Yet she must likewise perfect holiness in the fear of God And be renewed in the spirit of her minde And put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse as Ephes 4. 23 24. Or she esteems her self unfit for Christ These are the beauties that her Lord delights in And therefore now she seeks to deck her self with these new ornaments Not with broyded hair or gold or pearls or costly aray as good St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 9. And yet much lesse will she deform her self according to the fashions of this world But she endeavours to adorn her self in the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the sight of God is of great price According to St. Peters exhortation 1 Peter 3 4. And being thus arayed and adorned with precious robes instead of specious rags beyond the power or police of nature and past the industry of humane art She seeks the good hand of her God upon her for which she humbly magnifies his grace saying as in Isaiahs Prophesie I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a bridegroom decketh him self with Ornaments and as a bride adorneth her self with her jewells Isa 61. 10. And thus attired with all humility she waiteth to receive her soveraign Lord and panting for his most desired presence she sings as in the song of Solomon stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love Cant. 2. 5. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death Cant. 8. 6. Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices Cant. 8. 14. And now her blessed Lord who all this while from the first in stant of her new creation wrought secretly upon her sinful heart melting it in the furnace of affliction discovering the Agent cause and cure of all her miseries instructing her in her own sinfulnesse and wants and weaknesse disposing her to seek and find relief removing all occasions of offence and renovating her to his own likenesse And all this by the level of humility the first and fairest fruit of faith and love Now he appears to her more visibly For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse shineth in her heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ as in 2 Cor. 4. 6. At which the poor Soul fares as one transported Not by the spirit of illusion of pride vain glory or Hypocrisie like those that labour to dishonour Christ in his eternal Mediatorship by their conditional Election that magnify the broken arm of flesh by their free-will and carnal confidence that wrest the word of God to overthrow Scripture by reason that will make the Law of none effect by their traditions that do despise rule order government and lift themselves above Gods Ordinances that make their Christian liberty the Cloak for their ambition avarice and envy that dare with shamelesse impudence proclaim themselves for Saints whereas their practice proves that they are altogether otherwise That say stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier then thou These are a smoak in my nose c. saith the Lord Isa 65. 5. But in the spirit of a meek sound minde with upright Job she sayes unto the Lord I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42. 5. 6. And with that Evangelical Isaiah wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the Lord of Hosts Isa 6. 5. And with that good Centurion she saith Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Math. 8. 8. And thus the nearer that her Lord approcheth with his pure spotlesse glorious perfections the more unworthy she esteems her self untill she seems unto her self as nothing Yea worse then nothing All her braveries her beauties honours pleasures wit and wealth are lying Witches all her fair professions are painted Vizards of Hypocrisie her moral vertues and most precious parts are filthy garments spotted by the flesh For so she values them and casts them from her And having stript her self of all such rags she humbly layes her self at her Lords feet saying as Ruth did sometime say to Boaz I am thine handmaid spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand-maid Ruth 3. 9. And wheresoever this Humility hath wrought this work No doubt but Christ is there and brings assurance as his next attendant And so it followeth in the fourth place That wheresoever Christ is there is Assurance In him we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him saith St. Paul Eph. 3. 12. And that strong fortresse wherein this Assurance is to be lodged and established is the free promises of God in Christ according to the Covenant of Grace There are too many that do seek for this Assurance in their own sanctification And that in order to their victories over their sins their abilities to serve their God according to the rule of his Commandments And this I must confesse is a fair building but yet exceeding subject to the blasted in time of tryal and temptation when every filching undermining sin shall catch occasion to break in and shake or shatter all or part of their Assurance But that Assurance which is fortified by the sure promises of God in Christ is much more safe secure and satisfying Wherefore if thine Assurance steps aside and seems to slight thee fly unto the promises where thou shalt hear thy Lord returning him with this or the like comfortable language Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Math. 11. 28. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life John 6. 47. He hath it already First he hath it of Christ by promise Secondly he hath it from Christ by purchace And thirdly he hath it in Christ by posession I say that every true believer hath eternal life And first of Christ by promise My sheep hear my voice saith he and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life c. John 10. 27 28 29. And therefore fear not little flock saith he for it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12. 32. Secondly he hath it from Christ by purchase by Christ his purchase and that under seal and in the earnest thereof After that
behold his blessed entertainment when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him And the like happinesse shall every soul receive for certain from her heavenly Father that hath a true sense and feeling of her transgressions that is really moved and troubled for them that resolveth seriously to forsake them that proceedeth in the right course to be delivered from them According to that life which her Beloved brings along with him But as the resolutions and actions of the aforesaid lepers and likewise of the prodigal were undertaken and carried on meerly by necessity and probably might have been as dangerous as they proved advantagious So in like case the soul that is thus newly revived and ingaged upon the like compulsive principles may be exceeding liable and subject to many perilous mistakes O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps saith the Prophet Jere. 10. 23. And therefore whensoever Jesus Christ appeareth savingly to such a soul he giveth light to rule and guide that life And thereupon the Apostle Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Ephes 5. 14. And thus the Lord of himself I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life John 8. 12. This is not a new light But the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. Not an external but an internal light For God who commandeth the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 6. Not to inlighten the eyes of the body but to inlighten the eyes of the understanding That the eyes of your understanding being inlightened c. Saith the same Apostle Ephes 1. 18. The light of the body is the eye saith our Saviour Math. 6. 22. And as the light of the body is the eye so the light of the soul is the understanding For as the eye is that member of the body whereby the body receiveth light so the understanding is that faculty of the soul whereby the soul receiveth light also And this spiritual light albeit for substance it is alwayes the same Yet in regard of the several proceedings or degrees thereof it may be said to be threefold The first degree is in Christ or God in Christ essentially The second is in the Gospel exhibitively The third is in the godly derivatively First I say this light is in God essentially and originally God is light saith S. John 1 Joh. 1. 5. And so it is infinite perfect and perpetual First it is infinite It is said that in the Creation God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day Gen. 1. 16. And that greater light is the Sun Psalm 136. 8. But there is no lesse difference between this light of God or this light which is God and the light of the Sun then there is between light and darknesse The Sun cannot shine in all places at one and the same time for we see by experience that the night hideth us from the light thereof But thus the Prophet David unto the Lord If I say surely the darknesse shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea the darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike unto thee Psal 139. 11 12. And upon whom doth not his light arise saith Job Job 25. 3. Verily this infinite light may not be limited It shineth upon all persons in all places and at all times And if any man be not inlightened thereby it is for that he loveth darknesse rather then light because his deeds are evil as John 3. 19. Secondly this infinite light is perfect God is light and in him is no darknesse 1 Joh. 1. 5. Neither is he capable of any the least alteration The Sun may be stayed in his course as in the dayes of Joshua Josh 10. 13. Or turned back as in the dayes of Hezekiah Isa 38. 8. But in this Father of lights there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning Ja. 1. 17. I am the Lord I change not saith he Mala. 3. 6. Thirdly this perfect light is perpetual or everlasting The Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moon into bloud before the great and the terrible day of the Lâ—rd come Joel 2. 31. But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light saith that Evangelical Prophet Isa 60. 19. He shall not onely inlighten thee all thy days in this his Kingdom of grace but he shall be also thine onely light in his Kingdom of glorie Rev. 21. 23. The second degree of this everlasting light is in the everlasting Gospel as S. John calleth it Rev. 14. 6. And here it is communicable conformable and comfortable First it is communicable As the Sun disperseth his light by his beams so the Lord communicateth his light by his Gospel That grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. And thereupon St. John The darknesse is past saith he and the true light now shineth 1 Joh. 2. 8. The darknesse of the Law which was vailed under types figures is done away and the true light now shineth in the Gospel And St. Peter thus We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye-witnesses of his Majesty for he received from God the Father honour and glorie when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glorie This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount We have also a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts 2 Peter 1. 16 17 18 19. Briefly thus The Gospel of Jesus Christ saith he is no fable for we were eye-witnesses of his Majesty and ear-witnesses of his Fathers Testimony altogether agreeable to the Records of the Prophets which might serve to convince the Soul of ignorance and unbelief untill the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to reveal himself more abundantly by the light of his Gospel But it may be demanded how God is said to communicate or discover his light by his Gospel seeing the Apostle telleth us That the Gospel is a mysterie which hath been hid from ages and from generations and is now made manifest unto the Saints onely Col. 1. 26. I answer
between them to that purpose Verily he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the World saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 20. Secondly we read that Abel the second son of Adam did offer unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain the first born And this was by faith saith the Apostle Hebr. 11. 4. Now this faith of his could not have been so effectual had it not been built upon some sure foundation And what might that be His own righteousnesse in order unto the Covenant of works Surely No He could not but know that to be a false ground for it sunk under his father whereby both they and we became liable to death and destruction And therefore Abels faith must of necessity be established upon some such promise as that of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Titus 1. 2. And to whom might this promise be made before the World began But to Christ the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. who was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was Prov. 8. 23. Nor can we imagine that this promise of eternal life was made by God the Father but upon some conditions to be accomplished by God the Son which were to be revealed and performed in their season When he shall make his Soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53. 10. There is the condition prescribed and the time prefixed Thirdly this Covenant of Grace will appear to be eternal if we shall consider how mightily Gods truth was ingaged in the Covenant of works Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die saith the Lord Gen. 2. 17. Yet we see that Adam did eat and died not accordingly Gen. 3. 6. Now how shall the truth of God be preserved in this case but by vertue of some such former act as might dis-ingage Gods resolution before it proceeded to execution which in all probability must be according to that eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3. 11. For albeit the truth of God might seem to suffer in the breach of the Covenant of works yet grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Fourthly if we shall seriously regard the Justice of God we shall finde this Covenant of Grace to be eternal Almighty God createth Adam and freely gives him great possessions reserving to himself the fruit of one tree onely in signe of homage due to his supremacy And in case of disobedience by eating thereof he decrees the penalty of death Neverthelesse Adam transgresseth in this very particular And shall he eat and not die Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right saith Abraham Gen. 18. 25. But Adam eateth and dieth not Now the justice of God which must not cannot be violated sends us of necessity to some further consideration There must be some preconclusion made by way of prevention Doubtlesse if Christ the Redeemer had not been ready by vertue of this Covenant of Grace to satisfie Gods Justice even in that very instant of mans rebellion against the Covenant of works Death destruction had immediately seised upon sinfull man together with the whole Creation But in that very point of time the Son of God appeareth in the presence of his Father on the behalf of miserable man Saying Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a Ransome as Job 33. 24. And in order thereunto Christ suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God or reconcile us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Fifthly if we look back towards Gods Election that will also prove unto us the eternity of this Covenant Blessed saith St. Paul be the God and father of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 3 4. Now in all reason there was no occasion why God should choose any in Christ before the foundation of the world but that foreseeing mans general ruine by his disobedience to the Covenant of works a remnant might be preserved from destruction by Christ according to the Election of Grace And therefore most excellent to this purpose is that of Paul to Timothie Be not thou therefore ashamed saith he of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1. 8 9. Let us consider the latter verse more seriously Who hath saved us and called us He saved us intentionally before he called us actually Not according to our works or according to the Covenant of works made with us but according to his own purpose and grace or his own purpose in the Covenant of Grace which was given us in whom why in Christ Jesus when before the world began The certainty of all these former four particulars will appear yet more clearly if we shall conceive and consider That God the Father almighty together with Christ his onely begotten co-essential Son did from eternity contrive to advance their glory and to make it shine through their illustrious attributes of Goodnesse Power Wisdom Justice Grace and Truth And to that purpose this individual two the Father and the Son did in the unity of the Spirit comply and conclude to modellize or frame a goodly creature called Man Such a one as may be sensible of their intentions capable of their commands and active to proceed in their designs The better to affect him with their goodnesse they will create him of contemptible materials The dust of the earth But they will shape him in a royal mould In their own Image And least he should be wanting in any particular whatsoever To manifest the greatnesse of their power They 'll frame for him a spacious Universe A World compleatly and abundantly supplied with all things necessary convenient and comfortable far beyond humane apprehension over all which Man shall have the sole dominion To qualifie and fit him for such a vast command They will inrich his person with excellent endowments and his minde with admirable instructions Neverthelesse in reservation of their own original right they will binde him by Covenant to the observation of certain particulars And in case of his disobedience thereunto they will cast him from the height of honour into the depth of horrour and destruction But in their boundlesse wisdom they foresee that man their great Vicegerent will miscarry and fall away from his integrity And therefore in reference to
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. In whom our gracious God was fully pleased Math. 3. 17. Which so increased and confirm'd his love that he concludes this Covenant of Grace And certainly there being no possibility to be expected from decayed mankinde for the repairing of themselves either by desert satisfaction intercession or any other way or means whatsoever we must needs conceive consider and assure our Souls That whatsoever God or Christ or God in Christ or God for Christ his sake either did do or shall do in order unto Mans salvation or whatsoever else may truely be called a blessing They did do and shall do it meerly by virtue of that undeserved Love which they vouchsafed in this Covenant Had not that prevailed man had been destroyed and God had lost the glory of his grace which shines most clearly through mans Redemption Without doubt it is in reference to this eternal Covenant That our Redemption is said to be eternal Hebr. 9. 12. our Salvation eternal Hebr. 5. 9. And our Inheritance eternal Hebr. 9. 15. And the onely Consideration or Motive that procured all this was Gods eternal or everlasting Love wherewith he loved us Jer. 31. 3. He loved us generally as his Creatures He loved us particularly as those Creatures by whom he intended chiefly to advance his glory He loved us more especially as bearing his own Image He loved us compassionately as foreseeing our fall in Adam our old Grand-Father But he loved us most effectually upon the intercession of Christ his own dear Son And thus God so loved the World But that this truth may gain our full belief let us surveigh his gift his onely Son For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son This is the next branch which in the third place sets forth it self unto us in this Copy of the Covenant of Grace Being the Gift or Grant conveyed assigned and set over by the said Covenant or Deed of Gift WHerein I am to shew unto you these three particulars First That Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God was the Gift conveyed in that eternal Covenant Secondly What manner of Son he was And thirdly How and to what purpose God did so assign him For the first be pleased to remember what I have formerly delivered concerning this Precontract How God the Father and his blessed Son fore-seeing mans destruction by his fall Least by that means their purpose concerning the Creation should miscarrie The Son Christ Jesus gives himself to God a surety for the Creature And in case of mans default to satisfie the law on mans behalf And thereupon the Lord returns his Son by designation debtour to the law which he must to the uttermost discharge by suffering death which man of right must suffer Not presently for yet there was no cause why he should answer what was yet undone Nor at the very instant of mans fall The Lord was pleased to take his single Bond And to deferre the execution untill his own appointed time should come Neverthelesse by virtue of this Covenant God gave his Son for mans Redemption intentionally and by way of preordination before all time 1 Pet. 1. 19. effectually in the beginning of time Rev. 13. 8. And actually in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. 4. Now albeit these several times were farre distant the one from the other in our apprehension Yet they were not so in Gods repute and acceptation for with him all times are present Eternity is evermore Gods present Tense And thus it may appear that the Gift which God the Father gave in this eternal Conant was his onely begotten Son And that he then gave him not onely intentionally according to our discretion But effectually and actually according to his own purpose and satisfaction Moreover if we consider the occasion why God and Christ did make this Covenant Namely to save man from that wofull curse which he did voluntarily incurre And yet to clear Gods Justice so ingaged us in the Covenant of works Then we shall finde that nothing could avail to bring to passe that intricate designe but the onely Son of God both God and Man Gods Justice seiseth upon every sin from which nor men nor Angels were quite free Prov. 28. 9. and Job 4. 18. And none but onely God might stay Gods hand But man hath sinned and man must suffer for 't And therefore in Mans Nature Christ must die and Christ as God and Man must satisfie Gods violated Justice And very punctual to this purpose is that of the Prophet Isaiah Vnto us a childe is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called wonderfull Counseller The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Isa 9. 6. These glorious expressions were too high for any but the eternal Son of God who was then or at that time neither born nor given otherwise then by way of promise and prevention And that by this eternal Covenant Now that we may be the more sensible of that incomparable Love which Almighty God vouchsafed us in this most precious Gift Let us consider for what kinde of Son the word of truth hath set him forth unto us He is Gods own Son Rom. 8. 32. His onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of his Father John 1. 18. His beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Mat. 17. 5. His dear Son or the Son of his Love Col. 1. 13. Whom he hath appointed heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. In whom his Soul delighteth Isa 42. 1. Who never displeased him John 8. 29. Did God give this near dear delightfull Son of his to suffer death a cursed death to save accursed rebels from destruction Truely the though thereof if any thing serious will inforce us to conclude with that beloved Disciple Herein is Love the very power efficacy and excellency of Love Not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 John 4. 10. But happily 't will be demanded how and to what purpose did God give his Son in this eternal Covenant of Grace I answer thus God being simply and essentially one considering mans eternal separation both from his presence and his favour too occasioned by mans rebellion The same one God did graciously decree to take upon him in the Person of the Son of God the Name and Nature of the Son of Man By that mysterious meanes to reconcile mankinde unto himself And thus as God the Father in his Justice opposeth mans contempt so God the Son in mercie intercedes and pacifies Gods wrath for Mans offence And therefore very much to this purpose is that of the Apostle Paul There is one God saith he and one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. In
of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Rev. 3. 1. The cordial death if I may so call it or the death of the heart is that which happeneth upon the sense or apprehension of some extream danger or distresse when discreet Abigail had told her husband Nabal of the danger he was in by reason of his churlish behaviour towards Davids young men The Text saith That his heart died within him and he became as a stone 1 Sam. 25. 37. And Pharaoh in the plague of locusts desired Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord that he might take away that death onely Exod. 10. 17. The natural death consisteth in the dissolution of nature or the separation between the body and the Soul It is said That when Rachels Soul departed she died Gen. 35. 18. And when the widow of Zarephaths son was dead Elijah cried unto the Lord and said O Lord my God I pray thee let this Childes Soul come into him again And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the Soul of the Childe came into him again and he revived 1 King 17. 21 22. The last is eternal death consisting in those eternal torments which the damned shall be cast into upon that peremptory sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. In these four sorts or degrees of death are comprehended all the discomforts mischiefs and miseries that mankinde can suffer or suspect whether they be spiritual temporal or eternal And now I shall prove that every one of them is the reward or punishment of sin First the spiritual death is the reward of sin Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four-footed beasts and creeping things Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannesse through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves Rom. 1. 21 22 23 24. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections c. verse 26. Secondly the cordial death or the death of affliction trouble and distresse that is also the reward or the punishment of sin We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as if we had no eyes we stumble at noon day as in the night we are in desolate places as dead men We roar all like bears and mourn sore like doves we look for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them Isa 59. 10 11 12. Thirdly the natural death that is also the wages of sin And unto Adam God said Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying thou shalt not eat of it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thg life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the Herb of the field In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread untill thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 17 18 19. And lastly eternal death is the punishment of sin And it shall come to passe that from one new Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me for their worm shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh Isa 66. 23 24. Thus we see that sin hath laid us open to every degree of death and destruction And verily the penalty annexed unto the breach of the Covenant of works that original rebellion importeth no otherwise In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 17. Dying thou shalt die saith the original Thou shalt die every kinde of death And now if it be demanded how it may be said that we are redeemed from these miseries distresses and calamities by this Covenant of Grace I answer that Almighty God hath redeemed us from them by taking away the onely cause of them which we find here to be sin And that for and through the merits and mediation the sufferings and satisfaction of Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son whom he gave us and for us in this Covenant Provided alwayes that we receive him by faith according to the condition of this Covenant And here we may do well to take notice That the evil of sin is three-fold That is to say The guilt of sin The punishment of sin And the power of sin And it is necessary that all these be removed before we can certainly be said to be redeemed For where the guilt remaineth the punishment is not to be avoided and whilest the power continueth neither shall the guilt be forgotten nor the punishment forgiven You know that whosoever transgresseth the Law and is found guilty thereof he must suffer punishment according to the nature of his offence And whosoever committeth sinne transgresseth the Law For sin is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. Now where is that Soul that dares stand upon her own justification and plead Not guilty to the whole Law of God Or whether our own hearts condemne us or not God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things 1 John 3. 20. It is in vain for us to dissemble or conceal our iniquities For all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. Verily the Lord sees our sins before we commit them I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherâ—usly saith he and wast called a transgressour from the womb Isa 48. 8. And he that transgresseth the Law in the least particular he is cursed For it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And being cursed he can expect no better then to be condemned unto eternal torments For the Son of Man sitting upon the throne of his glory shall say unto them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Math. 25. 41. But being possessed of the Lord Jesus Chriâ—t by an effectual faith according to the tenour of this Covenant of Grace we are redeemed both from the Curse For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal.
with Philip. and wondered beholding the miracles and signes which were done Acts 8. 9 to 14. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the holy Ghost Acts 8. 18 19. Now let us lay all these together He beleeved and was baptized and continued with his teacher and was so desirous of the gift of the holy Ghost that he would have bought it with his money a commodity that few will part with upon such terms and what can any man desire more Yet Peter said unto him Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter For thy heart is not right in the sight of God Acts 8. 20 21. Truely according to the outward appearance this Simon the sorcerer performed as much as might be expected and yet we see that all was to no purpose because his heart was not right in the sight of God It is like that his evil heart propounded unto him this outward profession for the only means to compasse his carnal designes And this will the rather appear by Peters insuing exhortation Repent therefore saith he of this thy wickednesse and pray to God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Acts 8. 22 23. Truely these examples may serve for seasonable admonitions to such as make use of religion onely as a fig-leafe to cover their shame or to countenance their covetousnesse cruelties or confederacies Keep thine heart with all diligence saith Salomon for out of it are the issues of life Prov. 4. 23. Out of the heart are the issues of life or the wayes of life yea and of death too A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth for evil things saith the Son of God Mat. 12. 30. And as he knew all mens hearts so we finde that he distinguished between the Hypocrite and the true believer by the heart Ye Hypocrites saith he well did Esaias prophesie of you saying This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me Mat. 15. 7 8. To confirm and conclude this truth that the heart is the onely receptacle or place of residence for an effectual faith I pray observe That when the Eunuch made the motion to Philip of being baptized Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest Acts 8. 36 37. Haply he remembred the Sorcerers evil heart whom he had then but lately baptized and fearing least this Eunuch might be poysoned with the like Hypocrisie and so become lyable to the like reproof he telleth him that he may be baptized provided that he believeth with all his heart And truely this is not without great reason that the heart should be principally regarded in matter of faith For first God sendeth faith into the heart to purge and purifie it as Acts 15. 9. And faith bringeth Christ into the same heart along with it According to that prayer of Paul for the Ephesians Eph. 3. 17. which seemeth likewise to be most sweetly insinuated by the believing love-sick spouse I found him whom my Soul loveth saith she I held him and would not let him go untill I had brought him into my mothers house and into the Chamber of her that conceived me Cant. 3. 4. And when the gracious Soul hath thus brought Christ to dwell in her heart by faith then she beginneth to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory according to that of St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 8. But whereupon must this faith be built For that is the third Question I answer that it must be built upon the Rock which is Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. Not upon Thoughts or Opinions Not upon Traditions Not upon Humane Inventions Not upon Dreams or Fancies Not upon Prophesies Not upon Prognostications Not upon Wrested Expositions Not upon Works of Righteousnesse But upon The Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. First a justifying faith must not be built upon Thoughts or Opinions For the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are but vain 1 Cor. 3. 20. I verily thought with my self or I was directly of opinion that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus saith St. Paul Acts 26. 9. But that opinion of his made him a persecuter and not a believer Secondly not upon Traditions Beware least any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the Traditions of men and not after Christ saith the same Apostle Col. 2. 8. And our Saviour told the Scribes Pharisees that they transgressed the commandment of God by their Traditions Mat. 15. 3. Thirdly not upon humane inventions They are whores deceitfull whores as the Prophet David insinuateth Psal 106. 39. For therefore was the wrath of God kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance verse 40. Cursed are they that father their own adulterous conceptions upon the Spirit of God or that dare forge a Gospel according to their own inventions If we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached let him be accursed saith that faithfull Apostle Gal. 1. 9. For we preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake saith the same Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 5. Fourthly this faith must not be built upon Dreams or Fancies For in the multitude of Dreams and many wâ—rds there are also divers vanities saith the Preacher Eccl. 5. 7. I have saith the Lord heard what the Prophets said that prophesie lies in my name saying I have dreamed I have dreamed Jer. 23. 25. Fifthly not upon prophesies The Prophets prophesie falsly saith the Lord Jer. 5. 31. we finde that for one Elijah there were four hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal 1 Kings 18. 22. And for one Micaiah about four hundred lying Prophets 1 Kings 22. 23. Truely in comparison of the multitudes of lying Prophets there were but very few that were approved to be true faithfull even then under the shadows of the Law when prophesying was very necessary to declare the will of God and to confirm the mindes of men in the promised Messias But God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son Heb. 1. 1 2. And it may seem that Peter desired to have conference with those great Prophets Moses and Elias But behold a voice out of the Cloud which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Mat. 17. 4