with us upon believing There is hope for in Christ Then 1. Our former sinnings do not absolutely exclude us One sin did break the Covenant Our former sinnings doth not exclude us of works but our many sins hinder not our reception into the Covenant of grace if yet we believe on Christ 2. A want of personal and perfect righteousness doth not exclude us for faith is not to look at our own righteousâ—ess but at the righteousnesse of Christ Nor want of personal and perfect righteousness Nor self unrighteousnesse 3. Our self-unworthinesse is no prejudice Faith looks for love and mercy and glory through Christ for the sinner who is in himself unworthy of love and mercy and glory 4. Our union with God is possible for though an immediate union there cannot Our union with God is possible be between God and a sinner yet a mediate union there may be viz. A union by Christ the Mediatour unto whom faith brings and unites the soule so that there is yet hope for the sinner to be brought into Covenant with God though not upon his own account yet upon the account of Christ unto whom faith joyns the sinner Object But it may be objected 't is true that faith is the condition of the Covenant And that faith is that condition it is therefore hopeful for sinners But yet this faith is as impossible to the sinner as the condition of perfect obedience for But this faith is as impossible to the sinner as perfect righteousnesse the sinner is no more able to make his heart to believe on Christ than he is perfectly to obey the will of God And then where is the comfort and hope that you speak of In the notion it is true that faith is a condition which advantageth a sinner But in practice it is such a condition unto which it is impossible for any sinner by his own strength to attain Answered Sol. 1. I grant that as to the â—eer consideration of the sinners self natural power the condition of Faith 〈…〉 â—mpossible as the condition of perfect obedience is he hath no more power â—or propensity to believe in Christ than he hath to obey and fulfill the Law and his heart is as full of unbelief as it is of disobedience 2. Neverthelesse though there be a self impossibility yet there is not an absolute Faith is possible and probable It is not imposed on us in our own strength impossibility nay faith is such a condition as is not only possible for a sinner but very probable for him to attaine it 1. Though it be the Condition of the Covenant yet it is not such a condition which God doth impose upon the sinner by his own strength or power
to form it in himself Indeed God doth require faith in Christ but God doth not require of the sinner to create this faith in his own heart 2. Though faith be the condition of the Covenant yet it is such a condition God himself doth promise to give it which God himself doth promise to give unto the sinner As it is a condition on our part so it is a gift on Gods part we are to have it but God is to give it according to his promise and undertakes to work it in us according to his power 3. Though faith be the condition yet it is such a condition that God affords all And affords means for the working of it the means for tâ—e working and deriving of it unto the sinner There is no sinner in all the world upon whom God calls for faith in Christ but unto that sinner God affords the Gospel which is the meanes as you have heard designed by God to work faith 4. As God affords the means unto sinners by which faith is wrought so his And his Spirit doth assiâ—â— those meâ—â—â—â— Spirit upon whose operation faith depends doth ordinarily accompany and assist and blesse those meanes to make them to be the power of God to the production of faith in the hearts of sinners so that the Gospel is never sent unto any people but there are some of them effectually called so as to believe through grace 5. And fifthly as there is no sinner unto whom the Gospel of Faith is sent who can No sinner to whom the Gospel is preached can conclude that God never intended to give him faith nay every sinner is some time or other invited properly conclude that God never intends to give him this faith so every sinner may and doth some time or other finde that the Spirit doth by the Gospel earnestly deal with his heart to believe and receive Christ The Spirit by the Gospel doth let in so much light of conviction and doth so far act upon his heart by motions and arguments and perswasions to receive Christ that if yet he continue unbelieving this fault cannot be charged on God who doth work so wonderfully with him to believe but only on himself who slights those means and quenches those motions of the Spirit and wilfully opposeth and resisteth the Spirit in this working Hence it is that you never read of an impossibility on Gods part for with him all things are possible nor yet of an impotency on the sinners part why he believes not though that be true that the sinner in himself considered is insufficient but still the charge lies against the sinner for his wilfulnesse and unwillingnesse ye would not and ye will not come unto me that ye might have life and we will not have this man to reign over us Because God puts forth so much of power by his Spirit in the Gospel as may satisfie us that believing is a pâ—ssible work and that our unbelief sticks unto us not only from a want of power but only from the presence and redundancy of perversenesse in our wills 6. Let me add one conclusion more That this faith which is the condition admitting God will never deny faith to them that cordially ask it into the Covenant is such a condition as God never did nor will deny tâ— any sinner seriously and cordially asking it of him even in this it holds true also aske and it shall be given unto you If God sometimes gives this faith to them that do not ask will he deny it unto them to whom he gives an heart to ask Especially seeing that he therefore gives us an heart to ask because it is his purpose to give us this faith which we do ask See now you have the comfort in the general from this that faith is the condition of the Covenant of grace namely that then a sinner is capable and hopeful of being brought into the Covenant notwithstanding all his former sinfulness and present unrighâ—eousnesse and unworthinesse none of which do hinder faith from inteâ—esting of us in Christ And this Faith also is such a condition as God himself doth promise to give and set apart peculiar meanes to work it in us aâ—â—pon our serious asking of him will give unto us 2. I shall now speak of the particular comforts which do belong unto Believers Comforts to believers who stand possessed of this faith which unites to Christ and is the condition of the Covenant of Grace I grant that distinction of weak believers and of strong believers and that by reason of this gradual diversity there is therefore a different apprehension and perception of your comforts But if your faith be such as indeed brings you into union with Christ be that faith weak or strong then I confidently assure you that your condition is very comfortable and blessed Quest But what are those comforts and what is that blessednesse for all who What those comforts are are by faith united with Christ Sol. I will mention some of them unto you If you be by faith united to Christ so that he is yours and you are his Then 1. Vnquestionably God is your God for union with Christ infallibly takes in union Unquestionably God is your God with God if Christ be yours then God is yours Ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 23. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sâ—nne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. Beloved this is a truth that you can never have union with one Person of the Trinity alone as the union of those persons is common and mutual between themselves the Father hath union with the Son and the Holy Ghost and the Son hath union with the Father and the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost hath union with them both so is our union with them If we be united to Christ we are united to God the Father of Christ and to the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ If Christ be yours then God the Father is yours and if Christ be yours then God the Holy Ghost is yours As Christ is in you of a truth so God is in you of a truth and the Spirit of Christ is in you also And as you are in the Son so are you in the Father and so are you in the Spirit And as the Son is in you so the Father is in you and the Holy Ghost is in you And because this one thing is the Caput the summe and heighth and depth of all our comfort and blessednesse I shall therefore crave the favour to speak some few words unto it 1. First then our union with Christ draws in with it our union with God so that Our union with Christ draws in with it our union with God we and God himself are no longer enemies by way of difference nor strangers by way of distance but we are made nigh bâ— Christ not only nigh in a way of pacification by removal of
enmitie God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself But which is more we are by Christ made nigh to God in a way of relation so that he is now become our God As by reason of this union Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren Heb. 2. 11. So God is not ashamed to be called our God Heb. 11. 16. Yea and as the Apostle tells us that Christ is ours Ephes 1. 3. Our Lord Jesus Christ so Christ himself tells us that God is ours I ascend to my God and to your God And by the way observe it that Christ doth not say only or first I ascend to your God yet this had been a special comfort to the Disciples that God was their God but he saith I ascend to my God and to your God and why to my God and next to your God But to inform us that God becomes our God by vertue of our union with Christ what Christ calls mine that you may call yours My God and your God and because my God therefore your God So then our union with Christ infers with it our union with God our relation to Christ infers with it our relation to God and our propriety in Christ our propriety also in God and our fruition of Christ to be ours a fruition of God himself to be ours than which a more high and blessed fruition no creature is capable of 2. Secondly our union with Christ takes in with it our union with the Father the Our union with the Father first Person in the Trinity that as God is the Father of Christ and Christ is the Son of God so now in Christ God is also our Father and we are his children Joh. 20. 17. My Father and your Father Ephes 1. 3. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Thes 2. 16. and God even our Father Here you see that God is Father to Christ and he is also a Father to all them that are Christs And as Christ is the Son of God so are we the sons of God and how come we to be the sons of God see Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus and Joh. 1. 12. As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in his Name why As this is an unspeakable dignity for us to be raised unto 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God So it is a most comfortable relation none the like It concludes within it all the love of God and goodnesse and mercy and care and help and compassion and tendernesse and blessings of God as a Father 3. Thirdly our union with Christ takes in with it also our union with the Holy Our union with the Holy Ghost Ghost in which respect he that is joyned to the Lord is said to be one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. and the Spirit of Christ is said to be given us 1. Joh. 3. 24. and he is in us and dwells in us Rom. 8. 9. and hath communion with us 2 Cor. 13. 14. The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all and we have fellowship with the Spirit Phil. 2. 1. in the participation of his 1. Graces 2. Help 3. Comforts O Christians These are glorious things indeed who would not strive after union with Christ which brings such an union with it and who cannot but rejoyce and triumph in Christ by union with whom he is thus united to the whole Trinity 2. If you be by faith united unto Christ here is yet another comfort for you Our union with Christ confers upon us an interest in every good of the Covenant We are Sons Heirs That as this union infers with it a relation to every Person in the Trinity so it doth assuredly confer upon you an interest in every good of the Covenant for by vertue of this union we are made both Sons and Heirs Sonnes Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Heirs Gal. 3. 29. And if ye be Christs then are you Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to the promise Some read it if ye be one with Christ Si unus estis in Christo vid. Beza Here you do expresly finde our Heirship to flow from our union with Christ for certainly our heirship thence ariseth from whence our sonship doth arise and that is from union with Christ Well then Believers are Christs and being Christs they are Children and if Children then Heires and Heires according to promise Quest Heirs whose Heirs and of what estate Whose Heirs Sol. An Heir strictly is the childe either Natural or adopted who upon the death of the Father succeeds into his possessions In this strict acceptation neither Christ who is the Natural Son and Heir nor Believers who are sons and heires by grace are Gods Heires for God never dies and we do not take any possession of his estate upon such a vacancy and cessation But Theologically he is an heire who is accepted and admitted into the possession promised and set forth and given by God who yet lives for ever to be our God and Father and indeed our inheritance and inheriting is neverthelesse because our Father lives but it is therefore our setled and blessed inheritance because our God and Father lives for ever Now that of which we are Heires by vertue of union with Christ Heirs of what is 1. God himself Rom. 8. 17. If children then heirs heirs of God As your children Of God are your heirs so Gods chidren are his heirs he hath never a childe but he is an heir and an heir of God There is an estate of inheritance set out for him what God possesseth of that according to his capacity and proportion shall he be possessed of holinesse glory happinesse 2. All the inheritance which Christ hath purchased and God hath intailed or setled or passed over unto you in his Covenant of no less then all this are believers Of all the inheritance which Christ hath purchased heirs This is the inheritance and the estate of which you are heirs namely all the good set out for you in the Covenant by God the Father and confirmed and sealed unto you by the blood of Christ the Mediatour of that Covenant Therefore Believers are in Scripture stiled Heirs of the promise Heb. 6. 12. of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. of the righteousnesse which is by faith Heb. 11. 7. of salvation Heb. 1. 14. of the kingdom promised to them that love him Jam. 2. 5. All the good in it for them of all things Revel 21. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things There is Haereditas gratiae which contains all the blessings designed for enjoyment in this life And there is Haereditas gloriae which contains all the blessednesse reserved for enjoyment in that other life
more righteous you have your sins so perfectly forgiven that they cannot as to Gods work of absolution be more exactly forgiven they are so forgiven that none can lay any thing to your charge so forgiven that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus His communications in Sanctification are not thus perfect and at once but His communications in sanctification imperfect they are successive and by degrees and by measures as the members of the body united to the Head or as the branches united to the Root have their strength and enlargements derived unto them in a succession of time and in a proportion so the Members of Christ and the Branches in him true Believers they do receive from him grace upon grace one degree and measure after another like a vessel in the Sea which is not filled according to the present fulnesse of the Sea but according to the present capacity of the vessell drop after drop it is filled by continued way of filling or like a Childe that is nourished by a dayly addition and reception of food and so creeps up into more strength in time Beloved you must not expect though you be united to Christ such an immediate and compleat supply of the Spirit of grace from Christ as at once to make you strong Christians and full Christians without any weaknesses and without any wants Indeed Christ hath promised to perfect his work which he hath begun and to strengthen what he hath wrought and he will do so but then it is in his own way and in his own time by degrees he will so follow the work of grace that you shall grow and increase more and more with the increasings of God he will water the Plants and blesse the Buds aand at length will bring forth Judgement into victory he will not communicate his Spirit unto any of us in this life so perfectly as to be be without combate in our selves nor without dependance upon himself 3. But lastly do you indeed finde weaknesses and wants still abiding with If you be full of weakness why do you not look out to Christs fulness you And why then did you complaine and sit stil why do you not rather look out to Christs fulnesse than thus discourage your hears at your own emptinesse Indeed it is the first work of faith to unite you to Christ to make you and Christ one to give you an interest in himself but then it is the next work of faith to live upon your Christ to depend upon Christ to draw out of his fulnesse to go to him and to trust on him for all the good which yet your soules do want to get further fellowship with him will he deny you help who hath not denyed you himself And is not he therefore your Christ that he may be your head and help and supply c. SECT VIII 4. Vse IS uniting Faith the condition of the Covenant of Grace so that all Believers Instructions in Christ are really in Covenant with God and God with them Then you who are believers who are by faith united unto Christ learn from hence the duties which do especially concern you as Believers interested in Christ and in the Covenant The duties which do much concern you are these 1. Improve your faith to a dependance on your God 2. Improve your faith to an observance or keeping Covenant with your God 3. Remember that it is Jesus Christ upon whose account you and God are in Covenant 1. Being united by faith unto Christ and so brought into Covenant now improve Improve your faith to a dependance upon God your faith to a dependance upon your God who is your God in Covenant Come unto him in the name of Christ as unto your God and rely on him and expect to receive from him all the good for which he hath engaged himself unto you in Covenant For the better mannaging of this instruction I wil briefly shew unto you 1. That it is an expresse and peremptory duty incumbent on you who are by Faith brought into Covenant to depend by faith on your God in Covenant 2. How farre you may by vertue of your union with Christ by faith depend upon your God 3. What encouragements there are for all who are by Faith united unto Christ to depend and rely on their God for whatsoever good themselves do need and God in his Covenant hath promised unto them I beseech you who are Believers diligently to regard and remember these things 1. It is an expresse and peremptory duty incumbent on you being brought This is a peremptory duty by faith on Christ into the Covenant to depend by Faith on God who is your God in Covenant Isa 8. 19. Should not a people seek unto their God Psal 20. 7. Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God Psal 115. 9. O Israel trust thou in the Lord Psal 91. 2. I will say of the Lord He is my Refuge and my Fortresse my God in him will I trust Isa 50. 10. Who is he that sits in darknesse and sees no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength See Psal 62. 8. Zeph. 3. 12. Isa 12. 2. Isa 14. 32. 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. 1 Pet. 3 5. Beloved This is the end of your union with Christ that you might have communion with God that you might have accesse unto him Ephes 2. 18. and that you might come boldly to the throne of Grace that you may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. And this is the end for which this faith is given unto you not only for admission into the Covenant but for participation of all the good of the Covenant It is given unto you to make you children and it is given to you to make you heirs it is given unto you in a passive sense that you might be received into the Covenant and it is given unto you in an active sense that you may receive the good out of the Covenant It is given unto you to take off your hearts from all confidence but upon your God alone and to set all your hopes on him and expectations from him and it is given unto you that you might give glory to all the truths of God and what glory do you give to his pâ—omises if you think him a God not to be trusted c. 2. How far by vertue of union with Christ Believers may depend upon their How far Believers may depend on God in Covenant So far as Christ is made over to you by God God in Covenant I will describe those Bounds unto you in six Propositions 1. So far as Jesus Christ is made over unto you by God your dependance on God may and should extend Isa 9. 6.
Vnto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his Name shall be called wonderfull Counsellâ—r the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace He is by God set forth to be a propitiation Rom. 3. â—5 And he is made of God unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. â—0 And God hath made him to be sin for us that we may be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. And he is given to be a Redeemer a Saviour a Light a Salvation As to all these respects you may confidently depend upon your God that Jesus Christ shall be unto you a Redeemer 2. So far as Christ hath purchased for his Members as far as his purchase extends so far your dependance on your God may extend whatsoever good or As far as his purchase extends blessing he hath laid down a price for and bought by his blood and death for all that believe on hâ—m for all that may you by faith depend upon your God in time to settle upon you whether it be remission of sin or reconciliation with God or grace or peace in conscience or acceptance or assistance or joyes of the Holy Ghost or perseverance or eternal glory for all of it are you to depend upon your God to settle upon you in their order and measure 3. So far as the promises of God do extend so far may and should your dependance So far as the promises extend on your God extend whatsoever he undertakes to give you in his Covenant for all that may and should you depend upon him for according to his Covenant His Covenant is full of promises and those promises are full of good for soule for body for both for this life for the next life for grace for glory why All these promises are the childrens bread and the believers portion and as where God hath a mouth to speak to us in the way of Precepts there we should have an eare to hear him in the way of obedience so where God is pleased to abound in promises unto us we are bound to enlarge our Faith in a dependance upon him for all that promised good unbelief displeaseth and dishonoureth God in his promisâ—s as disobedience doth dishonour and displease him in respect of his commands 4. So far as the real exigences of our soules and bodies do extend so far may and should our faith of dependance extend upon our God Though the childe hath no So far as the real exigences of our souls and bodies do extend reason to depend upon his father to supply him of his vanities yet he hath warrant enough to rely upon him to relieve all his necessities If the childe wants bread and rayment or Physick the childe may come and the Father will help and this holds 'twixt God our Father and his children How much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7. 11. If it be a want indeed an exigence indeed a strait indeed you may go to your God and trust on him and he will not faile you Psal 84. 11. No good thing will he with-hold Psal 34. 10. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Isai 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear I the God of Israel will will not forsake them Let your want or exigence be temporal or spiritual if it be indeed an exigence by reason of temptation from Satan or from the insolent opâ—rations of sinfull corruptions or from the greatnesse of afflictions or heavâ—nesse of misery or distresse of poverty or any other pressure I say if it be a reall exigence that you know not what to do in every such case your eyes should be upon your God you should trust on him and stay upon his Name 5. So far as your prayers may extend for your selves so far may and should So far as our Prayers may extend your dependance on your God extend I do not say every mans asking and faith of dependance are co-extensive Nor do I say that every good mans asking and faith of dependance are to be paralleld But this I say that so far as you may pray so far you may and ought to believe to depend on your God 1 Joh. 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son you may pray for whatsoever God hath commanded you to pray and you may pray for whatsoever God hath encouraged his people to pray you may pray for whatsoever God hath promised to hear and and answer Prayer and for whatsoever Christ may be looked upon as an Intercessor And for all these may you depend upon your God Nay you should do so for as your God would have you thus to pray unto him so he would have you to pray in faith to ask in Faith believing that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him 6. Lastly Match but conditions and circumstances whatsoever good and in So far as any childe of God hath extended his faith in like condition whatsoever like case any Child of God or servant of Christ hath extended his faith of dependance upon his God for all that good may you being now in the same relation and condition exercise your faith of dependance upon your God If you be in the same strait that Jehoshaphat was or in the same distresse that Hezekiah was or in the same calamity that Job was or in the same dejection desertion that David was or in the same spiritual conflicts and temptation that Paul was or in the same trouble and terror of conscience that Heman was c. whatsoever mercy or grace help or comfort or goodness they might look up unto God for as their God in Covenant for the very same may you look up to God and depend upon God for as your God Whatsoever any one hath pleaded for with God and trusted upon God for because he was their God upon the same account in the same condition may every Child of God plead with him and depend upon him for because God is also his God Parallel but conditions and circumstances and then the same Covenant will unquestionably afford unto you the same ground for confidence and dependance 3. These things being so let us advance now into the third place viz. What Encouragements to depend upon God encouragements there are for all who are by faith united unto Christ chearfully and confidently to depend upon their God for whatsoever good he hath stated out for them in his Coenvant Sol. If any people in the world have grounds of encouragement to depend on God for the
good of his Covenant then certainly you have who are by faith united unto Christ and you have these three choice encouragements viz. 1. Relation 2. Promises 3. The Name and Office of Christ 1. There is a very near relation between God and you so near that there is a mutual propriety between you Zech. 1â— 9. I will say It is my people and they shall There is a near relation 'twixt God and you say The Lord is my God 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer c. Can there be any Relation greater or nearer than these Relations My God and my people our Father and my Sons and Daughters my Husband and my Wife Surely these are the nearest Relations for union and they are the tenderest Relations for affection and they are the strongest Relations for obligation The Father himself loves you said Christ to his Disciples I will marry thee to my self in loving kindnesse said God to his Church Love will do much especially love set in a near relation Why are our hands so open to our Wives and Children and Friends but because our hearts are enlarged in love towards them And why do any of these repair unto us and not to others for help but because of their neer relation unto us they are our Children and we are their Fathers they are our Wives and we are their Husbands There is near relation and there is love and there is readinesse and there is special obligation and therefore they come to us and depend upon us and we do help them Do you finde encouragement to depend upon your friend because he is your friend and loves you and have you not a greater encouragement to depend upon your God because he is your God and loves you Can the Childe finde encouragements enough by vertue of his relation to go to his Father and rely on him and cannot you who are by faith the children of God discern greater encouragements to go to your Father and depend on him your Relation is higher and your love is infinitely purer and stronger 2. If the nearness of Relation be not satisfactory then remember there is also You have the Bond of the Promises the bound of promises To you are the promises made and given which are the very bonds of God and your names are in those bonds God will not be at liberty he knows how incredulous we are we must have his Word to tell us how he stands affected towards us nay and we must have his word of promise binding and engaging his honour as God to do us good and not to faile us Nay perhaps his word of promise will not suffice us but besides that we must have his Oath which yet we never put any man on earth unto and unto whom we come for help but God comes off with all this to encourage us to come unto him and to depend on him He is ours in Affection he becomes ours in Relation and he tells us how good a God he intends to be unto us and then engageth himself in promises for all that good and moreover he takes his Oath swears by himself that he will not faile us nor forsake us and that in blessing he will blesse us Beloved what would you have more to encourage to assure you to give you confidence that you may draw near to your God and depend and trust upon him saith God you have my Word and you have my Oath and I am yours I have no greater security to make unto you 3. Well and besides this you have another encouragement to come and You have the name and Office of Christ to encourage you depend upon your God and that is the Name of Christ and the Office of Christ Object True will you say we can desire no more on Gods part but something makes us to fear and doubt on our part He is good but we are unworthy and he is willing to do us good but how shall we plead with him Sol. I answer Jesus Christ is yours and in his name you may go to the Father and as you may plead with the Father in his Name so doth he plead for you with the Father in his own Name Joh 16. 23. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you As if he should say I grant that you of your selves are unworthy and you cannot prevaile upon your own account of worthiness this will not carry it with the Father therefore when you come unto him use my Name plead my worthinss entreat him to do you good for my sake and I assure you that will prevaile with him Heb. 9. 24. Christ is entred into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 7. 25. He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession You see in these places that Jesus Christ appears in the presence of God for you when you appear before God in prayer Christ also appears in the presence of God for you and makes intercession for you he owns your persons and he owns your petititions you plead and Christ pleads you make requests and Christ makes intercession Father These are they whom thou hast given to me Thine they were and they are mine for them I dyed and for them I purchasâ—d all the good which thou didst promise unto me that they should have if I would lay down my life for them Now therefore let them enjoy what thou hast promised and what I have purchased for them Thus have you the first duty belonging unto them who are by faith united to Christ and brought thereby into Covenant with God Now follows the second 2. Being united by Faith unto Christ and so let into the Covenant Improve your Faith to an observance or keeping Covenant with your God And indeed Faith is Improve your faith to a keeping Covenant with God given unto you also for this end that you may be able to keep and hold fast the Covenant made between you and your God that you may obey his will walk in his Statutes and wayes be sincere and upright and remain faithfull and stedfast with him to the end Quest But can faith do this Is it in the power of our faith thus to enable us How doth faith enable us to keep Covenant with God How can or doth faith enable us to keep Covenant with our God Sol. This is an excellent question and I would resolve it thus Faith doth enable us to keep our Covenant with God six wayes 1. By pleading the Covenant by enabling us to go unto and rest upon our God in Covenant to let out that strength and sufficiency of that grace which
By pleading the Covenant he hath promised unto all his people in Covenant with him the strength to keep the Covenant lies in the Covenant and by faith you get it Thou said'st that thou wouldst do me good said Jacob Gen. 32. 12. So Lord thou said'st that thou wouldest give me thy Spirit to cause me to walk in thy statutes and to do them Ezek. 36. 27. Thou said'st thou would'st write thy Law in my heart Now Lord according to thy word and Covenant help strengthen keep direct establish my heart subdue mine iniquities suffer me not to be tempted above what I am able let thy grace be sufficient for me make thy power manifest in weakness c. 2. By keeping up communion with Christ and drawing vertue and influence from By keeping up communion with Christ him without me ye can do nothing said Christ I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me said Paul Why It is in and by Christ that we are what we are that we do what we do that we are strengthened with all might that we stand that we walk that we work that we run our race that we finish our course that we continue in wel-doing to the end Now faith keeps up our hearts and keeps up communion with Christ our Head our Root our Life our Fountain our Strength and our Sufficiency and receives out of his fulnesse and makes us partakers of his life and of his death and of his victories over sin and Satan and the world and of his strength for active and passive obedience 3. By taking us off from all our own self-sufficiencies and self-confidences which By taking us off from our own self sufficiency breed nothing but pride and presumption and hypocrisie and apostasie and carelesness and exciting our hears to pray and to fear and to watch and diligently to attend the Ordinances of Christ all which are meanes to strengthen and preserve us in well-doing c 4. By observing the continual mercies of God to us in the things of this life and By observing the continual mercies of God to us the gracious performance of his promises unto us both which are as so many cords to bind us faster unto God and are of great force with a believing heart to engage it more unto God and to walk the more closely and faithfully and exactly and fruitfully before him to be the more ashamed to sin against him to be barren and uneven with so blessing and encouraging a God! 5. By letting in the love of God in Christ the goodness and sweetness of his favour By letting in the love of God in Christ into our hearts into our Consciences It is faith which hath the sight of all the kindness of God and conveyes unto us the tasts of all the mercy of God how God stands affected to us how accepted we are with him what grace our poor souls have found in his eyes what his thoughts are of us and how dear we are to his soule And verily if Faith be the glasse as it were for us to see the face of our loving God O how will this inflame and knit our hearts in love to God again and how will that love continue us to the choisest to the fullest to the chearfullest to the faithfullest service of obedience 5. By holding out before us both the honour of God and the reward of God By holding out before us the honour of God Our faithfull walking with him is an honour to him and a delight to him These are my people these live like a people of God they glorifie him and that is the great Argument which faith useth to make the people of God and the rewards of God to be faithfull and stedfast Herein is my Father glorified Joh. 15. 8. And besides that it holds out the crown of life the great recompence of reward that Well done good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Hold fast that which thou haâ—â— that no man take thy 〈◊〉 He that continues to the end shall be saved And faith he 〈◊〉 wâ—aâ— God hath done for us and what God â—s still to us and what an immortal inheritance and exceedingly exceeding weight of Glory he hath prepared and reserved for us doth thereupon quicken encourage support draw out our hearts to be industrious obedient diligent and faithful 3. The third and last duty from this that you are by Faith united to Christ Remember Jesus Christ and brought into the Covenant is this Remember your Jesus Christ remember that it is Christ only upon whose account you and God are in Covenant he is the door of your hope he is the Way the Truth and the Life in him are ye found and in him have you found life and love and mercy and grace and peace and salvation You could never have seen the reconciled loving gracious God as your God but in and by him He hath made you near and accepted and beloved and blessed He alone Therefore 1. Never magnifie your selves but Christ never ascribe any thing to your To magnifie him worthiness but ascribe all to Christ O Christ I had never seen nor tasted nor enjoyed this nor that nor any thing but for thy sake 2. Love Jesus Christ exceedingly for himself and for all the treasures of To love him the Covenant opened for you and laid out upon you c. 3. Go still in his Name unto the Father By him you come into Covenant Go unto the Father in his Name and by him you obtain successively every good 〈…〉 Coâ—enant c. Jesus the Mediatour of the Covenant Hebrews 12. 24. And to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel THE Apostle in the 14. verse of this Chapter exhorts the believing Hebrews unto whom he wrote this Epistle to the serious study and practice of peace and holinesse And in the 15. verse he dehorts them from all bitternesse of spirit and profanenesse of life This latter he doth enforce by an argument ab exemplo in verse 16. from Esau that loose and profane person who for one morsel of bread sold his birth-right preferring the satisfaction of his sensual appeâ—ite before the fruition of so a great blessing and dignity the which he therefore forfeited and could never obtain although he sought it carefully with tears verse 17. The former duty of holinesse he urgeth upon them from the consideration of their evangelical estate that is of the excellencies blessings and priviledges which they had obtained by the Gospel of Grace To illustrate this the more he makes a comparison between the Law and the Gospel and the condition under the one with the condition under the other from verse 18. to verse 25. wherein he doth represent unto them their admirable advantages by the Gospel and therefore their stronger obligation to embrace it and to live answerable
out to your God for all the mercy and for all the good and for all the blessings which your soules do need Heb. 4. 16. Come boldly unto the throne of grace that ye may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need God hath put his seal to the Covenant that it is sure and Christ hath put his seal to the Covenant that it is sure Now do you put your seal to the Covenant that it is faithful and sure your believing is your sealing He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3. 33. There are four Arguments which do testifie that we have set our seal to the Covenant that we do indeed believe that it is surely established and surely confirmed by Christ so that it will not faile to be of force and efficacy unto us 1. If we be much in drawing near to God entreating him to remember his word of Covenant It is good for me to draw near to God He hath not said seek ye me in vain 2. If we be much in rejoycing in the word of the Covenant and in the death of Christ confirming it to us If the blood of Christ will hold I shall not fail and yet I have bond and seal sure enough 3. If we still patiently wait on God expecting the performance of his sealed sworn and confirmed Covenant I will wait for the God of my salvation I will look for him my God will hear me 4. If we oppose and strive to silence all unbelieving suggestions against the fidelity of the Covenant Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God Psal 73. â—6 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Tit. 1. 2. God who cannot lie hath promised Vse 3 Hath Jesus Christ our Mediatour confirmed the Covenant by his death Then O Christian keep up thy Faith and draw out thy faith and exceedingly rejoyce Keep up thy faith and draw it out in Christ for thy estate is sure and thy soul is sure and thy salvation is sure all is sure because all is surely confirmed by the death of Christ The death of Christ was a ratification to the whole Testament to the whole Covenant and to every part and title of it and as sure as Christ hath died so sure art thou to enjoy all that God hath Covenanted with thee for there shall not fail one word of all the good he which hath promised Object Not one word not one good thing Sol. N. o not any one why then Mercy shall be thine and Grace shall be thine and Peace shall be thine and Joy shall be thine and Glory and Salvation shall be thine for all these and more than these are promised by God in his Covenant and are sealed by his death Quest It is a poor dispute of Popish and low spirits against the certainty of a Christian How can you possibly attain unto assurance and how can any man be sure of Gods love and of Gods mercy and of his salvation Sol. Indeed upon the grounds that they go upon no man can be sure for 1. They lay a foundation of their own works and of their own righteousness and of their own free will upon which assurance can never be built 2. But as the Apostle spake in another case we have a most sure word of Prophesie so the Christian hath very sure ground for grace mercy and glory He hath the sure Covenant of God he hath the sure Oath of God and he hath the sure blood of Jesus Christ God hath brought him into Covenant and he will surely perform all his Covenant you have the Oath of God for it and you have the blood of Christ for it that all shall be surely and certainly accomplished And therefore O Christian rejoyce in believing for God will surely bless thee will surely keep thee will strengthen thee and will surely save thee SECT VII Quest 7. THere is one Question more which I mentioned in the beginning What Christ still doth for his people as Mediatour viz. What Jesus Christ still doth fâ—r his people in Covenant unto whom he is a Mediatour Sol. For answer unto this be pleased to consider that the works of Christ our Mediatour are distingushed into five sorts 1s Those of his Life on Earth 2. Those of his Death 3. Those of his Resurrection 4. Those of his Ascention 5. Those of his Session at the right hand of God the Father in heaven Of these last I shall only speak at this time The works of Christ as Mediator are considerable under a three-fold notion 1. As to the susception of and engagement for them Heb. 10. 7. 9. Then said he Lo I come to do thy will O God in the volume of the book it is written of me In this respect Christ applied himself to the work of a Mediatour before he came into the world and assumed our Nature by way of condescention and compact 2. As to the performance and execution of them Thus he acted them being on earth in becoming man or God Incarnated and fulfilling all righteousness in respect of his Active and Passive obedience which were both satisfactory and meritorious 3. As to the application of all in time unto us and this is the great work of Christ now in heaven for us as our Mediatour this is a very choice Point and I would speak unto it First in general That Jesus Christ doth act or work for his people as now exalted and sitting at the right hand of God in heaven Secondly in opening the special work that eminent work of Christ in heaven for his people on earth 1. That Jesus Christ doth think on his servants and doth act or work for them Jesus Christ doth act for his people at the right hand of his Father he being now in heaven the Scriptures plainly affirm Heb. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figure of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us as an Atturney appears for his Client 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous the Advocate pleads c. verse 2. And Arguments to demonstrate â—t he is the Propitiation for our sins Besides these Scriptures there are several Arguments to demonstrate it 1. His Office drth still continue although he be now in heaven Heb. 4. 14. His Office doth still continue We have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 7. 16. He is a Priest made not after the Law of a carnal Commandement but after the power of an endlesse life verse 17. For he testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever
and fidelity unto us and this he doth to engage our love to him our fear to him our hope and confidence unto him this is enough God himself undertakes for all Fourthly That faith might have a sure foundation this I take for unquestionable That faith may have a sure foundation 1. True faith cannot be raised but by a Divine power 2. True faith cannot rest upon any mutable or insufficient power you may as soon fix an Anchor in the Aire as to make faith fasten upon impotent and weak causes if we do certainly know that such an Object or Agent cannot help or will not help that it fails in sufficiency of power or kindnesse of will or stedfastnesse of being faith cannot draw out the heart to trust and say Here you are sure to find mercy and sure to find love and sure to find help and sure still to find supply faith must have a sure Anchor to trust unto or else it can never quiet the heart and else it can never perswade the heart to rest or to expect or wait but now because God himself undertakes to give unto his people all good which concerns them faith hath foundation sure enough to build upon for there cannot be greater security than God himself binding and engaging himself unto us God is an all-sufficient goodnesse wisdom kindnesse omnipotency immutability faithfulnesse and all this is in a way of Covenant unto you faith cannot desire stronger or greater or surer grounds to draw out the heart to trust than these these are sufficient to answer all fears and doubts and temptations and contrary suggestions whatsoever Fifthly lastly To whom ought we to pray for all the good which we do need God dâ—th confine our prayers to himself alone even to God alone he calls upon us to call only upon him Call upon me and ask of me and I will be enquired of to do this for them and poure out your heart before him Certainly then God himself doth undertake to give all if he alone will be sought unto for all if there were any thing which he could not do or would not do or that others also besides himself were to do for us then he would not have restrained our prayers to himself alone but because he doth bound and confine all our prayers at all times unto himself alone therefore unquestionably it is he himself alone who undertakes to give all the blessings of the Covenant unto us Psal 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Ver. 3. He shall send from heaven and save me c. God shall send forth his mercy and truth And thus you see the reasons why God himself undertakes to give all blessings to his people After what manner God dispenseth his blessings He undertakes for all the good they do or shall need Quest 2. Now follows the second question viz. After what manner God undertakes to give all the blessings of the Covenant unto his people Sol. For answer unto this question remember these conclusions 1. That God undertakes in his Coventnt to give unto his people all the good which they do or shall need not all good simply not all good whatsoever that can be desired but all good which is proper for them and needful for them so far as the Covenant goes or extends to any person so far doth Gods undertaking to give extend Now his Covenant is for all that is good for you No good thing will he with-hold Psal 84. 11. Simile If you have not so large an estate in temporals as another yet God is faithful in his Covenant because still what he sees to be good for you that he gives you and in temporals you are not to be the Judge but God himself who best knows your wants and the conveniency of your supplies the childe must not be the Judge but the father God gives all needful good assuredly 2. That whatsoever good is needful that God doth undertake to give you assuredly for you have his bond of promise and his oath likewise he doth so undertake to give it that you shall not misse of it but shall certainly enjoy it not only the substantially spiritual blessings which make up the esse of an heavenly condition but also those spiritual blessings circumstantially considered in the comfortable part of it as spiritual joy and peace and assurance when your souls come into such an exigence that these are necessary for you you shall not misse of them when your child is weak and sinking the father will give him the cordial as when he is hungry he will give him the food Nay not only spiritual blessings but temporals also there is a certainty of them when there is a necessity of them When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them Isa 41. 17. 3. That when it is affirmed that God undertakes to give all blessings unto his God will give all in his own time people in Covenant this must be understood in his own time there are our times and Gods times Gods time is called the time appointed Habakkuk 2. 3. and the acceptable time 2 Cor. 6. 2. and the time of the promise Acts 7. 17. Now though God will give all necessary good unto his people yet he will do this not at our time but at his own time for 1. He is a gracioâ—â— debtor and donor he doth voluntarily and upon the score of his own grace undertake our mercies And therefore hath a liberty to set what date of time for payment or collation seems best unto himself And secondly He is a most wise God unto whom the peculiar seasons of communicating any mercies are best known therefore although you do not presently enjoy the mercies which he doth promise and you do ask you should neither grow hereupon distrustful in questioning him nor impatient in waiting upon him nor negligent in seeking of him for in due time we shall reap if we faint not as the Apostle speaks in another case and he is the God of judgement able to discern our need of mercies and the best time of bestowing of them 4. That God will give all those blessings which himself undertakes in that order which is proper for the reception of them There are you know spiritual blessings God will give them in that order that is proper for the reception of them and temporal blessings now Gods order in the collation of these is to give the spiritual first and then the temporal first to bestow that which secures the soul and then that which concerns the body therefore he would have us first to seek the Kingdom of God Again spiritual blessings some of them are of a vital consequence which make the soul alive and the condition of it truly good all these God gives together at one
Christ and why do you not go to God freely to give you Christ What can you say or object when God promiseth to give you all and to give you all upon gracious terms how would you have God to frame and form his Covenant better or otherwise to encourage your hearts to come unto him and rely upon him 〈◊〉 you be wholly beholding to God or would you not are you contented that God should have all the glory of mercies or are you not Is it any disadvantage to the working of your faith that God will pass by all your sins and unworthiness and will love you freely and justifie you freely and save you freely Is there any more reason to distrust God when he saith he will do you good for his own sake then when he saith I will be merciful to your transgressions and will freely bless you Had you rather be under a Covneant of works than of grace would it please you better to come by your mercies upon harder terms You find that you have nothing of worthiness and yet you are not content to receive all from Gods graciousness why do you pray that God would do you good for his own sake and yet you will not believe that that is reason enough to prevail and enjoy I will say no more but this 1. The blessings of the Covenant are worth our enjoying 2. God doth promise to give them 3. His own graciousness is the price or reason of it 4. Upon better or other terms it is impossible to attain them 5. It is for want of faith that we do not justifie this unspeakable loving-kindness of God towards us O beg for faith to believe a God Covenanting to give all good and all good though not for our sake yet for his own Name sake Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you HAving finished those four general Conclusions I shall now handle the Gifts of the Covenant in particular mentioned in this verse and in the subsequent verses In this verse there is promised unto the people of God the Remission of their sins concerning which you may observe 1. The Efficient I will c. 2. The Matter clean water 3. The Form or Manner I will sprinkle upon you 4. The Power and Efficacy And ye shall be clean 5. The Quantity or Extent from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you From these parts there are these four Points which do offer themselves to our consideration 1. That forgiveness of sins is promised and one of the first mercies promised by himself unto all his people in Covenant with him 2. Gods promise of forgiveness of sins doth extend to all the sinnes of all his people 3. Though the sins of people have been exceeding great yet when they become Gods people in Covenant even those sins also are forgiven 4. The blood of Christ is the cause and the only cause for which many and great sins are pardoned 5. That God will make unto the Conscience of his people a particular application of forgiveness by the blood of Christ CHAP. II. Doct. 1 THat forgivenesse of sins is promised and it is one of the first promised mercies by God himself unto all his people in covenant with him I will sprinkle c. This is a very comprehensive Assertion Forgiveness of sins one of the first mercies promised by God to all his people in Covenant consisting of many Particular Branches For the opening of it I shall shew unto you 1. What forgiveness of sins is wherein it doth consist 2. That God himself doth make promise of it unto his people 3. That it is promised unto all and every one of his people 4. That it is one of the first mercies promised by God unto his people SECT I. Quest 1. VVHat is forgiveness of sins and wherein doth it consist Forgivenesse of sins described Sol. It is a gracious act or work of God for Christs sake discharging and absolving believing and repenting persons from the guilt and punishment of their sinnes so that God is no longer displeased with them nor will he ever remember them any more nor call them to an account and condemn them for their sinnes but will look on them and will deale with them as if they had never offended him Here we must pause awhile and consider six things First That forgivenesse of sinnes is a gracious act of God there be some acts It is a gracious act of God of God which have a special reference unto his power as the Creation of the world and the resurrection of the dead There be other acts of God which have a special reference unto his Justice as the condemnation and destruction of unbelieving and impenitent sinners And there are some acts of God which have a special reference unto his meer goodness and graciousness there being no Reason or Cause of them on our parts such an act is his Remission or forgiveness of our sins Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Name sake Eph. 1. 7. The forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Rom. 3. 25. Being justified freely by his grace Not that Repentance is not required in the sinner who is to be pardoned For the Scripture speaks expresly of a turning from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that we may receive forgivenesse of sinnes Acts 26. 18. Not that Believing is not required in the sinner to be forgiven for the Apostle Peter saith also expresly Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. but because these are not Reasons or meritorious causes for whose sake God doth forgive any man his sins they declare the effect who are pardoned not the cause why they are pardoned Secondly The forgivenesse of sinnes hath foundation in Christ and in him only It hath foundation in Christ as the Mediatour as the meritorious cause thereof Hebr. 9. 22. Without shedding of blood is no remission Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins Ephes 1. 7. In his blood we have redemption even the forgivenesse of sins 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake Forgiveness of sins hath a double respect One unto our selves so it comes unto us freely from the grace of God as a free gift Another unto Christ so it comes by way of purchase and merit it doth cost us nothing but it did cost Jesus Christ his precious blood to obtain the remission of our sins and to make peace for us Now Christ comes in as the cause of
promise of forgivenesse of sins upon the condition of Faith The promise of forgiveness upon condition of Faith Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And truely if we do seriously consider the matter we must acknowledge that faith is the only condition of the Covenant of grace wherein God becomes our God and we become his people and by which therefore we become heirs of all the promises of God and consequently of the promise of the forgiveness of sins none are the children of God and heirs of the Promises but by Faith Thirdly It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner So taken in that by no other means he can be justified and by this only he must be justified It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace You know that the forgiveness of our sins is only in our justification and that the justification of a sinner is as to him only of grace being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3. 23. And that the sinner is justified by faith and by faith only that so it may be of grace and therefore there is a necessity of faith for the pardon of sins c. Fourthly It is impossible to finde remission of our sins out of Christ forasmuch No remission out of Christ as his blood only was shed for the remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. And in him only we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Ephes 1. 7. â—nd him only hath God set forth to be a propitiation and to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sin Rom. 3. 25. And it is as impossible to enjoy Christ without Faith which is the only grace on our part to receive Christ to joyn us unto Christ and by which Christ doth dwell in us Now if we cannot have the forgiveness of sins but we must first have Christ and we cannot have Christ but by faith there is then a necessity of faith for the remission of sins Fifthly If for want of Faith we shall certainly lose the remission of sins then the presence of faith is necessary for the forgiveness of sins this Consequence For want of Faith we lose the remission of sins cannot be denied by any rational Christian but the want of faith will certainly lose us the forgiveness of sins three places will clear that Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Joh. 3. 36. He that believes not shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he you shall dye in your sins If for want of faith we dye in our sins shall not see life shall be damned have the wrath of God still abiding on us then for want of faith we do certainly lose the remission of our sins for these are utterly inconsistent with remission but you read that for want of faith we shall dye in our sins c. Ergo there is a necessity of the presence of Faith for the forgiveness of our sins 2. As there is a necessity of the presence of faith so is there a necessity of the use or exercise of Faith for the remission of sins For as in the Covenant of works A necessity of the use and exercise of faith actual obedience was necessary to enjoy the life then promised so in the Covenant of grace actual believing is necessary to enjoy Christ and forgiveness purchased by him and promised in him Now there are two acts of faith especially required in every one who would enjoy the forgiveness of his sins 1. One is an Act of acceptance 2. The other is an Act of reliance on Christ only for that forgivenesse promised First An Act of acceptance his soul must be brought into Christ acknowledge An act of acceptance and consent to receive him and whole Christ with the whole heart If a man think thus I will have my sins forgiven me but I care not for Christ my heart cannot comply with him his Commands are too strick and his wayes are too holy for me I cannot yield to be his upon such terms as he requires Let me tell you plainly and faithfully you shall never have your sins pardoned why because the forgiveness of sins is promised upon this condition if you do believe and receive Christ You may as well say that you will be saved for ever in heaven but you will not believe you will not receive Christ you will not be his No no a Communion in what he hath purchased cannot possibly be without a precedent union with himself all the Benefits and all the Priviledges by Christ are communicable only unto them who are Christs to them there is no condemnation but c. Secondly Besides this Act of acceptance of Christ there must be also an An act of reliance Act of reliance on Christ and on him only for the forgiveness of your sins Put the case you do repent of your sins yea put the case thaâ—â—ou do by faith receive Christ if now you do rely on your Repentance and on your Faith or on any other thing besides Christ for the forgiveness of your sins you will certainly lose the forgiveness of them If you should say God will forgive me for my tears sake for my grief sake for my confession sake for my turning sake for my believing sake but not for Christs sake you will certainly miss of pardoning mercy because all forgiveness of sins unto us is for Christs sake Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his Name sake So then there is a necessity of such an act of faith as to rely only on Christ as the reason of the pardon of your sins i. e. to trust on his Righteousness on his Redemption on his blood only as the All sufficicient and as the effectual reason of your forgiveness c. Secondly The second thing which I would shew unto you is what that Faith is What that faith is that is so necessary which is so necessary for us if that we would enjoy the forgiveness of our sins For as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Repentance we generally grant it for a truth that men must repent iâ— they will have their sins forgiven so as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith it is generally granted that men must believe and if they do truely believe their sins shall be forgiven But the difficulty is what this faith is which intitles us unto and really assures remission of sins And great reason there is to clear this because of the general confidence in men that they have faith and
which receives whole Christ in all his offers if you have not a saith for service on your part as well as for benefit on Christs part if you have not a faith which will conform you to Christ as well as apply Christ to you it is but a counterfeit faith and as it gives you no interest in the person of Christ so it will never intitle and convey unto you any forgiving mercy and salvation by Christ Thus you see what that Faith is which is necessary for the forgiveness of sins Now a word to the third Particular viz. Thirdly That true Faith which intitles to the forgiveness of sins it may True faith may be either weak or strong be either weak or strong Compare believer with believer there is this latitude in true faith therefore you read of great faith in some and of a little faith in others of some whom Christ styles his lambs and others his sheep and John calls some young men others little children and others fathers there are different measures of faith amongst believers 1. Partly from the different impartings of the Spirit who is a free and wise cause and from partly 2. The different means and helps which conduce to the improvement of faith and 3. Partly from the different Age and times of faith some have been long in Christ in others Christ is but newly formed and who can expect that babes newly born should have that strength and sufficiency as men have who are grown to a riper age yea and the same faith is in the same person first but weak and tender but as the bruised reed but as the smoaking flax c. Fourthly Bur then in the last place which shall close up this Discourse Whether it be strong or weak if it be true it intitles to pardon whether the faith be strong or whether it be weak if yet it be the true Gospel faith of which I have spoken it hath a certainty of the forgiveness of sins promised and annexed unto it The Scripture expresly clears this Conclusion Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth in him is not condemned why then he is absolved or pardoned 1 John 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified Isa 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And there are five clear Demonstrations of this Five Demonstrations of it Every believer is in the Covenant First Every believer whether strong or weak is in the Covenant God is their God and they are all of them his people he is their father and they are all of them his children Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Now every one in Covenant hath the express promise of forgiveness of sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Secondly Every believer is in Christ and Christ is in him Christ dwelleth in And in Christ and Christ in him our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. and Gal. 3. 28. speaking of all sorts of believers he saith Ye are all one in Christ Jesus Now the Scripture affirms six things of all who are Christs 1. That they have lâ—â—e 1 Joh. 5 12. He that hath the Son hath life 2. That there is no condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. 3. That they shall never perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. 4. That in his blood they have redemption even forgiveness of their sins Eph. 1. 7. 5. That Christ bears their sins 1 Pet. 2. 24. and did put away their sins by the sacrifice of himself Hebr. 9. 26. 6. That Christ is made unto them and that of God righteousness and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Thirdly The promise of forgiveness is made to the believer as a believer They have the promise of forgiveness as believers not as a strong believer for then none but strong believers should be forgiven nor as a weak believer for then none but weak believers should be forgiven but to the believer as a believer and therefore to every believer whether strong or weak Fourthly All believers have the like and equal advantage by vertue of All believers have an equal advantage their union with Christ in all things purchased by Christ which are of a necessary respect to their safety and salvation I say of a necessary respect to these whatsoever is necessary to deliver from hell and whatsoever is necessary to bring to heaven in that doth every believer share alike therefore every believer is sanctified because without holiness no man shall see the Lord and therefore every believer is justified because only they are glorified who are justified and so every believer hath his sins forgiven because pardon of sin is necessary to salvation otherwise he must be damned for his sins and never shall see life Fifthly Shall I adde one Argument more If there were any believer who Else some believers â—ust â—e in the same condition with unbelievers should not have his sins forgiven Then some believers might be in the same condition with unbelievers both unpardoned and both under condemnation but this cannot be for Christ hath plainly differenced the state of the believer and of the unbeliever thus Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And thus you have heard these two Conclusions manifestly cleared from the Word of God viz. That 1. Every truly repenting sinner is within the promise of forgiveness of sins 2. Every truly believing person is also within the same promise of forgiveness of sins And on the contrary you have heard it also cleared 1. That no impenitent person 2. That no unbelieving person hath any promise of the forgiveness of sins What should these truths work on all us who have heard the testimony of God given in so abundantly for them I will tell you what impression they should make upon us First We should all of us fear and tremble lest we should come short of such a mercy which doth so nearly and so eternally concern us as the forgiveness of our sins Secondly Be no more so averse unto the Doctrine and Practice of Repentance and Faith Thirdly We should with all carefulness and seriousness and speediness search our hearts and try our ways whether we have attained the grace and practice of true Repentance and whether true justifying faith be in us yea or no especially considering the general course of men is impenitency and unbelief and our own courses of life have been like that of other men a walking as the Apostle speaks in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and
of our sins and judge and condemn and everlastingly punish us for the rest of our sins here would be small cause of rejoycing unto us 4. Again where were the hope of glory hath the unpardoned sinner any hope of heaven doth not every sin deserve the loss of heavenly glory and will it not effectually and eventually prove so unlesse God pardons it 5. Where is the liberty of accesse and boldness of approaching to God if any of your sins are unpardoned the very spirit of fear and bondage lies still on you that God is not reconciled to you but is your enemy and he will not own and bless you but will reject and curse you and will bring on you all the evil that he hath threatned Fourthly A fourth Argument to prove that God will forgive all the sins of We are to forgive all the trespasses against us his people is this We are to forgive all the trespasses of an offending brother in case he repent Luke 17. 4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Now we are to forgive our brother as God forgives us Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us his forgiving is a pattern to our forgiving and he would have ours to be universal therefore his is so to us Matth. 18. 32. I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me Verse 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee Thus have you heard the Assertion cleared by Scripture and Arguments that God will foâ—give all the sins of his people Now before I passe to the useful Application of 〈◊〉 unto our selves I would speak something unto a Question much agitated amongst the Learned and others viz. SECT II. Quest VVHether God which promiseth to pardon all the sins of his people doth Whether all sins be pardoned together at once pardon all their sins Simul Semel together and at once all sins past which his people have committed and all sins present which they do commit and all sins future which they may hereafter commit Sol. This is I confess a very nice question and hath if it be well weighed something of difficulty in it peremptorily to resolve it And there are very godly and learned men who have spoken and written differently concerning it and yet all of them consent in this That God doth forgive all the sins of his people If it might not be burthensome unto you I would 1. Present unto you the several opinions of men with their chief Arguments for their different opinions concerning this Question 2. Offer my own private thoughts concerning this Controversie First Some are for the Affirmative and their opinion is this that as soon as Some are for the affirmative any are made Believers in Christ and so are within the Covenant Actually all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present and all the sins of which they do come to be guilty of in time future they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Neither are Believers ever henceforth to pray unto God for the pardon of any sin which they do or shall commit but only for the assurance of the pardon of them in their own Consciences neither is any future Repentance required to attain the forgiveness of any new and future sin but only for the more comfortable assurance of former forgivenesse unto our selves Nay Repentance is not required of God as an Antecedent work to pardon of sins but only as a consequent work and fruit thereof c. This is their Opinion Quest Now what might be the ground inducing unto this Opinion That all the sins of a believer not only past but also present and to come are pardoned ot once and The grounds for the affirmative actually unto them Sol. The chief which I do find in writing are these First The Covenant expressions Isa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy transgressions Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more Ergo all is pardoned at once Secondly Again Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ergo all sinnes are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of condemnation c. Thirdly A believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ and is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ which covers all our sins and dischargeth us from them so that no guilt shall redound to us Fourthly A believer is not to fear curse or hell at all which he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned Fifthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only faith therefore pardon of sins is not suspended untill we repent of our sins Sixthly Again if new sins were not pardoned untill you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent and more long ere we can know that we do truely repent of our sins Seventhly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which as they conceive cannot consist with the true Doctrine of Justification These are the chiefest and strongest Arguments which I have read for the Affirmative Some for the Negative Opinion and I have delivered them rather with advantage than with any prejudice Secondly Neverthelesse there are others of the Negative and contrary Opinion unto this who although they do hold that God hath pardoned all sins past unto believers brought into Covenant with Christ and that he will pardon also all the sins of which hereafter they shall be guilty yet they do conjecture that all these are not forgiven at once unto them but upon though not for their renewed repentance for them and upon a renewed act of Faith on Christ for the particular forgiveness of new and particular transgressions unto them Neither do they lay any Popish reason of worthiness or merit in Repentance as some unjustly do charge upon them for the
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven But this cannot possibly be if all his sins be already pardoned in heaven for then he is alwayes loosed and never bound in heaven This Argument is of that strength that I do not see how it can be answered for if upon the right sentence of the Church of Christ the offender is bound in heaven as well as on earth in respect of his sins then his sins are not all pardoned at once and if upon repentance he is loosed in heaven i. e. absolved and forgiven as well as loosed on earth thence also it follows that all his sins past present and to come are not at once forgiven in heaven take the one or the other or both still it shakes that Opinion of a forgivenesse of all sins at once Sixthly If all sins past present and to come are forgiven at once before they are repented of then a Regenerate and a justified person in the midst of his grossest sins as suppose Davids adultery and murder may joy and rejoyce as much in God and look on him as well pleased as when they do humble their soul and repent and seek his face To this one Francis Cornwell answers freely and plainly When sin is most In lib. of the difference between Legal and Evangelical repentance p. 54. prevalent and the heart is most hardened he speaks expresly of Regenerate and justified persons yet then can they glory in Christ Jesus with a large heart breaking forth into thanksgiving as Paul did Rom. 7. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yea and he that commits a gross sin and doubteth the pardon of it committeth a double sin the one against his Sanctification and the other against his Justification And what though a believer usually upon the pag. 56. committing of gross sins doubts of his estate this is from a defect in faith and not from any Rule and Precept of Gods Word And that it is all one and alike unto God when a person is humbled or not humbled and when he repents and forsakes his gross sins or repents not of them but continues in them for all is already pardoned on Gods part c. But these strange deliveries are contrary 1. To the Word which in case of gross transgressioâ—â— calls for humbling and mourning and repenting of the heart and weeping anâ—â—â—plication because God is dishonoured and displeased 2. To the exigence in all the children of God so fallen who thereupon have broken their peace and lost their joy and exceedingly interrupted their confidence with fear 3. To the Assertion of these very men who do hold that in case of gross transgression there must be deep humiliations to get assurance and joy Seventhly To these another Reason may be added and is added by some that forgiveness of sin is a judicial act in God as the contrary act of condemning is now the Judge neither condemns nor yet forgives offences which are not extant and which cannot be proved upon the Offender that ever he was guilty of them But when they are charged and pleaded then doth he condemn or acquit so it would be strange for a Judge to condemn one for faults not committed and so acquit a man for sins never in being and so not deserving punishment Eighthly Lastly the great and continual work of Christ in heaven as our Intercessor and Advocate 1 Joh. 1. 2. and the daily suing out of pardon in his Name and for his sake seems to carry much in it for the acquiring of daily pardon and continued forgiveness of sins His great work of Intercession and Advocater-ship surely it contains in it something more than to obtain an assurance that all is still pardoned Thus have I delievered unto you the two different Opinions with their several Arguments concerning this great Question whether all the sins of believers past present and to come are pardoned by God at once Now I shall make bold to deliver unto you my own thoughts concerning it and those different Opinions about it The truth concerning these different Opinions They agree in five particulars First I do observe that they do both agree in five particulars e. g. 1. That as to Gods eternal decree or purpose of forgivenesse all the sinnes of his people are forgiven God did not intend to forgive some of their sins and not the rest but an universal and full and compleat forgiveness was fixedly purposed and resolved on by God 2. That all the sins of his people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the dayes of his suffering did meritoriously purchase perfect Remission of all their sins to be applied in future times to them and by them 3. That as soon as ever any person is brought into the Covenant by believing on Jesus Christ all his sins past whatsoever they have been they are actually forgiven unto him and God will never remember them any more 4. That as to the state of Justification there is a full and perfect remission of all sins considered under the differences of time past present and to come As in the state of condemnation there is not any one thing pardoned so in the state of Justification there is not any one sin but is pardoned for the estate of Justification is opposite to all condemnation and curse and wrath 5. That no Repentance or work of ours is a meritorious cause neither God nor any true believer looks on it as so of Justification or pardon of any sin neither the repentance which we call Initial neither that which we call Renewed we acknowledge no meritorious cause of pardon of sins but the blood of Christ Secondly The maine differences which I doe observe do rest in two The differences betwixt them things 1. One is that sins not yet committed are actually pardoned and we are to believe so say the one party not so say the other party untill committed or repented 2. Repentance is required say both of them but with this difference because sin is pardoned say the one but the other say that sin may be pardoned That we may have the comfortable sense and experience of pardon say the one that we may have the◠〈◊〉 forgiveness as well as the comfort of it say the other In this difference my own judgment inclines to that Opinion which holds That all the sins past of a Believer are at once forgiven and all his future sins are remitted unto him upon renewed acts of believing and repenting for Christs sake If that Opinion be true that Justification be one continuing or continued act this would reconcile all To me this Opinion 1. Hath clear grounds in the Scripture 2. Doth best suit with the Covenant which in this case still suits Faith and Repentance together 3. Doth best agree with the wayes which God still hath put his people upon in relation to forgiveness 4. And with the practice of the
circumstances and the heart is really sensible of the injuries against God in them O how much oft-times hath he been provoked and dishonoured Psal 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Mark he is not able to look up and his heart faileth him O thinks he here is such a number of sins indeed will the Lord ever pardon all these I fear he will not I can hardly believe that he will There are three things which make it so difficult to believe that God will forgive all our sins 1. The weakness of faith which cannot presently apprehend and reach the heighth and depth and breadth and lenght of the love and mercy of God Simile a weak faith is like a weak eye which cannot behold the Sun in its glory so weak faith cannot so well behold God in the glorious manifestations of his exceedingly abundant grace but dazzles and doubts Is there such a treasury of mercies for a sinner is there enough in Christ for all these sins 2. The tenderness of conscience which being very sensible of a multitude of sins and feeling Gods displeasure and anger raiseth strong fears and exceptions against universal forgiveness of all our sins Shall I find mercy who do feel wrath Can I be perswaded that God will speak forgiveness to all my sins who do find him speaking such bitter things for some of my sins will he ever discharge me of all my sins who doth charge my sins with that strong displeasure upon my soul 3. The strong and manifold and subtile temptations and suggestions of Satan who knows how to heighten our sins and to diminish the mercies of God when he would bring us to despair as he doth know also how to diminish our sins and enlarge mercy when he would draw us to presumption O saith Satan here are such sins and here are so many of them that here is no hope at all for mercy the wrath of God you know is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men Rom. 1. 18. For some of these sins hath God long since destroyed and damned multitudes of men What then will he do to you for all these sins here is sin upon sin and nothing but sin without any interruption and without any cessation for twenty thirty forty fifty years together are committed against many threatnings warnings examples punishments yea and against many calls of mercy and offers of grace which had they been accepted in time there might have been some hope but you went on and multiplied your transgressions against all these therefore for such a multitude of sins no mercy will be found 'T is true that God hath promised to pardon all the sins of his people but you are none of that number had you been so would you or durst you thus to have multiplied and increased your transgressions against such a God you would have repented long ago and besides all this think you that you should not have had news of forgiveness after so many tears and prayers and hearknings and waitings if God would have forgave those sins Fourthly Though it be very difficult to believe that God will forgive all our Yet it is very necessary to believe this promise sins yet it is very necessary to believe this promise of God and that upon a threefold account 1. The honour of God which is as much concerned in this Branch of the Covenant as in any other he doth lay forth in it as I hinted before the riches of his grace and the glory of his great goodness and his heart of mercies to the very full and besides this he seals this part of his Covenant with the same infallibility of truth and ratifies it with the same blood of Christ which though it respects the stablishing of the whole Covenant yet it is more frequently expressed to confirme the Branch of the forgiveness of sins as you may see in Mat. 26. 28. Ephes 1. 7. 1 John 1 7. Rev. 1. 5. c. that our faith might be the more strengthened and so give unto God the more glory in and for such a gracious truth And let me tell you one thing that what ground you have to believe that God will forgive you any one of your sins the very same you have to believe that he will forgive you all your sins and upon the same reason that you believe not the promise as to the forgiveness of all your sins upon the same reason you must deny belief of the promise as to the forgiveness of any one sin and so God lose all the glory of his rich mercies by your unbelief 2. The peace of your own consciences for suppose you did believe that God would forgive some of your sins but some others of your sins he would not forgive could this partial forgiveness settle and quiet your consciences would they not hold you under as much fear and bondage as if not one of your sins were forgiven surely it would because there is still in any unforgiven sins so much guilt and merit as will serve effectually to the everlasting destruction of your souls and bodies 3. The renewing of you again to repentance and bringing of you back again unto God for suppose you confine your faith to believe that God will pardon the sins which you have committed in time past and beyond this your faith will not stir tell me then I beseech you what will you do for the sins you have committed since conversion will you have them pardoned or will you not have them pardoned will you go on in them or will you forsake them will you still go away or will you return to your first husband surely you would have them pardoned surely you would renew repentance and return to the Lord your God but how can this be if you cannot or will not believe that God will forgive those sins as well as the former If you be perswaded that forgiving mercy is at an end and God hath no more mercy to forgive any more sins I dare assure you that where the hope of mercy ceaseth there the practice of repentance will cease But on the contrary when you can by faith see God willing and ready to pardon you and accept of you this will melt and this will move your hearts to repent and to return unto the Lord c. God hath yet thoughts of mercy towards me I will arise and go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against thee c. Secondly And this leads me unto the next Branch of the Exhortation which Make use of this truth is that we must not only believe that God will forgive us all our sins but we must make use of this truth in all our occasions What one day of our life have we not occasion to make use
reveales him who will be merciful to the penitent and will by no meanes cleare the guilty 2. Of union and complyance to bring us into Christ and to make us one with him and to give us fellowship with him and to make us one Spirit with him and to change us into the glory of his image if we had this faith the work were done Now we should be made like unto him in meekness and humbleness and tenderness of heart 3. Of dependence and reliance upon Gods Promises believing that what he hath promised he will also perform that all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him that he is mindful of his Word and remembers his Covenant and will not suffer his faithfulness to faile and therefore he will give unto us humbly seeking and waiting upon him this soft and tender heart which he hath promised How quickly and easily would such a faith prevail with and obtain from such a Father and God! Fifthly If we would compass soft and tenderness of heart we must then Get hearts to love the Lord. get hearts to love the Lord Did we love him we would be tender of his glory and tender of his love tender to please him tender not to displease him tender to obey him and tender to honour him Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words ver 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings Love you know is of all affections the most tender most watchful to observe the most carefull to please and the most fearful to offend If we did love the Lord we would not we could not grieve him Beseech therefore the Lord to circumcise your hearts that you may love him and consider the exceeding greatness of his love to you that you may love him again We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. And this love would raise a tenderness of heart in us in all the effects of tenderness which you have heard Sixthly What shall I say more if you would have softness and tenderness of heart indeed and to some purpose Then get the assurance of Gods Get the assurance of Gods love love and mercy and favour sealed unto your consciences by the testimony of his Spirit this would melt c. Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them THese Words are one gold link more of the precious chain of Promises in the Covenant of grace They do contain in them another excellent promise unto the people of God wherein you have 1. The matter promised I will put my spirit within you 2. The vertue or benefit of this promise which is twofold 1. Obedience and cause you to walk in my statutes 2. Perseverance and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I begin at this time with the matter promised I will put my Spirit within you CHAP. XII Doct. 1. THat all the people of God have the Spirit of God or that God will put his Spirit within his people I will put my Spirit within God will put his spirit within his people you Psal 51. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. I think also that I have the Spirit of God 1 Thes 4. 8. Who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Joh. 3. 24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Chap. 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit For the opening of this excellent Point I will speak unto these particulars 1. In what sense the Spirit is given or put within the people of God 2. How it may be demonstrated that the people of God every one of them have the Spirit of God 3. Why the Spirit is put within every one of the people of God 4. Whether all the people of God do in the same measure partake of the Spirit SECT I. Quest 1. IN what sense the Spirit is given or put within the people of God Sol. There is a fore fold opinion concerning this In what sense the Spirit is said to be put within us Not to make us one person with himself First Some have held that the Spirit is so given unto the people of God as to make them one person with himself and to communicate unto them his very personal propriety so that they in their own persons are that person in the Trinity which is called the Holy Ghost This was the desperate opinion of Montanus the Heretick and I fear some wild persons amongst us are of the same wicked opinion But this cannot possibly be because 1. No Creature is capable to be God which yet he should be if he could be the person of the Holy Ghost for the person of the Holy Ghost is God 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 2. If any man were the person of the Spirit and the very Holy Ghost then 1. He is eternal for the Spirit is the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself c. And 2ly He is Omnipresent in every place for the Spirit is so Psal 139. 7. Whether shall I go from thy Spirit And 3ly He is Omnipotent for the Spirit is so Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Rom. 1. 4. And quickens and changeth the hearts of sinners Joh. 6. 36. 2 Cor. 3. 18. And 4ly He is Omniscient for so is the Spirit Who searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And lastly then he might be adored and worshipped with Divine Worship be prayed unto be trusted on c. Secondly Some do hold that although the Spirit be not so given as to make us one person with himself yet he is given personally unto the people of God i. e. Some say he is personally given he is personally in them not only his gifts and graces are in them but also his very person is in them and they do alledge several places of Scripture to make good this their Opinion Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Ver. 17. Even the Spirit of truth Ver. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach
Spirit but did you ever find him a witnesting Spirit Now improve your interest in the Spirit for these soul-renewing works which you long for but never yet found why beâ—eech the Lord to give you the Spirit of Joy as well as the Spirit of Faith the Spirit of Peace as well as the Spirit of Holiness the sealing and witnessing Spirit as well as the renewing and changing Spirit The Spirit of gladness as well as of mourning Say unto my soul I am thy salvation Be of good comfort go in peace thy sins are forgiven thee Thy heart is ready to sink and break for want of comfort why Go to the Lord Lord comfort my soul thou hast promised joy and comfort to thy people and biddest thy Ministers to comfort them O comfort me with thine own Spirit it is his work it is his Office to be the Comforter c. Secondly For the works which he hath begun but hath not as yet perfected and finished within you as all the works of grace of knowledge of faith of love c. be not content with a little of these but as the Apostle exhorts in Ephes 5. 18. Be filled with the Spirit labour to encrease and abound in all fruits of the Spirit Psal 92. 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the house of our God Ver. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Here I will briefly answer two Questions 1. Quest One is Why they that have the Spirit of grace should strive to increase Why such as have grace should labour to grow in it and to abound in grace Sol There are five Reasons for it First This will testifie the truth that is in them That they have the graces of the Spirit indeed there are three things amongst many others which do testifie grace in truth 1. One is Power 2. The second is Growth 3. The third is Perseverance Dead things and Artificial things have no growth q. because they have no life Every branch in me that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit saith Christ Joh. 15. 2. Secondly Yea and this testifies that the Spirit is in you of a truth for the Spirit changeth us from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. When the Spirit changeth us at the first from sinfulness to holiness this is a glorious change for as the natural estate is vile and inglorious so the renewed and sanctified estate is an excellent and glorious estate and when the Spirit begins a glorious change he proceeds and makes it still more glorious the spirit changeth us from glory to glory Grace makes us glorious and more grace makes us more glorious the more grace the more glory and where the Spirit of God is there he carries on his work from glory to glory Thirdly The more that ye do grow in the graces of the spirit the greater and fuller is your conformity unto Christ Grace is in Christ as in a Fountain and perfection as in a pattern Now the more you have in answerableness to the pattern the fuller is your conformity a little grace in us resembles that grace which is in Christ Simile But as those who lived under the Old Testament had some glimpses of Christ but they that lived under the New Testament had a more clear knowledge of him face to face So they that have but a little of grace there is some resemblance and manifestation in them of the image of Christ but they who are high in grace they are nearer to Christ in the resemblance of his excellent perfection of holiness and to speak plainly there is much more of Christ in them Fourthly The more you obtain in the proportion of grace the greater Revenue of honour will you be able to bring in to God I told you that the weakest grace can enable you to bring God some honour why then much grace can help you farther in that service it can set up his Name on high A little Faith can honour God but a strong Faith such as Abrahams or Moses's will bring more honour to his goodness and faithfulness a little love will make you to do something for Christ but much love will make you do much more The more grace that you attain the more gloriously will you shine in your conversation and in all the fruits of Righteousness with more fulness evenness and stedfastness and all this glorifies your Father which is in heaven Fifthly You your selves would gain more if your graces were increased more e. g. You would certainly find more peace in conscience and more freedom from slavish fears and doubts and more confidence in your accesses to God and more sweetness in the Ordinances of Christ and more enlargement of heart in all your communions with God and more wisdom and strength against the temptations of Satan 2. How may one know that he hath much of the Spirit of God in him that How to know that we have much of Gods spirit in us If more humble grace is increased and raised that he is more spiritual Sol. You may know it thus First If you be more humble The more pride alwayes either no grace or very little but the more humility still the more grace mark the Records in Scripture and you shall find the most excellent in grace have been the most eminent in humility e. g. Abraham Jacob Moses David Paul c. For much grace 1. Discovers most wants 2ly Most failings 3ly Most self-insufficiency 4ly Most self-unworthiness 5ly That all our receptions are from meer grace and mercy Secondly If you be more exact in your walking giving no just occasion either If more exact in our walking of offence to the weak or of grief to the strong Christians or of reproach to them that are without A man that can order his conversation so as good men are edified by him and wicked men have their mouthes stopped or cannot speak ill of him without lying he hath a great measure of grace Thirdly If a man be able to drink of the cup which Christ did drink and to If able to suffer afflictions be baptized with the baptisme wherewith Christ was baptized Mat. 20. 22 23. this man hath got on far in the work of grace The more able that you are to suffer reproaches and losses yea death itself for Christ the greater is your faith and the stronger is your love when you can rejoyce in tribulations bear the reproaches for Christ taking the Cross as your Crown and triumph that ye are counted worthy to suffer for his Name Fourthly If you be able to govern your tongues with wisdome and meekness If we can wisely govern our tongues and grace and truth this is a sign that you are strong in grace Jam. 3 2. If any offend not in word the same is a perfect man Fifthly The less careful we are for outward things and
works 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness 6. That his obedience unto the Law is propounded as a pattern for us to imitate 1 Joh. 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himsel to walk even as he walked Lastly The Covenant-Faith which is in every one of the people of God as it And so doth the Covenâ—nt faith carries them out to an election of God to be their God so it carries them out unto subjection to God unto obedience Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain Ver. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed God Faith eyes the Word of God for a Rule and warrant and faith propounds unto us the encouragements of the word to quicken our obedience and faith fetches strength from Christ to enable us in all our works of obedience Having spoken these things for the demonstration of the Assertion I shall now speak unto three Questions 1. How this walking in Gods statutes and keeping of his judgements and doing of them may be fixed upon the people of Gods Covenant seeing they are all of them believers and being so are no longer under the Law but are freed and delivered from it 2. What manner of obedience or kind of obedience that is which is required and to be performed by the people of Gods Covenant 3. Why these are in such a special manner thus charged with walking in Gods statutes c. 1. Quest How this walking in Gods statutes c. may be forced upon the people of Gods Covenant seeing they are all under grace and believers and not under How Gods people being not under the Law are bound to obedience the Law as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Sol. For a clear Answer unto this Question I will briefly deliver my thoughts in these distinctions First Concerning the Law of God you know there were some of them 1. Ceremonial which consisted in Rites and Ordinances and Shadows typifying Jesus Christ in his sufferings unto which there was a full period put by the death of Christ 2. Judicial which respecteth the Jews as a peculiar Nation and Common-wealth being made and fitted for them as in such a particular polity And all those Judicial Laws especially these de jure particulari are ceased by the cessation of that Nation and polity 3. Moral which are these set down in the Decalogue and are called the ten words or Commandements which God spake and delivered Of the ten Commandements which we call the Moral Law is the question to be understood whether believers or the people in the New Covenant are bound unto them Secondly This Moral Law may be considered either 1. In the Substance of it Or 2ly in the circumstances of it If you consider the Moral Law in the substance of it so it is 1. An eternal manifestation of the mind and will of God declaring what is good and what is evil what we are to do and what we are not to do what duties we How the Moral Law never ceaseth do owe to God and what duties we do owe to our neighbours what worship God requires and what worship God forbids In this consideration the Moral Law never ceaseth in respect of any person whasoever 2. It discovers sinne For Rom. 3. 19. By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin And the Apostle in Rom. 7. 7. I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet In this respect likewise the Law is still in force even unto the people of God it is the glass which shews them unto themselves and the light which manifests the hidden things and works of darkness in them 3. The Rule of life For as the Gospel is the Rule of faith teaching us what to believe so the Moral Law is the Rule of manners teaching us how to live and as to this directing power it is still of force and use unto believers Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word But then secondly the Law may be considered in respect of its circumstances not as it is a Rule of obedience but as it is a condition of life and as thus considered How it ceaseth 1. It requires a personal and perfect obedience and that under a curse Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all that is written to do it Here now it ceaseth unto the people of God the cursing and condemning power is abrogated Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. 2. It requires an exact obedience as a reason of Justification Do this and live Here likewise the people of God are freed from it who as Luther well speaks shall not be damned for their evil works nor yet shall be justified for their good works but are justified by faith in Christ and the matter of their justification being not inherent righteousness in themselves but only the imputed righteousness of Christ Thus you see in what respects the people of God are freed from and in what respects they are still obliged by the Law The Law hath not power to condem or justifie them and yet it hath a power to direct and instruct them And that it hath such a power unto which we are to conform our selves in obedience may appear thus First By that forementioned place in Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill And in Why the Law hath still a power to command us that Chapter he doth both interpret the Law and commend and command unto his Disciples the duties of the Law And surely it is no way probable that Christ would by his own authority so have confirmed the Law had it been his purpose and business to have cancelled the Law Secondly Paul in Rom. 13. 8. that he might shew and clear that in that one precept of love He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law produceth several precepts of the Law in ver 9. For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet And if there be any other Commandement it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self All which were a fruitless proof if the Law had nothing to do with the people of God but utterly ceased to them as to point of obedience In like manner in that place of James 2. 8. If ye fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ye do well but if the Royal Law were abrogated certainly
one of you do shew the same diligence unto the end And Ver. 12. That ye be not slothful Here he opposeth diligence unto slothfulness c. Now there are these Reasons why you should beware of slothfulness in any act Reasons against slothfulness Because it is Gods work and his eye is upon us It s a work for God of obedience or in any work which God commands you 1. Because it is the work of God a work that the great God enjoynes you and in which his eye is upon you will not the servant eye and mind his work when his master commands and his Masters eye is upon him 2. Because it is a work for God it is to he done not only with a respect of congruity as may best answer his will but also with a respect of sincerity as may best advance his glory should we be slothful negligent careless indifferent in any work of such a nature wherein we are imployed of God c. 3. Because you do but lose time little or nothing will be done if you be slothful Such do but lose time Solomon saith in Prev 18. 9. He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster the great waster brings a fair estate to nothing so a slothful person brings a good work to nothing at best your work can never be well done if you do it with a slothful heart 4. Because in all holy working and walking you still go forward Psal 24. 3. In all holy walking there is a going on Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord sin still remains and works strongly against us so doth the world and Satan and unbelief and carnal fear and arguments against tide and wind and you will be carried back if you be remiss and slothful any difficulty that you meet with will discourage you and take you off difficulties and oppositions you will meet with and they will prevail if you be slothful Prov. 15. 19. The way of a slothful man is as an hedge of thorns but the way of the righteous man is made plain i. e. when a slothful man is to do a work there is still some rub or offence in the way and he cannot carry it on but finds it too sharp and painful and troublesome whereas were his heart righteous his way would be plain it would appear more free and open and easie Prov. 22. 13. The slothful man saith There is a Lion without I shall be slain in the streets 5. Because you will never be able to held out in walking in Gods statutes but will The slothful is prone to Apostacy certainly revolt and apostate if you give way to slothfulness indeed an accidental slothfulness may befall the child of God in his way to heaven but if you give way to a willing and habitual slothfulness it is a sign that your hearts are wicked that really you are not for God and cord ally you have no delight in him or in his wayes but there is some other object which your hearts do more mind and regard Secondly Beware of slowness in vvalking on in Gods statutes some of you Beware of sloth in Gods wayes need many arguments to avvaken and stir up your hearts unto duties and others do need many Goads to quicken their hearts unto a greater speed and forvvardness in duties The Apostle speaks of some that when for the time they ought to be teachers yet they had need that one teach thâ—m again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God these went on very slowly Many Christians are too blame in this they move on but slowly 1. In points of knowlege they know but a very little more of the mysteries of Some move slowly in point of knowledg Some in point of practice salvation of Christ of the Covenant of Grace of regeneration of the objects of faith after twenty or fourty years hearing then they did before 2. In points of practice after many years their sinfull lusts are no more mortified and their graces are no more strengthned and their abilitie to deny themselves and to live by faith and to suffer afflictions and to be more heavenly and profitable in their conversation is little or nothing raised and improved I would have these to consider First That this slow walking is very disproportionable to the means which Slow walking is very disproportionable to the means God vouchsafes unto them and to the expectations of God for to whom much is given of them much shall be required the greater means and helps should be answered with the greater fruits and returns Secondly it is very uncomfortable unto your own souls little fruit differs but a little from no fruit and it is a thousand to one but your hearts will be often Is very uncomfortable shaken and puzzled about the truth of your Spiritual condition that you never had grace in the truth and power of it which works so weakly and so slowly that almost all your life long you have got so little ground over your sins and hardly advanced to one grace more then you had before Thirdly It is very unanswerable to the course of humble and solid and serious It s unanswerable to the practice of sound Christians Christians David made haste and delayed not Psal 119. 60. And saith he Ver. 32. I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart And Paul was pressing and reaching forward Phil. 3. 13. And the kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force said Christ It is shamefull unto us Math. 11. 12. Younger Christians will leave us behind them Fourthly Nay look on many Christians behind us in time of their calling setting out after us yet as Ahimaas out-went Cushy or as John out-ran Peter to the Sepulcher so these of later standing than our selves in Christ and grace have left us far behind them in Knowledg in Faith in Love in Tenderness in Exactness in Zeal in Fruitfulness c. As the Apostle to the Hebrews lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Heb. 12. 12. so say I unto you stir up the heart and drive not on so heavily as if this were the way you had no pleasure in but Motives to make more haste We are in the way to heaven put on with more life and care and speed For this purpose remember five things First Are you not in the way to Heaven O how our souls should fly thither Indeed there is reason why we should be slow unto what is evil because that leads to Hell And so on the contraty there is all the reason in the world to be still setting forward and foremostly walking on in the Statutes of God for they are the way to Heaven where all your happiness and all your treasure and your desires or hopes are laid up for ever Secondly It was a long time before you
God will have the glory of all our Blessings 347 After what manner God dispenseth his Blessings 349 Inordinate cares are your burdens 97 C. Covenant SLight not Christ any longer 13 Christ is yours as to his Person 54 Comfort from this that the Person of Christ is yours p. 54 Alll is enjoyed by the enjoyment of Christ Equivalently 55 Jesus Christ himself is the greatest and choicest gift that God can give unto you ibid. Christ is yours to all his Offices 56 Christ is yours as a Prophet ibid. Comfort from this that Christ is ours 57 All our sins are laid upon Christ 58 Christ discharged all our debts and bonds ibid. Jesus Christ is a King and your King he makes Subjects by his Word and Spirit 59 Our Union with Christ confers upon us an interest in every good of the Covenant 209 Christ will accomplish and perform all that is good for us 210 I fear I was never united to Christ 211 The Covenant of Grace considered in relation to Christ as Mediator 224 Christ hath a sevenfold relation to the Covenant 224 Of the exceeding love of Christ 230 Of the great obligations that lie upon us to look after Christ 231 In Christ two Natures 232 The two Natures united in the person of Christ were the Principles of all the actions and works of Mediatorship 233 Christ according to both these Natures is Mediator ibid. Arguments to prove Christ laid down his life and raised it again according to both Natures he is our Priest Prophet and King according to both Natures 234 What did concern Christ to do and suffer for us as a Mediator 235 Christ did perform that active obedience to the Law of God which we should but could not perform ibid. Conclusions concerning the passive obedience of Christ Christs sufferings were voluntary and not constrained 236 Christ suffered corporal punishments 237 Christs sufferings in soul were exceedingly high and great ibid. Christ did feel and suffer the torments of hell 238 Christ was indeed made a curse for us 239 There was willingness on all sides for this passive work of Christ 240 Behold your sins what they will bring upon you without a part in Christ 241 Remember the sufferings of Christ in all fears and conflicts 243 The vertue and benefits depending on and flowing from Christ as Mediator 244 Conclusions about the satisfaction of Christ 245 Christ by his death and sufferings did really make satisfaction 246 Christ suffered so much as fully discharged our debt 247 The sufferings of Christ were more then meer sufferings 248 Then rest in the satisfaction of Christ 249 Comfort that Christ shed his blood for our remission it looseth our bonds and dischargeth our debts 252 Get into Jesus Christ 258 Accept of the Redemption by Christ 264 Jesus Christ did step in between God and us to make up the breach 254 Let trembling hearts make into Christ and trust on him to make their peace 260 No peace with God but by Christ ibid. He that lies in bondage and would be redeemed let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ 265 Christ hath purchased for all the Elect everlasting life 266 Strive to believe the sufferings of Christ to be a purchase 267 Why do you not go to Christ and get from him all that 's good 268 Your estate is not full without the purchase of Christ 269 The sufferings of Christ are the confirmation of the Covenant 270 What Christ still doth for his people as Mediator p. 272 Jesus Christ doth act for his people at the right hand of his Father 273 What is the eminent work that Christ doth in heaven for us 274 The benefits of Christ's Intercession 273 Whether Christ died for every man 280 In what respect Christ may be said to die for all 281 Jesus Christ did effectually die for all the Elect ibid. There is such a sufficiency in the death of Christ that if any will come unto Christ he shall partake of redemption by him 283 The Death of Christ was not effectual for all 285 Christ did not intend such a latitude for all by his death 293 Whether any man can know that his particular salvation was intended in the death of Christ 312 How a person may know that Christ did die effectually for him ibid. Some may be in Christ but do not know it 316 One may certainly know that Christ died for him by the description of those for whom Christ intentionally died 317 How I may know my Faith doth interest me in Christ 220 How one may know he is deluded in his confidence of Christ's dying for him 224 What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirm that Christ died for him 325 Whether every one who is indeed redeemed by Christ may know sometime or other that Christ died for him 328 What a heavy weight did lie upon Christ 432 How there can be such an efficacy in the blood of Christ 459 How we should look after Christ 462 Who hungers and thirsts for Christ 463 What this sprinkling or application of Christs blood is 4 â—6 No benefit by the blood of Christ without application 468 There is a Covenant with Christ personally and mystically considered 4 The seals of the Covenant are given unto his people ibid. Gods people plead this Covenant 5 God is faithful in his Covenant with us ibid. Why God makes a Covenant betwixt himself and his people ibid. There is an absolute Covenant 6 And an Hypothetical Covenant ibid. Differences of the Covenant of Grace from the Covenant of Works 8 The condition of man with whom God doth covenant 9 The Covenant of works was made without a Mediator ibid. The Covenant of Grace with a Mediator ibid. Whether faith were not required in the Covenant of Works 10 Whether the Covenant of grace requires works 11 Admire the goodness of God in making this Covenant of grace 12 Support for troubled consciences 13 The Covenant described and opened ibid. It is a new Covenant with man 14 This Covenant springeth from the mercy and grace of God ib. The Covenant of grace is a Covenant of promise 15 What it is to be a people in Covenant 17 How we come to be Gods people in Covenant 18 Try our selves whether we be in Covenant with God 20 Characters of a people not in Covenant ibid. The evidences that God is our God in â—ovenant 23 Make out your Covenant-Relation 90 Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation p. 91 Of the unchangeableness of our Covenant-relation ibid. The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant 92 Walk and live like a people in Covenant with God ibid. How a people in Covenant should walk ib. Of the gifts of the Covenant 335 God gives his people in Covenant spiritual blessings as well as temporal 336 How dreadful is the condition of such as refuse to be in Covenant with God 376 All uncovenanted people are unforgiven people 377 If you will not consent to a Covenant-relation you cannot expect
the Covenant-advantages 105 A sinner that hath no worthiness at all may be taken into Covenant 107 A personal worthiness is not expected for admission into this Covenant ibid. It is a giving Covenant 120 God will refuse none from this Covenant who are willing to have him for their God 109 Directions what course a sinner should take to be brought into this Covenant 110 Exhortation to them that are not in Covenant with God ibid. Get into Covenant-relation 104 It is a new Covenant 116 It is a free and gracious Covenant 123 This Covenant is a well-ordered Covenant 128 Its a perfect and plentiful Covenant 118 It is a holy Covenant 131 It is a sure and stedfast Covenant 138 It is the last Covenant 148 It is an everlasting Covenant ibid. All the things of the Covenant are stiled everlasting 149 The certainty of the Covenant is the glory of it 141 It is the best Covenant 166 Whether faith only be the condition of the Covenant p. 187 Why faith is the only condition ib. The condition of the Covenant 181 How any condition can be allowed in the Covenant of grace 182 There is a Covenant betwixt God and believers 2 Of a Covenant in general ibid. Some Covenants are sinful ibid. That there is a Covenant betwixt God and Believers 3 There is a Covenant betwixt God the Father and Jesus Christ ibid. Differences betwixt the conflicts in a regenerate and unregenerate man 514 How to know whether we act upon Gods command alone 672 Parallels betwixt Gods commands and his precepts 701 Twelve things in respect of God to remove our cares 98 D. Duties GOd Commands not duties that we should be justified thereby 660 We must not perform duties to still our consciences 663 We must not perform duties to self-ends ibid. How we may so perform duties as to please God 664 E. Eternity Every work is a step to Eternity 667 What is Evangelical obedience 652 F. Faith WHat is to be done to obtain the Faith which brings us into Covenant 201 Consider the Author of this faith ibid. God and God only is the Author of Faith 202 Consider the means of working this faith ib. The Gospel is the means of Faith ibid. Four things to be done to get Faith 203 Faith is possible and probable to be had 207 No sinner to whom the Gospel is preached can conclude that God never intended to give him Faith ib. God will never deny Faith to them that cordially ask it 208 Improve your Faith to a dependence upon God 216 Improve your Faith to a keeping Covenant with God 220 A necessity of the use and exercise of Faith 405 All men have not Faith 406 All Faith doth not bring us in remission of sins ibid. What the Faith is that will certainly bring in remission of sins 408 Who strives with God for Faith 464 The necessity of Faith is we will walk in Gods wayes 657 Three degrees of Faith necessary 114 How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union 190 Walk without inordinate care before your faithful God 97 Walk without inordinate fears 98 What is meant by Filthiness 437 Upon forgiveness all displeasure ceaseth 364 Get a capacity of forgiveness 380 Some put themselves out of a capacity of of forgiveness 385 Gods Promise of forgiveness extends to all the sins of all his people 422 Whose sins God forgives he becomes their friend 424 The blood of Christ is the cause and the only Meritorious cause of Forgiveness 458 G. Glorying A twofold Glorying 12 The misery of such who have not God for their God 22 The answerable and reciprocal acts betwixt God and us 23 Of the Loving-kindness of God 27 Comfort in this that God is our God 26 The more or less you enjoy of God the more or less perfect 27 In all other enjoyments our condition is low without God ibid. God and he only is our rest 28 God is the most desirable good ibid. God unites himself to us by way of donation ibid. Every one who hath God for his God doth enjoy all things 29 If God be our God we are the Objects of Gods Eternal Love 30 All the glorious Attributes of God are engaged for their good 31 God is a merciful God 33 Six Comforts to those who have God for their merciful God he will forgive you though not others ibid. Comforts from this that God will be a holy God to you he will make you holy 34 God is an omniscient God 35 The Omniscience of God is comfort against all our enemies 36 God is a wise God 37 Your wise God will give you wisdom 38 God is an infinite essence and therefore of infinite power ibid. What comfort is this that our God is omnipotent 39 When God will do you good none can hinder him 40 Gods faithfulness is engaged for you 41 Four things in the faithfulness of God 42 God is a gracious God 43 What comfort from hence that our God is gracious 44 The immutability or unchangeableness of God 45 Six comforts from hence the unchangeable God will never cast you off 46 Gods Omnipresence 47 God is at once and wholly present every-where with his Essence and Attributes 48 If God be ours then all the promises are ours 76 Comfort from this that Gods promises are ours ibid. The promises are sufficient encouragements to pray to God to depend on him p. 78 If God be ours then all the immunities and priviledges annexed to the Covenant are ours 79 Ten immunities by the Covenant with God ib. Priviledges by being in Covenant with God 83 The priviledges of the children of God are yours ibid. Your Communions with God are by the Mediator 84 You may go to your God when you will ib. You may with confidence wrestle with God ibid. You may expect help from God in all your works 85 The Angels of God are ministring Spirits for you ibid. God will be your God in life and death 86 If God be ours all is ours ibid. God makes a Covenant with the creature to be serviceable for your good 87 All creatures are in a subordination to the will of your God ib. As God hath command of all good in the creatures so he hath engaged to settle it upon you 88 Instructions for the people of God in Covenant Thankfully bless your God for bringing you into Covenant ibid. Make use of your God in all your occasions wants troubles 89 Encourage your selves in the Lord your God ibid. There is a near relation betwixt God and you 218 Make out to your God for all your souls do need 271 God the Father did never intend this latitude of Redemption for all when he sent Christ into the world 289 Why God gives spiritual blessings as well as temporal 337 God will do more for his people in Covenant then for any 338 Gods soveraignty engag'd for our good p. 49 You can never be brought into any straits but God is able to help you 50
I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely Zac. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication c. Here only two Questions for the illustration of this Point 1. Why God himself undertakes to give the Covenant-blessings unto his people 2. After what manner he undertakes to bestow them upon his people Quest 1. Why God himself undertakes the Donative of all the blessings in Reasons of it the Covenant unto his people Sol. Reasons thereof are First No creature whatsoever can give them therefore it belongs to God alone Two things at the least are required for the giving of blessings No Creature can give them 1. One is Authority there must be a right in them as ours for what hath any one to do to give that which is none of his 2. The other is Sufficiency or ability to pass them over unto another and to make the blessings to be his Now no creature hath Authority to give any blessings why so because God only is the Lord of all blessings whatsoever they are his and of right belong unto him only Consider all sorts of blessings they are his he is the Lord of them Spiritual blessings are his mercy is his he is the God of mercy and grace is his he is the God of all grace and comfort is his he is the God of all consolation and peace is his he is the very God of peace and love is his God is love the Spirit is his and Christ is his Anointed and glory is his he is the God of glory And so for temporal blessings though they be ours many times for possession and use yet they are his for Right and Donation The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof saith David Psal 24. 1. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine 1 Chro. 29. 11. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all ver 12. And no Creature hath Sufficiency or Ability to convey or passe over blessings for Spiritual blessings can any man give them unto himself or unto another Can any man give faith unto himself It is the work of God saith Christ it is the gift of God saith Paul Can any man give Repentance unto himself no it was God that gave repentance unto the Gentiles and the Church prayed Turn thou me and I shall be turned Can any man make his own heart holy no it is God himself which sanctifies us can any man forgive his own sinnes no who can forgive sinnes but God only And for temporal blessings can we give rain or plenty or safety or health or life or ease or quietness can we make the Cloudes to drop down or the sword to be at rest or the sick to be at rest No Creature can do any thing of itself and therefore God himself undertakes to give all the blessings in the Covenant unto his people otherwise they could never have them Secondly God will have the glory of whatsoever blessing we do receive from him God will have the glory of all our blessings He allows unto us the benefit of them and the comfort of them but he reserves all the glory of them unto himself alone Thine is the glory saith Christ Matth. 6. 13. Now upon a double account doth the glory of all appertain to God viz. 1. In that he is the End of all his works and gifts and blessings all that God manifests about the salvation of sinners is to the praise and glory of his grace Eph. 1. 6. He himself is the ultimate End of all his works and of himself 2. In that he is the Efficient Cause of all good and blessings the Apostle joynes these two together in Rom. 11. 16. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Mark the place let glory be given to God for ever and unto him alone why so because 1. All things are of him and through him he is the Efficient Cause 2ly All things are to him he is the Final Cause for which they are You have another place to this purpose in 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption ver 31. That according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. If any man could be of himself the cause unto himself of any good then he might glory in himself and bless himself and say This hath mine own hand wroughâ— for me I gave life unto my self and grace to my heart and peace to mine own conscience and I wrought mine own Redemption No saith the Apostle you can do nothing it is of God that ye are in Christ and it is of God that Christ is made unto you wisdom c. therefore you may not glory in your selves but only in the Lord. If I be made high only by the favour of another and if I be made rich only by the bounty of another should I give the glory of these unto my self well then God hath a right unto all glory therefore he himself will give all grace Thirdly God himself undertakes to give unto his people all Covenant-blessings God would have the hearts of his people fâ—x't on him alone because the hearts of his people should be fixed and fastened on him alone There are two things which God cannot endure especially in his own people 1. One is a distrust of himself Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel My way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God! Isa 40. 27. 2. The other is a trusting upon the creature and now What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the water of Siber Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria to drink the water of the River Jer. 2. 18. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord Jer. 17. 5. No but this is it that the Lord doth require of his people viz. to take off their hearts their hopes and expectations and dependances from all other besides himself and to settle and fix them only upon himself Isa 45. 22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be saved for I am God and there is none else Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out the heart before him God is a refuge Selah In the Covenant God engageth his heart to us and one reason thereof is to engage our hearts to him in the Covenant he engageth his power and goodnesse and all-sufficiency