people Ver. 34. And they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more Jerem. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their children after them Ver. 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and I will put a New Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Ver. 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and keep my Ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse and in mercies Ver. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. Hebr. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. Quest But why is God pleased to promise to give unto his people in Covenant Why God gives spiritual blessings as well as âemporal His people have souls as well as bodies spiritual blessings as well as temporal Sol. The Reasons are these First Because his people have souls as well as bodies and their souls do stand in as much need of spiritual blessings as their bodies do of temporal blessings Every mans soul since the fall of Adùm is in a fourfold miserable necessity which cannot be relieved but by spiritual blessings 1. In an estate of spiritual death out of which it cannot be relieved but by the donation of spiritual life a quickning by the Spirit of Christ is necessary for a soul dead in trespasses and sins 2. In an estate of spiritual enmity and that enmity cannot be slain but by the death of Christ nor any atonement peace or reconciliation enjoyed but by his blood 3. In an estate of offence and guilt which expose the soul unto wrath and punishment by reason of which the soul needs exceeding riches of grace and mercy to forgive and acquit the sinner 4. In an estate of pollution and bondage being held under the power of sinful lusts in which regard the soul needs the Lord Jesus to be redemption and liberty unto it and the soul can never be freed nor free but by Christ and his Spirit John 8. 36. If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death If a man had all the blessings of the world riches honour friends health pleasures c. they could be of no help or relief unto his soul at all notwithstanding all these the soul still remains sinful and miserable Give the soul Christ and grace and mercy or else you give it nothing it must perish for ever without them And therefore doth God give unto his people spiritual blessings because the soul needs them and they are sutable to the spiritual necessities of the soul Secondly His people are people of another life they have the promise of eternal His people are for another life life 1 John 2. 25. This is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life Titus 1. 2. Inhope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens But what of this will you say why hence it follows that therefore God will give unto them spiritual blessings and why spiritual blessings because spiritual blessings are necessary for them in relation unto that eternal life Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name given under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Loe here is a necessity of Jesus Christ for our salvation John 3. 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 Loe here is a necessity of faith for salvation Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God Hebr. 12. 13. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Loe here is a necessity of holinesse and regeneration for salvation and they are congruous and fitting us for salvation or eternal life Colos 1 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light It is meet to enjoy grace before we come to enjoy glory it is meet to have a conformity to Christ on his Crosse before we come to have a conformity to Christ in his Crown c. Thirdly His people are designed and set apart for special duties and services His people aâe set apart for special duties the which they can never performe without spiritual gifts and blessings They are to glorifie their God Isa 43. 6. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name for I have created him for my glory Ver. 21. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise They are to deny themselves and to take up the Crosse of Christ and to follow him they are to crucifie the lusts with the affections thereof they are to suffer losses and reproaches and persecutions and perhaps death it self they are to fight the good fight of faith to resist temptation to quench the fiery darts of Satan to overcome the world they are to live by faith against hope to believe in hope to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. They are to have daily communion with God and their hearts are to be set on him and on things above Can any of these duties and services be performed by them without spiritual strength or can they partake of spiritual strength unlesse and untill God doth give unto them spiritual gifts or graces Fourthly All the people in Covenant with God they have his image restored They have Gods image restored to them unto them they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. They are made partakers of the Divine nature
him and will manifest my self unto him I beseech you to remember five passages 1. That men who make no conscience of their ways but walk licentiously and dissolutely they can never come to their assurance Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not Isa 57. 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Psal 119. 155. Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes 2. That the people of God for particular failings in a conscientious and careful walking have forfeited their assurance David did so Psal 51. 8 11 12. 3. That assurance is frequently promised to an upright conscientious careful walking Psal 11. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Psal 50 23. To him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God 4. That such persons have found abundance of joy and comfort 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with flesh wisdome but by the grace of God we had our Conversation Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy Law 5. That all persons that do thus walk and continue so to do although for some space of time they may not finde this assurance yet they shall at length enjoy it Psal 97. 11 Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Simile The seed which is sown lies for a while under ground but at length it appears therefore you who desire to enjoy the pardon of your sins this do 1. Keep up a mourning heart for your sins 2. Enter into and keep on in the paths of righteousness follow on to know the Lord and ye shall know him Hosea 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Fourthly An humble dependance upon the Lord graciously to work this comfortable An humble dependance upon God to work it in us assurance in our hearts although we be utterly unworthy thereof Psal 33. 21. Our hearts shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy Name As you can plead no worthiness of pardoning mercy so neither of the assurance thereof but only in Christ and therefore you must depend upon God who loveth freely and receiveth graciously that he according to his promise and for his Christs sake will make his face to shine upon you Go in peace your sins are forgiven you Vse 4 Doth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people then do you whose hearts the Lord hath sprinkled with the assurance of the pardon of your You that have this assurance sins remember and heed a few things which do especially concern you First Be you exceedingly thankful indeed you cannot but be so if God hath Be thankful thus sprinkled your consciences to bring you into Covenant and to assure you that you are so to bring you into Covenant and to assure you that you are Christs to forgive you all your sins and to assure you thereof O how great how sweet is this goodness Mercy and the assurance of mercy love and the assurance of love a good estate and a comfortable estate life and the assurance of life heaven and the assurance of heaven this was the first desire of the Church Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine and this was the last desire of the Church âant 8. 13. Cause me to hear thy voice Assurance is the top of all our comfortable mercies and the top of all our desires Be chearful Secondly Be more chearful in your spiritual course when God gives you assurance Simile he doth as it were take the ring off his own finger and put it upon yours saith David Psal 105. 3. Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. How joyful then should the hearts of them be that find the Lord When Simeon got Christ into his arms he rejoyced The possession of Christ and the evident fruition of pardon are matter of great joy walk like pardoned men and like a people assured of a reconciled God in Christ Thirdly Be very watchful no mercy must make us secure assurance it self must Be very watchful make us the more vigilant Christ was tempted after that voice came from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Pauls temptations were very strong after that he had been wrapt up into the third heaven Let me tell you two things and they may serve to make you watchful after your sweetest assurances 1. One is that still much of sinful corruption dwells in you though assurance doth for the present clear the mind of all doubts yet it doth not cleanse the heart of all sins 2. Another is that temptations usually attend assurances Satan is an enemy to our comforts as well as our graces and sometimes they prevail over us if they find us careless Fourthly Be very faithful and stedfast He will speak peace unto his people and to Be faithful his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. Sin should be most odious when mercy hath been most gracious O do not for a taste of sinful pleasures lose all the taste of most sweetest assurance sinnings do most provoke God and prove most bitter to us after the greatest experiences of Gods loving kindnesses Fifthly Be very fruitful the assured Christian of all others should be the tallest Be very fruitful Cedar the brightest Sun and most fruitful Vine Who should abound more in duty than he who hath found God most abounding to him in mercy I will say no more but this thy assurance was never right if it hath not made thee a more zealous friend for God and a more diligent servant to Christ and a more deadly enemy to sin Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh CHAP. VII Sanctification promised as well as Justification AS the former words contained the promise of Justification in the forgiveness of all the sins of all the people of God so these words do contain the promise of Sanctification in the renewing of all the hearts of all the people of God In them there are three things very observable First The Connexion of this promise with the former in that particle also also a new heart will I give unto you Secondly The Authour or undertaker of the particular good promised viz. God himself I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you Thirdly The very blessing here distinctly promised by God unto his people a new heart and a new spirit From these Parts there are three Propositions which I would briefly discourse upon I. That Sanctification is promised unto the people of God
of his ways but when that comes then he judgeth of himself as he is and of his ways as indeed they are and have been Psal 73. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee 1 Tim. 1. 15. To save sinners of whom I am chief and for his wayes he now looks on them as ways of death and paths of hell in which who so walks shall find no rest nor peace In respect of God and his ways God is now look't upon as an only happiness and could I enjoy him for my God in Christ I were blessed for ever and his ways are righteous and good and holy and most pleasant and only safe the way of Repentance the way of faith the way of holiness the way of a godly Conversation how excellent how beautiful how desirable are all of them to an heart renewed by grace which yet in former times were judged with scorn and contempt and hatred Thirdly Where the Lord gives a new heart there he gives new cares and New cares and requests requests Before the Lord renews the heart by grace a sinner is very careful and very careless He is very careful for two things One is for the world What shall I eat and what shall I drink and wherewith shall I be cloathed Matth. 6. His heart is set on the world and he minds earthly things and his heart goes after his covetousness and who will shew us any good his affections are set on things below The other is for his fleshly lusts They that are after the flesh minde the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. And they make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But he is very careless about his soul therefore he is said to despise his soul and not to know the day of his visitation nor the things which concern his peace and to make light of the invitations of Christ But when the Lord begins to renew the heart by grace there are new cares and new desires O how the soul is taken with the soul and for the soul Lord What will become of my poor soul and what shall I do for my poor soul if I get not Christ my soul is lost and if I get not mercy I am undone Take the world who will and take sinful pleasures who will but O Lord be merciful to me a sinner and O Lord be thou reconciled to my soul and lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Every new heart hath new thoughts and cares and desires What shall we do said they to John the Baptist Matth. 3. And What shall we do said they to Peter Acts 2. 37. And What shall we do to be saved said he to Paul and Silas Acts 16. 30. Fourthly If a new heart be given there will then be found in you the presence New principles of all new principles which are contrary to all the old principles in the old sinful heart there is not any one spiritual and heavenly principle respecting salvation but they may be found in you v. g. 1. Ignorance that is one principle of an old heart the contrary unto it viz. Knowledge is given when you come to partake of a new heart Colos 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge Eph. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. 2. Carnal wisdome that is another principle of the old heart the contrary unto that is given to a person when God renews his heart viz. Spiritual and heavenly wisdom a wisdom for salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. A wisdom unto that which is good Rom. 16. 9. A wisdom to approve the things that are excellent Phil. 1. 10. A wisdome to know the times or seasons of grace and to imbrace and improve them Hebr. 3. 3. Vanity of spirit that is another old principle in the old heart an old heart is a vain heart and an old mind is a vain mind but when the Lord gives a new heart he then gives a spiritual seriousness unto the heart To work out its salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. And to give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 1â And taking heed of neglecting so great salvation Hebr. 2. 1 3. 4. Hardness this is another principle in an old heart the heart is a stony heart Ezek. 36. 26. and an heart of Adamant Zach. 7. 11 12. But when God gives a new heart there is a principle contrary unto this put into the heart namely a soft and tender and mournful heart Josiah had a tender heart 2 Chron. 34. 27. God maketh my heart soft Job 23. 16. They shall mourn as one mourneth for his only son Zach. 12. 10 5. Pride this is another old principle of the old heart Mark 7. 22. so Psal 73. 6. Pride compasseth them about as with a chain So Jer. 48. 29. We have heard the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud his loftiness his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart So Rom. 1. 30. Deceitful proud boasters But when the Lord gives a new heart there is a principle of humility given which is contrary unto that pride of heart Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand they sit down at thy feet every one shall receive of thy words Psal 131. 1. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty c. Ver. 2. Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Acts 20. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of minde 6. Stubbornness of resistance and unyieldingness this is another principle of an old heart an old heart is a stubborn heart as for the Word which thou hast spoken in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee said they to Jeremiah Jer. 44. 16. Ye always resist the Holy Ghost ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart said Stephen unto them in Acts 7. 51. But when God gives a new heart there is given a contrary principle unto this even a yielding and obedient spirit to the Word and Will of God Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 10 33. We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Isa 66. 2. To him that trembleth at my Word Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Rom. 6. 17. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you 7. Hypocrisie this is another principle in the old heart an old heart is an hypocritical heart it is full of guilt and deceit Jer. 17. 9. Deceitful above all things But when the Lord gives a new heart he gives a principle contrary to this viz. sincerity and uprightness of heart and a true heart John 1. 47. Behold
with your whole hearts O God I cannot be satisfied untill thou art pleased to become my God c. the Lord would certainly answer the desires of your hearts 2. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant you must then break Break your Covenant with sinne your Covenant with sinne There are two Covenants which are inconsistent with this Covenant of grace 1. One is the Covenant of good works 2. The other is the Covenant with bad works If one will set up his confidence on his own good works he makes void the Covenant of grace and if one will set his heart upon his sinne saying I will not leave my sinnes I love them I will not forsake them This man disables himself he doth debarre and exclude himself God will not be his God he will not make a Covenant with him and indeed this sinner will not make a Covenant with God There are three things which God stands upon if we will have him to be ours in Covenant 1. He insists upon your wills you must be willing to be mine saith God to be married unto me to take me for your Husband 2. He insists upon your hearts you must love me I must have your heart your love must be mine 3. He insists upon your service you must be willing to obey and serve me I must be your Lord and you must be my servants But â one of these will be if you keep up a Covenant with sinne you will never be willing to be his if you resolve to keep your sinnes and you cannot love the Lord if you love your sinnes neither can you serve him if you will obey sinne as your Lord There is an absolute incompatibility for this both on Gods part and on your part and on the Covenants part 1. On Gods part for he cannot nor will not make any agreement with unrighteousnesse nor hold communion with any who will hold communion with darknesse he is of purer eyes than to behold sinne much more than to agree with sinne it is contrary to his nature it were dishonourable for him so to do to admit a competition with that which he so much threatens and which his soul doth hate and abhorre 2. On our part your hearts cannot be brought to hold up a Covenant with God and yet to hold up a Covenant with your sinnes you cannot love God and that which is contrary to God you cannot love sinne and that which is contrary to sinne at the same time for if you love the Lord you will hate sinne and if you love sinne you will hate the Lord. 3. On the Covenants part the Covenant of God is to change the sinful heart it is to subdue iniquity it is to cleanse us from all our uncleanesses it is to make us an holy people ânto the Lord so that of necessity you must resolve on it to break off your Covenant with sin if you will have God to be your God in Covenant 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come one from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you ver 18. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Mark this place it shews expressely the way of coming into the Covenant you must not make agreement with darknesse nor with Idols you must separate from them you must have nothing to do with any uncleanesse that is you must resolve never to joyne your selves to any sinne never to love or serve it and then saith God I will receive you what 's that that is then I will be your God I will take you into Covenant I will own you for mine I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters Are you sure that you will be so yea for thus saith the Lord Almighty Ezek. 11. 18. They shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof verse 19. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them c. verse 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Therefore examine your hearts what sinne lies there which makes a breach which keeps up enmity 'twixt you and God and put it farre away c. 3. If you would have the Lord to be your God in Covenant then judge your Judge your selves for your breach of Covenant with God selves for your ancient breach of the first Covenant with him and for your sins since that and confesse your absolute unworthinesse to be admitted and received into another Covenant with him O when a soul comes to be afflicted for sinnes and to acknowledge it self unworthy of mercies this soul is in a right posture for mercies God made a Covenant with us in Adam and stated life upon us in case of obedience but we presently brake Covenant with him and proved unfaithful and dealt treacherously with him fell off from him for a thing of naught and all the dayes of our lives have we been sinning and dishonouring and provoking of him so that had we our desert so farre might God be from accepting of us into a new Covenant that he might justly condemn us for our transgressing of the old Covenant if we did seriously and sadly review these things till our hearts were humbled within us and that we saw our life to be the free gift of God again and that we stood at his mercy only to spare us and pity us and accept of us and in this posture come to God and cry out O save me for thy mercies sake Lord I have undone my self I have left thee I have lost thee I have dealt unfaithfully with thee I have sinned exceedingly against thee I have gone farre from thee yet I come back to thee I hear thou art a merciful God though I am a sinful wretch I hear that thou art a gracious God though I am an unworthy sinner I hear that thou hast made a new Covenant to relieve and succour them who have violated the first Covenant I hear that this Covenant is full of grace and mercy and pity and help and happinesse I come to thee to make peace with thee to be reconciled unto me to shew me favour I perish if thou reject me I live if thou accept of me I can bring nothing I can challenge nothing only thou sayst That thou wilt have mercy on whom thou wilt have mercy and may not a poor miserable unworthy sinner be made capable of thy mercy may he not be received unto mercy why else didst thou give Christ why else didst thou set up a Covenant of grace O Lord receive me graciously and love me freely and for thine own sake become my God and make me to be one of thy people Verily this is a moving way and this is a taking way for
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
gives faith Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. By grace are Faith you saved through faith It is the gift of God Ephes 28. And he gives repentance Acts 11. 18. Then hath God given or granted unto Repentance the Gentiles repentance unto life And he gives mercy 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus Mercy And he also freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. He gives grace and he gives All things gloây Psal 84. 11. And he gives unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by them we Great and precious promises might be partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. This Covenant is a Covenant of gifts all that God promiseth in it is given and all that God requires of us is given and all that we are to give again to God is first given unto us by God Reasons why it is so from And there are two reasons why this Covenant is an altogether giving Covenant 1. One is our universal brokennesse and impotency and insufficiency our sinful Our universal insufficiency fall hath so ship-wrack't and ruined us that we have nothing at all left us we are naked and poor and miserable Rev. 3. 17. Without strength Rom. 5. 6. Not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. What hast thou that thou hast not received I Cor. 4. 7. Such a brokân vessel is the sinner such a self-undoing and destitute creatures like the Prodigal who spent all and had neither bread nor rayment nor shoes nor any thing and therefore his father must provide all and give all he must give him housing and he must give him rayment and he must give him shoes for his feet and he must give him meat to eat and wine to drink Where the creature is universally miserable and utterly impotent there must be nothing but giving Mercy must give all or the sinner is undone 2. Another is Gods intenâion and purpose in this Covenant and that in the Gods intention and purpose in this Covenant praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 6 His intent in making this Covenant is wholly and only to exalt himself to proclaime his own glory and therefore he will give all and the sinner is to receive all that all the glory and praise of mercy of grace of blessings may be returned unto himself alâne Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompânced unto him again Ver. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whâm be glory for ever Amen Vse 1 If this Covenant be a giving Covenant then the poor and needy may traffique at it If it were a buying and selling Covenant in proper sense then Then the poor and needy may traffique at it poor sinners must despaire but it is a giving Covenant and therefore poor sinners have hope May not the poor who keep no house of their own yet go to the rich mans door where all is given When we survey our hearts and conditions we finde a world of wants and when we survey the Covenant we finde a Heaven of supplies Objection But then we fear and dispute and reason But how shall we get this mercy and gaine that blessing and enjoy that help We have nothing and we can bring nothing the Well indeed is deep but we have nothing to draw Sâl True but yet God can give all though you can bring nothing and according to the tenor of this Covenant He will give all the greatest and the least But will he give me food and rayment yes he will give you bread and he will give you double cloathing O But will he give me Grace yes he will give grace and glory O But will he give me Christ yes he will give his Christ that greatest gift that ever was given to sinners he is the gift of God O but will he give me mercy to pardon my sinnes and all my sinnes yes he will shew mercy and will forgive all thy sinnes whereby thou hast sinned against him O but will he give me Faith yes he will draw you to Christ and put forth an Almighty power to make you to believe O but will he give me another heart yes I will give thee a new heart c. O but I must pray if I would have these and I cannot pray why and it is his Covenant to give you the Spirit of grace and supplication Let these things quiet your sorrowful and troubled soules There is enough in the Covenant for you and all that is there is to be given 2. Be content to come and receive seeing God is pleased in this Covenant to be Be content to come and receive giving He is all upon the giving hand and we should be all upon the recâiving hand The giviâg works is Gods work and the receiving work is our work he findes the gift you must open your hand and take it O what a blessed Covenant is this wherein you may have all for asking and receiving Mat. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and it shall be given him John 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Now there are four qualities which if you could get them you Which we shall do if we have these qualities would then be content and willing to come unto God and beg of him and receive of him what he will give and without these you will not do so 1. One is poverty of spirit you must be poor in spirit the poor man speaks Poverty of spirit supplications saith Solomon It was poor Lazarus that came to the rich mans dâor and it is the poor sinner one who is truly sensible of his spiritual wants and miseries who will come to the door of mercy and cry out O Father of mercies give me mercy O God of grace give me grace O give me Christ c. If you be rich and encreased and stand in need of nothing as Laodicea was if you have enough of your own if you think that you are righteous and need not Christ and need not mercy c. you will never come to God and beg him to give you these 2. A second is humâlity of heart a proud man scornes to beg and scornes Humility of heart to receive he will not be beholding to any body it is the humble man who will acknowledge mercy and blesse for mercy and beg for mercy and be glad he may have mercy upon receiving termes God gives grace to the humble and the humble are thankfully contented to receive grace from God 3. A praying heart will be glad to be receiving A praying
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 takân 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 Covânant 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
own but sinne and vanity Yea 2ly These are portions for Christians as Themistocles said Give those bracelets to slaves or as Basil when he was offered temporary glory and wealth c answered Give me glory which abides for ever and give me riches which will endure for ever Matth. 6. 31 32. Take no thought what ye shall eat for after all these things do the Gentiles seek Earthly things are a common stock only Spiritual blessings are the Childrens inheritance As God spake of the Levites that they shall have no inheritance among their brethren I will be their portion said the Lord so may we say of temporal and Spiritual blessings God will not have his people to sit down with so low and poor a portion as temporal things but their portion shall be himself his Christ his Spirit his Grace his Peace his Joy his Glory his Blessedness 3. And those are the best portions These do make up our estate indeed now you may sit down and rejoyce for you have possession good enough and safe enough and a better possession than God himself and all Spiritual blesings no soul is capable of Thirdly They are possible I beseech you observe with me a few things They are possible 1. Nothing is impossible which lies in Gods promise because God who promiseth is able also to perform and give whatsoever he is pleased to promise and the donation or accomplishment depends not on us but on God alone on his power and fidelity 2. None ever cordially sought them but did enjoy them If ye seek for them as silver and hid treasures you shall have them Prov. 23. 4 5. You shall seek me and finde me when you shall search for me with all your heart Jer. 29. 13. Nay I dare to say did you seek and pray for these Spiritual blessings as you do for temporal blessings with the same thought and earnestness and diligence and importunity and constancy you might long since have possessed them both plentifully and comfortably Fourthly They are more certain upon right seeking than the temporal They are more certain blessings you may observe concerning these two sorts of blessings 1. That God never gives all the particulars of temporal blessings to any one man but distributes them by parcels some to one and some to another but he gives every Spiritual blessing for the substance unto every one in Covenant 2. That God doth put some Provisoes and Exceptions and Reserves upon temporal blessings so far as consistent with the ãâã and as is fitting and behoving in such a condition and relation c. buâ ãâã Spiritual blessings which substantially concern his people he is peremptory he will give them he will not deny them although for a while he may delay them as in the point of Revocation he oft times takes off these outward blessings and yet still continues the Spiritual he will never recall them his loving-kindness shall continue still with them Simile so in point of Donation though he many times denies particular outward things yet he will not deny the Spiritual The Father will not deny food to the Child though he doth deny an apple Fifthly If you could but get the Spiritual blessings they would soon hasten in They will bring in temporal blessings and speed you with such temporal blessings which you need Temporal they often go alone they bring not the Spiritual but the Spiritual brings in the temporal Matth. 6. 33. Seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you tanquam Appendices Cumulo you should have the spiritual blessings which you first of all desire and the temporal which you least of all desire you shall have them in the purchase and over and above the bargain Sixthly And you shall have them with more comfort peace and blessing for And bring them in with more comfort and peace Spiritual blessings do draw off that curse with which our sins have involved our temporal blessings and besides they give them a sweeter relish because we now possess them with the favour and love of God in Christ Use 3 Doth God in his Covenant promise first unto his people all spiritual blessings then you who are his people may hence learn Let Gods people learn To bless God who first blesseth them with spiritual blessings First To blesse your God who in the first place blesseth you with all Spiritual blessings your estate differs from that of other men in two particulars 1 In the Entrance that at the first you possesse the choysest mercies 2. In the End that at the last you shall possesse the highest glory Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Ver. 3. Who forgave thee all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Thus David for forgiveness and health much more then should the people of God bless him who at the very first blesseth them with all Spiritual blessings with his favour with his Christ with Righteousness with Holyness with forgiveness with Peace c. Secondly To be contented although perhaps you have a lesser portion in temporal blessings Am I not better to thee than ten sons said Elkanah to To be contented with a less portion in temporal blessings Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 8. So why do you yet complain and take on are not Spiritual blessings better than all temporal blessings I beseech you by what interest do you judge men bappy by temporal or by spiritual If by temporal why did you so much desire Spiritual if by Spiritual why then are you not contented who have already all Spiritual blessings for your portion especially considering that for asking the daughters of Zelophehad had the nether spring as well as the upper and you but for asking shall have enough for Earth as well as for Heaven I now proceed to a third General Observation viz. SECT III. 3. Doct. THat whatsoever the blessings are which may or do concern the people Whatsoever blessings are dispenced God is the giver of them of God in Covenant God himself doth undertake to give them unto his people Consider the Covââânt Donatives mentioned in this Chapter and elsewhere you shall expresly ãâã that none but God himself undertakes the Donation of them I will sprinkle clean water upon theâ and I will give them a new heart and I will put my Spirit within you and I will call for the corn c. v. 25 26 29 30. So Ezek. 11. 19. I will give you one heart Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live Hos 14. 4.
ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 3. 5. And we are dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. Secondly There is in every natural man a resistance a contrariety and opposition to the work of holinesse Rom. 8. 7. The carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Ephes 4. 18. Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Jer. 13. 27. Wo unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean Secondly That no creature can make another holy we may wish holiness to Nâ ãâã can make another hoây others and we may pray the Lord to sanctifie others and we may direct others to the wayes of holinesse but make them holy we cannot For 1. No man can impart any of his own grace unto another he cannot divide the grace which he hath as he can the earthly estate which he hath amongst his children The actings of his grace may extend to others but the habit or quality of his grace he can no more impart to others than he can his own soul or life 2. All that we can do for others to work grace in them is but in a moral way of counsel and exhortation and entreaty and reasoning but we cannot open their ears to hear that counsel nor their hearts to receive that grace unto which they are by us exhorted nor can we expect that our exhortations should have more power to prevail with men than Gods exhortations yet these alone were not sufficient to change any sinner without some inward workings of his Spirit upon the spirits of men 3. Besides to change the heart of a sinner by grace is a work proportionable This is a work of Omnipotency with Creation and with the resurrection of the dead so the Scripture stiles our conversion or sanctification for which Omnipotency must put forth it self to sanctifie us God can do it Secondly God can sanctifie or graciously change the heart of a sinner which may thus appear 1. He hath dominion and power over the heart he can turn and command and rule it as he pleaseth 2. He hath dominion over all grace he can give it and work it in the heart of men by his Almighty Spirit and Power If he will say to the dead Live the dead shall live if he will say to the blind See the eyes of the blind shall be opened and they shall see If he will say to the deaf Hear the ears of the deaf shall be opened and they shall hear If he will say to the most wicked heart Be thou changed it shall be changed and healed for by his Spirit he can infuse that grace into the heart and with that power and with that efficacy as shall be sufficient to beat down and subdue all the resistances of sin and to renew and alter the whole soul Thirdly God doth undertake this sanctifying work in promise for his people God undertakes this work 1. That they may know that be alone is the Original and Author of all their Spiritual good No Fountain of mercy but their God of mercy and no Fountain of grace but their God of grace no Fountain of peace and salvation and comfort but their God of peace but their God of salvation but their God of comfort 2. That their hearts might be supported under the sense of their sinfulness and under the sense of their want of holiness and under the sense of their own insufficiency and inability to give themselves any holiness Though they cannot though no creature can help their hearts to holiness yet their God can and will for he hath promised it to them and he is able to perform what he hath promised and is also able and will do it 3. That he might have the glory that we may glory in him and not in our selves for what have we that we have not received Let no man take this work upon him upon a confidence of his own strength 1. Vse Doth God himself undertake to sanctifie the hearts of his people Then let none take upon him this work upon a confidence of his own will and power and sufficiency will you take the work of God out of his hand When Rachel said to Jacob Give me children or else I dye he said Am I in Gods stead Gen. 30. 1 2. So when the King of Syria sent Naaman to the King of Israel to heal him of his leprosie said he Am I God to kill and make alive that this man doth send to me to recover a man of his leprosie 2 Kin. 5. 7. So will you be in Gods stead will you be Gods to yourselves that you take on you to change and sanctifie your own hearts and yet men are frequently presumptuous in this they will change their hearts and they will become new men Is not this a presumptuous nay is it not an impossible work will you create will you quicken the dead Object But doth not God bid us Make unto your selves a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Sol. The Precepts of God in this kind 1. Shew our impotency and convince us thereof they do not imply our power 2. He commands us this for this very end that we should seek unto him to work this 3. That we might apply our selves to the means through which he will work this 2. Vse In the sense of want of holiness be not discouraged give not up the work Be not discouraged in the sense of the want of holiness as impossible say not I shall never see a change in my heart my sins are so strong and my power is nothing but go to God remember that he hath undertaken to sanctifie Master If thou wilt thou canst make me clean said the poor Leper said Christ I will be thou clean Remember five things in this that God himself undertakes to give grace or holiness by promise First He intends to give what he promiseth in any Particular Secondly He is able to work it nothing is able to stand against his promise nothing can hinder it all the power of hell and of thy sinful heart cannot hinder him from the healing and sanctifying according to promise Thirdly He doth put thee but upon coming and asking and trusting He will give hiss holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11. 13. Believe only and thou shalt be saved and thou shalt see his power Fouthly You cannot put up a request that doth more concern his own glory Lord let me not dishonour thee any more grieve thee any more sanctifie and change my heart that I may bring thee glory Fifthly He never denied any heart that was serious and fixed in desires of holinesse Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you c. I Now come
joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15. 10. I call it an eminent and great change because it surpasseth all other changes which may be found in men who yet have no newness of heart There may be a change 1. From rudeness of life to civility of conversation 2. From profaneness of walking to formality in Religion 3. From ignorance and blindness of mind to knowledge 4. From the practice of sin to a forbearance of sin 5. From quietness of Conscience to perplexity and trouble of Conscience and yet no newness of heart The change which constitutes a new heart is a very deep change it makes man to be a new creature it doth quite alter the frame and estate of a mans heart and Spirit It is a change in the soul Thirdly When the heart is made new there is a change made in the soul and in the whole soul 1. It is a change in the soule Simile It is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house It is one thing to adorn a dead man and it is another thing to inform or enliven a dead man Newness of life doth principally respect the root and spring The work of renewing grace begins where sin begins it begins the Reformation where sin begins the deformation it begins to change and cleanse where sin begins to corrupt and defile and that is in the soul Outward Reformation is one thing and inward Reformation is another thing The Pharisees made clean the outside of the cup and they were painted Sepulchres which within were full of rotten bones Hypocrisie can make a new garbe of visible actions but it can never make an new heart it never changes and alters the soul that still remains under the love and power of sin But when the heart is made new there is some inward work of grace by which the soul is changed from death to life from unholiness to holiness 2. It is a change in the whole soul when the heart is made new all the soul In the whole soule is divinely changed Therefore this newness or Renewingness is compared to the light which disperseth itself into the whole body of the Aire so that there is not any one part of the Aire which is not enlightned To the oyntment which fills the whole room with sweet Odour To leaven which diffuseth itself over the whole lump As it is with Original sin it is an universal defilement it infects all the soul there is not one faculty of the soul but it is defiled by it So it is with Renewing grace or newness of heart it is an universal alteration or change it alters all the soul and all the faculties of the soul when a new heart is given there is a change made 1. In the minde or understanding which now is freed from darkness and enjoys an heavenly light to know the things of God and to discern things that are excellent and the mysteries of Christ and salvation appear in their glory We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. In the Judgement which is now freed from mistakes and Errors and high imaginations and carnal reasonings and disputes and is now captivated to the Truth and approves of what is good and condemneth what is evil It counts sin the gâeatest evil and Christ the most incomparable happiness and the enjoyment of God the only portion I count all things but drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. 8. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee saith David Psal 73. 25. Thirdly In the Will which was proud and stubborn and unwilling and averse and perverse nothing would perswade it to hearken to Christ to yield to receive to obey all the arguments of mercy and glory would not âffect and take it Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. But when the heart is made new the Will also is changed now it falls down before Christ Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Draw me and I will run after thee Cant. 1. 4. In all the affections of the soul Never was there such a change such a newness how they fall out with one another Grief falls out with Love and Love with hatred nay they seem to be changed one into another Joy into Grief and Love into Hatred and Hatred into Love what a man did love he now hates and what a man did hate he now loves and what a man desired he now fears and what a man delighted in he now grieves at it Nay look on them distinctly in their several motion The desires were Who will shew us any good Now the desires are What shall we do to be saved The delights were in sin in sensualities in vanities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Christ in pardoning mercy in holy and heavenly society in doing the will of God The like may be said for love for grief for fear c. Fourthly This change which constitutes newness of heart is wrought by the Spirit of Christ Therefore our Sanctification which is the same with the giving A change wrought by the Spirit of Christ of a new heart is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 1. Pet. 1. 2. And our change into the image of glory from glory to glory is by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. And the newness of heart is the work of the Spirit of Christ no man changeth or renews his own heart but the Spirit doth all And therefore he is called the Spirit 1. Of Knowledge because he illuminates and gives knowledge and light 1 Cor. 12. 8. 2. Of Grace and holiness because he makes us holy Ephes 4. 30. 3. Of Faith because he causeth our hearts to believe 2 Cor. 4. 13. 4. Of Love and joy because he worketh these in our hearts All saving good comes from the Father as the Fountain and through the Son as the Mediator and is wrought in us by the Spirit As in the Creation the Spirit moved upon the waters and so did as it were brood and frame all the Creatures To in Regeneration the Spirit descends upon the hearts and by his vigour doth forme all the newness and spiritual change in it This change is wrought by infusing a new Principle Fifthly The Spirit works this change in the heart by infusing a new Principle or quality of grace A new Principle is necessary to make a new heart there must be something put into the heart to change the heart in all alterations thus it is Simile If you would have the cold removed from the water heat must come in and if you would have darkness removed from the Aire the light must come in and if you would have sickness
removed health must come in For all chaâge amongst qualities is made by contrary qualities And so it is when God changeth the heart when of old he makes it new He doth this by inâusing a new Quality into the heart contrary to the old quality of the heart which quality is Regenerating or Renewing grace and is called sometimes holiness sometimes the New man sometimes the Inward man sometimes the Law of the mind sometimes the Spirit sometimes Christ sometimes the Anointing sometimes the seed of God and according to the several ways of working it hath several names v. g. As it is the forming of an heavenly being in the soul it is called Regeneration As it is the turning of the heart it is called Conversion As it is the humbling of the heart it is called godly sorrow As it is the turning of us from sin it is called Repentance As it is the bringing of the heart in to Christ it is called Faith c. As it is the abasing of the heart it is called Humility As it is the gentle tempering of the heart it is called Meekness As it is a submitting of the heart to God in sufferings it is called Patience and as it is the raising of the heart to the allowance of God it is called Contentment and Self-denial c. Sixthly Into the Elect and Called of God Renewing grace is peculiar and Into the Elect and Called of God proper to the Elect people of God the Papists and Arminians do hold that Reprobates and Apostates may have the same truly renewing and sanctifying grace which the Elect of God have and that the grace in the one and in the other differ not quantum ad essentiam as to truth but only quantum ad permanentiam as to continuance But this opinion we reject as unsound and dangerous for although we do grant unto some Reprobates and Apostates the common gifts and works of the Spirit as 1. Illumination whereby they may know the revealed will of God and assent unto the truth of the Word which appears by the Parable of the stony ground and in Simon Magus c. 2. And some transient working on their affections as upon hearing the Word to receive it with joy Herod heard John Baptist gladly and the temporary believers took in the Word with joy and with fear as Felix did and with humbling as Ahab did 3. And some kind of external Emendation or Reformation as Herod did many things Matth. 6. 20. Nevertheless no Reprobate attained unto the state of Renovation or Adoption or Justification they were never renewed intensively by the Holy Ghost never had a new heart given unto them because First The state of Renovation is founded in Gods Election He hath chosen us that we should be holy Eph. 1. 4. therefore none but the Elect are renewed Secondly This Renovation flows from union with Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Thirdly All renewed persons are in special Covenant with God he is their God and they are his people and he will put his fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from him Seventhly and lastly Newness of heart arising from grace infused by the Spirit This newness consists in of Christ consists 1. In a Rectitude of Inclination 2. In a powerful mortification First A Rectitude of Inclination every faculty of the soul is now brought A rectitude of Inclination into its due place and order and inclines and conforms unto God whereas before it was turned from him now we approve the will of God and choose the way of God Newness is the conformity of our nature with Gods nature 2 Pât 1. 4. and of our inclinations and actions to Gods will what God likes we like what God disallows we disallow what God sets up we set up what God would have done we would have done and in what God takes delight in that do we also take delight and in that manner that God would have it done we love with simplicity we pray with fervency and we hear with reverence and we give with chearfulness and we walk with sincerity Secondly In a mortification of old lusts this is called a cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor 7. 1. and a crucifying of the flesh with the In a mortification of old lusts affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. and a putting off the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Ephes 4. 22. and a dying unto sin Rom 6. 2. and a not suffering sin to reign that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6. 12. Beloved this is most certain that newness of heart is 1. An universal contrariety to all our sinful corruptions and therefore where newness of heart is there is a constant hatred of sin and a continual conflict or combate with it 2. A real predominancy renewing grace is stronger than remaining sin and will never suffer it to rule the heart and sway as in former times Quest 3. Why God will give unto all the people of his Covenant a new heart Why God gives a new heart or an heart renewed by grace Sol. The Reasons may be these First God predestinates them unto the means as well as unto the end Gods God predestinates to the means as well as to the end predestination in the aime or end of it respects the glorifying of his people who are therefore called Vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. and are said to be chosen and called to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 2. 14. and Gods predestination in the means tending to that glory is his eternal will and purpose to communicate effectually to his people all that is requisite to bring to the participation of that glory therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 29. Whom he did fore-know he did predestinate to be conformable to the Image of his Son Ver. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Mark predestination hath a respect to the means as well as to the end to calling and justifying as well as to glorifying and calling is to holiness as well as to happiness to conformity to the Image of his Son as well as unto an inheritance by his Son and what is that being conformed to the Image of his Son but amongst other things to be changed into his Image 2 Cor. 3. 18. And what is that but to have our heart renewed by the Spirit of grace Secondly God will give unto his people all that Jesus Christ hath purchased God will give all that Christ hath purchased for them and which was the very design of his death Now Jesus Christ did by his death make a threefold purchase 1. Of the Persons of all the Elect he bought them with a price Ye are not your own
for ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 19. 20. 2. Of all the Services of the Elect He hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness Luk. 1. 74 75. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. 3. Of all Graces for the Elect the donation of the Spirit as to all the effects of grace is the fruit of his death and purchase not only eternal glory but renewing grace is purchased by Jesus Christ Thirdly The Lord doth put several duties and services upon his people which God hath several services for his people are impossible for them to perform unless he did give them a new heart an heart changed and renewed by grace They must deny themselves they must love the Lord their God with all their soul and all their might They must hate every evil way They must walk uprightly They must be contented in all conditions They must resist temptations and wrestle against principalities and against Rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places They must overcome evil with good They must love their enemies bless them that curse them and do good to them that hate them They must be ready to do every good work They must take up the Cross and suffer reproaches and losses they must persevere to the end It is impossible for a natural heart to perform these Is there not then a necessity of renewing grace to enable the heart for these Fourthly Again The people in Covenant they have a new and choice relation They have a new relation and must have natures sutable to it No people have such a relation as they and unless they were renewed by grace they could never hold that relation God is their God and their Father and they are his children they are his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 2. 18. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty and Ver. 16. Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people this is their relation but then mark what he infers from this in Ver. 17. Wherefore come from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you q. d. Holiness is necessary for this relation you must be separate you must be renewed you must have no communion with sin you must be another kind of people you cannot hold communion with me nor will I own you for my people and children if you do so c. And Christ is their head and they are his body this is another relation Colos 1. 18. He is the head of the body the Church Now is Christ the head of profane and ungodly men Is he the head of the dead or of the living Do not the head and the body agree in the same kind of nature and life Are not they who are joyned to the Lord one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Certainly as all who come from the first Adam do bear his image so all who are of the second Adam do bear his image Ergo. They must be a redeemed and sanctified people Fifthly I will adde one reason more why God will give unto all his people The congruity of it as to their Conversation a new heart and it is this The congruity of it for that conversation which they are to have amongst men both good and bad First For good men they are to have society and communion with them With good men in all holy things and in all holy duties their hearts should be knit unto them in love their delight should be in them as in the excellent of the earth and you know the mutual comfortings and edifyings and strengthnings and spiritual supportings which believers should be to one another But this requires a new heart untill that be given there can never be that love that delight c. Secondly For wicked men the people of God are to shine amongst them as With wicked men lights Phil. 2. 15. and to win them by their godly walking at least to stop their mouths and make them ashamed that falsly accuse their good Conversation in Christ they are to convince them and reprove them c. But all these things would fail they could not be if God did not renue and change the heart of his people by grace c. SECT II. Vse 1. Doth God promise to give unto all his people a new heart and a new Then many are not Gods people they have their old hearts still spirit here it follows that many people are not the people of God in Covenant because they have not a new heart given unto them but they have still their old hearts and old spirits their old corrupt lusts which they obey and serve and which they will hold fast and will not forsake For the managing of this Use I will briefly shew you two things 1. The infallible Characters of an old and unclean heart 2. The woful miseries of people still retaining those old hearts 1. The Characters of an old or unrenewed heart Characters of an old heart The Scripture gives us five Characters of an old heart i. e. of an heart never yet changed or renewed by grace First Ignorance generally the sinful estate is set out by ignorance 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance Ignorance Eph. 4. 18. Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Acts 17. 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at There are three things of which if a man be ignorant he is unquestionably in an old sinful estate 1. Himself if he knows not what a wicked wretched vile and miserable heart is within him and how accursed he is by reason of it 2. Jesus Christ and the mystery of salvation in and by Christ 3. The excellency and necessity of the new creature of Regeneration and renewing grace this man is still in his sins he is in the gall of bitterness he is dead c. The first work of the Spirit is to open the eyes and to turn men from darkness to light Acts 26. 18. And to give knowledge of salvation Luk. 1. 77. To enlighten the understanding Eph 1. 18. There begins the first change and dawning of Christ and grace therefore if that be not done the old heart remains Secondly Carnal security and quietness a perpetual silence and rest Luk. Carnal security 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his goods are in peace where sin reigneth and still keeps possâssion all is quâet the man feels not his burden nor wounds not wants nor
with renewing Four things have a resemblance with renewing grace which yet is noâ it grace and yet renewing grace is quite another different thing from them 1. Civil Righteousness especially if joyned with the true Religion 2. Restraining grace in the forbearance of sins especially notorious and flagitious 3. The presence of common gifts which man had not before 4. The powerful effect of an awakend conscience 1. Civil Righteousness especially if conjoyned with Profession Civil Righteousness of true Religion What do men generally repute for renewing grace and for godliness but this if they be no Papists if they hold no Errors if they keep their Church and deal fairly and justly with their neighbours why they conclude their hearts are good and their estate is sure and what can men have more But now give me leave to say two things unto this First Civil Righteousness is good and so is external profession of the true Religion Civil righteousness is good God requires that and this Matth. 7. 12. All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Mich. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God To do justly is one of the things required The like may be said for external profession as we must believe with the heart so we must confess with the mouth Rom. 10. 11. And we must hold forth the word of life Phil. 2. 16. Secondly Nevertheless newnesse of heart or renewing grace is a quite different Yet newness of heart is differing from it quality from their civil Righteousness and one may be civilly righteous and honest who never had his heart renewed by grace nay whose heart doth extreamly loath and oppose it Now civil righteousness and heavenly newness of heart doth differ in six They differ in six things things First Civil Righteousness is of a low and inferiour birth or original there are Civil righteousness is of an inferiour birth three things which may be sufficient to make a man civilly righteous 1. One is the light of nature which hath some notions and principles of common equity and honesty 2. A second is the power of edification Parents and Tutors may so represent the honor of just dealing and the forbid unworthiness of unrighteous dealing that young and tender natures may take in a savour and taste of them all their dayes though they never act upon any knowledge that God enjoyns them 3. A third is the influence of example beholding such a course and way of Righteousness in Parents and Superiours in Friends whose examples we are ready to imitate because their persons we do love and reverence But newness of heart or renewing grace is wrought by a higher hand than the dictates of nature or counsels of friends or examples of men it is the birth of the Spirit of God every regenerate or renewed person is born of the Spirit the immediate power of the holy Ghost is put forth in the creating of a new heart Secondly Civil Righteousness either totally confines us to the duties of the second Civil Righteousness confines to duties of the second Table Table as if we had none to eye and please but our neighbour or if it gives way to the duties of the first Table it is but to a formal and superficial observance The civil righteous man though he is strict in duties to man yet is irreligious in all his religious performances He saith a Prayer but he knows not how to pray in the Spirit and with Faith and he hears a Sermon but it is as if he heard it not sleeping and waking with running and roving distracted thoughts on the world he talks of a Sabbath but he knowes not how to keep a Sabbath and is weary of it and counts the strict observance of it a Jewish burden But renewing grace brings in the heart to all the will of God it enables to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods to be righteous with good men and to be upright with God to serve him with love and fear Thirdly Civil Righteousness may look at some outward easie ordinary actions of It looks only at outward easie duties Religion but it leaves the heart destitute of the great inward actings of Religion When did you ever see a person only civilly righteous lay the Axe to the root of the tree searching of his heart and judging the corruptions of his heart and humbly mourning and lamenting under the sence of his wicked heart and hungring after Jesus Christ and importunately wrestling for grace and mercy striving to crucifie the lusts of his heart He is so farre from these that he thinks them either superfluous or impossible But renewing grace doth chiefly act upon the heart there it sets up the Throne and gives the Law and exerciseth Authority and Rule c. Fourthly Civil Righteousness rests mostly in negatives I am not as other men said he if the civilly righteous man doth not swear this is enough although he It rests mostly in Negatives should likewise fear an Oath if he doth not take away the life of another if he doth not do wrong that 's enough although he ought also to do good But renewing grace comes off to Positives as well as Negatives it teacheth us to cease to do evil and it learns us also to do good Isa 1. 16 17. It teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts And also to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 12. Fifthly Civil Righteousness it will allow such things which renewing grace will not It will allow us It must have its indulgence 1. To associate our selves in a way of familiarity with the enemies of God and holiness and rather with these than those that are good 2. To omit many personal and family duties 3. To deferre repentance and making peace with God 4. To mispend his time day after day week after week year after year in vain pleasures and sports dicings cardings c. 5. To conform and fashâon our selves to the world and perfidiously to flatter persons in their sins only to keep up a correspondency and interest it must have indulgence in sinful thoughts vile affections petty Oathes But renewing grace makes the heart to tremble at these things and to loathe and abhorre them It alters not one sinful quality Sixthly Civil Righteousness alters not one sinful quality in the heart nor gives it any new spiritual ability notwithstanding it the heart is as ignorant and malicious and unbelieving and impenitent and hardned and earthly and vain and proud as ever and cannot deny itself in any delightful way of wickedness c. II. Restraining grace by which a person forbears many sinfull
promise to give a new heart Then let the next Use Exhortation to use the means for it be for Exhortation to use the means by which every one of us may at length enjoy it For the managing of this Use there are three things I will offer unto you 1. Motives to perswade you to strive after a new heart 2. Cautions what to avoid if you would get the new heart 3. Scripture-informations what the wayes are which if you take will certainly bring you to the enjoyment of a new heart 1. The Motives to perswade us to look and strive after this new heart Motives They are these three 1. The misery of an old heart 2. The necessity of a new heart 3. The possibility to be delivered from that and to be possessed of this 1. The misery of an old heart It is such an heart that remaining under the power of it you cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. Nay you cannot but displease The misery of an old heart God you cannot but still sin against him cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2 14. But more particularly the old heart First Is a fleshly and corrupt heart the old man which is corrupt Eph. 4. 22. It is called the plague of the heart 1 King 8. 38. It corrupts all your thoughts and all your affections and all your speeches and all your actions Secondly Is an abominable heart the Lord loaths and abhors it as the defacing of his image as the workmanship of the Divel as that which is most contrary to his Nature to his Will and to his Glory Thirdly Is a debasing heart it makes us more vile than the vilest of creatures it makes us like the Divel it makes us his children his slaves his captives and bondmen Fourthly A prejudicing heart it keeps us off from God from Christ from all heavenly communion from all ability to do good or to receive good it holds up our distance from mercy from blessings from heaven and from all hopes thereof Ephes 2. 12. Without Christ having no hope and without God in the world Fifthly It is a deceitful heart Jer. 17. 9. It tempts you and deceives you it promiseth one thing and payes you another thing it pretends but to a little more sinning and yet it is unsatiable It tells you that it will bring you off from sinning and yet still it engageth you to farther sinning It makes you to believe that you shall have mercy and yet it continues you in a course of sinning which will lose you mercy it saith that you shall at last repent and yet it makes your heart more hardened and impenitent it gives you vain pleasures and so cheats you of all true joy it feeds you with some empty profits and thereby deprives you of all true riches it brings in sometimes a little of earth but then it makes you to lose Christ and your own souls Sixthly Is a dreadful heart It is the root of gall and wormwood and the fruits of it are terror and wrath and death and hell All the terrors of conscience spring from it all the wrath of God breaks out upon you by reason of it all the bitter feelings and all the dreadful fears and expectations depend upon it you cannot know peace whiles you live under the power of it Neither God nor Christ nor his Spirit nor his Word nor Conscience will speak peace unto you in that condition But on the contrary the Law of God threatens and condemns you and the Gospel doth as much and more and God and Conscience are all in armes against you and every judgement of God which respects your soul and body for this life and the next doth await but one word and commission from the just God to fall on you and to torment and destroy you 2ly The necessity of a new heart The necessity of a new heart You know there is a two fold necessity One is absolute without which a thing cannot be at all as the union of the soul with the body to make a man Another is Hypothetical if one would be in a well-being then such or such a thing is necessary Now you can never be in a well-being unless the Lord give you a new heart renewing grace is necessary as to that Our well-being respects either this present or that future life and newness of heart necessarily concerns both 1. For this life we cannot be well whiles we are under the curse for sin For this life and under the power of sin to deliver us from the first of these it is necessary to get Christ and to be justified and to deliver us from the last of these it is as necessary to get renewing grace and to be sanctified 2. For the future life of blessedness it is also necessary forasmuch as there For the life to come cannot be a fruition of that without an antecedent fruition of this Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. 3ly The Possibility of getting this new heart I confess that though newness of heart be necessary yet if it be impossible to be The possibility of getting of it attained it were in vain to put you upon the seeking for it but as it is necessary to enjoy it so it is possible to find it and three things may convince us of that First One is the power of God to whom nothing is hard or impossible 'T is true that an Almighty power must be put forth to make a Creature and to make a new creature But God is able to quicken the dead and to restore his own image and to slay and subdue the power of our sins and to create in us a new heart and to put another spirit within us whatsoever he doth command and require he is able to give and work Secondly The second is the promise of God you see here that he promiseth to give a new heart and upon this condition if men will enquire of him for it as he likewise upon the same terms promiseth to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11. 13. Now the promise of God as it includes his power to perform what he hath promised so it doth express his intention and will to give what he promiseth to give if we seek unto him and rely upon him The third is the work of God He hath according to his Word of promise given this new heart to many thousands in the world we find large Records of this in the Scripture Act. 2. 4. and we see manifold instances amongst our selves what changes he makes in the hearts and lives of men and many times of such as have been very wicked and utterly unworthy The Cautions what to avoid 2ly The Cautions what to avoid if we would get a new heart If ever you would seek for and obtain a new
heart then remember these five Cautions First Beware of a self-deceiving opinion that you have it already and that you Beware of a self-deceiving opinion that you have it for your part stand not under the want and need of it This is that which undoth many hearers when we press Christ and faith upon them O they have believed on him And when we press repentance why they need no repentance they have repented long ago and when we tell them they must be converted they must be new creatures they must get new hearts O they need them not their hearts are as good as the best and they have very good natures and dispositions With this the Pharisees deceived themselves they were righteous and needed no repentance and so they rejected Christ and with this Laodicea deceived her self She was rich and increased and stood in need of nothing and yet she was blind and wretched and naked and poor Secondly Beware that you hearken not to the exceptions and prejudices of your Of hearkning to the prejudices of your old hearts old and corrupt hearts which are blind and cannot see the excellency of renewing grace and which also are averse and have a natural antipathy unto it You would not imagine untill you come to the trial what exceptions and oppositions there are in our hearts against their Conversion and Renovation Sometimes we look on it as a melancholly and troubling humour sometimes we look on it as a needless and vain preciseness sometimes we look on it as a proud and unsociable quality sometimes we look on it as too low and mean a state and practice for persons of our greatness sometimes we look on it as that which will expose us to the contempts and scoffs and reproaches of men sometimes we look on it as the grave of all our delights and profits sometimes we look on it as a business utterly impossible for any man on earth Now if any of these prejudices or if any other besides these prevail with us we will then sit quiet and contented with our old heart and will never be perswaded to look out for new hearts therefore beseech the Lord to deliver you from the lying vanities and prejudices of the old heart Thirdly Beware of consulting with worldly men or setting up the favours Of consulting with worldly men or frowns of them O if I should become a new man and lead a new life if I should regard holiness and life godly I should lose favour and hopes how would my Parents look on me what would my friends and acquaintance think of me what opposition would befall me how would men scoff and jear at me and what reports and reproaches would they raise of me let me tell thee plainly and faithfully that if the Lord doth not in much mercy mortifie and subdue this weakness that I say not wickedness of spirit in thee that thou art contented rather to enjoy thy old heart and courses with the applauses of the world than to yeild in thy heart to Christ and be willing and resolute to get thy heart renewed by the Spirit of grace although for this thou mayest meet with all sorts of afflictions and reproaches from the world thy poor soul will be for ever lost First Beware that you rest not on your own strength and sufficiency to renew or Of resting in your own strength change your hearts if you do two fruits there will be of it 1. You will either not seek to the Lord at all or if you do you will then seek him in a careless and unbelieving way 2. Another is you will but labour in vain you will never be successfull for you have no strength and sufficiency of your own Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. And it is God saith the Apostle that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure Fifthly Beware that you neither delay nor dally in using the means Of delaying and dallying in the use of means to get this new heart Do not say to morrow the next year when I am sick when I am old these may be too late and these may provoke the Lord to turn away his mercy and to deny his Spirit because you put him off he may therefore justly put you off Neither dally in the use of means one while attending another while neglecting one while being fervent and another while being remisse one week going forward and then for a year to fall backward but resolve to seek this new heart with all your heart and with all your pains following on and pressing forward and running till you enjoy this new heart which God hath promised to give unto them that seek it 3ly The wayes or meanes to get a new heart First Strive to be willing that God should make your hearts new that he The wayes to get a new heart should change and renew them by grace Pars est sanitatis velle sanari Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem wilt thou be made clean Joh. 5. 6. Jesus said unto him Be willing wilt thou be made whole O that we could get thus farre O Lord I am weary of my old sinful heart I am willing that thou shouldest heal it and reform it If the unclean person were willing that God should cleanse him from his filthiness and the proud person were willing that God should make him humble this would be a fair step to newness of heart Secondly Expresse this willingness in earnest Prayers to God who only is Express this willingness in earnest Prayer able to give a new heart Jer. 17. 14. Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me O Lord and I shall be saved Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And let your Prayers have three Ingredients or Concomitants 1. Sincerity let them come from your very hearts let them be the desires of your souls My soule follows hard after thee Psal 63. 8. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Isa 26. 9. That the Lord may see that in very deed you would have your hearts changed and nothing will satisfie you till he grant you that request 2. Faith give up your earnest request for this in Faith 1. Of Credence that he can give it 2. Of Reliance that for his Christs sake and for his promise sake he will do it Lord It is thy promise to give a new heart and all thy promises in Christ are Yea and Amen none doth need the new heart more than I do and none can give that heart but thy self and thou hast promised to give it unto them that ask I come unto thee in the Name of Christ and do beseech thee for his sake to answer me according to thy Word thou art able and faithful thou wilt give what thou promisest to give to them
that seek thee I believe all this Lord help my unbelief c. 3. Perseverance hold on this request and against all the rebellious workings of your old heart and against all the fears and disputes and discouragements of your old hearts yet lift up one Prayer more and one Prayer more you shall certainly prevail if you can persevere in Prayer There are three Requests which a poor broken-heart is sure to speed in if he will pray alwayes and not faint One is for a Christ and another is for pardoning mercy and a third is for a new heart Thirdly Diligently and patienly attend the Word by which God converts Attend the Word and changeth and renews the heart Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting souls Jam. 1. 18. Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth Ephes 5. 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word How many old sinful hearts hath God convinced and converted by his Word that have come unto it with ignorance and been sent from it with knowledge that have come to it with hardness and have been sent from it with tenderness that have come to it with pride and have been sent from it with humility that have come to it with all manner of profaneness and have been sent from it with all manner of holiness with the Love of God and fear of God and hatred of sin and real purpose to walk with God in newness of obedience O therefore attend the Word of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation and therefore the power of God to Renovation c. Fourthly Lastly beseech the Lord to give you the uniting faith that faith which will unite your hearts to Jesus Christ which will effectually bring you into Begge uniting Faith relation with him as Members of the Body of which he is the head as Branches of himself the true Vine Object Why what will this do may some of you say Sol. I will tell you what it will do it will infallibly bring in renewing grace to your hearts You can never be changed and renewed Creatures unless you be in Christ 2 Cor 5. 17. For our spiritual life is in and from him he is the Authour of life unto us as Adam was the authour of death unto us And he was anointed with the Spirit that we from him might be Anointed with the Spirit And if once you be united by Faith unto him you partake of his Spirit to sanctifie and renew and conform you unto himself He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. EZEK 36. 26. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh THese words are yet a further Declaration of the gracious will and intention of God towards the people of his Covenant Two things already hath God promised unto them one was to justifie them to pardon all their sins another was to sanctifie them to renew all their hearts And there are two more choice mercies and blessings which he doth graciously undertake to bestow upon them First One is to take away the stony heart out of their flesh Secondly The other is to give them an heart of flesh O what a mercy is it to be rid of the stone in the body which puts us to such exquisite pain and torment your mercy is infinitely greater to be delivered from the stone in the heart which is the depth of sin and the height of judgement There are three Propositions which these words do hold forth unto us viz. First There is a stony heart or an heart of stone in every man Secondly That God will take away the stony heart from his people Thirdly He will not only take away from them the heart of stone but he will also give them an heart of flesh CHAP. IX A heart of stone in every man Doctr. 1. THat there is a stony heart in every man I will take away the There is a stony heart in every man stony heart out of your flesh there it was else it could not be taken away the natural heart is a stony heart not Physically so as if it were so indeed but Metaphoriaclly so it is like the stone it is a hard heart spiritually hard that is meant by the stony heart Zach. 7. 12. They have made their hearts as an Adamant stone Isa 48. 4. Thy neck is an iron sinew and thy brow brass q. d. Thy heart is exceeding hard like Iron which will not bow and like brass which will not change both which are explained in the first words of the verse Thou art obstinate For the opening of this Point I will shew unto you 1. Why the hard heart which is in every man is called a stony heart 2. What stonyness or hardness of heart is to be found in man 3. Several Demonstrations or Convictions that the heart of every man naturally is a hard or stony heart SECT I. Quest 1. VVHY is the hard heart called a stony heart Why called a stony heart It is so called for the resemblance which it hath with a stone and in five particulars 1. Unsensibleness 2. Unflexibleness 3. Resistingness 4. Heaviness 5. Unfruitfulness First Because it is an unsensible heart What sense is there in a Rock in a An unsensible heart Stone in the Adamant in Ephes 4. 18 19. hardened sinners are said to be past feeling and that expression past feeling seems to be taken from the hands of labouring men which are so thickned and hardned by pains that they can grasp nettles and thorns and yet not feel the sharpness nor sting the natural heart is in this respect a stony heart i. e. unsensible Though he hath as many sins upon the soul which makes the very Creation to groan and to travail in pain Rom. 8. 22. yet he neither complains nor feels he goes on fâom day to day and adds drunkenness to thirst and drinks up iniquity as water yet he saith What evil have I done and there is no iniquity in my doings though the judgements of God be very near him and the tokens do abundantly appear yet like Ephraim when gray hairs were here and there upon him he perceived them not Hosea 7. 9. Yea though the anger of the Lord be poured upon him and sets him on fire round about yet he knows it not nay though it burn him yet he lays it not to heart Isa 42. 25. Such a gross stupidity is there in the natural and stony heart What one spake of himself in an humble way Erubescenda video nec erubesco dolenda intueor nec doleo peccata inspicio Bern. in Med. cap. 12. p. 1200. nec geno This and much more may be said of him that hath the hard and stony heart he blushes not he grieves not he sighs not for his sins nay he rejoyceth and boasteth and makes
forth his image and to conform us to âhrist 2 Cor. 3. 18. It s accepted with God Sixthly The weakest graces and breathings and actings of it are accepted with God he owns it Simile as a Father doth his weak babe and he regards the offering and services of it he will not only not despise the day of small things Zech. 4. 10. and he will not only not only break the bruised reed and not only not quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. but he will lovingly and graciously accept of the weakest fruits of weakest graces Psal 38. 9. All my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee 2 King 20. 5. Tell Hezekiah thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Seventhly The Lord hath a very tender respect unto persons who are weak in grace Isa 40 â1 He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the God hath a tender respect to such lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young You may look up to Jesus Christ your High Priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and by him you may come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy to help in time of need Heb. 4. 15 16. Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Isa 66. 13. As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you 1 Thes 5. 14. Comfort the feeble-minded support the weak Isa 61. 1. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted ver 2. to comfort all that mourn Sixthly The weakest grace of the Spirit is a sure evidence that you are in Christ and it is the earnest penny of your future glory Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are It s an evidence that we are in Christ the poore in heart for they shall see God Ver. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied SECT V. 4. Use DOth God give his own Spirit unto all his own people Let them then who have received the Spirit remember the duties which do in a more special manner concern them These are first Negative secondly Positive 1. Negative duties are First Quench not the Spirit this is the Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Thes Duties of such as have received the spirit Quench it not Why the spirit is compared to fiâe 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit The Spirit in this Metaphorical expression is compared to fire because 1. Fire lightning upon any combustible matter it doth burn and consume it So when the Spirit of God enters into our hearts he doth waste and consume by degrees all our noysome lusts and vile affections and sinfull deeds Rom. 8. 13. 2. Fire doth purge and purifie the mettals by burning up the dâoss and by making them more pure and bright So doth the Spirit of God when he comes into our hearts he purgeth the heart of sin and makes us holy and fit vessels of honour 3. Fire doth mollifie and soften and melt the hardest Iron So doth the Spirit of God the hardest heart and makes it melt into godly sorrow and feare 4. Fire doth give light and heat So the Spirit of God doth enlighten and teach us and heats us and warms us and inflames our hearts with the love of God and with a power to do his will 5. Fire doth ascend and mount upward So the Spirit carries up our thoughts and affections unto things which are above Rom. 8. 5. 6. Fire doth revive and as it were put a new life into us when we are frozen or benummed So doth the Spirit quicken and enlarge our hearts when they are oppressed with dulness and deadness In these and some other respects is the Spirit of God with his graces compared to fire which may be quenched either in part as when you suffer it to decay and slack or in whole when it goes out all together There are four wayes by which the fire is quenched First By withdrawing and with-holding the fuell which should nourish it How this fire is quenched So when we withdraw our ears from hearing the Word and restrain Prayer and decline holy society and conference we do now quench the Spirit in his gifts and graces they will decay and fall and dye withân us Secondly By casting on water though you put much wood to the fire yet if you cast more water upon it this will quench the fire So although you should hear and pray yet if you admit gross sins these will quench the Spirit they will either totally extinguish or else extreamly diminâsh the graces of the Spirit David found it so by his gross sins of adultery and murder And Sampson found it so in his loosness with Dalilah Thirdly By smothering of it Though you do not withdraw fuell from the fire nor throw water upon it yet if you heap upon it much cold earth or green wood this will smother and put out the fire though you do not decline Ordinances and duties you do not fall into gross sins yet if you suffer your heart to be overcloy'd with the things of the world with the cares and employments of it these will choak the word and these will smother and quench the operations of the Spirit within you Fourth By neglecting of it If we do not look unto the fire and put the Brands together and stir and blow it up it will decay and go out So if we neglect the graces of the Spirit if we do not stir them up as Paul adviseth Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 6. shake off the contrary indisposition and put them out in daily exercise they will decay and will be ready to dye Object But some will say Quorsum haec may a Christian lose the Spirit fall away from grace can the work of the Spirit be wholly extinguished where is then the comfort and the happiness you lately spake of Sol. I will not take up by the by that debate of total and final Apostaty only this I say for the present that there is such a latitude and compasse in the graces of the Spirit that as the Christian may rise higher in them so he may fall and decay much in them How the graces of the spirit may be considered In their Root Take me briefly thus the graces of the Spirit may be considered First In their Root which is Christ And thus considered as Christ lives for ever so do the graces of Christ he dies not neither shall any Branch Rooted in him die Secondly in their essential habit or spiritual quality thus likewise the are In their essential habits immortal seed and abiding
inconsistent nor are they to be dijoyned Secondly If the Lord Jesus himself hath instituted some men particularly for his service and the benefit of his Church and hath committed the dispensation of Evangelical Ordinances unto them then no man under pretence that he hath the Spirit may slight and neglect the Ordinances but Christ hath instituted some persons in the Church for Ministerial service c. Ephes 4. 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers Ver. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ c. Ver. 13. till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ What need of these if the presence of the Spirit without these be sufficient 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secundarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Ver. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers To these and not to all hath he committed the dispensation of the Evangelical Ordinances 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Matth. 28. 19. Go ye and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself c. and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation What are all these Ordinances instruted and fixed and that by the will of Christ and yet useless for men that have the Spirit of Christ Thirdly What mean those several passages in the Scriptures Jam. 1. 19. Be swift to hear 1 Per. 2 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit Ver. 20. Despise not Prephesying Luke 10. 16. He that despiseth you despiseth me c. Isa 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon them and my Spirit which I have put within thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord hence forth for ever Fourthly If the Spirit be given unto us to make the Ordinances effectual unto us then his presence should not take us off from Ordinances but the Spirit is given to make the Ordinances effectual they are so farre life unto us as the Spirit gives life unto them 2 Cor. 3. 16. The Spirit giveth life Secondly Having spoken these things I shall now look upon those forementioned Scriptures and see whether they conclude the needlesness of Ordinances after the reception of the Spirit Object Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. Hence the Anabaptists do conclude that there is no need of Teachers nor Anabaptists answered Learning Sol. First I would fain know Whether these people have among them a Church of Christ yea or no if they have then I would know Whether they have any The Scriptures opened Teachers of the Word and Labourers in the Word and Doctrine any teaching publickly in their Churches Secondly But to the place of the Prophet who sets out the difference between the Old Testament and the New 1. In respect of efficacy this he layes down in ver 33. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. 2ly In respect of Clarity that in the times of the new Covenant there should be a more clear and plentiful effusion of knowledge than in the old Covenant for when Christ came then did the Sun of Righteousness arise the light of which was sevensold to what the light was before his coming they before his coming had but a dark knowledge those after his coming had a more clear and full knowledge Object True and they had so much knowledge that they needed not to be taught they shall no more teach Sol. That expression is not to be taken litterally and absolutely as if those that live under the Gospel should need no teaching at all for we read an express promise relating unto Gospel-times to the contrary Isa 2. 3. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go out the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem But the words are to be taken Restrictively and Comparatively therefore if you observe them it is not said only they shall no more teach every one his neighbour but they shall no more teach every man his neighbour saying know the Lord So that God doth promise under the Gospel such a measure of knowledge as that his people now shall not be Alphabetarii any more need to be taught the first Principles of the Doctrine of Faith any more these they should all of them clearly know and much more clearly than many or most living under the old Covenant or Testament Object 1 Joh. 2. 27. You need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. Sol. The Apostle having in the former words delivered many excellent and comfortable truths he concludes with a perswasion of their knowledge of and assent unto them q. d. you are the people of God you have received his Spirit you know these things to be true I write them unto you not as to the ignorant but knowing Christian you know them assuredly the Spirit given unto you hath enabled you to know and to acknowledge them so that no man needs to teach you them c. Object 2. Pet. 1. 19. Vnto which you do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in darknesse untill the day dawn and the day starâe arise in your hearts Sol. Untill the day dawn i. e. Pleniori apertiori cognitione quà m sub legis umbris fuerit 1. He commends the Jews for regarding the Prophetical writings 2. He prefers the Apostolical Writings which had more light in them 3. Vntil is gradual and not exclusive Fourthly lastly the Spirit is injured when any do Father upon him their odd Opinions and wild fancies and delusions and sometimes their abominable blasphemies which are not to be named amongst Christians but with detestation The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of holiness and to entitle him unto any errors or wickedness it is no less then to blaspheme and reproach him Fifthly The fifth Caution which I would
Ten things concerning the goodness of God to his people ibid. Twelve things may assure you that God will be kind to his people 51 Gods Eternity 52 It gives confidence to live upon God as long as we live 53 If God be your God then Christ is your Christ 54 Comfort to the people of God in Covenant 339 God would have the hearts of his people fixt on him alone 348 God doth confine our prayers to himself alone ibid. God gives all needful good assuredly 349 All the blessings which God promiseth to his people in Covenant he gives only upon account of his graciousness 353 God doth not enjoyn nor expect any worthiness as a reason of his blessings 354 God will have us acknowledge our selves unworthy 356 Under the sense of unworthiness let us go to God and trust in him 358 Arguments to demonstrate God is great in mercy 441 God brings great sinners into Covenant in a perfect league of love and peace ibid. God makes use of great sins to humble men 442 They are no small matters that God doth for us ibid. God takes away the ground of despair 443 The people of God may be guilty of great sins 444 God will be praised for Christ 469 God himself undertakes to sanctifie his people 493 God doth not expect that you should bring but receive 108 Difference betwixt restraining and renewing grace 506 Why such as have grace should labour to grow in it p. 635 I but I am under much weakness of grace and many wants Ans 215 H. H ⦠ness OF the kinds of hardness in men 529 Some are sensible of their Hardness 538 Remove what breeds this Hardness ibid. God takes away hardness of Heart from his people 544 A difference betwixt the hardness remaining in the best and that in the wicked 547 Resist hardness returning ibid. They who partake of this mercy should beware of hardning themselves again 550 Of the judgements of God upon hardned sinners ibid. Three sorts of hardned sinners ibid. When we make most Haste we shall hardly finish all we have to do 685 A new Heart is a changed heart 497 God gives a new Heart and a new Spirit to his people in Covenant 496 Ten Characters of a new Heart 511 Why God gives a new Heart 501 Then many are not Gods people they have their old hearts still 502 Exhortation to use the means to get a new Heart 522 The misery of an old Heart ibid. The necessity of a new Heart 523 Hearken not to the prejudices of your old Heart 524 The way to get a new Heart 525 There is a stony Heart in every man 527 Why called a stony Heart 528 Comfort to those that have a new Heart 519 Of the evil of an hard Heart 540 Why God takes away the stony Heart and that by promise 546 The means how God takes hardness of heart away ibid. Labour to be cured of this hard Heart 534 The effects and fruits of a hard Heart 536 Means to cure a hard Heart ib. They are none of the people of God whose hard heart is not removed 548 Keep up the tenderness of heart 554 Search your Hearts often ibid. All the people of God have a softned heart given them 555 What a heart of flesh is A fourfold softness 556 Characters of a heart spiritually soft and tender 567 This tenderness of Heart appears towards âod 557 Why God gives a heart of flesh 559 Tryals whether we have a tender Heart 560 Bless God for this Heart of flesh 549 Convictions that many deceive themselves in a false softnesse of Heart 564 Get newness of Heart 583 Cet Hearts to love the Lord ib. How the tender Heart is affected in case of Gods honour 574 The workings of a tender Heart in case of Gods dishonour 575 The misery of persons destitute of softness of Heart 566 The benefits of a tender heart 579 How to know which is true humiliation 598 The carnal heart counts any one common and burthensom 668 Our helps are more then our work 693 Six things affirmed of Holiness 33 Why men look after mercy and not holiness 492 Be not discouraged in the sense of the want of holiness 495 The nature of holiness 136 How true holiness may be known ibid. The Author of this Covenant commands holiness 132 What the sin against the holy Ghost is 385 No creature can make another holy 494 What is to be done that we may be holy 137 I. Jesus JEsus the Mediator of the Covenant p. 222 Whilst we live we are imperfect 676 A threefold intercession in Scripture 274 How sad is their condition who have no part in Christs intercession 276 The Popish Doctrine of other Intercessors confuted 275 Idolatry the greatness of that sin 440 Every justified person hath cause of rejoycing 442 The difference between Justification and Sanctification 489 Wonder not to see little good done upon many by private Instructors 532 Its a great judgement not be accepted with God 664 K. Knowledge HOw Knowledge contributes to obedience 655 Without Knowledge obedience is not practical ibid. Some more slow in point of Knowledge some in point of practice 684 Get a clear Knowledge of the wayes of God 698 L. Laws THe observation of Gods Laws belongs to all that are in Covenant with him 643 How Gods people being not under the Law are bound to obedience 646 How the Moral Law never ceaseth ibid. How we are said to be under the Law 647 What is Legal obedience 652 A Legal obedience is indeed impossible 670 In what cases God leaves his Servants 710 Love is not the only rule of our obedience 658 M. Mediator WE cannot serve a better Master then God 696 God is the best Master and why ibid. God is no hard Master 707 Of the Mediator of the Covenant 225 What is a a Mediator ibid. Christ the Mediator betwixt God and us ib. There is a necessity of a Mediator betwixt God and us 226 There cannot be a New Covenant without a Mediator 227 Jesus Christ and he only is the Mediator ibid. Three conditions in a Mediator agree only to Christ 228 How Christ is to be considered as being a Mediator as God-man ibid. A Mediator must be a middle person twixt differing parties ibid. This Mediator undertakes all betwixt God and us 231 According to which Nature in Christ he is a Mediator 132 The works of Christs Mediation were such as no person could effect except he were both God and man 229 There is in us an unworthiness of any mercy 355 That God is a God of infinite mercy 431 Though your sins be great yet there is hopes of mercy 445 What is to be observed about mercies and blessings 662 N. Newness A Natural man can of himself do no good 706 Try our selves what newness is in us 504 O. Obedience HOw to please God in our obedience 664 Progressive Obedience is true Obedience 676 Three things in Christs obedience for our imitation 677 P.
If a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return unto her again Surely if a woman commit adultery it is a meer act of favour if her husband accepts of her again We brake the Covenant of our God and therefore the Lord might have given us a bill of divorce for that transgression but instead thereof to offer termes of life and love oh this was this very mercy and this very grace 3. Nay more than this when we had thus sinned and injured God and Yet God gives us a better estate upon better termes forfeited all deserving nothing but rejection and curse then for God to draw a Covenant which continued a better estate for us and upon better termes for us what is mercy and what is grace if this be not SECT I. 3. THis Covenant of grace is such a compact wherein God promiseth That In this Covenant God promiseth to be our God and that we shall be his people It is a Covenant of promise he will be our God and that we shall be his people Here are three things observable 1. That this Covenant is a Covenant of promise altogether of promise God therein promiseth all that doth concern himself or us There are many things in it which do concern himself and many things which do concern us and they are all of them under promise The rewards if I may so call them on his part of life and mercy and grace and salvation they are all promised and the services qualities duties on our part in reference unto him as our God are also promised by him What he will performe and what we are to performe although they be different things yet in this Covenant both of them are promised He promiseth to love us and he promiseth that we shall love him He promiseth that he will forgive our sinnes and he promiseth that we shall repent of our sinnes He promiseth that he will help us and he promiseth that we shall walk in his Satutes He promiseth that he will save us and he promiseth that we shall believe to the saving of our souls In the other Covenant of works there God promiseth life and man promiseth obedience God was to perform his part and man was to perform his part and mans performance depended upon his own strength But in this Covenant God promiseth all and he undertakes all He undertakes to give all that he promiseth and promiseth to give all that he requireth I will give a new heart I will cause you to passe into the band of the Covenant I will cause you to know me to trust in my Name to love me to feate me to walk in my Statutes and to do them He will subdue our iniquities c. 2. In this Covenant he promiseth that he will be our God I will establish He promiseth to be our God my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee to be God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel c. I will be their God c. Jer. 31. 33. And I will be their God ãâã 11. 20. They shall say The Lord is my God Zachariah 13. 9. This one thing which God promiseth I will be your God it is as one Paraeus in Gen. 17. rightly speaks Anima foederis the very soul of all the Covenant It is summa Foederis the excellency the very quintessence of it It is farre more than that I will pardon you than that I will help you I will blesse you or that I will save you As Christ spake concerning that command of loving the Lord with all thy heart this is the great Commandment So may we say of this part of the Covenant of this promise I will be your God it is the great part of the Covenant it is the great promise of the Covenant of grace Indeed it is the summe of all All is contained in it and therefore David said Happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. Quest But some may demand What great matter is comprehended in this What is comprehended under it when God saith in the Covenant I will be your God I will be a God to you Is he not the God of the whole world Is he not a God to all the people of the earth Sol. I answer That he is so he is the God of the whole earth and there is no God besides him He is a God to all the creatures in respect of their production they were all made and formed by him they are the work of his hands And in respect of preservation In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17. 28. There is a Relation betwixt him and all creatures But this is inconsiderable in comparison of this Covenant-relation unto his people wherein he saith I will be a God to you or your God This relation is of all other the highest and nearest as when a man promiseth unto a woman I will be a husband unto you this takes in love and nearnesse and care and maintenance There are four things comprehended in this Four things comprehended in it ReconciliatioÌ 1. Reconciliation unto you I will be your God i. e. I will be reconciled to you I will never be an enemy to you All enmity betwixt you and me is at an end I accept of you into a state of love my love is towards you you have found grace in my sight I will marry you unto my self in loving kindnesses my love shall rest upon you 2. Donation of himself I will be your God i. e. I will bestow my self upon Donation of himself you you shall have a propriety in me I am God even thy God Psal 50. 7. This God is our God Psal 48. 14. He gives himself as it were into your possession into your hands As when the Indenture is drawn and sealed the land falls into your pocket and therefore whensoever you find him covenanting you find him as it were giving away himself granting a right unto himself and a possession and enjoyment of himself After the Lord had made a Covenant with Abraham he thereupon stiles himself the God of Abraham and so the God of Isaac and of Jacob and of Israel and thus making a Covenant with all the faithful he thereupon is theirs their God and their Father They have as much right unto him and propriety in him as the wife in and to the husband who becomes hers by a Covenant of Marriage My Beloved is mine and I am his This is a wonderful truth that God in the Covenant of grace gives himself Consider God 1. Either Essentially in his eternal self-sufficient holy blessed infinite glorious Being and Attributes as thus considered he is yours makes all over unto you really 2. Or Personally as a Father He is your Father John 20. 17. I am a Father to
such a God should give himself to such miserable poor loathsome and unworthy sinners in such a gracious Covenant Use 2. Is this the Covenant of grace at least the most noble and vital part of Try our selves whether we be in Covenant with God it that God is our God and that we are his people then let us try our selves whether we be within this Covenant of gracâ yea or no. Can you upon good grounds say This God is our God or the Lord is my God My God and my Lord and my Father Laban could say the God of your Father âen 31. 29. and Pharaoh could say entreat the Lord your God Exod. 10. 17. but neither of these could say thâ Lord my God You read of some to whom the Lord speaks Ye are not my people and I will not be your God Hos 1. 9. and the Apostle speaks of some who were strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. This is one difference betwixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace that the one is universal extending to all mankinde but the other is particular and is restrained only to Believers There is no distinction of persons in the one but there is a limitation of persons in the other God is not a God in a Covenant of grace unto all nor can all look on him and own him as their God in Covenant Now because this is a very weighty businesse I shall therefore propound four things to discourse upon 1. Some clear characters of such people who as yet have not the Lord to be their God in Covenant 2. The extreme misery and infelicity of such persons 3. The infallible evidences by which you may know that the Lord is your God in the Covenant of grace 4. The admirable comforts proper to those who can upon that account say that God is to them a God and that the Lord is their God in Covenant SECT II 1. THE Characters of such a people who as yet have not the Lord to be their Characters of a people not in Covenant God in Covenant I shall present unto you four of them viz universal absence 2. Special disagreement 3. A contrary league 4. Positive unbelief 1. Universal absence of all those covenant-tokens which God alwayes bestows on them with whom he is a God in Covenant God is never a God in Covenant Universal absence to any but some new and excellent qualities are derived from God even the excellencies expressed in his Covenant are imprinted in all with whom God is a God in Covenant God is a God of the living and not of the dead If God be your God you are a changed people another kinde of people than in times past you were You have new hearts and a new spirit And an heart is given unto you to know the Lord and to love the Lord and to fear the Lord your God as he promiseth to all with whom he is a God in Covenant And therefore if no Covenant grace is to be found in a mans heart if no change if no knowledge if no love of God no fear of God this man cannot say God is my God he cannot say God hath covenanted with me to be my God Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of the Ephesians as under their natural sinful condition being dead in sins and trespasses and walking according to the course of the world and having their conversation in the lusts of the flesh Ephes 2. 1 2 3. he saith of them that at that time they were without Christ and without the Covenant and without God in the world ver 12. Object It is true that Renewing Grace is not an Antecedent in the Covenant Sol. Yet it is true that it is a Consequent of the Covenant It is not a Cause why God is our God yet it is an Immediate effect of this when God is our God God doth not say If you bring a changed and renewed heart then I will be your God but yet when God saith in Covenant I will be your God he saith also I will give you a new heart c. 2. Special Diâagreement In all Covenants drawn up betwixt person and Special disagreement person there must be a mutual agreement or else it is not a Covenant neither is it binding neither is there or can there be a propriety If a man offer himself upon such and such termes to be a husband unto a woman it she disagree if she cannot like the person or his termes here is no Covenant betwixt them she cannot say This man is my husband so if the Lord offers himself to be our God but he and we differ upon termes proposed he proposeth such termes as we cannot like and will not yield unto now it is evident that he is not our God in Covenant nor can we say This God is our God God saith I am content to be your God but then you must be content to be holy Levit. 11. 44. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and you shall be holy for I am holy Now if a person replies but I will not be holy of all things whatsoever I cannot abide holinesse I hate it and I scorne it and I will never yield unto it this person hath not God to be his God in Covenant for he utterly disagrees he cannot endure a holy God and he will not be holy as God is holy Againe God saith you would have me to be the Lord your God in Covenant If so then you must obey the voyce of the Lord your God and do what he commands Deut. 27. 10. If you will have me for your God I must rule you and guide you and prescribe unto you what to do and what to avoid but if a person replies I will not have God to rule me and to order me I will do what I think good and will live as I list I professe to thee God is none of thy God thou refusest him and doest not come up to his Covenant proposals What a silly thing is it for any of you to own God for your God whilst you utterly disagree with him in his proposals especially in those which must necessarily constitute you to be his people viz. sanctity and subjection A contrary League 3. A contrary League When the people would make a Covenant that God should be their God and him they would serve mark how it is expressed Josh 24. 23 25. Now therefore put away the strange gods that arâ amongst you and encline your heart to the Lord God of Israel Intimating that God woul never be their God if they would not put away their idols If a mans heart be in league and Covenant with any sinne it cannot be in Covenant with God Did God ever say I will be a God to any man who loves his sinnes and will not part with them I tell you the Lord
worthy to be called thy sonne Mark he comes home confessing his sinnes and acknowledging his unworthinesse and he was accepted and pitied and embraced and received c. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy Names sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee so they plead This indeed is the right posture for one who would be admitted into this Covenar not to come like a proud Pharisee but like an humble Publican God be merciful to me a sinner not to come as the Jewes did for one to Christ he is worthy but as the Centurion did unto Christ I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under the roof of my house O Lord I have been a wretched sinner and the greatest of sinners I deserve nothing but wrath and hell I beseech thee to look on me in mercy for mercies sake pity me for mercies sake own me for mercies sake be my God and make me one of thy people c. Merita mea misericordia tua saith Bernard my merits are only thy mercies Thou art the Lord meriful and gracious O save me freely accept of me freely c. 4. It is not unworthinesse which hinders any from this Covenant but unwillingnesse It is not unwoâthinesse but unwillingnesse which hinders from the Covenant Not the want of deserts but the want of an heart for this covenanting is not a bargain but a match where willingnesse of consent is only insisted upon My son saith God give me thy heart and hearken unto me and your souls shall live and if you be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of âhe Land If a mighty Prince should offer himself to match with a poor maid alas it is not worthinesse that he intends or expects nothing doth he require of her but to be willing to take him so when the Lord treats with sinners to come into Covenant with him it is not their worthinesse which he articles about all that he requires is to be willing to take him for their God and to be willing to become his people 4. Though a sinner finds in himself a wanââf holy qualities and many vile A sinner may come and be accepted into Covenant though he find in himself a want of holy qualitâes and many vile corruptions corruptions not yet mortified yet he may come and be accepted into Covenant with God If a poor sinner be willing to have his heart changed though as yet he findes not that change and if he be willing to have his sinnes mortified and subdued though as yet he doth not finde them so this sinner may come and desire to be admitted into Covenant and God doth not except against him Objection When we are perswading sinners to come into his Covenant O no say they they are afraid and dare not come as yet but could they once finde some change wrought in their hearts and some power over their sinnes and some strength to walk better before God then they would hearken and come Solution But do you indeed understand your selves or this Covenant of grace that you thus argue and dispute your selves out of an interest in the Covenant I pray you whence doth grace come out of what Spring doth it arise would you be Gods unto your selves before you take God to be your God is your healing and salvation in your selves or of your selves In me is thy strength saith God Is it possible for the dead to quicken themselves is not our change only from the Spirit of the Lord and is not the new heart and new spirit undertaken and promised in the Covenant will you presume to give your selves that which God only undertakes to give unto you Neverthelesse a few words for your relief For 1. The first gift which God gives unto sinners is himself in Christ He doth The first gift which God gives to sinners is himself in Christ not first give you grace and strength against sinne and then become your God but first he becomes your God and being so he promiseth to give grace and glory to you as communion with Christ is not precedent unto but a subsequent of union with him yââ have not the righteousnesse of Christ and the redemption of Christ first and after them the enjoyment of Christ himself but first you have Christ and after that you enjoy communion in all his benefits So first God is your God and then comes in all the graces of the Spirit and power against sin and strength for new obedience 2. God doth not expect that you should bring but receive not bring holinesse to him and power to him but receive holinesse from him and power from God doth not expect that you should bring but receive him Doth the Physician expect that his Patient should bring physick to him or receive physick from him Do we bring water to the fountain no but we do fetch it from the fountain The Lord doth not impose this on you that you should first make your selves holy and then come into Covenant but this is it which he saith Take me to be your God and I will make you holy and I will subdue your iniquities the giving changing strengthening working part belongs to God the craving the willing the receiving part belongs to you God is willing to give these and if you be willing to receive these This is enough for admission into Covenant 3. To say all The qualities of grace are not the necessary anâecedents for entrance The qualities of grace and the fruits and consequents of the Covenant into but they are the gracious fruits and consequents of the Covenant When you are brought into Covenant then are all graces brought into your hearts then if you seek unto your God and trust on him he will send forth his Spirit into your hearts 5. The knowledge of God to be our God in Covenant iâ not prerequired before The knowledg of God to be our God in we take God to be our God in Covenant I confesse some knowledge of God is prerequired as this That God is willing to take a sinner into Covenant till Covenant is not prerequired before we take him to be our God this be laid in the sinner will never close with God but to know that this God is my God this is neither prerequired not is it possiblâ for any sinner to attain unto this before he doth take God to be his God in Covenant Yât is this an ordinary perplexity and hinderance with many broken-hearted sinners O if we could but be assured that God were our God then we would venture to come into Covenant with him and did we know our selves to be his people then we would close with him Beloved For 1. It is impossible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act Can any woman It is impossible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act know such a man to be her husband untill she
this Covenant both As to the composition of it composition of it and to the happinesse in and by it 1. This Covenant of grace is so modell'd and framed with as winning and alluring a way for sinners as possibly can be drawn out by the wisdome of a kinde and good God It is made with all advantages to the sinner so that if there be any loosing or damnifying it falls rather to God than to the sinner all the expressions of it are upon the account of Gods grace And it is made with such tender respects to poor sinners that all the active part to make them to be the people of God is undertaken by God himself he undertakes to make us to be his people to give himself to give Christ to give his Spirit to give a new heart to give the Spirit of prayer to give the Spirit of faith to give pardoning mercy to give all O how might all this if seriously and rightly meditated upon melt in our hearts to God and make us willing to take him for our God! 2. And as the Covenant of grace is framed to allure in the sinner so when the sinner is brought in it settles upon him the only true happinesse and all true happiness And as to out happinesse in and by it with certainty and to all eternity As soon as ever you take God to be your God and are become his people immediately is blessednesse settled upon you as your portion and as your portion for ever Psal 34. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance Psal 144. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord CHAP. V. Isaiah 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David I Have discoursed of the Covenant of grace as it stands in opposition to the Covenant of works and likewise of the vital nature of it the very marrow and summe of it in those expressions I will be to you a God and you shall be to me a people I am now in the third place to open unto you this Covenant in the adjuncts or properties of it which do as it were blazon and ennamel this Covenant or set it out in beautiful colours to the eyes of us poor and distressed sinners as God appeared unto Moses in his glory when he made himself known unto him in his gracious Attributes so this Covenant appears in The adjuncts or properties of the Covenant wonderful glory when it is opened in the admirable adjuncts or properties of it There are twelve adjuncts given unto this Covenant 1. It is a new Covenant 2. It is a plentiful or perfect Covenant 3. It is a bountiful and giving Covenant 4. It is a free or gracious Covenant 5. It is a well-ordered Covenant 6. It is a pure or holy Covenant 7. It is a sure or stedfast Covenant 8. It is the last Covenant 9. It is an everlasting Covenant 10. It is the best Covenant 11. It is a clear and open and plain Covenant 12. It is the only Covenant SECT I. 1. THis Covenant is a New Covenant I will make a new Covenant with It is a new Covenant the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Jet 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Heb. 8. 8. In Scripture the word New is diversly taken 1. Sometimes that is stiled New which succeeds another in Exod. 1. 8. there The several exceptions of the word New in Scripture It succeeds another Covenant arose a New King in Acts 7. 18. this New King is called another King In this respect this Covenant is a New Covenant it succeeds another Covenant a former Covenanâ it follows the Covenant of works Quest. It may be argued Why the Covenant of works should be first and the Covenant of grace next Sol. We may be satisfied concerning this order First from the pleasure of The reason of the order of the two Covenants God that he would have it thus Secondly from the wisdome of God who by this order glorifies his justice in the one and his mercy in the other Thirdly From the capacity of man who being at the first created righteous was thereby fitted for a Covenant of works and his created condition was unmeet for a Covenant of grace but being fallen his sinful condition became fit and meet for a Covenant of grace and utterly unfit for a Covenant of works 2. Sometimes that is stiled New which is wonderful unusual the like not It is a wonderful Covenant heard of before The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man Jer. 31. 22. That a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a man-childe this was a new thing it was wonderful indeed so Isa 43. 19. Behold I will do a New thing I will even make a way in the Wildernesse and Rivers in the Desart this was a new work that is wonderful and unusual In this respect also is the Covenant of grace stiled New that is it is a wonderful Covenant how wonderful is it that the Lord who was so exceedingly dishonoured and injured and provoked by sinners should yet so infinitely condescend to sinners as to treat afresh with them and to offer life unto them upon better and surer terms than before and should promise such exceeding mercies and give such a gracious Redeemer and Mediator There are foure things wherein and for which God will be eternally admired 1. In making this Covenant of grace 2. In giving his only Son for a Saviour 3. In bringing any sinner to Christ and into the Covenant 4. In the glorifying of them that believe 3. Sometimes that is stiled New which is excellent and very necessary John It is an excellent Covenant 13. 34. A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another this Commandment is a new Commandment that is it is a rare an excellent a necessary Commandment so Revel 2. 17. To him that overcomes I will give a New name that is an excellent name to be one of the sonnes of God which is called a dignity an excellent priviledge John 1. 12. In this respect also is the Covenant of grace stiled New it is an excellent Covenant and very If it be considered necessary It is excellent consider it either comparatively no Covenant like unto this Comparatively that Covenant of works falls exceeding short of it and that Covenant with nature for the preservation of common life is not to be compared with it Or absolutely in it self it is all of excellencies an excellent love an excellent Absolutely Christ the most excellent mercies and the onely excellent happinesse Or respectively unto us our hopes our helps our comforts our life our Respectively eternal life lies in this Covenant all
the good which we do enjoy or can enjoy or shall ever enjoy all our springs are in it 4. Sometimes that is stiled New which is diverse from what it was before It is diverse from the Covenant of works and from it self 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature that is he is not such a creature as he was before he is renewed he is changed into the image of the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. In this respect also is the Covenant stiled New not only because it is diverse from the Covenant of works in the foundation and condition and qualifications of the persons in Covenant but also because it is diverse from it self in respect of the administration of it after that Christ was manifested in the flesh and died and rose again from the different administration it is called Old and New Now it appears with open face without any vaile of legal Shadows and Ceremonies at all God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne and whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life It is now like a new Lease fairely written over with a new hand and new seals and new witnesses Though this Covenant be the same for substance in Abrahams and Moses time yet upon the coming of Christ it is new for the manner of administration it hath not those seals of Circumcision and the Passeover nor Sacrifices nor Ceremonies nor Types and Legal Figures which formerly it had it hath now the Mediator himself to deliver it and his new seals of Baptisme and the Supper and is established after a new manner even by the blood of Christ and hath many new institutions and adjuncts c. This is the Covenant which God makes with us even a New Covenant a Covenant of life upon new termes a Covenant which hath a new foundation a Covenant which hath new promises a Covenant which hath a new original and spring a Covenant which hath a new way of claime and title a Covenant which gives new hopes and a Covenant which hath new seals and confirmations Vse 1 Surely there is infinite reason for us poor and miserable sinners to bless the Lord even for this that he hath made all things New and especially for making a new Blesse God for this New Covenant Covenant had the Lord utterly left us when we left him had he held us to that first Covenant of works and proceeded against us for the breach of that Covenant we had every one of us for ever been condemned and lost but he was pleased to make a new Covenant with us where mercy is to be found for sinners and a Redeemer for transgressors and a Mediator 'twixt himself and us and our lives may yet be found in his grace and love and Christ and all this springing from his own grace and love What should oblige our hearts and raise our thankfulnesse if this doth not 2. Then there is no reason for distressed sinners to sink and despair although they have been Covenant-breakers and are never able to recompense God nor There is no reason for sinners to despair to raise up themselves for this new Covenant is made for the refuge and support of such sinners And herein God reveals himself to be a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne and to receive satisfaction for a sinner though not from the sinner I say for a sinner by a Mediator who hath likewise purchased reconciliation and favour and mercy and salvation for us 3. Not to refuse this Covenant this new Covenant for as it is said of Christ Refuse not this Covenant That there is no other Name given to us by which we must be saved Acts 4. 12. so there is no Covenant but this new Covenant which can relieve and save a sinner as it was with men in the time of the Deluge and the Ark all that got into the Ark were saved and all who entred not into the Ark were lost so all who get into this new Covenant they live and are saved and all who enter not into this New Covenant shall dye in their sinnes and perish SECT II. 2. A Second propriety of the Covenant is this it is a very perfect plentiful It is a perfect and plentiful Covenant and rich Covenant And this will appear weâher you will consider 1. The Author of this Covenant 2. Or the Mediator of this Covenant 3. Or the Covenant it self It appears by The Author of this Covenant 1. The Author of this Covenant who therein sets out all his gracious fulness here you shall finde him full of love and therefore the Apostle calls his love a great love Ephes 2. 4. and an exalted love God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5. 8. And Saint John calls it a wonderful love Behold what manner of love the Father haâh bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God! 1 John 3. 1. Nay Christ himself calls it an unexpressible love God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. John 3. 16. And the Apostle repeats the love of God as the character and pattern of all love Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for us In mercy in relation to this Covenant he is said to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy nay to have riches of mercy Ephes 3. 16. According to the riches âf his glory nay to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 7. nay to be exceeding abundant 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope where sinne abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 20. Sinne doth exceedingly abound by way of extension and by way of intension in practice in degrees and in deserts but the mercy or grace of God it doth over-abound it is more than enough for the pardoning of the greatest sinners yea of all the sinnes of all his people his mercy is like himself infinite and unsearchable And therefore the Church cryes out Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage c. In goodnesse not only full of an essential goodnesse which is his own eternal and infinite perfection but also full of a Covenant goodnesse O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Psal 31. 19. He is great in goodnesse Nehem. 9. 35. He is abundant in goodnesse Exod.
them out upon such and such conditions and herefore not freely Sol. I answer 1. Every kind of condition is not opposite to grace as I shall shortly demonstrate unto you 2. Whatsoever condition he makes with his people for the enjoyment of any good he doth freely give and work that condition in them 3. No condition on our part hath any reason of merit in it which is the thing opposite to grace but it is only a means by which we come certainly to enjoy that which God is pleased graciously to give In this respect we are said to be justified by faith and to be saved by faith and yet we are also justified by grace and saved by grace Faith you see is put in as a condition and yet it excludes not grace Nay because by faith therefore by grace for our faith and Gods grace can well agree though Gods grace and mans deserts can never agree Now le ts make a little Use of all this Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with us a gracious Covenant O what cause have we poor and unworthy sinners to blesse God for all this O Beloved Blesse God for this it is grace which is the life of this Covenant and which is life to our souls it is not all the love that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the mercy that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the holinesse that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the comforts and joyes and peace and blessings which are promised in the Covenant it is not that eternal life and glorious salvation promised in the Covenant it is not Jesus Christ and all the purchases of Christ drawn into this Covenant none of these nor all these would be any hope or any encouragement or any life at all unto us were the graciousnesse of the Covenant left out If the Lord should say unto us Here is the sweetest love that ever sinner tasted of but you must deserve it alas then I cannot expect it Here is the precious Christ the Authour of salvation but you must deserve him alas then I shall never enjoy him here is pardoning mercy to forgive all your sinnes but you must deserve it O then I shall never partake of it As he said Tolle meum tolle Deum so say I Tolle gratiam tolle omnia take away grace and take away all then take away Christ and take away God and take away mercy and take away heaven and take away hope and take away all the sinner is utterly lost upon any account but that of grace only it is this graciousnesse which makes him capable and makes him hopeful here is a loving God and he will love you freely here is a merciful God and he will pardon you freely here is a converting God and he will receive you graciously here is a good God and he will blesse you graciously c. Now the sinner begins to have hope and begins to hearken If there be a Covenant of grace why should I despaire If it be altogether gracious if it be raised by grace and published by grace and admits and receives by grace and le ts out all by grace there is yet hope that I may escape perishing that I may be delivered that I may find mercy and favour grace looks for no worthinesse and grace passeth by all unworthinesse and grace may look on and pity and help the greatest of sinners blessed be God who hath sweetened all his mercies and all his undertakings and all his blessings and all his givings with freenesse and graciousnesse 2. Is the Covenant which God makes with with us a free and gracious Covenant then stand out no longer be aliens to God no longer be strangers to his Thân stand out no longer Covenant no longer grace makes your way clear and open it beats down all the mountains that did stand in your way It is said of Abraham that against hope he believed in hope so against all the unhopefulnesse from your selves you should believe from the hopefulnesse in the Covenant of grace yea and above hope believe in hope when you consider the greatnesse of the blessings in the Covenant they seem to be above hope but when you consider the graciousnesse in the bestowing of them they are now under hope Ho all you that hear me this day hearken unto me The graciousnesse of the Covenant will prove unto you either your sweetest salvation or else your heaviest condemnation if it doth not prove a strong encouragement to bring you into the Covenant it will certainly prove the heaviest and bitterest aggravation upon you for standing out against the Covenant O beloved yet be serious and wise and make in to God! you may be received graciously your sins have been exceeding great but the Covenant holds out more exceeding mercy joyned with more exceeding grace Rom. 5. 20. Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound If you come in to God his Covenant is to forgive all your sins and to forgive them freely Your worthinesse is none at all and yet you may come in and God according to his Covenant will love you freely you may have all freely a God a Christ love mercy forgivenesse the holy Spirit then new heart the salvation of your souls freely Therefore 1. Refuse him not and do not trifle away your precious souls whiles you Refuse not Gods offer have a day of grace and a Covenant of grace tendred unto you to come in Beware you refuse not him that speaketh neither neglect so great salvation God neither will nor possibly can fall lower or easier than he doth with you in his gracious Covenant 2. Fear not whether you shall be look't on or received of God he saith he will Fear not your acceptance receive you graciously If a company of poor men were envited by a rich man Come and I will give you money and receive and feed you freely you shall have all your wants supplied freely would they be afraid to accept the offer Do not make another Covenant than God is willing to make with you neither make any other Articles than God himself hath annexed unto this Covenant he saith it is a gracious Covenant say not you it is not so he hath said he will receive you graciously a say not you but he will not he saith that he will love you freely and justifie you freely and save you freely do not you say But God will do none of these O no! God is truth it self and he will perform the truth to Jacob and his mercy to Abraham Micah 7. 20. Therefore fear not but catch and take hold on this grace of God 3. Come in and make thy supplications to God Come in and confesse thy sins Come in and make thy supplications to God and thy unworthinesse and cry out unto God in the Name of Christ O Lord I have sinned against thee and I am unworthy to be
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 ãâã 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
of regeneration and the Lords Supper seals a further communion with Christ in his graces in his life and in his death in his death and in his resurrection what shall I say every Covenant Ordinance is instituted either for the begetting or for the increasing and perfecting of holinesse Nay let me adde one thing more every dealing of God with his people in Covenant it is to further holinesse his dealing in the way of promises is that by them that we might be made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. His dealing with them in his calling of them to Christ is that they might be new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. His dealing with them by his Spirit is that they might be born again John 3. 3. His dealing with them by afflictions is that their sinnes might be purged away Isa 27. 9. and that they may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12. 10. 7. The Covenant is very strict against all unholinesse against external unholinesse It is very strict against all unholinesse in Conversation and against internal unholinesse in affection or heart 2 Cor. 6. 17. Be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Jude ver 23. Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil Rom. 8. 9. Abhorre that which is evil Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Titus 3. 11. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men ver 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Quest Now if you should demand why God makes a Covenant which is thus Why it must be a holy Covenant Because it must be sutable to his nature holy Sol. I answer first because his Covenant must be sutable to his own nature the which it were not if it were not holy His nature is holinesse it self and he will never set up a Covenant to make us unlike himself 2. He sets up a Covenant to shew and communicate his love unto us and Else he could not communicate his love to us therefore it must be a holy Covenant to purge away our sinfulnesse which he is of purer eyes than to behold and which his soul hates 3. He makes a Covenant with us that he and we might have a communion Else we cannot have communion with him together that we might have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne but what communion can there be 'twixt light and darknesse 4. He makes this Covenant to restore us again and to repaire his own The Covenant is to repaire Gods image in us image in us and to conforme us unto himself but our conforming unto him is by the transforming of our mindes by changing us into his own image from glory to glory by making us holy as he is holy 5. It would be infinite dishonour to God if his Covenant were not a holy Covenant Else it would be unworthy of him it would not be worthy of him God intended in making this Covenant to magnifie himself in praise and glory but he should lose all praise and glory if he had made a Covenant which were not holy ot which would dispense with holinesse unholinesse being the only dishonour to God and the pulling down of his glory God in this Covenant promiseth riches of mercy and grace and glory to his people but how absurd and dishonourable were it thus to do if his people should continue a vile and profane and sinful and sensual people if there were no difference 'twixt the precious and the vile 6. He makes a Covenant and brings people into it that so they may be Else not meet to be partakers of glory made meet to be partakers of the glory that is prepared and shall be revealed unlesse the Covenant were holy and did work holinesse we could never be fitted and prepared nor made meet for a glorious enjoyment of God and communion with him seeing that every one who hath that hope purifieth himself as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. And without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. And except a man he born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God John 3. 3. Vse 1 If the Covenant be a holy Covenant then no unholy person hath as yet an interest in the Covenant You are pleased in the having of all that mercy and of Then no unholy person hath as yet an interest in âhe Covenant all that goodnesse and of all that graciousnesse of all that happinesse in this Covenant O but you have no portion in God nor in any of these if you be unholy persons for all unholy persons are out of this holy Covenant I do not say that an unholy person is simply excluded from hopes of being brought into the Covenant but this I say if a person still remain unholy he is still out of the Covenant because all actually in Covenant with God are made holy they have a new heart given unto them There are two things shew persons are not in Covenant 1. Privative unholinesse 2. Counterfeit holinesse 1. Visible unholinesse shuts men out of this Covenant Now there are seven things which do shew that a man is as yet absolutely He is absolutely unholy unholy 1. When his heart doth secretly loath the Majesty and presence of holiness he Whose heart doth secretly loath the presence of holinesse Who loaths the generation of the Saints Who can reproach the beauties of holinesse Who will venture the losse of Gods favour rather than forsake his lusts Who opposeth the Ordinances because they presse holinesse Who counts it a disgrace to be holy Who lives in open profaness looks on holinesse as his enemy that would rent off his heart from sinful lusts which he doth infinitely prize and favour 2. When he loaths the generation of the Saints utterly declines their fellowship and can by no means agree with persons of holinesse even upon this account only because they are so but opposeth disgraceth reproacheth them and is glad if he can make them odious 3. Who can reproach the beauties of holinesse and offer despite to the Spirit of grace making holinesse the peculiar object of his scoffs and mocks and derision these are the Saints the holy ones c. 4. Who will rather venture the loss of Gods favour and mercy and the promises of salvation than that he will forsake his sinful lusâs and unholy wayes hates to be instructed and reproved and reformed 5. Who therefore opposeth and would subvert and supplant all the Ordinances of Christ because they press and urge holinesse and because they discover and reprove unholinesse and will not suffer him to go on quietly and desperately
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 erâor 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 Coveâanâ of Woâks âor 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 quickâing 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 estimatioâs 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
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 receâves 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 wây 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 âife being made to us upon condition of faith it is therefore made sure for âaith 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 destituâe 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 thiââ 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 âaith 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
to be separated from me and another thing for me to be separated from sin 1. It is one thing for sinne to be separated from me and it is another thing for me to be separated from sinne For sin to be separated from me is wholly to be rid of it so that sin no more remaines in me For me to be separated from sin is not to love and serve it but cordially to hate it and oppose it he is separated from sinne who hates sinne Now it is not the presence of sinne simply and absolutely which is effectually contrary to union with Christ for then no sinner should ever be in Christ but it is the love and service of sin which is contrary to a union with Christ a man cannot love sinne and yet love Christ neither can he serve sinne and serve Christ But thus it is not with you for though sin be in you yet you love it not and though sin assaults and tempts and perhaps sometimes prevailes yet you serve it not And remember as long as sin is your burden your grief your enemy which you resist which you would destroy with which you will not make peace certainly you love it not nor are you the servant of it Paul who was in Christ found the presence of sin but yet he hated it and the powerful working of sin but yet he refused it and sometimes the captivity of sin but yet he bewailed it and sought to Christ for more deliverance and victory 2. There is a twofold separation from sin There is a twofold separation from sin Radical Gradual One is Radical when by the infusion of grace the heart is changed and alienated from sin The other is Gradual when by the further influence of the Spirit of Christ the powerful presence of sin is more and more mortified and subdued This latter you shall attain unto by vertue of your union with Christ But if you finde the former certainly you are united to Christ If there be but so much grace infused into the heart to alienate it from sin to change the bent and frame of the soule why this cannot be without a union with Christ for this is a new spiritual change wrought in you by the Spirit of Christ and the newnesse of our hearts depends upon that union with Christ which is made by faith and is the lively testimony of it If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5 17. But I never found the powerfull workings of the Spirit Object O but union with Christ depends upon some mighty and powerful workings of the Spirit upon the soule which I never observed nor discerned in my soule Answered Though such a powerful work may not be discerned for the time yet it may appear by the effâcts Sol. It is a truth that it doth so The Gospel comes not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost when it inables a soule to believe in Christ and without the mighty working of the Spirit it is impossible to make the heart to believe And although in the present darknesse of the Spirit you discern not nor remember such a mighty working yet perhaps by the effects which may be found in you you shall acknowledge the same for the time was 1. When blacknesse of darknesse covered your mindes so that you were ignorant of God and Christ and your own condition and of the way of salvation But now there is a light set up in your minde by which you know the true God and him whom he hath sent even Jesus Christ and the salvation by him purchased for sinners who believe in him 2. When carnal security possessed your heart so that you could rest quiet in your natural condition but now that spirit of slumber and security is shaken off and your soule is become anxious and sollicitous What shall I do to be saved 3. When your heart was full of your own righteousness you were rich and increased you were whole and needed not the Physitian but now you see your self pâore and wretched and naked and miserable and utterly undone unlesse you may have Christ and be found in him 4. When you were confident and presumptuous of your own power and self-sufficiency O it was easie to repent and no great matter to believe on Christ but now you finde your self without all strength and unlesse you be enabled by the strength and grace of Christ it is not only difficult but also impossible for your heart to close with him by faith 5. When you found your proud spirit slighting the offers of Christ and opposing the word of Christ and resisting and quenching the motions of the Spirit of Christ but now your hearts tremble at these abominations and you lie down at the feet of Christ and your heart is set on Christ O Lord give me Christ O Lord give me an heart to embrace this precious Christ and never to slight thy great love in Christ nor that great salvation any more 6. When you felt the power of unbelief in your hearts working up daily exceptions and hourly fears and strong despaires for ever enjoying Christ for your Christ O now this sin and that sin this slighting and that neglecting and your unworthinesse and Christs unwillingnesse and your inability and Christs command and your dulnesse and Christs silence and your desires and Christs delayes so that no hopes many times lodged within you your hearts were sinking and failing and giving up all But now your hearts are answered and set at liberty and power is found within you to break down this mighty partition wall of unbelief and against all the oppositions which unbelief and Satan can make yet to venture upon Christ and to justifie the invitations and promises of Christ and wholly to come up to all the terms and articles of Christ upon which he is contented to be yours O Christian call'st thou these no workings of the Spirit Or no mighty workings of the Spirit I tell thee that to work and effect these things no lesse power is put forth than the Almighty power of God upon thy soule A greater power than to bring Israel out of Egypt as great a power is put forth as to raise the dead I grant that when the Spirit works with the Law to convince and distresse the conscience there his workings are more vehement and strong to our apprehensions And when the same Spirit works through the Gospel his workings many times are not discerned in their time of working in that sensible and remarkable efficacy but yet when you review the whole work and working of the Spirit as to the production of faith why you will fall down and admire how ever your poore soules could against so many oppositions insufficiencies reasonings conclusions fears doubts despaires be prevailed upon and enabled to come to Christ Ob. O but union with Christ indeed by faith ever takes along with it the presence and communion of the
with him every Believers name and every one of their wants and necessities and for every one of them makes requests unto his Father 4. Christs Intercession in Heaven is the presenting of his will unto his Father He presents his will unto his Father for the application of the good which he hath purchased on the behalf of his servants Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. When you pray for mercy for grace for strength for deliverance for any good then Jesus Christ appears for you Father he is one for whom I undertook for whom I died and satisfied whom I have reconciled unto thee on whose behalf I purchased and merited all this now for my sake and upon my account hear him and answer him This is the Intercession of Christ when his blood speaks good things for us Heb. 12. 24. and obtains the application of all which he hath merited for us 5. The Intercession of Christ is powerfully and effectually prevailing and it is alwayes It is powerfully and effectually prevailing so God the Father is well-pleased with him and with us in and for him and accepteth of our persons and grants our Petitions for his sake Joh. 11. 42. I know that thou hearest me alwayes Rev. 8. 3. There was another Angel that came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne verse 4. And the smoake of the incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand 6. This work of Intercession is a fixed permanent continued work My meaning It is a fixed and permanent work is that as long as there remaines any one Elect person any one Believer on earth untill every one of them be gathered up into heaven so long doth Christs Intercession continue even untill Jesus Christ hath brought them all and every one into his Fathers house and setled on every one of them eternal glory and saith Now you do perfectly enjoy as much and all that I have suffered for and purchased on your behalf 2. Now follows the Vertues and Benefits of and from the Intercession of Christ The benefits of Christs Intercession Accesse unto the Father 1. Accesse unto the Father with whom we may freely hold communion and unto whom we may put up all our requests with confidence Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus verse 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh verse 21. And having an high Priest over the house of God verse 22. let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith In this Scripture the Apostle exhorts the faithful to seek and to hold up communion with God in heaven And for this end propounds several Arguments 1. Their Liberty by Christ Christ hath opened Heaven for us by his blood so that by this blood we may enter into the Holiest unto the presence of the most holy God by faith in him And we may freely speak all our minds unto him in Prayer so the word boldness signifies a freedom of speech telling God all our mind all our griefs all our fears all our desires 2. The Ground of this Liberty In the price and purchase of it even the blood of Jesus 3. The extent of this Liberty All that are brethren enjoy it all that are the Children of God and Members of Christ are Brethren and though some are strong and others are weak yet they are admitted to come and enter into heaven freely to pour out their prayers 4. There is way made for them a new way that is of grace and upon the account of Christ and a living way Christ ever lives to make intercession for them and to help them and it is consecrated for us set apart on purpose for us 5. They have Christ still for their Priest who once offered Sacrifice for Believers and reconciled them and doth still intercede for the reconciled And he is a Priest over the house of God he hath authority to bring whom he pleaseth and to speed and help them And therefore he presseth them to draw near with a true heart sinners though weak and with full assurance of Faith being setled and fully confident to be accepted through Jesus Christ and find favour and audience and dispatch by his blood and intercession 2. Encouragement against all the shortnesse imperfections and mixtures of our holy Encouragement against our imperfections services and performances Our best services are very weak and imperfect more is to be done than what we do and much sinfulness mingles with our very prayers there is the Candle and the Snuffe the Fire and the Smoake the Gold and the Dross the Wheat and the Chaffe enough in our best doings to undoe them and us to move the holy God to hide his eyes and stop his ears at our Prayers But Jesus Christ our Intercessor covers those imperfections and takes away the dross in our sacrifices and by his Merits makes them to be an acceptable offering unto the Lord and a sweet savor unto him Exod. 28. 36. Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it Holinesse unto the Lord. ver 38. and it shall be upon Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall alwayes be upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. So Jesus Christ c. Rev. 8. 3. He is that Angel having the golden Censer and much Incense to offer it witâ the Prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne Though in respect of our selves and our own services as performed by us we cannot expect acceptance nor answer yet in respect of Christ our Intercessor that promise shall be made good Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt-offerings and their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar 3. A security against all charges objections and accusations and condemnations Security against all accusations Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth ver 34. who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died or rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us This sin and that failing may be objected against us but Jesus Christ maketh Intercession Father for my sake forgive it and passe it by Heb. 9. 29. Christ is entered into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us and who can appear against us
the heavens What may not a man bear and what losse is he at who knows Christ to be his and a reconciled God to be his c. Eighthly This assurance will ease all our worldly burdens it will take off It will ease all our worldly burdens our hearts and it will take off our vexations cares and thoughts if we know that God gave Christ for us we cannot but know that he will with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. And besides that the more assurance we have of our interest in Christ c. the more our hearts will minde Christ and the benefits by Christ and will be the lesse after other things I have a goodly heritage thou art my portion Psal 16. 5. I have enough nay let him take all c. Ninthly This assurance breeds confidence and comfort in death Why are even It breeds confidence in death good people sometimes afraid to dye but because they are not yet assured they cannot say with Paul Christ loved me and gave himself for me But if assurance be on their hearts then death is welcome Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation said Simeon Luk. 2. 29 30. And I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ said Paul What is death to the assured Believer but a short passage a speedy in-let and conveyance unto that glorious and eternal blessednesse which he knows that Christ hath purchased for him and God reserves for him in heaven Case 5. Whether a person having attained a certain knowledge that Christ dyed for him may ever after that doubt again and question that point again Whether after this assurance he may ever doubt again He may doubt again Sol. I answer plainly he may sensible assurance is very comfortable but yet it is mutable Pauls vision in Acts 10. 11. was drawn up into heaven again yea and his choice revelation was quickly attended with a violent temptation 2 Cor. 12. 7. Reasons whereof may be these First The Divine pleasure the date of your comforts and the Patent of Reasons of it The Divine pleasure them is ad placitum God gives you this assurance that you may taste his kindnesse and goodnesse and he takes it off again that you may acknowledge his authority Secondly The Divine wisdome God would rather have us live by faith than The Divine wisdome sense indeed the life of our assurance is more for our comfort but the life of faith is more for his glory Thirdly Our own foolishnesse not improving aright such gracious manifestations Our own foolishnesse but abusing them to pride and high-mindednesse and sometimes blurring the fair copy of our evidence with foul transgressions Fourthly Subtilty and prevalency of temptations which we did not so watch The subtilty of temptations and fear because of our assurance as if that were security enough c. Object But what comfort and support if this assurance may fail Sol. Much for all that for 1. Though assurance fails yet faith by which we are saved fails not 2. Though assurance fails yet the interest and estate assured shall never fail Christ is still thine and the reconciled God is still thine and reconciliation and remission the estate is sure though particular and contingent effects be not so 3. The Spirit hath more work then only to comfort if he still strengthen thee and supply thee that is comfort to thee 4. Though assurance go away yet it may return again it is as possible to receive it as to lose it 5. In your new fear remember your old assurance I tell thee that assurance once had upon good grounds may serve to support though against many doubts in after-times THE GIFTS OF THE Covenant The second Part. CHAP. I. Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you I Have heretofore opened unto you divers things about the Covenant of Grace viz. the Nature and Adjuncts of it the difference 'twixt it and the Covenant of Works the condition and the Mediator of the Covenant I now proceed to handle one thing more concerning the Covenant and that is the gifts of the Covenant the gifts which God doth promise to bestow upon those people The gifts of the Covenant which are in Covenant with him This verse which I have read unto you and the subsequent verses do report unto us divers of those gifts which may be considered First As to their order and thus you have the promise first of spiritual gifts or blessings from ver 25. to ver 28. and then you have the promise of temporal mercies from ver 28. to ver 37. Secondly As to their kinds the spiritual gifts or blessings for I shall insist awhile only upon them do respect 1. Our Justification expressed in ver 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you c. 2. Our Sanctification First in the habitual part of it in ver 26. a new heart c. Secondly in the actual part of it in ver 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes c. The Text which respects our Justification contains in it a promâse 1. Of the pardon of sins I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean 2. Of the pardon of the greatest sins from your filthinesse and from your Idâls will I cleanse you 3. Of the pardon of all their sins from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will â cleanse you Before I handle the particular points I would touch upon some things in the general viz. 1. That God doth promise unto his people yea unto his people in Covenant with him spiritual gifts or blessings as well as temporal 2. That the first promâses are the best or of the best things first the spiritual and then the temporal blessings 3. That whatsoever blessings which may or do concern the people of God in Covenant God himself doth undertake to give them unto his people 4. That those gifts which God doth promise to give unto his people in Covenant he gives them not for any worthinesse in them but upon the account of his own graciousnesse SECT I. Doctr. 1 Doctr. 1. THat God doth expressely promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him spiritual blessings as well as temporal I hardly know any one place of Scripture where the Covenant of grace is insisted upon but God gives his people in Covenant spiritual blessings as well as temporal there you shall finde expresse promises of some one spiritual blessing or other Jer. 31. 33. This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days 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
punishment enuogh for all those who refuse to enter into Covenant with God that they shall never partake of any spiritual blessing and mercy which God hath promisâd There is the forgivenesse of sins promised but their sins shall never be forgiven and there is renewing grace promised but their hearts shall never be renewed and sanctified and there is eternal glory promised but their souls shall never be saved They shall be left unto their own sinful guilt and unto their own sinful coâruptions and unto their own sinful deserts and all the wrath of God threatned against them shall fall upon them Therefore I beseech you who hear of Christ and who hear of the Covenant of Grace take heed to your selves that you resist not the grace which is offered unto you in Christ and the terms of reconciliation propounded unto you least you cast your selves out of the Covenant and from all spiritual blessings which God hath therein promised lest you never have grace and never have mercy and never have blessednesse Use 4 Lastly since spirâiual blessings are promised by God unto all in Covenant with God let the consideration of this mollifie our hearts and bow them into acceptance of God to be our God and to resign up our selves to be his people in Covenant Accept of God to be your God and to walk with him and before him in all uprightnesse why so because now the promises of spiritual blessings are to you and by this you become heirs of all those blessings O that we did know what the love of God was and what the enjoyment of Christ was and what the forgivenesse of sins was and what the excellency of grace was and what the eternity of glory was how miserable we are and must continue so for ever without them and how happy we shall continue for ever with them then our hearts would be perswaded to disannual our Covenant with sins and condescend to become the people of God c. SECT II. Doct. 2 Doctr. 2. THat in the Covenant spiritual blessings are first promised and after them temporal blessings God promiseth both of them unto his In the Covenant spiritual blessings are first promised people but first the spiritual Ezek. 36. 25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean Ver. 26. A new heart also will I give you c. And then follow the promises of temporal blessings in ver 28. And ye shall dwell in the Land which I gave unto your fathers Ver. 29. And I will call for the corn and will increase it Ver. 30. And I will multiply the fruit of the Tree and the increase of the Field Psal 84. 11. The Lord will give grace and glory there are spirituals no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly here are temporals Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse and in mercies Ver. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord here are the spiritual blessings Ver. 21. And it shall come to passe in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth Ver. 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall both hear Jezreel here are the temporal blessings Quest Why is God thus pleased to order his promise for blessings as first the Reasons of it spiritual and then the temporal Sol. Reasons thereof may be these 1. He suiteth his blessings with the desires and necessities of his Saints they To suit blessings to the desires of Saints To give advantage to faith to seek them first need these most and shall have them first 2. Hereby is some advantage given unto faith first to believe spirituals and then to believe temporals for if God will give the greater will he deny the lesse Rom. 8. 32. Faith to believe them as the choicest blessings for not only spiritual blessings are promised but also that they are the first in promise and thence faith concludes the first appearing of Gods love and gracious will and purpose towards us are the choice blessings should we question the donation of them when we find them to be the first of the Legacies sealed with the blood of Christ 3. Hereby the Lord sets out both the goodnesse and greatnesse of his love To set forth the goodnesse and greatnesse of his love 1. The goodnesse of his love in securing of our souls and regarding of them for only spiritual blessings do serve them q. d. the first thing that I will do for you is this that I will take care to save your poor souls I will bestow such things on them as shall for ever make them happy 2. The greatnesse of his love for God to give us ordinary things this comes from his love but for God to give us the spiritual blessings this comes from his great love Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved Titus 3. 4. After that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Ver. 5. according to his mercy he saved us by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 8. But God commendeth his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us 4. Spiritual blessings are far before and above temporal blessings therefore They are far before and above temporal blessings no marvail that God makes promise first of them they are before and above them the shekel of the Sanctuary was double to the ordinary shekel they are the best 1. In nature they are the pearl of great price the one thing necessary as In Nature the Sun amongst the Stars the better part we set such a value upon our natural life that all the world is inferiour unto it all that a man hath will he give for his life yet one spiritual blessing surmounts it Psal 63. 3. Thy favour is better than life It is a good speech of Gregory Nazianzen Aequius est ut vincat quod me lius est which is the greater or better the gold or the Altar that sanctifies the gold 2. In influence and virtue Can earthly things alter the frame of the heart In influence or deliver from death or avail in the day of wrath or make our peace with God or relieve a distressed conscience or put you in possession of Christ or give you hope of heaven or help your soul at all but spiritual blessings can do all these renewing grace doth change the heart Jesus Christ delivers from death and wrath his blood pacifies Gods assurance of forgivenesse quiets the conscience rejoyceth the heart all these will give you
of sin maketh formally no change in the person forgiven for it is a work without him indeed there is a relative change upon forgiveness the person forgiven is in a state of life and not of death but there is no inherent change of qualities in the person by it no more than there is in a Malefactor pardoned or a Debtor forgiven both of them may be diseased notwithstanding their pardon but this could not be if remission of sin consisted in the extinction or deletion of the stain of sin It is true that when God forgives the sin he doth likewise change the heart of the sinner nevertheless the forgiving of sin is one thing and the giving of a new heart is another thing c. Fourthly If remission of sin consist in the outward deletion of sin Then the troubled conscience could never come to rest and peace in the assurance of pardon of sin why because in this life the person shall never find in himself such an utter deletion of sin and consequently no remission of sins and if no remission of sin then no rest nor peace because from the knowledge and assurance of that doth the rest and peace of conscience come and flow 2. Forgiveness of sins hath a peculiar respect to the guilt of sin and removal It hath a peculiar respect to the guilt of sin of that when the Lord forgives a man he doth discharge him of that obligation by which he was bound over to wrath and condemnation Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Beloved the Lord is a holy and just God and he reveals his wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and there is a curse threatned to every transgression of the Law and when any man sinneth he is obnoxious unto the curse and God may inflict the same upon him but when God forgives sins he therein doth interpose as it were between the sin and the curse and between the obligation and the condemnation q. d. by reason of your sinning you are now fallen into my hands of justice and for your sinning I may according to my righteous Law condemn and curse you for ever for by your sinning you are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. but such is my mercy to you in Christ that for his sake I will spare you and that curse and condemnation which you have deserved it shall never light upon you I will deliver and free your souls from going down into the pit Object But may some say Is not guilt inseparable from sin can sin be without guilt and can guilt be without the desert of wrath and condemnation Sol. I answer there is a two-fold guilt there is reatus simplex and reatus efficax absolute guilt hath in it a worthiness or desert of condemnation and this can never be separated from sin for though sin be pardoned and condemnation removed from the sinner yet his sin is worthy of condemnation but when God pardons sin he doth it not by making the sin not to be worthy of condemnation but this is it which God doth he doth remove that condemnation that it shall never effectually or actually fall upon the sinner although he for his sinning be worthy thereof e. g. When a thief or murderer is pardoned amongst us this pardon doth not make the theft or murder no sin or in themselves not worthy of death by the Law but it relieves the pardoned persons thus far that the death deserved by these sins is taken off and shall never be inflicted on the offenders 3. Forgiveness of sin takes off all punishments properly so called for sin there It takes off all punishment properly so called belongs unto us temporal punishment and eternal punishment you do not consider what a depth of merit there is in sin what plagues and curses it can pull down in this life and what an hell hereafter but when God forgives sins you are then released and for ever acquitted from any after-reckonings with the justice of God Divine justice hath no more to say or do against you for remissa culpa remittitur poena if the fault be forgiven then also is the punishment forgiven nay let me speak with an humble reverence God cannot in his justice punish when he hath pardoned Why will you say First He forgives upon a satisfaction made to his justice already by Christ so that he cannot in justice punish us again for satisfaction Secondly When he forgives he releases the guilt and the fault and the sin in now by this act of his merciful grace as if it had never been committed so that the proper cause and reason of punishing being utterly removed there can no punishment issue out from Divine justice against you Object But will some say are not justified and pardoned persons many times punished in this life Was not David punished for his sin were not the Corinthians punished for their unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper Sol. I answer that word Punishment may be taken either 1. Largely for any affliction or chastisement which doth befall us from God as a Father in this sense I grant punishment incident to justified or pardoned persons for Hebr. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth And Ver. 7. If you endure chastisement God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the Father chastneth not 2. Strictly for those miserable evils issuing out from the Court of justice and falling upon us from God as a wrathful Judge and as yet unsatisfied and unreconciled these kinds of punishing are wholly and utterly removed from justified or pardoned persons by the blood of Christ and Gods gracious forgiveness 5. A fifth thing considered in the description of forgiveness of sins is this It is Gods act of oblivion that forgiveness of sins is if I may so express it Gods act of oblivion and as it were an eternal cancelling of all our sinful bonds and debts so that there is now a full end of all controversies between God and us Object We many times are possessed with fears like Josephs Brethren that notwithstanding the peace and assurance which he gave them of passing by their injurious dealing with him yet at length they feared that he would remember them and be avenged of them such thoughts have we of God also sometimes we do perceive his great love and rich mercy towards us in the forgiveness of our sins yet at other times we have fears lest God will call us unto account for all our sinful offences and question us and judge us as if the granting of pardoning mercy might be revoked and called back by the Writ of Error and the old suit be prosecuted again by Divine justice which seemeth to be taken off and silenced
will never be reconciled with thee more 5. Fear saith I will watch lest the soul be surprized by thee any more and I will flye all occasions c. 6. Grief saith I will mourn and lament because the soul hath been beguiled by thee 7. Hope saith I will look up to Christ that the poor soul may at length get victory over thee c. This is indeed to turn from sin with the whole heart and this is the way certainly to find forgiveness of our sins whereas if the heart still retains sin and cleaves unto it our repentance is but feigned notwithstanding all the professions we make against it yea if any one part of the soul continue an harbour and refuge to sin you do not truly turn from sin perhaps you do sometimes for bear sin but yet you love sin perhaps you are sometimes troubled for sinning but yet you will keep sin perhaps your judgement condemns your sins but yet still your affections run after your sins why this is not a true penitential turning from sin c. Secondly It is an universal turning a turning from all sins Ezek. 18. 30. Repent A Universal turning and turn your selves from all your transgressions Ver. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way Ver. 128. I hate every false way Ephes 4. 22. Put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way There are four sorts of men in the world 1. Some turn from no sin these are profane Ephes 4. 19. 2. Others seem to turn from some sins only these are hypocrites 3. Some who turn from one sin to another from prodigality to covetousness 4. And some there are who turn from all their sins and these are true penitents Beloved Mark what I am going to say unto you Every true penitent First Looks on the reasons of turning from sin as universally binding his soul by the same reason he turns from any one sin he sees reason to turn from every sin Do you turn from one sin because God forbids sin why by the same reason you are obliged to turn from every sin Do you turn from any one sin because it is a transgression of the holy and righteous will of God why by the same reason you are engaged to turn from every sin Do you turn from any one sin because thereby you do offend and dishonour God by the same reason you turn from every sin Do you turn from any one sin because of the curse which God threatens for that sin why by the same reason you are to turn from every sin for the curse reacheth to every sin Secondly Again Every penitent person is a converted person else he were not penitent and every converted person is sanctified throughout he is a new creature there is a new nature of holiness diffused and spread over his whole soul and that new nature of holiness is contrary to all sin as light is to all darkness and heat to all cold and delivers up the whole heart to God and this could not be unless it did turn the heart from all sin Thirdly There is in every penitent a true hatred of sin they hate the thing that is evil and they loath their abominations Psal 79. 10. Now hatred is universal it is of the whole kind Simile he who hates a Toad because it is a Toad hates every Toad and he who hates a man because he is holy hates every holy man and so he who hates sin because it is sin he doth hate every sin and if he hates sin he turns from sin Fourthly He knows that it is in vain to turn from some sins and not from all sins for 1. This is but hypocrisie to spare any known sin Job 20. 13. 2. Sin still remains in dominion one sin set up in the love and service of it really maintains the dominion of sin His servants we are whom we obey Rom. 6. 16. 3. That sin will be your ruine and damnation for First It certainly keeps your heart from closing with Christ Secondly It continues you Impenitent Fifthly Would you have God to forgive you some of your sins only why any one sin unforgiven will undo and damn you you would have every sin to be forgiven and is it not just then that every sin should be forsaken But no man turns from every sin Object But will some object If a man repents not unless he turns from every sin then there is no man in the world who repents For in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. And who can say My heart is clean Prov. 20. 9. And there is no man who liveth and sinneth not 1 Kings 8. 46. Answered Sol. For answer unto this Know that turning in a penitential way from sin doth not consist in this that no sinful quality doth remain any longer in the soul nor in this that a person never commits any sin more concerning which both the places alledged do speak but it doth consist 1. In the alienating of the heart from all sin the heart is turned from the love of all sin and from all willing subjection unto sin 2. In the detestation of the will the heart hates all sin and will not enter into a league of friendship with any sin 3. In the resolution of the soul purposing never willingly to transgress any more 4. In the careful endeavour of the soul to leave all former sinful courses and to walk for ever in neaâness of obedience and in all well pleasing before the Lord. 5. In the declining of all known occasions and inducements to sin a shunning and avoiding of them c. And can a man be judged truly penitential who fails in any one of these or goes contrary unto them Therefore look well to your selves for if there be any one way of wickedness wherein you walk and which you will not forsake you are no truly repenting persons and you will lose the forgiveness of your sins But it is but some one small sin wherein we take delight Object O but will some reply It is some one small sin wherein we take delight and we hope that God will spare us in that as for any other sin we are content to forsake and turn from it but we cannot leave that sin Suppose it be the sin of whoredom or fornication or drunkenness or swearing Answered Sol. Do you call these sins small sins Read the Scriptures concerning them and the persons guilty of them 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with mankind Vet. 10. Nor Thieves nor Drunkards shall inherit the Kingdom of God Eph.
forgive us all love all kindes of true love and all degrees of true love First A love of desire our souls should long after him Psal 73. 25. Secondly A love of delight our souls should take their fill of contentmtent and satisfaction in him Thirdly A love of extasy wondering and admiring at this great love and rich mercy of God towards us Who is a God like unto thee who pardoneth iniquity Mich. 7. 18. But I obtained mercy I said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. Fourthly A love of similitude Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4. 32. shall we be so hardened to others when God is so tender to us Fifthly And a love of zeale in promoting what God loves and doth respect his honour and in removing what God hates and makes for his dishonour Sixthly A love of friendship to have our hearts knit unto him and bound unto him in an everlasting Covenant Thirdly Fear much They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos 3. 5. There Fear much is forgivenesse with thee that that thou mayest be feared Psal 130. 4. He will speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. No man should have a more tender Conscience than he who hath gained a pacified Conscience None more feare to commit sin than he whose sins God hath remitted though God can multiply pardons yet it is not good nor safe for you to put him to it It is the right and proper improving of forgiveness of sins to watch our hearts and to take heed that we sin no more It argues a profaneness of heart to sin because God is merciful so it argues a most wicked heart to sin after God hath shewen mercy in the forgiving of sins Is forgiveness of sins so cheap and ordinary that you will again venture to sin Did it cost Jesus Christ his precious blood to purchase the forgiveness of sins and wilt thou as it were crucifie him again to procure thee another pardon Did it cost thee so many troubles of heart and confession and supplication to gain forgiveness of former sins and wilt thou break thy bones again that mercy may set them again did God shew unto thee such riches of grace after all the evil thou hadst committed to discharge thee to be reconciled unto thee to quiet and pacifie thy Conscience to passe by all and wilt thou now break the Laws of Love and Bonds of Friendship to sin and provoke a pardoning and a kind God Fourthly Improve much this singular mercy that ye are within the promise Improve much of the forgiveness of your sins Improve this four wayes 1. As to what depends upon it 2. As to what accompanies it 3. As to what may still preserve you in the sweet and comfortable fruition of it 4. As to what you may conclude from it both à parte Ante a parte Post First Improve it as to all the fruits which do depend upon it and flow from it Our justification or remission of sins is a Root which bears very precious fruit Improve it as to all the fruits which depend upon it and a Fountain from which do flow many sweet streams Thence ariseth all the peace in Conscience thence ariseth all the transcendent joy of the heart thence ariseth all the hope of the soul thence ariseth your great confidence in your communion with God Peace in Conscience depends on peace with God which certainly you have when God forgives your sins And therefore beseech the Lord to speak this peace unto you O Lord thou sayest in thy promise unto me thy sins are forgiven now I beseech thee say unto my Conscience Go in peace live in peace peace be unto thee in forgiving thou respectest thy glory and my comfort say unto my Conscience Neither trouble nor be troubled more let me know that I have found grace in thine eyes let grace and peace come from thee Joy of heart this also springs from forgiveness of sins received by Faith A condemned Malefactor hath no cause to joy but the pardoned sinner hath Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Sin brake his bones his strength his comfort his joyes and the forgiveness of sin the news of that the hearing of that the knowledge of that would be a ground of joy and gladness to him O thou pardoned sinner why dost thou walk so heavily so dejectedly so pensively so unchearfully is not the promise of forgiveness of thy sins clear and open to thee and should not a forgiven sinner rejoyce God rejoyceth when he shews us mercy and should not we rejoyce when we receive mercy Indeed when we seek for pardoning mercy we should seek it with tears but when we have found mercy we should go home with joy Beloved pardoned sinners may rejoyce and should rejoyce In whom after ye believed ye rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory â Pet. 1. 8. Should not the forgiveness of of sins a passing from death to life from wrath to love from hell to heaven and the enjoying of God as our God and as our Friend and as our Father are not here causes good enough sufficient to âejoyce in the Lord Therefore in the times of your sadness chear your hearts and expostulate with your hearts why are you thus cast down and why walk you thus heavily what God your God! what Christ your Christ and all your sins freely forgiven and out of all danger and within all hopes and yet be so heavy c. Secondly Improve the forgivenesse of sins as to what accompanies a forgiven Improve it as to what accompanies a pardoned condition condition Beloved forgiveness of sins never goes alone in promise nor in participation you shall find the great Covenant of gifts linked together in promise and they are joyntly desired by the people of God a false heart is only for pardon do you not find the new heart and the new Spirit and the soft heart and the obedient heart all conjoyned with this promise of forgiveness Ezek. 36. 25 26. O then rest not here saying My sins are pardoned but press the other promises there of sanctification O Lord subdue mine iniquities as well as forgive iniquities thou hast given me mercy O give me grace thou hast broken my fetters O heal my diseases thou hast covered my sins O turn my sinful soul enable me to bring thee glory by holy walking seeing thou hast graciously pardoned the wickedness of my former living Thirdly Improve the forgiveness of your sins as to what may still preserve you in Improve it as to what may still preserves you in the comfortable fruition of it the sweet and comfortable fruition of it Though one cannot lose the forgiveness which God hath
as well as Justification II. That God himself doth undertake to sanctifie or to renew the hearts of his people III. That a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant SECT I. Doct. 1. THat Sanctification is promised unto the people of God as well as Justification Sanctification is promised as well as Justification or with Justification God doth promise not only to pardon the sins of his people but also to sanctifie and renew the hearts of his people a new heart also will I give you For the opening of this precious Truth I will shew unto you 1. The distinction or difference between Justification and Sanctification for the word also imports as much 2. The Connexion between them both 3. The Reasons why God promiseth the one with the other First The distinction or difference 'twixt Justification and Sanctification for they The difference between Justification and Sanctification are promised as two distinct or several gifts I will also c. which could not be spoken if they were both of them one and the same thing They differ thus First There is in Justification a change of the state he who was in the state They differ in six things of death and wrath being justified is in the state of life and love he is passed from death to life but in Sanctification of the heart he who was unholy is now made holy his heart is changed Secondly Justification looks at the guilt of sin and frees us from condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. But Sanctification looks at the filth of sin and frees us from the dominion of sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. Thirdly In Justification there is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us for which God accounts us righteous but in Sanctification there is grace infused into us by which we are made conformable unto the image of Christ that depends upon the merit of Christ and this depends upon the Spirit of Christ Fourthly The matter of âââââification is perfect and without any defect and exception the justice of God cannot finde any want in the obedience of Christ which was full and compleat and perfectly satisfied the Law of God but the matter of our sanctification is imperfect and weak and we cannot stand before Gods Judgment-seat with it Fifthly All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst believers as to their Justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst believers every one is not sanctified alike but some are stronger and higher and some are weaker and lower in grace Sixthly In Justification there is nothing of sin remaining which hath any cotrariety to the justified estate but in Sanctification there is something of sin remaining in the sanctified person which is contrary to that grace which is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other c. 2ly The Connexion of Sanctification with Justification You may read in The connexion of Sanctification with Justification Scripture of a four-fold conjunction of these two great gifts of God unto his people First In the promises of the Covenant they joyn hand in hand come forth like A four-fold cennexion In the promises twins out of the womb of grace Jer. 33. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Here you see them both expressed together in the same deed I will cleanse them from all their iniquity there is our sanctification promised And I will pardon all their iniquities there is justification promised Mich. 7. 19. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea Here you finde them again in promise He will subdue our iniquities this is sanctifying and he will cast all c. there is justifying Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Laws into their mindes and write them in their hearts there is the promise of sanctification Ver. 12. And I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more there is the promise of justification Rev. 2. 17. I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written c. Secondly In people of the Covenant All who are effectually called and In the people of the Covenant brought into Covenant they are justified and they are sanctified they partake of mercy and they partake of grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. He is made holy so 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye all in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification So Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Chap. 2. 1. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Thirdly In the desires of the people of the Covenant Their hearts are drawn In the desires of the people of the Covenant forth with the desires of both Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Here is earnest prayer for mercy to pardon sin Ver. 10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me here is earnest prayer for grace to sanctifie Fourthly In the Mediatour of the Covenant who is the Head of his Church as well In the Mediatour as the Saviour of his body Ephes 5. 23. And gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Ver. 26. as well as to wash it from its sins in his own blood Rev. 1. 5. And gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 19. And bare our iniquities in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness by whose stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was anointed not only to be our Priest to take away our sins by his body but also to be a Prophet to reveal unto us the whole will of God And this is the will of God even our sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. 3ly The Reasons why God doth promise
for mercy to pardon their sins and never mind holiness nor how to get their hearts to be sanctified Nay they oppose holiness and scoff and scorn at holiness These men will lose their souls because both of these which God hath promised are necessary for salvation you must have your sins pardoned or else you cannot be saved and so you must have your hearts sanctified or else you cannot be saved Quest 1. But you may say unto me why do men look only after mercy and Why men look after mercy and not holiness not also after holinesse seeing God hath joyned them together in his promise and both must be in persons which will be saved The Reasons may be these First Holinesse is more contrary to mans sinful nature than mercy Mercy indeed relieves the sinner in a more easie and delightful way but holiness though it doth relieve the sinner yet it doth it in a way more cross to our sinfull love for it fights against our sins and doth purge and work them out from our hearts and will not suffer sin to bear Rule there Secondly Though holiness be the way to heaven yet sinfull men do not look on it as so but they look on it as the way of trouble and reproach as a way that is contradicted and exposing them to crosses losses and contempts and which is too severe against their carnal liberties and pleasures and wills and therefore they like it not No man reproacheth another because he is justified but because he is sanctified for sanctification is a reproach and condemnation to the evil wayes of men Vse 3. Doth God promise to sanctifie his people as well as to justifie Be not content with the one without the other them Then be not content with the one without the other but joyn them in your prayers which God hath joyned in his promises Be not satisfied that you sins are pardoned neither be satisfied that your hearts be sanctified as he cryed out Domine de penitentiam da indulgentiam so do you Lord give me grace and Lord give me mercy God is a holy God as well as a mercifull God and Jesus Christ came by water and blood 1 Joh. 5. 6. Let your hearts be earnestly carried out for both To this end remember six Conclusions First Though your Right and Title to heaven lies in Justification yet your meetnesse and fitnesse for heaven lies in your Sanctification Col. 1. 12. Giving thanks unto God the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Acts 20. 32. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Is it meet or fit that an ungodly person should be in heavenly glory The Leper had a right to his house yet was not fit to dwell in it untill he was cleansed Secondly When you look at the pardon of your sins you seem to look more at your selves your own safety your own peace your own deliverance from wrath and hell but when you look after sanctification you rather look more at Gods glory how you may be enabled to honour him more 1 Pet. 2. 9. Yea are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Thirdly We should be compleat in Christ Col. 2. 10. And in all the will of God Chap. 4. 12. How can this be if Christ be not your sanctification as well as Righteousness if you be not partakers of his Spirit as well as of his merit if you do not dye and live with him Fourthly It is a sign of a naughty heart when mercy alone is desired and that only will satisfie In an exigence the most wicked man will cry out for mercy but he never cries for sanctity Pharaoh put Moses upon it to pray that God would forgive his sinne but never that God would heale his hardness Fifthly As God promiseth the one as well as the other so he will never give the one without the other If he justifies you he likewise sanctifies you and if you are not sanctified assuredly you are not justified when you are by Faith united to Christ your communion immediately falls in for sanctification as well for Righteousness And it is impossible that Christ should be yours but you must have the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and that Spirit quickning us with a new life and mortifies our lusts Some hold that sanctification is an inseparable effect of justification but unquestionably it is a companion of it and a lively testimony of it Sixthly Because he promiseth both therefore seeke for both Consider 1. God promiseth nothing that is superfluous or useless but it is good and for our good 2. He promiseth no good which he 1. Is not able to perform And 2ly willing to perform Holiness is an excellent good it is the image of God it is the glory of God it is called glory 2 Cor. 10. it is the glory and excellency an unholy person is but vile and base the Saints are the excellent on the earth Psal 16. 2. It is our perfection it is the highest elevation of our names here on earth and hereafter in heaven it is the prime work of the Spirit it is the scope of election he hath chosen us that we should be holy Ephes 1. 4. It is the scope of vocation God calls us unto holiness 1 Thes 4. 7. And this God hath promised to give c. But I shall speak no more at present of this general Observation I will touch a little also upon the next general Proposition and then I will come to the principal matter in the Text. SECT II. Doct. 2. THat God himself undertakes in promise to sanctifie the hearts of his people I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within God himself undertakes to sanctifie his people you Levit. 20. 8. I am the Lord that sanctifieth thee Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly Quest Why God undertakes it First Else it were impossible to be effected Consider First That no creature can make it self holy it cannot change it self no man Why God undertakes it Else it were impossible No creature can make itself holy can change his own sinful heart Who can say I have made my heart clean Prov. 20. 9. And this will appear by two particulars 1. No sinful man hath any supernatural power in him to produce any superdatural work in himself he is without all strength without me saith Christ
to the principal matter here distinctly promised by God unto his people viz. A new heart and a new spirit CHAP. VIII God gives a new heart and a new spirit to his people in Covenant Doct. 1. THat a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant A new heart will I give you and a new spirit c. SECT I. FOr the opening of this great and necessary Truth I will speak unto a few God gives a new heart and a new spirit to his people in Covenant What is meant by heart and spirit Heart taken diversly Questions Quest 1. What is meant by heart and spirit Sol. The word heart is taken Sometimes Physically for that noble and vital part of man which is the seat of the soul and life in man Thus it is not looked on in this place Sometimes it is taken for the soule of man which hath its principal residence in the heart Gen. 6. 5. God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart was only evil continually of mans heart i. e. of mans soul Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy heart i. e. thy soul thy will thy affections thus it is taken in this place Secondly That word Spirit is in Scripture taken sometimes in opposition Spirit how taken to the body of man as in Eccles 12. 7. Then shall the dust i. e. the body of man return to the earth as it was and the spirit i. e. the soul shall return to God who gave it Sometime it is put in a direct distinction from the soule as in 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless c. Here the Spirit denotes the intellectual part and the soule denotes the will and affections And so I humbly conceive the word Spirit is taken in the Text Namely for the mind and judgement called the intellectual part of man and the word Heart is taken for the will and affections and by both is meant all the soul the whole soul in all the faculties of it 2. Quest What is meant by the newness of heart and by the newness of spirit What is meant by newness of heart How many waâes a thing is said to be new for this is the thing promised Sol. A thing may be said to be new either in respect of substance or in respect of qualities First There is a substantial newnesse where all the materials are so as an house is new and a garment is new and a ship is new being all made of new materials under this notion God doth not give a new heart and a new spirit unto his people i. e. he doth not give unto them another soul for substance from what formerly they had they have one and the same substantial soul still c. all the same essential faculties of the soul still the same faculty of understanding the same will the same affections still Secondly There is an accidental newness where the substance remaines the same yet the qualities supervinient or super-added to the substance are new Simile As when a Garment is cut into a new fashion or a piece of Plate is melted and purged of its dross and made clean and pure we call those new though not for substance yet for qualities Naaman was the same man when he was a Leper and when he was cured the cure was accidental In this respect God gives a new heart and a new spirit i. e. he doth as it were new shape the heart and spirit he puts into them such gracious qualities which are opposite to the wicked or sinful qualities in them before And these are called new not in opposition to our Creation for God made us holy and righteous but in opposition to our degeneration for by the fall we lost all our excellencies and corrupted our hearts and filled them with all unrighteousness with sinful corruptions when God doth purge out of our hearts and infuseth into them the graces of his Spirit then are our hearts said to be new and our This newness of heart spirits are said to be renewed This only in the general Now I shall more particularly discover unto you what this newness of heart is which God doth promise unto his people Described It is that great and eminent change wrought in all the soul by the Spirit of Christ infusing a new principle of grace which inclines and conformes the heart to the whole will of God and opposeth and mortifieth all the old sinful lust formerly residing and prevailing in the heart There are many particulars in this description which I shall in order unfold unto you First A new heart is a changed heart Newness in the very nature of it A new heart is a changed heart implies an alteration for whatsoever is altogther the same that it was cannot be said to be new If the heart was ignorant and so remains still if it was proud and vain and filthy and earthly and so remaines still this heart is an old heart still there is no newness because no change Newness of heart peremptorily implies a change of the heart therefore it is in Scripture called a new birth Joh 3. 3. Except a man be born again And a quickning from the dead Luke 15. 24 This my son was dead and is alive again And a turning from darkeness to light Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And a transformation Rom. 12. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind And a translation 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away all things are become new And a washing and a cleansing and a refining 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Mal. 3. 2 3. Secondly When the heart is made new there is a great and eminent change made It is an eminent change in it There are three great changes of mans heart 1. One was by sin when man being in honour abode not but fell by transgression and became like the beasts that perish This was a wofull change like that of the apostatizing Angels from heaven to hell 2. Another is by grace wherein we are changed into the very image of God 3. A third is by glory when we shall be like God himself For we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3. 2. The change which makes newness of heart is a great and eminent change reckoned therefore amongst the wonders of God called a Creation and a Resurrection and the opening of the eyes of the blind and unstopping the ears of the deaf Isa 35. 5. And loosing the tongue of the dumb It is such a change that others beholding it stand amazed at as they did when they saw Paul appear another man at Damascus from what he was at Jerusalem Acts 19. 21. Yea the very Angels are affected with it and rejoyce I say unto you there is
spiritual trouble no conflict is to be found in his heart What lack I yet said that desuded covetous young man in the Gospel And I was alive once without the Law said Paul Rom. 7. And I stand in need of nothing said Laodicea Rev. 3 All is well and all is safe and all is quiet sin is no enemy to it self Simile Cold doth not contend with cold nor darkness with darkness all contention or conflict ariseth from contrariety and the flesh is not contraây to the flesh it is the Spirit which is contrary to the flesh c. Thârdly Enmity to godliness in the power of it and to grace in the life of Enmity to godliness it and holiness in the practice of it Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Eph. 4. 18. Being alienated from the life of God Joh. 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light Prov. 29. 27. He that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Amos 5. â0 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly Psal 2. 3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us This is an evident sign of a wicked heart of an heart far from renewing grace Thou childe of the Divel thou enemy of all righteousness said Paul to Elymas Acts 13 10. and Cain hated his brother c. Why do you not love such a child as well as the other and countenance such a servant as well as the other and regard such a one of your Kindred as well as another and why do you not speak evil of such a neighbour rather than of another Live they not as peaceably and as inoffensively and deal they not as justly and squarely O but he is godly he is religious he will not run with us to the same excess of Riot he will not Swear and Drink and play the Good-fellow c. Fourthly Bondage unto sinful lust spiritual slavery is a real testimony of Bondage to sinful lusts an old heart when a man is held fast with the cords of his sins when he is a servant to sin obeys it in the lusts thereof hath an heart that cannot cease to do evil doth project for sin and is at the commands of it and will not forsake it but takes pleasure in unrighteousness his heart and sin are joyned and matched together as it were by Covenant he will reject Christ and renounce mercy and be contented to forfeit salvation and venture to damn his own soul rather than he will forsake his sin and come under the power of changing and renewing grace Unchangedness of Conversation Fifthly Vnchangedness of Conversation when the Leopards spots continue and the Blackmores skin remains and the scum of a vain graceless life departs not but a person walks still in the paths of unrighteousness and ungodliness what he was that he is as he hath lived so he dyeth and so he will live and dye hates to be Reformed scorns to be a Changeling is Proud still is a Drunkard still a Whoremonger still a Sabbath breaker still a Swearer still a Scoffer still c. 2. The woful misery of persons continuing in their old sinful condition The misery of such I will but mention the sum of their misery First Certainly they are out of Covenant and therefore God is none of theirs he neither doth nor will own them for his and if God will not own them then mercy will not own them Secondly They belong not to Christ at all for in 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature O how cursed is the sinner who hath not Christ to redeem him from the curse Thirdly They shall never be saved for Hebr. 12. 14. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Fourthly They shall certainly be damned 2 Thes 2. 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness SECT III. Vse 2. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant a new heart Try our selves what newness is in us and a new spirit then let us search our hearts and look what newness God hath wrought there We find new fashions upon the backs of persons and we find new opinions in the heads of persons and we find new changes in the Civil State and we find new afflictions upon our persons and we find new fears in the hearts of men and we find new and strange dispensations of Gods Providence but where is this new heart one looks after a new place and another after new preferment and another after new pleasures and another after new friendship and another after new safety but who looks after the old truths the good Christ and the new heart who of us can say in a spiritual sense what he spake in a corporal sense One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see Joh. 9. 25. May it be affirmed of us what Paul spake of the Ephesians Ye were sometimes darkness but now ye are light in the Lord Eph 5. 8. Or what he spake of some of the Corinthians Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified c. 2 Cor. 6. 6. And what he spake of the Romans Ye were the servants of sin but you have obeyed from your heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Rom. 6. 17. And being made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness Ver. 18. Object But will some reply we are much deceived if that we have not new hearts and changed spirits Sol. I answer ye may be deceived and in nothing sooner than in your own hearts Our hearts may deceive us in this the Prophet saith that the heart is desperately wicked and withal he saith it is deceitful above all things Jer. 17. 9. Nothing so wicked and nothing so deceitful as mans heart and as in many other things it may deceive us so especially in this one thing of newness it may make us believe that it is changed and renewed by grace when indeed there is no such matter which may arise 1. Partly from the Ignorance in us what newness of heart is 2. Partly from Self-love and self-flattery we are apt to make the most of what makes the most for us as we are apt to make the least of what makes against us 3. Partly from a slothfulness of spirit to take pains to search and try the truth of our spiritual conditions 4. Partly from the partial resemblances which some things have with that which is called newness of heart or renewing grace and yet they differ from it toto coelo Now because this is one of the greatest and commonest grounds by which persons do deceive themselves I shall therefore insist the more fully upon it There are four things which have a resemblance lesser and greater
act Restraining grace especially such as are scandalous and dangerous in the opinion of men With this do many men sit down and blesse themselves for renewed and changed persons for they are not as other men neither whore nor thief and dare not commit such and such sins But Beloved there is a vast difference between restraining grace and renewing grace they differ in six particulars Difference betwixt restaining and renewing grace Restraining grace is only an impediment to sinful actions First Restraining grace is only an impediment to sinful actions but renewing grace is an amendment of our sinful inclinations When a man is only restrained from sin Simile it is with him as with a thief in prison who doth not commit any thievish act yet even then he doth retain his thievish heart or as with a dogge that is chained up and cannot tear and devour but yââ the same curst and revenging nature remains in him Simile So when a man is only restrained from sin although he forbears any visible acts of sin yet his heart is as wicked as ever and his sinful inclinations and affections the same as before But this it is not when the heart is renewed by grace for renewing grace is not only a cord to with-hold but it is likewise a plaister to heal and change as it is a preservative against sinful actions and works so it is a spiritual salve to cure our sinful natures the renewed Christian doth not only forbear sin but he doth also hate sin a restrained sinner at sometimes cannot sin a renewed sinner at no time would sin the one doth not commit the sin which yet he still loves but the other doth sometimes do the sin which yet his soul still hates It is an unvoluntary impediment Secondly when a man forbears sin by the sole power of restraining grace it is involuntary There is a secret regretting or rising of the heart against this restraining power Simile The heart looks on it as under a force or extreamly burdened or oppressed it is discontented and impatient like a horse that is kept in by a bridle or like water which is stopt it riseth and swelleth the more and the sinner counts it a great part of his misery that such awing and restraining circumstances are upon him but when a person is renewed by grace it is no grief or burden of heart to him that he may not sin but he prayes earnestly to be kept from sin Keep thy servant c. So David Psal 19. 13. and he heartily blesses God for being kept from sin Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. 1 Sam. 25. 32. and is more troubled and discontented and burdened that he carries within himself a body of sin which rebels against the law of his mind than that he is hindred and kept from sin Thirdly A person acting only under the strength of restraining grace though a while he may hold off from gross sins yet he will not strive seriously to mortifie It doth not mortifie those sins it restraines from the lusts from which those sins do arise but he will give his heart leave to a delightful contemplation of them and to secret desires after them and will venture very near to the commission of them But when the heart is renewed by grace the person flies from sin yea from all appearances of evil and is so far from sparing of any sin that he layes the Axe to the root of the Tree and endeavours in good earnest the mortifying and crucifying of sin Fourthly when a person hath only that grace which we call restraining his Sin breaks out with more violence upon the removing of the restraint sinful corruptions upon the removing of those restraints do break out with more rage and violence if once it recover its liberty the course of it now is with more strength and fury Take you any child or servant or any other person loving of sin yet not daring to commit sin of their fear of those under whom they live if these once get but their liberty none prove more insolently and outragiously wicked But where the heart is renewed by grace it hath a constant tenderness and habitual fear a fixed contrariety and detestation of sin Though Parents be dead though Governours be absent though Friends be departed it is all one God still lives and God still sees and therefore how can the renewed person commit any wickedness and sin against God and the longer he lives the more he hates sin Fifthly Though men acting by restraining grace may and do sometimes forbear He forbears sin upon other grounds to sin yet it is upon other grounds than those do who abstain from sin from renewing grace In restriction men abstain from sin for fear of outward shame or of outward loss or for fear of Gods wrath or for fear of terror of conscience which hath formerly befallen them for sinning But in Renovation men abstain from sin out of a love to God and out of an hatred of the filthiness of sin because it will offend and grieve their God and defile and pollute their souls Sixthly Lastly though by restraining grace there is some temporary cessation from There is only a temporal cessation sinful evil yet there is no setled inclination unto nor delight in spiritual good no heart to prize God or Christ or holiness or the wayes or works of new obedience But where God gives renewing grace to the heart as there is more than a meere ceasing to sinne So there is another heart given inclining to God to ãâã his Will to love his Commands to walk in his Paths to delight to do his Will I delight in the Law of God after the inner man said Paul Rom. 7. 22. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. And ver 112. I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alwayes to the end III. The presence of common gifts The presence of common gifts I call then those gifts common gifts which the Spirit of God doth give though not to every man yet unto men who are really bad and unconverted as well as to men who are really good and converted of which some do respect What those gifts are First The mind in light or knowledge of the Scripture in general and of Christ and the way of salvation by him in particular 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10. Secondly The judgement in a credence or assent unto what God reveals in his Word as true King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest Acts 26. 27. Thirdly The heart as those tasts you read of in Heb. 6. 4. The tasting of the heavenly gift ver 5. The tasting of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly The Conscience unto which may be given a deep sense of sin and extream trouble for it as you read in Ahab and Judas c. Fifthly The affections
in which there may be found some joyes at the hearing of the Word as in Herod and in the third sort of ground and delight in approaching unto God Isa 58. 2. Sixthly The conversation in reforming of some sins which the Apostle calls an Escaping the pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2. 20. and in conscience to some duties as Herod heard John Baptist and did many things Mar. 6. 20. Object But will some of you say doth not the presence of all these things These alone do not argue a new heart certainly conclude the presence of newnesse of heart or of an heart renewed by grace Sol. All these gifts of them alone do not conclude it the effects which may appear unto you in these four Conclusions First A man may attain to all these and yet be a very notorious wicked man Most of these did Herod attain unto if not unto all of them yet the man A man may have these and remain wicked was very vile and wicked and three things did manifestly declare him to be so 1. He kept Herodias his brothers wife Mar. 6. 17. 2ly He took away the life of John the Baptist Mar. 6. 27. 3ly He set Jesus Christ at naught and rejected him Luke 23. 11. That man who will live in a known notorious sin and who will unjustly murder the messenger of God and mock and reject Jesus Christ as vile is a very wicked man but all this did Herod who knew much and heard much and did much and had some temporary affections Ergo Secondly No Hypocrites heart was ever renewed by grace if it were so he An Hypocrite may attain to these were no Hypocrite but an Hypocrite may attain unto all these Knowledge he may have none doubts of it he may excell in it The Pharisees knew the Law yea and knew Christ Faith of assent he may have this they had who believed for a season and this had Simon Magus Some tast and affections he may have such had they in Isa 58. 2 3. and in Heb. 6. Trouble in Conscience he may have for sin committed this had Judas And outward Reformation he may have so far as to seem righteous in the sight of men c. Thirdly Apostates never had truth of Renewing grace for Renewing grace it Apostates may have all this Renewing grace hath power in the heart above common gifts is a living spring immortal and abiding seed a gift of God without repentance the earnest of our glorious inheritance but Apostates may attain unto all common gifts whatsoever see at leasure Heb. 6. 4 5 6. 4. Renewing grace hath the power in the heart which no common gifts have v. g. 1. It separates the heart from the love of all sin 2. It sets the heart upon the mortification of all sin 3. It brings in the whole heart to God 4. It sets out such a new obedience with Spiritual Ingredients and affections and with such a sole entire respect to Gods glory that no common gift doth or can IV. The strange and powerful effects of an awakened and troubled Conscience An awakened and troubled conscience This is the nearest to renewing I hardly know any such nearness to the work of renewing grace as that arises from Conscience awakened and troubled for a person in this condition First Hath a clear sight and an exquisite sense of his sinne not only present but long since committed they seeme to be set in order before his eyes Secondly His very soule is troubled and distressed so that he would give all the world that he had never sinned so and so Thirdly he cannot hold but he must confesse his sins before God and sometimes before men with surpassing lamentations and tears and severe accusings and condemnings of himself Fourthly He puts away all visible sinne and resolves and protests against it yea and bindes his soule with solemn vows never to return to folly more Fifthly He cries out for Christ and how he may get Christ to make his peace Sixthly There is no visible duty but he doth set upon and in such a manner as he never did before prayes most earnestly for mercy hears attentively for any hope of mercy and perhaps associates himself with the people of God and begs their counsel their prayers their pity and their comfort Seventhly He will not in this anguish of conscience come near the occasions of sinne but doth withstand temptations from wicked company and cries out against them as the seducers of his soul Eighthly He sets up a kind of Reformation in his Family which before had perhaps no face of Religion in it but now all notorious profaneness is banished and the neglect of Gods worship is redressed and Prayer is set up in the Family morning and evening and the reading of the Scriptures c. Object Surely will some men say this mans heart is changed and all this could never be unlesse the heart were renewed by grace and some of us never went so far as this can you shew any difference 'twixt those effects of an awakened and troubling conscience and those flowing from renewing grace Sol. These âffects I confess are high and with them for the present Differences betwixt these and renewing grace In the Caâse many do deceive themselves looking on them as the fruits of renewing grace but there are manifest differences between them First In the Cause or Grounds when they come only from an awakened and troubling Conscience the cause of them is only the sense of Gods dreadful wrath which is such an unsufferable evil that it breakes and tears the senses the sinner will in that condition do any thing and comply with any course How conformable was Pharaoh when the hand of God was heavy upon him and unto what confession and restitution and repentance was Judas wrought when the wrath of God fell upon his Conscience But now when the heart is renewed by grace the man is sensible of his sinning and mourns for his sins and puts away his sins and sets up a course of new obedience not from the meere sense of wrath but from another Cause even from a love to God and an apprehension of Gods love to him which raiseth in him a loathing of all which God loaths and a liking of all that God likes and a desire in all things to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. Secondly In the secret Principle which sets the sinner thus awork In the In the Principle troubled sinner it is self-love a poor wretch now plainly sees that he must be damned if he doth not leave and change his sinful course and if he slights Christ and holy duties as formerly he hath done there is in him in this condition an horrible fear of death and of Gods eternal vengeance and he would not fall into the consuining fire no creature likes its own destruction much less an eternal damnation and therefore this troubled sinner will set upon duties and
will make much moan for Christ and all that moves him unto this is his self-love he loves his life and he loves his safety but yet all this while doth not love Christ for Christ nor holy Duties as ways to glorifie God but where renewing grace is in a man the principle which sets him a work for Christ is faith and which draws him out is a love of godliness and a love of the glory of God c. Thirdly In the end or aim which in works done upon the sole account of In the end a troubling conscience is only self-ease and quietness and calmness of conscience as the distemper lies only in trouble so the remedy lies only in ease Oh if the wrath of God were off in the feeling of it but the poor wretch doth not think of removing the wrath of God in the state of it and O if the painful terrors of conscience were off that and this he aims at directly if he thinks of Christ if he prays if he hears if he confers if he reforms all tends to this viz. the removing of sensible evil of penal evil of terrors and troubles and that his conscience may be quiet and hold its peace and speak bitterly no more unto him but where the heart is renewed by grace the conscience should trouble yet it is not that only nor that principally which the person looks at to be removed but it is the cause of that trouble O Lord take away iniquity O Lord heal my soul O Lord subdue my sin O be thou my sanctifying God as well as my pardoning God my sins trouble my soul O let me no more trouble thee by my sins c. Fourthly In the event or issue Let the troubled sinner who appears now with such a great change let him I say be taken off the Rack let him get respite In the event let him get deliverance from his fears and from his terrors and from his distresses There are four things which will appear in him 1. He will quickly abate and grow remiss in all these duties will not be so serious so earnest so constant 2. He will give way to contemplative evil and will be venturing upon the occasion of sin again 3. He will return in love to his sinful practices and with the dog will return again to his vomit 2 Pet. 2. 22. 4. His latter end is worse his conscience from being a troubled conscience will now become an hardned conscience and seared 2 Pet. 2. 20. But thus it never is with an heart renewed by grace which turns us from evil to good and from good to better and still increaseth in the soul a greater hatred of sin and fear to sin and the more that renewing grace abounds in the soul the more is tenderness abounding in the conscience Thus have you heard by way of Use 1. A conviction that many persons are still in their old sinful conditions and never bad this new heart given them 2. That there is a possibility to be deceived about the fruiton of this newness of heart and wherein that deceit may be SECT IV. Vse 3. I Shall now proceed to a Use of Discovery wherein I will propound For discovery unto you some Characters by which you may know whether God hath indeed bestowed upon you this new heart and new spirit which he hath promised to give unto all his people in Covenant The Signs and Characters are these ten Ten Characters of a new heart 1. A New Sight and Feeling 2. A New Judgement and Opinion 3. New Cares and Requests 4. New Principles 5. A New Combate and Conflict 6. New Abilities and Powers 7. New Works and Obedience 8. New Delights and Satisfactions 9. New Society 10. New Rules First To whomsoever God doth give a new heart unto him he doth give a A new sight and feeling new sight and feeling of their spiritual condition before the Lord renews the heart by grace there were two qualities predominant in it One was ignorance or blindness an unregenerate man is a dead man Ephes 2. 1. and an ignorant man he understands not he knows not what he is nor what he doth nor what his condition of soul is We were never in bondage said they in Joh. 8. 33. The way of wickedness is as darkness they know not at what they stumble said Solomon Prov. 4. 19. Another was hardness and unsensibleness a wicked man hath a wicked heart but he is not sensible of it and his heart is desperately wicked but he is not sensible of it He is ignorant and proud and impenitent and malicious and serving divers lusts and under the curse and wrath of God but he is not sensible of it His sin abounds in heart and life and rules and bears sway and he is a slave unto them but he is not sensible of this but when the Lord renews the heart by grace there is presently a spiritual life and presently a spiritual sense the man sees that in himself which he never saw before and experimentally feels that in himself which he never felt before Alas saith he What a wretched creature am I and what a sinful heart is here full of wickedness desperately evil here is no good dwelling in me here is that sinfulness abounding in me here is that ignorant vain worldly stubborn sensual rebellious unbelieving hardened heart of which the Lord speaks and which the Lord threatens and the man groans under this burden of his sinful heart and life Psal 38. 4. and exceedingly complains of it Rom. 7. 24. and now loaths himself in his own eyes Ezek. 36. 31. and bewails his condition with trouble of heart Secondly To whomsoever the Lord gives a new heart he doth give unto A new judgement and opinion them a new judgement and opinion before the Lord renews a mans heart he hath a corrupt and false judgement Partly of himself in respect 1. Of his estate that he is alive that he is righteous that he needs no Repentance that he stands in need of nothing 2. Of his own ways that they are the wisest for safety and best for delight and profit Partly of Gods commands and ways that of all other they are most unequal and most burdensome and most undelightful and for the most part needless what needs a man to trouble himself so much for his sins and what needs a man presently to set upon the practice of Repentance and what needs a man to make so sure of Christ and mercy and grace and heaven But when the Lord gives a man a new heart his judgement is rectified and he hath now another opinion than formerly he had his judgement is divers from what it was in respect of himself and his ways As the Apostle spake I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed Rom. 7. So before renewing grace came into the heart a man thinks high thoughts of himself and
an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our Conversation in the world 8. Vnbelief discontentment impatience discord and variance these are other principles of the old heart but when the Lord gives a new heart then he works in us contrary principles unto these viz. faith Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given to believe Repentance Acts 11. 18. God hath granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life Contentment Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Patience 1 Cor. 4. 12. Being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it Love 1 Thes 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another I could name many more such heavenly principles and qualities contrary to the old sinful principles and qualities which are certainly found though not in the same measure or degree yet in truâh in every man whom the Lord doth give a new heart Fifthly Whensoever the Lord gives a man a new heart there is presently a new A new combate and conflict combate and conflict Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusheth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and they are contrary the one to the other c. Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind The flesh which is our corrupt heart or nature the old man the Law in our members and the Spirit which is our new heart or renewed nature the new man the Law of our mind these are both in the same regenerate person and they are dispersed over every faculty of the soul and they are contrary the one to the other and do warre one against another and that war is from the first moment that renewing grace enters into the heart to the last moment that the soule leaves the body Object Now here it may be objected that this cannot be a true and real sign of newness of heart because in a natural and unregenerate man there is many times a combate and conflict between their judgement and their affections and between their conscience and their temptations unto sin Sol. That there are such combates and conflicts in unregenerate men I grant Differences betwixt the conflicts in a regenerate and unregenerate man In their Principles but then they are of another nature different from those in a renewed or regenerate person First In their Principles The conflict in the one ariseth from servile fear the conflict in the other ariseth from spiritual hatred A natural Conscience may see the danger of sinning and thereupon oppose the affections inclining to sin but a renewed heart sees the baseness of sin and thereupon inclines the heart to hate it As sin a coal of fire there is the fire which burneth and there is the coal which defileth so in sin there is considerable the wrath unto which it doth expose and the filthiness whereby it doth pollute the soul The fear of burning wrath this makes the unregenerate conscience to hold off and to argue against the temptations to sin but it is the defilement and pollution by sin which makes the renewed heart to abhor and contest with it Not only or principally the evil by sin but the evil of sin which is so extreamly contrary to God in his Nature and Will and Glory which we entirely love c. In the Seat Secondly In the Seate and place of combate Simile The combate in unregenerate men is like that between Souldiers in several Forts and that in renewed persons is like the fight of Souldiers in the same Fort where every ones sword is against every one The conflict or combate in the unregenerate is only 'twixt one faculty and another distinct faculty the affections go one way and the judgement and conscience another way But when a mans heart is renewed by grace there now ariseth a war and combate within every faculty The judgment is divided against the judgment and the will is divided against the will and the affection against the affection The reason whereof is this because there is flesh and Spirit sin and grace co-existent and co-habiting in every faculty of the soul sin is not driven up to one faculty whilst grace possesseth the other faculties but renewing grace is in every faculty and remaining corruption is also in every faculty Simile Like Jacob and Esau strugling in the same womb or like heat and cold in the same water and in every part of it Thirdly In the Extent of the combate that in unregenerate persons is only with some gross scandalous and infamous sins but for secret sins or other In the Exteât sins which the world applauds these are still favoured and harboured the natural man can go no farther than his light which in him cannot make a clear and full discovery of sins nor will he quarrel with his sins further than he needs must to save his ease in Conscience and credit with men But when the heart is renewed by grace there the combate is against all known sin the reason whereof is this because the ground of opposition is not accidental and particular but natural and universal the newness of the heart is not an humour but a contrary nature to that of sin and therefore the heat doth conflict with all that is cold because it is naturally contrary unto it so doth renewing grace combate with all sin because it is a nature contrary to sin as sin not as little or great secret or open c. but as sin 4. In the event In regenerate men the issue of the conflict is either a plain giving up to the will of lust in the affections the man being tyred and In the event vexed with the violent sollicitations of them as Sampson was with Dalilahs importunities or in case that natural conscience doth prevail it is not to the mortifying of any sin but only to a temporary repressing and restraining of sin but the combate ends otherwise where the heart is renewed by grace for it makes a more constant and resolute resistance and at the last though perhaps after some foiles it gets the victory over sin and wins the field Thus you see that the new spiritual combate or conflict is a true character of a heart indeed renewed by grace It is not a sign of true grace that a man hath no sin but that his heart is conflicting with all sin Sixthly Whensoever a new heart is given by God unto any person then are New abilities there given new abilities unto that person Beloved two things I take for granted 1. That renewing grace is in itself a very powerful quality There is a Spirit of power and might in it and going along with it if it were not so it could never change the heart of a sinner nor unthrown sin nor maintain conflict with all the powers
of sin and Satan nor send out such high works of services as it doth 2. That it doth conferre an ability or power on the soule to what end else is it given unto us if by it we have no more power than what we had before in our natural condition When we are renewed by grace we are said to be quickned who were dead which necessarily implies that there is a power imprinted in us when we are renewed Now there is a two-fold power given when renewing grace is given 1. One is to do such things which no natural or unregenerate person ever did or could do 2. Another is to do such things which we our selves were not able to do before God did renew our hearts by grace First take me the bravest Heathen that ever was or the most accomplished Hypocrite that ever was and consider what they have done how far they have gone if you are not able to go beyond them in doing some things which they could not rise unto assuredly your hearts were never renewed by grace As Christ spake Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5. 20. So say I except you be able to do more than the choisest Heathen or exquisite Hypocrite or any unregenerate person in the world your hearts were never changed by renewing grace Object Will some say unto me what do you mean for many unregenerate men have gone very farre and so high that it is a question whether some of the people of God have risen so high Sol. First Let them go as farre as unregenerate men may or can go yet every regenerate or renewed person goes farre beyond them and the demonstration of it is this renewing grace is the highest elevation and perfection of mans nature common gifts with which alone unregenerate men are possessed are farre below and behind it in excellency and abilities Secondly But plainly to open my mind unto you there are six things unto which renewing grace doth enable a man and unto which no unregenerate person could ever attain 1. Self-denial in a mans opinion and affections and worth and ways and ends 2. Sincere love of Jesus Christ and of all that do belong to Christ 3. A cordial compliance with the whole revealed will of God 4. A submission of the whole heart to Christ in all his offices and with all his conditions 5. An unfeigned hatred of every sin 6. To live by faith upon the promises of God in all the contingencies and occurrences of the world No unregenerate person ever did or could in that estate rise unto any one of these things and every renewed person doth attain unto them in the truth of them therefore if you find a power to do those things assuredly your hearts are renewed by grace Secondly Moreover you may discern the presence of renewing grace by that power and ability to do such works as you your selves were never able to do before Heretofore you were not able to shed a tear for sin to forsake any one beloved sin to send up an affectionate prayer to God to prize Christ above all and to thirst after him to take any delight in God to suffer any reproach for Christ But now ye are able to mourn for your sins and to abhor them 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds To forsake the dearest lusts and to cry mightily to God and to take delight in him and in his will and ways and to prize Christ above all and to hunger and thirst after him as the only chiefest good and happiness and you can do for Christ and you can suffer for Christ c. Do you find it thus with you then are your hearts renewed by grace Seventhly You may know whether God hath given a new heart by the By new works new works and the new means of working We say that ut res se habent in essendo sic se habent in operando All works and operations are answerable to the nature in us the old nature finds out old works and the new nature finds out new works Before the Prophet healed and seasoned the spring of water it did send out bitter and unwholsome water but afterward the waters the spring being healed were sweet and wholsome 2 Kings 2. 21 22. So before the Lord doth heal our old hearts the works flowing from them are bitter corrupt vile abominable that which is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3. but when he heals the heart by renewing grace there are new works of holiness and righteousness answerable to a renewed heart whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now then take a survay of your former Works and of your former Conversation and compare them with the present works and course of life and be your selves the Judges what newness you find in them Have you left your former works of uncleanness of drunkenness of profaning the Sabbath of scoffing at holiness of mispending your precious time in gaming 's and in vain pleasures Are you not still to be found in the same paths and ways and works of wickedness Are there not still the same fruits growing out of the old root and the same stream flowing out of the same corrupt spring How can ye say that you have new hearts when still you live old lives and go on in the old course of sin Beloved this is most true that a new life ever attends a new heart if the heart be changed the life will be changed newness of heart will appear in newness of Conversation Did Paul did Mary Magdalen did Zacheus did any of whose Conversion you read in Scripture lead such lives as formerly Did they not put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. Have they not had their fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. Therefore let no man deceive himself saying though I walk as in former times and live still as I have lived yet my heart is as good as the best thou dost but delude and destroy thy self in this vain boasting for the Tree is known by his fruits it is impossible that thy heart should be a new heart as long as thy Conversation remains a wicked Conversation Object But you may say Do you not see that hypocrites do appear in good works and yet they are wicked persons and good men sometimes appear in evil works and actions and yet they are not wicked Ergo. This appearance in new works cannot be a sure sign of a new heart Sol. To this I answer First Whatsoever the good works may be which a wicked man may do I shall not at this time dispute but this may suffice you that where there is no newness of life there is no newness of heart Secondly It is not this or that particular
passage in the life which denominatively declares the estate of the heart either way one particular good action may be done by him whose heart is naught and one particular ill action may be done by him whose heart is good and truly renewed by grace As the new heart brings forth new works so it doth act them after a new manner of working it is possible that an unregenerate man may do many works which are morally good but then he doth not perform those works in such a manner as that man doth whose heart is renewed by grace The qualification of works for the manner in a man renewed There are four qualifications as to the manner of working or performance of duties which are found in the renewed person and in no other man 1. He performs them in the strength of Christ by vertue of union and communion with him Simile as the members of the body do act by vertue of their union and communion with the head I can do all things said Paul through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. And as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me Joh. 15. 4. 2. He performs them as with love the love of Christ constraineth me said Paul 2 Cor. 5. 14. If a man love me he will keep my Word said Christ Joh. 14. 23. Now when a man doth works of obedience out of love he is ready and willing to do them the work is written in his heart he takes delight in the doing of them I delight to do thy Will O God Psal 40. 8. And make me to go in the paths of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Psal 119. 35. It is a mans meat and drink to do the will of God Joh. 4. 34. The yoke is easie and the Commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. He performs them with fervency of spirit not coldly and carelesly and indifferently but closely and seriously with a fervent spirit Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord he seeks the Lord with his whole heart an heavenly impetus aestus vigor c. 4. He performs them with integrity of intention looks not at himself but the glory of God in Christ c. Eighthly You may know that God hath given you a new heart if you find New delights and satisfactions new delights and satisfactions There is not a man in the world but the frame of his heart may be known by that which he takes delight and contentment and satisfaction in If one hath a proud heart the vanities and fashions and dresses and braveries of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath an ambitious heart the honours and applauses and dignities and preferments and powers of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath a covetous heart the riches and profits and treasures of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath a sensual and unclean heart the filthiness and actings of lusts are his delight and satisfaction And there is no unregenerate person but either some worldly object or some sinful object is his delight and satisfaction might he have wealth enough or honour enough or pleasure enough he would desire no more here he would rest and with this he would be contented and satisfied But now when the Lord changeth and reneweth the heart by grace that which delights and contents and satisfies other men will not delight and satisfie him nay those very objects which formerly satisfied himself will not now by any means satisfie him but he hath new objects and new ways of delight and satisfaction If the Lord should say unto a regenerate and renewed person I will give thee all the world this would not satisfie him or delight him though heretofore a little of it would have gone far and have done much The renewed person sees what a vanity of vanities the world is and what a hell of hells sin is and his delights and satisfactions are now in objects sutable to his new nature the highest and best objects these are sutable with the highest and best heart A God a reconciled God the favour of God the knowledge of him as so the fruition of him as so the meditations on him as so the communions with him as so the manifestations of him to the soul as so the hopes of the future and eternal enjoyment of him as so Psal 73. 25. These these are the delights the contentments and satisfactions of an heart indeed renewed by grace The excellent glories of Christ a near relation unto Christ the life of Christ the peace by Christ the comforts of Christ the enjoyments of and by Christ the love of Christ the powers of Christ the presence of Christ and fellowship with Christ these are the new delights the new contentments and the only satisfactions of a new heart these are food and rayment these are houses and lands these are parents and friends these are treasures and pleasures to a renewed heart these are the rest of it and the heaven to it one sight of God in Christ one smile of his love one word of peace and joy from Christ delights and satisfies a renewed heart more than all which the world can afford Ninthly Another sign of a new heart is new society when God gives a A new society man a new heart that man hath a new Master and new work and new friends and society Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 2 Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness Psal 139. 21. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee O what a burden is it to a good heart to be in ungodly company Woe is me that I so journ in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. And what a delight is it to a renewed person to be in the company of renewed persons Psal 16. 3. To the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Psal 42. 4. I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise Holy society is the only society for persons of holy hearts and in that society can no man take delight untill God renews his heart by grace Tenthly Lastly When God gives a man a new heart he doth presently A new rule set up a new rule of life to walk by and according to that is his course ordered all the days of his life and what is that rule not our own judgement not revelations not our own will not our own lusts not our own affections not the opinion of men not the customes of the world not the applauses of the world not the
ways of worldly advancements and advantages But the rule which a renewed heart sets up to guide and prescribe him is none other but that which God himself sets up for his people to walk by and that is his written Word 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 This rule he sets up for all matters of faith and for all matters of fact this I must believe because God reveals it and commands me to believe it this I receive for truth because God delivers it for truth and that I reject as erroneous because the Word of God condemns it as contrary to the truth And this work I do and that way I walk in because God sets it out in his Word for me and that I do not do and so and so I dare not walk for I have no Word of God for it nay the Word of God is against it why mans heart is right indeed it is renewed by grace but if a man will walk contrary to this rule if he will not speak and live according to this Word it is because there is no light in him Isa 8. 20. SECT V. Vse 4. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him a new heart and a new spirit then there is comfort and joy to Comfort to those that have a new heart all those who finde the new heart given unto them it is true that when the Lord doth renew the heart of any by his grace and separate them from the world unto himself that 1. They shall meet with many troubles and scoffs and reproaches and persecutions from the world All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 2. They shall meet with many temptations and oppositions from Satan if he cannot hinder grace and conquer grace yet he will molest and disquiet grace 3. They shall meet with many conflicts and warrings within their own hearts and with many weaknesses and failings and tryals nevertheless their condition is a very happy and comfortable condition and there are eight Eight comforts proper to them choice comforts which are proper to every renewed person and which may cheer up his heart all his days v. g. 1. Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of the greatest matters which can concern the soul 2. This newness of heart is an unquestionable effect of our union with Christ 3. It is the noblest and highest elevation of the soul here on earth and the clear evidence of the presence of the Spirit of Christ 4. It enables you for all heavenly communion and serviceableness to Divine glory 5. God will own and accept of it and the fruits of it though but little and weak 6. He will strengthen and uphold and perfect it unto the day of Christ 7. He will poure upon every person who enjoys it all necessary blessings for this life and will take special notice of him and care for him in the days of adversity 8. Renewing grace shall without all doubt bring us at the last to eternal happiness First Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of It is a clear testimony of the greatest matters which can concern the soul the greatest matters which can concern the soul There are six things which do concern the soul as nearly I think as any can and of every one of them is renewing grace a sure testimony 1. The love of God 2. The election of God 3. A relation to God 4. A change from death to life 5. The pardon of sin 6. The hope of glory 1. Of the love of God that the Lord doth indeed set his special love A testimony of the love of God his very heart upon a person 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Psal 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous for any to be made the sons of God this is an effect or fruit of the love of God now all the sons of God are new born they are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses hath quicked us together with Christ As it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods hatred and wrath for any to be left to his old sinful heart and lusts and ways so it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods love when he pities them in their sinful condition and delivers them out of it and gives his Spirit to enliven and renew them by grace 2. Of the Election of God for this see two places 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Of election Brethren Beloved your Election of God Ver. 5. For our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy Holiness or renewing grace it is as one speaketh the counterpane of Gods decree of Election God by his own eternal prescience knows whom he intends for salvation and we by that work of renewing grace in our hearts come to know that eternal purpose of his grace concerning us it being given unto us an effect flowing from his Election and in order unto that happiness unto which he hath chosen us 3. Of our Relation to God as our God and our Father as none but his Of our relation to God people and children are holy so all his people and his children are holy Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. an holy Nation and a peculiar people 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Ver. 18. And I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 4. Of our translation from life to death See Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Of our translation from death to life Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Luk. 15. 32. This my son was dead and is alive again Rom 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God Renewing grace is one of the strictest differences between men of death and men of life not any man hath it but he who is made alive by Christ and is in the state of life no profane person hath it nor doth any hypocrite partake of it 5. Of the pardon of our sins if any
but a mock of sin so utterly unsensible is he of sin Secondly Because it is an unflexible heart you may bow a stick and melt An unflexible heart the brass and bend the very iron but you cannot bow nor bend the stone the stone may be broken in pieces yet you can never so mollifie it as to make it to bow it is naturally hard and naturally unyielding Thus it is with the heart which is hard it is unflexible and unyielding it will be what it hath been Ezek. 3. 7. It will not hearken it will not obey it will receive no instruction advice counsel let God speak and do what he will let men speak and do what they can yet a hard heart fears not God nor regards man God sends Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh with a command to let Israel go he rejects this command Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice c. Then they shew wonders before him yet he will not yield then God sends plagues upon the fruit and corn and cattle and servants yet he will not yield nor obey Thus when the Israelites fell sick of the stone I mean when their hearts became hardned then they became unflexible and unyielding 2 Chron. 36. 15 16. The Lord sent Prophets to them early and late but they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his Word and misused his Prophets You may read in Amos the 4th how God dealt with them in manifold ways of judgement yet there was no yielding in ver 6. He sends them cleanness of teeth and want of bread yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord in ver 7. He with-held rain from them yet ver 8. have ye not returned unto me in ver 9. He smites them with blasting and mildew yet have ye not returned unto me in ver 10. He sent the pestilence among them after the manner of Egypt yet have ye not returned in ver 11. He overthrew some of them as he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the rest were as a fire-brand pluck't out of the fire yet have ye not returned O this is the hard heart which when God speaks it will not hear when God calls it will not yield though God intreats it by mercies yet it will not yield to leave sin though God threatens it with wrath for continuing in sin yet it will not forsake sin though God plucks away mercies after mercies though God lets down judgement after judgement though he wounds the conscience though he throws it into hell yet it will not yield to obey the voice of the Lord to turn from sin Thirdly Because it is a resisting heart the hard stone doth not only not A resisting heart receive impression but it resists and turns back the stroaks even so when the heart is hard it doth not only not admit the Word but instead of yielding it opposeth the Word and resists the Spirit of God Jer. 44. 16. As for the Word which thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee Ver. 17. but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth Zach. 7. 11. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Ver. 12. And made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should hear the Law Acts 7. 51. Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart ye do always resist the Holy Ghost Hence it is that sinners of hard hearts are said to make light of the Word to despise it to reject it to mock at it to contradict it to blaspheme and speak against it as the Pharisees and the Jews c. Fourthly Because it is an heavy heart the stone is naturally heavy descending A heavy heart and inclining downward if you will find it you must look for it in the earth and if you throw it up it will fall down again to the earth that is its center thither it inclines and there it resteth So the hard heart it is an heavy heart not only heavy in a way of indisposition and untowardliness to what is good no mind to pray or hear or repent c. but also heavy in a way of inclination it is an heart which inclines downward to worldly lusts and sinful lusts in them it delights and rests as in its center Although sometimes in an exigence of outward trouble and inward anguish of conscience it seems to be lifted up yet upon the cessation of their working it returns again to its old love and practice of sin Fifthly Lastly The hard heart is called a stony heart because it is a barren A barren heart and unfruitful heart What fruit is to be gathered from the stone or rock Cast the seed on it let the rain come down from heaven upon it let the Sun shine with its beams upon it yet the stone is a stone still a barren and unfruitful lump of earth And thus is it with an hard heart though the man lives under many precious means of grace and manifold helps and daily opportunities and though others are wrought upon by the Word the Word brings forth in them the fruits of knowledge of godly sorrow of repentance of faith of love of newness of heart and life c. yet in him it is unfruitful though he lives under it many years yet his heart is ignorant still and proud still and earthly still and filthy still he is not humbled nor changed nor reformed at all Thus you have some Reasons why the hard heart is called a stony heart Now in the next place lets enquire Quest 2. What kinds of stonyness or hardness of heart is to be found in man The kinds of hardness in man that so we may the more admire at the greatness of Gods mercy who promiseth to take it away out of our natures Sol. For this know that there is a threefold hardness incident to the heart of man 1. One is Natural 2. The second is Habitual or Contracted 3. The third is Judicial or Penal First Natural hardness of heart is that Tomb-stone of sin and death Natural hardness it is one part of that wretched nature conveyed unto us by the fall of Adam by which our hearts are made dark and unsensible of our sins and untoward and disobedient and gain-saying and unyielding and refractory and obstinately set against the commands and ways of God and the strivings of his Spirit and all his dealings either in ways of mercy or in ways of judgement This natural hardness as it is in every man by nature so it is in every part of man in every faculty of his soul In his understanding there is a wonderful incapacity and stupidity and inapprehensiveness of them though distinctly opened and often revealed truths and ways of God In his memory there is such a hardness that all the heavenly delivery of the mind of God in things pertaining to salvation fall away as
waters from the Rock are forgotten and they slip away they stay not sometimes one minute though other discourses are held fast In his judgement there is such a hardness that raiseth enmity and resistance and affords a world of carnal reasonings to oppose and put by the truth In his will there is such a hardness of obstinacy and perversness that when all is said that can be said by Law or Gospel yet men will not hear Joh. 5. 40. though they may be saved nor will they hear though therefore they shall be damned In his affections there is such an hardness that men sin without fear and without all compunction and sorrow of heart and though the glorious things of Christ are revealed and offered and pressed upon them yet no delight no love no desire at all can be raised in them c. In his conscience which under all the threats of God and terrors of God revealed remains quiet unstirred scared and careless as if these were fables and impertinent notions Secondly The Contracted hardness is that which we bring upon our sinful Contracted hardness hearts and adde unto them by the frequency of our sinning actions or practices or by a voluntary opposing of all the means which do tend to the softning our heart And by the way let me tell you that there are three kinds of sinning which do extreamly super adde to the hardning of mans heart One is the sinning against clear light The second is the sinning with delight The third is the customary way of sinning long going in a path often beating the anvile Thirdly The Judicial hardness which is that unto which God gives the stubborn sinner up for not harkning unto him but still continuing and persisting Judicial hardness in a sinful course and therefore he leaves him unto himself and to his own lusts and his Spirit shall no more strive with him and hereupon the sinful heart being left unto it self breaks forth into all manner of wickedness and so doth exceedingly obdurate it self it becomes more unsensible and more fearless and more enraged against all that is good c. Now the stony heart or hard heart spoken of here in the Text is principally that which is natural and I will not deny that the Contracted hardness may be meant but not the Judicial Quest 3. But how then may it be demonstrated that naturally every mans Demonstrations of it heart is a stony or hard heart Sol. There are six things which may convince us that it is so First The forwardness in men to sin every natural heart is ready to sinful The forwradness in men to sin acts and easie unto them Ephes 4. 19. If temptations present themselves the natural heart presently entertains them and complies with them and if no temptations from Satan and the world present themselves the natural heart will tempt it self why this is a conviction that the heart is hard for if it be a good sign of a tender and soft heart when it is afraid to sin How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God said Joseph Gen. 39. 9. Then surely it is a sign of a hard heart when it is forward to sin and greedy to sin and easily and willingly lets out it self to sin and fears not at all to sin but every mans heart naturally is so forward and bent to sin that it cannot and it will not be restrained from sin Gen. 11. 6. Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do Zeph. 3. 5. The unjust know no shame Secondly The silence and quietness in conscience under all sinnings Men neglect Quietness under sinning all holy duties and sweaâ and lie and deceive and are drunken and commit adultery c. and conscience saith nothing to them Assuredly this is a strong conviction that their hearts are hard for where there is any softness of heart there conscience is alive and hath some power to warn and check and oppose before sinning and likewise to accuse and condemn and trouble after sinning But now natural men generally find it thus that conscience is dead and takes no notice or it is weak and can do nothing with them before sinning it appears not and after sinning it troubles not Ergo. their hearts are hard Thirdly The security of heart Taken me any one broken-hearted sinner Security of heart why under the sense of any one transgression he goes heavy all the day long and he weeps bitterly and he waters his couch with his tears and he is afraid of the Lord whom he hath provoked and he makes in earnestly for reconciliation and peace with God and why doth he so because his heart is soft and tender But on the contrary the natural man he sins and is confident exposes himself to wrath and yet is secure and though God saith he is offended and displeased with him and though God threatens him with wrath and though he knows that God hath destroyed some for the same sin of which he is guilty yet the man goes on in his sinful practices and makes no account of this And what is the cause of it it is this his heart is hard and hardened Were not the man under a reprobate sense infinitely stupid and seared he could not rest so secure Fourthly The absence of all penitential works Whensoever the Lord gives The absence of penitential works a soft heart which is opposite to this stony heart then ariseth presently 1. A sight and solemn consideration of sin 2. An humble mourning and lamenting for sin 3. A self-judging confession of sin 4. A cordial aversation from sin 5. Importunate supplication for pardoning mercy and grace 6. A serious application of the heart to Christ And on the contrary where the heart is hard there are none of these no hard heart considers of its ways saying What have I done no man smites on his thigh and is humbled no man repents no man seeks after the Lord no man cries out for mercy or for grace or for Christ Certainly so much as there is of impenitency so much there is of hardness of heart but naturally every mans heart is impenitent and he is not only a stranger to these penitential works but also he is an enemy unto them Ergo. Fifthly The inefficacy of the Word the Word of God is compared The inefficacy of the Word sometimes 1. To the Sun which enlightens and quickens 2. To water which softens and cleanseth 3. To the hammer which bruises and breaks 4. To fire which heats and melts and refines but on the natural heart either it hath no efficacy at all or it is a long time before it can make any impression and yet a longer time before it make any saving impression either the heart will not suffer us to hear the voice of the Word or it will not suffer us to acknowledge the truth of the Word or it is so hard that it will not suffer us
to do any thing according to the Word indeed the heart is so hard that unless the Lord himself be pleased to put out his Almighty power it will never yield unto any saving operation of the Word Sixthly I will adde one Demonstration more of the hardness of mans heart The unsensibleness of it which is this the unsensibleness of that hardness of heart naturally the heart is so hard that it doth not and cannot perceive its own hardness indeed when grace comes into the heart then a spiritual sensation comes into the heart then we can feel our sins and feel our hardness and complain of the one and bewail the other O Lord why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Isa 63. 17. But while men are in this natural sinful condition they are not sensible of their finful burdens nor are they sensible of the unsensibleness of their stupidity and hardness of their hearts They are sensible of this loss and of that want and can complain of this and take on for that but when did you ever hear a natural man complain of his hard heart O I have such an heart so full of sin and yet I cannot mourn for sin so unteachable so untractable so resisting so opposing the Word of God and ways of God! What shall I do whether shall I go O it is a burden that I cannot bear c. Why this unsensibleness that our hearts are hard it is a demonstrative conviction that they are hard and indeed no heart is more hard than that heart which is not sensible that it is hard Now I come to the useful Application of this unto our selves SECT II. Vse 1 IS there a stony heart in every man is the heart of every man naturally a hard heart Then wonder not to see so little good done upon men wonder Wonder not to see so little good done upon many By private instructions not 1. That our own private instructions and counsels and intreaties and reproofs usually come to nothing How often do we find parents abounding in cares and watchings and teachings and advising and checking and correctings of their children and when they have said and done all they can they fall a weeping and a sobbing and sighing why what 's the matter O nothing will work on my childe and what 's the reason of it thy childe hath a hard heart and an hard heart is an unteachable and an untractable heart Publick pains 2. Wonder not that Simile the publick pains and labours in the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ many times proves but like rain that falls upon the house top or upon the rocks little or no fruit comes of studies of prayers of doctrines of exhortations of reproofs but people remain still what they were as proud as vain as profane as impudent in sins as before And Ministers are apt to be discouraged and complain that they spend their strength in vain and labour for naught Isa 49. 4. And some imagine if other Ministers came into their room the matter would be much mended and other Ministers do come and then awhile they fall a weeping and complaining What a people are these that no part of the Word of God will work on and no kind of delivery of the same will take hold of them if we intreat them they slight us and if we plainly reprove them they grow worse Now I say wonder not at this Christ himself met with such kinds of people when he preached here on earth and he did hit upon the right cause of all this untowardliness and aversness and that was the hardness of mens hearts I have heard some preach that if Ministers would use clear convictions in their preaching that their hearers would be taken for they were reasonable creatures alas that they should proclaim their own ignorance that men are rational creatures a Philosopher can teach us but that men are sinful creatures and have hard hearts the Scriptures teach us and all the convictions and demonstrations of the will of God will never make impression unless the Lord take away the stony heart out of them 3. Wonder not that all the Providential Dispensations of God work not better amongst men you see many times that personal affections do no good at Providential Dispensations all though one loseth husband wife children estate he fears not he returns not he mends not wonder not at this for the man hath an hard heart You find many times publick judgements in a Nation and God pouring contempt and wrath upon it and on all sorts of men and yet the Inhabitants thereof do learn no righteousness but he that was ignorant is ignorant still and he that was filthy is filthy still and he that was proud is proud still and men grow more wicked under the judgements and plagues of God upon them wonder not at this for their hearts are hard hearts and nothing whatsoever will or can effectually work as long as the heart continues hard Thou mayst pity and pray and weep and fear but persons of hard hearts will do none of these untill God take away the stony heart from them Vse 2 Is there a stony heart in every man then let us make a stand and wonder at the exceeding patience of the Lord and his long-suffering that he can Wonder at the exceeding patience of God bear so much and forbear and hold in his wrath and not make an end of sinners and utterly destroy them You cannot possibly comprehend what affronts and injuries the hard heart puts upon God and what continued provocations that heart daily sends forth and raiseth against him O what careless neglects of his commanding will What proud slightings of his severe threatnings What contemptuous refusals of his gracious offers of mercy What audacious resistances of his Spirit What desperate boldness in sinning What an obstinate course and progress in offending of him What unteachableness and barrenness after all the pains that God takes with it all the cost that he is at to work upon it for good and yet the Lord is patient towards it and renews offers of grace and sends early and late and there is line upon line and precept upon precept and yet he doth not leave the sinner for all this but for a long time stands at the door and knocks and waits that he may be gracious and gives him time and expects him when he will consider and hearken and return Truly the hardness of mans heart is wonderful which will not bow after so many gracious dealings of God and the patience of God is more wonderful who will bear so many and so long affronts from a proud and hard heart If the Husband-man hath a piece of ground which after all his Tillage still bears bryars and thorns he will cast it off If the School-Master hath a Scholar which after long teaching and instructing continues dull and uncapable he will meddle no more with him Sir I can do
no good on your child If a Master hath a Servant or an Apprentice who after all his care and pains to instruct him in his Trade yet remains unapprehensive and stupid and perhaps vicious he longs to be rid of him If a Parent hath a childe that is naught and stubborn and will not hearken nor be reclaimed the Parent is weary of him and casts him out of doors or sends him into another Countrey Thus none but God will bear with a hard and stubborn heart God I say who is most provoked by it therefore unquestionably his patience is exceeding great it is wonderful towards sinners Vse 3 Is there a stony heart in every man this may then informe us of three things Informs us The conversion of a sinner is a miraculous work First That the conversion of a sinner is even a miraculous work We wonder that so few persons are converted by the Word nay but we should rather wonder that any person is converted by it because there is such a stony and hard heart in every person which is so unsensible of its own miserable condition which is so uncapable to be taught the knowledge of the matters of salvation which is so opposite and averse and unyielding and resisting as to all the means and ways of grace where there is a blind and proud judgement that will not be perswaded whereââ there is such a stubborn will that will not be made willing and whereââ there are so many vile affections which wâll not be tamed and awed and subdued It is matter of greater wonder that any one sinner is brought in by grace than if all sinners should fall into hell Secondly That it is from grace and from that alone if any sinner be converted ââ is from grââe that any are converted it is from the freeness of Gods grace and from the power of Gods grace not from any thing at all in the person converted And my reason is this because the heart of every sinner is naturally a stony heart a hard heart and a stony heart is not only an impotent heart but also a resisting heart to grace Verily the best man may and must confess that it is only of the Lords mercy that he was not consumed and that his present life and estate in grace was never of himself who is called but only from the favour and power of the grace of God who did call him What I am I am by the grace of God said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. Our hearts were hard hearts and therefore contradicting and opposing untill beaten down and conquered by the love and might of divine grace Thirdly That God is most righteous in all his judgements here on earth God is righteous in all his judgements and in all those future and eternal punishments of sinners in hell for sinners have hard and hardned hearts Why if sinners will not hearken to God if they will not obey his voice if they will stop their ears and withdraw their shoulders if they will not receive his Laws if they will not receive instruction and take warning if they will not know the day of their visitation if they will not know the things which concern their peace but harden their hearts it is righteous with God to reject them who do reject him to cast them off who do cast him off to abhor them who abhor him to punish and plague and destroy them who harden their hearts against him Object We have many amongst us who do wonder at Gods judgements abroad in the world and at all the changes and miseries which they have seen and perhaps felt Sol. And why do ye wonder at them rather wonder at the hardness of your own hearts which under all the judgements of God continue so proud and so scorning at holiness and so hating to be reformed and so manifestly irreligious and profane it is righteous with God to punish hard-hearted sinners Who ever hardened his heart against him and prospered Job 9. 4. If we will never be instructed to repent God will certainly destroy us Prov. 29. 1. SECT III. Vse 4 IS the heart of every man a stony or hard heart then let every man as he loves his soul Strive all that he can to be cured of the stone in the Labour to be cured of this hard heart heart i. e. to use all spiritual means to be delivered from hardness of heart And for this let me propound unto you 1. Some Motives which possibly may work on you Secondly Some means for the cure of it 1. The Motives to look after the cure of a stony or hard Motives heart are these First The Consideration of those sins which are included in this one sin of hardness From the sins included in hardness of heart Stupidity of heart which make it to be exceeding sinful What sins will you say There are three sins in this sin 1. Stupidity and senslesness of spirit O how dangerous there are three very dangerous qualities A Seared Conscience this is the worst of all Consciences A Reprobate Mind this is the worst of all Minds A Sensless Heart this is the worst of all Hearts tanto pejior quanto insensibilior This is to be at the farthest distance and hope of conversion Vicinior saluti dolor poenitentis quam stupor non sentientis saith Austin Simile This is a condition worse than that of Judas who was sensible and cryed out I have sinned nay in some respect worse than that of the Divels who do believe and tremble Isa 6. 9. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see you indeed but perceive not Ver. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Contempt of God 2. Contempt of God O what a child is he who will not hearken to his father and what a sinner is he who will not hearken to his God Simile yet every hard heart refuseth to hearken unto God and what is this but to displease the Lord and scornfully to set him at naught q. d. What tell you me of God or of his will I care not for him what care I what he saith I will follow mine own hearts lusts I will not be guided and commanded by him 3. Desperate wickedness I will be sinful still and I will go on in my Desperate wickedness sinful ways though I lose mercy and heaven yea though I shall be damned for ever O Lord What a condition is this yet this is the condition of hardness of heart Secondly The Consideration of the Losses unto which you will certainly The losses you are exposed to expose your selves if you get not the cure of your hard and stony heart There are six losses which do and will befall you by it 1. You lose the benefit
own hearts lusts and having resisted and despised his grace and mercy he will now never give grace nor shew mercy unto them Ezek. 24. 13. In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy silthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Ver. 14. I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to pass and I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare neither will I repent c. Secondly There are some hardened sinners whose hearts still take delight in Some frequent the means their sinful ways and are extreamly opposite to the Reformation of them nevertheless they will present themselves unto the means they will come to hear the Word although they cannot comply with the Word which they do hear but do secretly dislike and gain-say it and go on in their wicked ways which do harden their hearts Now although this kind of darââess is very fearful and in it self very damnable and very difficult to be cured yet it is not utterly uncapable of cure it is not impossible for that hardned sinner to be cured who hath gone on in his wicked ways contrary to the voice of the Word of God which he hath heard and still doth hear which may thus appear 1. Whiles any sinner is in Gods ways he is not utterly uncapable of Gods blessings if yet the sinner hath an ear to hear who can tell but God may give him a heart to consider and to repent Indeed it is confessed that neither this sinner nor any other can convert or soften his own heart to change the heart and to mollifie the heart is the proper work of the Almighty God and as God can do it so he doth it by the Word which is his Hammer to break and his Furnace to melt and therefore whiles the sinner will come and hear the Word God may put out such a power of grace upon his heart as may break down the pride of his heart and may take away the hardness and resistance and opposition of his heart 2. All the sinners who have been converted by grace they have been such hardened sinners ââ they have been disobedient and have served divers lusts they have opposed the Word and they have gone on in wicked ways contrary unto the Word and yet God did break in by the power of his grace and overcome all the proud resistances of their hearts and made them to yield and cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. And what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 3. 3. Although it be true that there are many hardened sinners on whom God will ââ never work yet no particular hard heart may say that his cure is impossible because that grace by which hardness of heart is cured is gracious and very free it is given unto whom God will please to give it and when he pleaseth to give it sometimes to one sometimes to another sometimes to one whose heart hath been less hardned sometimes to another whose heart hath been more hardned sometimes to one who hath been sinning and hardning his heart twenty or thirty years and sometimes to one who hath been hardning his heart forty or sixty years c. Thirdly There are some hardned sinners who have been a long time unyielding Some are sensâble or their âââdness and disobedient to the Word and no threats of wrath nor offers of mercy nor treaties of the Spirit nor stroaks of affliction could eâer yet make their hearts to bow or yield but still their base hearts would go on in their sins and they would not hearken unto Christ and nothing that God hath spoken or done hath made them to stoop but on they would in their ways and works of sin which they had châsen and loved But now they are sensible of all their hardness against God and likewise of the present hardness which lies upon them sensible how stout and refusing they have been and sensible what resisting hearts still they have and sensible what unsensible hearts they have of all their sins Now concerning those hardned sinners there is without all just dispute a possibility of cure because 1. There is in them a sense of their disease of stonyness of heart which is the beginning of the cure 2. They are willing to use the means and for this end that they may be cured 3. If any are under this promise of God to take away the stony heart probably these are the men Quest 2. If this hardness of heart be curable then what is the way and what What is the means of care is the means for the cure of it Sol. If indeed you would be cured of this stony and hard heart within you then you must do as men who would be cured of the disease of the stone 1. You must have a care to remove and forbear all which breeds and increaseth the stone 2. You must take such Medicines as are proper to heal it First You must have a special care to remove and forbear all those things which do Remove what breeds this hardness breed and increase the stonyness or hardness of heart or else you can never be cured There are six things which give being and strength to the hardness of mans heart First One is ignorance of mind you shall find in Ephes 4. 8. a conjunction Ignorance 'twixt the darkness of the understanding and alienation from the life of God and hardness of heart the word is there rendered blindness of heart but that is the original word spiritual blindness breeds spiritual boldness and boldness to sin will presently breed hardness of heart O get off this ignorance which knows not what it is to sin nor what is the danger of sinning and therefore leaves the heart to his own vile inclination and unto Satans temptations Secondly Pride of heart you read of Nebuchadnezzar that his heart was Ptide of heart lifted up and his mind was hardned in pride Dan. 5. 20. There are four cursed effects of pride 1. One It will not suffer the heart to obey the voice of God Who is the Lord that I should let Israel go said proud Pharaoh Exod. 5. 2. As for the Word which thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee spake those proud men to Jeremiah Jer. 44. 2. Another It makes us Self-willed we will have our will and our own desires and our own ways and who is Lord over us so those proud men Psal 12. 3 4. 3. A third is It makes the Lord to abhor a person Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 16. 5. and to leave a person as the Lord left Hezekiah because his heart was lifted up 2 Chron. 32. 25 31. 4. A fourth is It makes us self-confident as in Peter and therefore watchless and careless
a dart Spira longing for death rather than life c. if the Lord should let fall any of these judgements upon thee what would become of thee Fourthly Meditate on the patience of God and on the goodness of God Of the patience of God 1. On the patience of God who hath been so long provoked by thy hard heart and yet hath spared thee held off his hand from striking of thee hath all this while born with thee and forborn to judge thee 2. On the goodness of God both to thy body and soul thou who hast so Of the goodness of God much hardned thy heart against him hast yet every day tasted of his bounty and blessings yea and that he is treating with thy soul sends Ministers deals with thee in a Gospel way calls on thee to repent offers thee Christ and mercy and heaven and assures thee if thou wilt yet hearken thy soul shall live 2ly Practical Actions and they are these Practical actions Come and hear First Come and hear 'T is true an hard heart cares not to hear the Word yet because thou hast a power to come and hear the Word as well as to go to any other place or work use thy power rather to come and hear the Word and that Word which is most convincing piercing humbling Moses rod made the waters to come out of the Rock The Word of God is able to save a soul and therefore certainly it is able to convert and soften the soul The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live Joh. 5. 25. All who have got the cure of hardness of heart they have found it at the Word and by the Word which is the Sword of the Spirit and the power of God Secondly Go and pray beseech the Lord himself to circumcise thy heart he Go and pray only can cure the stone in the heart he only can take away the stony heart out of the flesh nothing is too hard for him Lord Lord leave me not to the hardness of my heart Lord open mine eyes make me sensible over-power my stiffe and rebellious and gain-saying heart Object O but my heart is so hard that I cannot pray Sol. 1. Pray as thou mayst at least grieve 2. And sigh under the burden of thy hard heart cry out O that I were made sensible and that I could pray to God to be cured 3. And go to them that can pray beseech them to beseech the Lord for thee O Sirs be sensible of one who is not sensible of himself pray for me who cannot pray for my self Thirdly Look a little on Jesus Christ whom thou hast pierced that thou mayst Look on Jesus Christ mourn Zach. 12. 10 Look on him and what thy hard heart hath done unto him thy hard heart it was which crucified him which pierced him which shed his precious blood And now hearken what Jesus Christ saith unto thee O hard-hearted sinner thy sins have put my soul to grief thy sins have drawn tears from mine eyes and blood from my heart Thou hast been very cruel to me I will not be so to thee lo I offer my self unto thee and my blood unto thee it shall wash thee from all thy sins it shall make thy peace it shall save thy soul if yet thou wilt no more harden thy heart but forsake thy sins and receive my offers Methinks this cannot but bow and melt thee if this doth not what will if the love of Christ if the blood of Christ will not nothing will They say that the blood of the Lamb is that which can soften the Adamant if any thing will work on will melt an hard heart it is the blood which came from the heart of Christ Fourthly If at any time the power of God appear on thy heart in meditation or hearing or praying or affections or secret workings of his Spirit that it begins to yield to hearken and consider to relent to soften 1. Do not dash and quench these by sinning by unbelief or by wicked security 2. But cherish them work with these workings keep them up raise them up Quest 3. How may one know that he is cured of a stony and hard heart at the How may one know that he is cured least that the cure is beginning Sol. The resolution of this question hath reference unto the second Proposition viz. that God promiseth to take away the heart of stone from his people but to speak unto the question as it now falls First When hardness of heart is cured or curing there is instantly wrought a By a spiritual sensation spiritual sensation such a sight and such a feeling as the poor sinner never had the like in all his life Simile As when a man is delivered from a deadly palsie he begins to feel and complain of the benummedness and heaviness of his limbs saith he What ails my arms and my feet I can hardly stir them there is scarce life in them nor sense nor motion So when the Lord is curing any sinner of the hardness of his heart he begins to see and feel and complain O saith he What a hard heart have I what a sinful and wretched heart I have heard of a proud and stout heart of a careless and unbelieving heart of an hard and rebellious heart of an impenitent and obstinate heart alas my heart hath been and it is all this O what an untoward heart do I feel in my self to any good what an unyielding heart to any thing which God commands and an unwilling heart to part with sin what a gain-saying heart to stoop to Christ this my heart I now feel to be like the flint the Iron the Adamant no man hath such an insensible hard heart as I. This is the first evidence of the cure of an hard heart viz. the sensibleness of the unsensibleness and hardness of the heart Secondly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will By judging of himself and sins in another manner judge of his ââns and of himself so as he did never before He looks on his sinful heart as on a root of gall and wormewood and he looks on his sinful ways and doings as vile and cursed and wonders at himself what he meant to be so forward to sin and to be so obstinate in sinning and to be so desperately profane as to contend with God in slighting the knowledge of him in refusing to hearken unto him in opposing of his Word in rejecting all the gracious and saving offers of Christ O my madness and folly O my pride and misery to forsake my meâcies for lying vanities to pitch on hell rather than heaven to love darkness rather than light O how jâst were it with God to reject me who have rejected him and never to hear me calling upon him who have so often turned away my ears from hearing him when calling upon me I am the chiefest of sinners
and unworthy of any mercy Lord be merciful to me a sinner Thirdly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then conscience recovers Conscience recovers it seââ in all its offices it self in all its offices and operations it was 1. Asleep before but now it is awakened it was 2. Dead before but now it is alive it was 3. Silent before but now it speaks and now it shews it self with wonderful authority and power First Now it is an Accuser These have been your sins Secondly Now it is a witness in testifying against thee that thou wast guilty at such a time and in such a place and in such company Thirdly Now it is a Judge and condemns the sinner Wrath belongs to thee fâom which thou shalt never escape unless thou get into Christ Fourthly And now it wounds and troubles the sinner for what he hath done thou didst withstand such means of grace and thou didst resist such strivings of Gods Spirit and thou didst scorn and mock at the Word of God and thou didst hate instruction and reproof and thou didst therefore harden thy heart and wouldst commit such and such sins because thy sins were discovered and reproved c. Fourthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will not The sinner will make out for counsel rest in the sense of his miserable condition but out he goes for counsel to this Minister and that Minister and there he cries out with tears O Sirs what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. I have slighted God and I have despised you and mock't at your counsel the good Lord forgive it me I now see what I saw not before and my heart is over-whelmed within me I know not what to do what way to take for the Lords sake shew me the way of life and mercy and peace Fifthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then there is a special teachableness He is become teachable and tractableness fallen into the heart of a sinner the man can now hear reason and he is content to receive the Law from the mouth of God his slighting mocking despising spirit is departed from him and now it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. and now it is Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk Psal 143. 8. Whiles hardness prevails upon the heart no word of mercy no work of affliction no command of God no counsel of man can do any thing but the sinner will hold on in his sinful way come of it what will but when hardness is off then the heart becomes like a tender branch you may bend it which way you will or like the soft wax which presently receives the impression Speak but one word Take heed do not such a thing it is evil the heart presently flies off Have a care do such a work the Lord requires it at your hands presently the heart yields it stands in awe of the Word Sixthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then all the dealings The dealings of God will work kindly of God will work kindly and effectually upon thee When thou hearest the threatnings of God thy heart will tremble and melt as Josias did when thou seest the judgement of God thy heart will lament and mourn as Davids did when the Lord meets thee in a way of affliction thy heart will humble it self and bow before the Lord when the Lord shews thee any mercy and blessings thy heart will receive them with tears O how good is God to me a sinner when the Lord reveals himself in his Covenant and Promise and sets out himself in the exceeding riches of his grace and love and mercy why thy bowels are stirred within thee and tears do trickle down thine eyes and longings rise up in thy heart O Lord that thou wouldst be my portion Seventhly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner He will never be quiet till he have Christ will never be quiet untill he hath Christ and untill he can see God to be at peace with him and reconciled in Christ There is no hoâ with a broken and tender heart without a Christ and without a reconciled God Lord give me Christ and Lord take away iniquity and Lord receive me graciously O he is now sensible what a sinner he hath been and what injuries God hath received from him and what God may do against him and what need he hath of a Christ to make peace for him and therefore his soul is impatient and strives and wrestles for Christ and the distressed man indeed is become willing to part with all so that he may have his part in Christ and Gods reconciled favour Eighthly What shall I say more when hardness of heart is cured or curing He hath a singular aptitude to prayer the sinner will find a singular aptitude to prayer and his great delight will be to be with God unto whom he can now open himself with enlarged confessions and with floods of tears and grief even for an heart to be given unto him to mourn and bewail his sins and to obey c. and that he would never suffer his heart to harden it self any more Ninthly When hardness of heart is cured or is curing there will be A singular fear to sin then a singular fear to sin against God any more the man would not live and do as formerly for all the world How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. How shall we live in sin any longer Rom. 6. 2. Ezek. 36. 26. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh You have heard something of the first Proposition vâ That there is a stoninesse or hardnesse of heart in every man naturallyiz I now proceed to the second Proposition which is this CHAP. X. The stony heart taken away 2. Doct. THat God will take away that hardness of heart from his people I God takes away hardness of heart from his people will take away the stony heart out of your flesh you have the same promise in Ezek. 11. 19. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh For the opening of this Point I would speak unto these Particulars 1. The manner how God takes away the hardness of heart from his people 2. Why the Lord will do so 3. How this can be affirmed seeing there doth remain much hardness of heart in the people of God SECT I. Quest 1. THe manner how God takes away the hardnesse of heart from his The meanes how God takes it away peeople Sol. For Answer unto this remember that hardness of heart may be taken away 1. Preparatively 2. Effectually 3. Successively 4. Perfectly and compleatly First The Lord takes away the hardness of heart Preparatively when he lets in such a powerful work of his Spirit by the Law which doth
both convince Preparatively and break the heart of a sinner The Spirit by the Law doth let in the sense of sin and wrath which is irresistible upon the Conscience which is of that authority and force that it rents the heart and fills it with fear and trembling and astonishment This is that which the Schoolmen call Attrition And our Divines usually stile Legal preparation and the Scripture the spirit and bondage whereby all the powers and presumptions and confidences of the soule are shaken and the heart is made so sensible of its transgressions that it quakes and trembles and hath no rest nor peace but is filled with bitterness and terror and cries out with woful complaints I have undone my self I have sinned I have sinned and what will become of me I feel the wrath of God and what shall I do to be delivered I cannot live thus and I dare not dye thus if the Lord shew me not mercy I perish for ever Secondly The Lord takes away the hardness of the heart Effectually and this Effectually he doth when he diâsolves and melts the stonyness of the heart It is one thing to break a stone into pieces and it is another thing to melt a stone as it were into water Simile The Lord doth by the Law break the stony and stout heart of a sinner but he melts and dissolves the heart by the Gospel and on this wise he doth dissolve and melt it 1. By revealing of mercy and hope of mercy to the broken and distressed sinner thus and thus hast thou âânned against me and now thou seest and findest it to be an evil and bitter thing to slight my Word and resist my Spirit and to harden thy heart thou art now fallen into the hands of the living God and I can make all my wrath to fall on thee and to destroy thee at once for all thy rebellions But I am the Lord merciful and gracious I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn and live Lo I have given mine own Son Jesus Christ to dye for sinners and I have said that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3 16. Therefore go thou broken-hearted sinner go thou unto him and be saved accept of him and thou shalt find mercy to pardon all that is past he is able to save thee to the uttermost and he is a merciful High Priest O how this works on that sinner but is it possible that there should be such a surpassing goodness in God what and to such a proud and stout-hearted sinner as I have been what mercy to one who hath so often slighted mercy and Christ for one who hath so often refused Christ this begins to melt the hard heart of the sinner 2. By the offer of mercy and particular invitation of the broken-hearted sinner to lay hold on it The Lord Jesus comes as it were to the very house of this sinner and knocks at the door and saith Here dwells a broken-hearted sinner and my Father hath sent me to him that I may save his poor soul Come come unto me be not afraid I my self do call thee to come unto me And I do assure thee in the word of a Saviour that I will not reject thee but I will pity and help and refresh thee I will answer for thy sins and I will make thy peace though thou hast been very wicked I will not stand upon that and though thou art utterly unworthy yet I will not stand on that neither only receive me and I will be thine and mercy and salvation shall be thine freely and aâsuredly 3. By the collation of Faith which makes the sinner willingly and really to close with Christ The Lord by his Spirit doth enable the broken-hearted sinner to receive Jesus Christ and to take livery and seizin of a reconciled merciful loving blessing God in and by him And now the apprehension and possession of all this rich mercy and great love and exceeding goodness of God in Christ melts and dissolves the stonyness of the heart this works in him a tenderness a mournfulness a pliableness and all that is contrary to hardness of heart Thirdly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people successively Successively or by degrees indeed the dominion of it is taken away in an instant as soon as ever the sinner is brought into Christ as soon as he is called and converted the raigning power of hardness is taken away the man shall never have such a stubborn opposing resisting base heart any longer But yet the grudging of the stone the remaining gravel the reliques of hardness are taken away by degrees the remaining hardnesse the Lord takes away First one while by Afflictions Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word Secondly Another while by mercies and kindnesses Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my Covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant Ver. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed So Hose 3. 5. Afterwards shall the Children return and seek the Lord and shall fear the Lord and his goodness Thirdly Sometimes by his Word and Ordinances which are like Refining fire to melt and purge away our dross How frequently do the people of God find the Word of God to be the power of God to melt away their carelesness and their indisposition of heart and deadness of heart and backwardness and unruliness of heart Fourthly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people perfectly and compleatly Root and Branch so that no part of it and no degree of it shall Perfectly ever be found in their hearts any more This shall be done in the very moment of death when we come to the dissolution of soul and body we shall then come to the perfect dissolution of all hardness and of all remaining sinfulness of heart Quest 2. Now to the second question why the Lord will take away the stony Why God takes away the stony heart and that by promise The Lord will do it that They may be his people heart from his people and why he himself doth undertake it by promise Sol. The Lord will take away the heart of stone from his people That First They may be his people and receive him for their God and Lord Beloved as long as hardness of heart prevails on any people it is impossible that they should become the people of the Lord they will not hearken to his voice nor obey his voice nor receive his Laws nor fall in with his offers and entreaties but will reject his Word and despise his counsel and will follow the lusts of their own hearts and therefore of necessity the Lord must take away the hardness of heart if he will have any people to be his people he must break down the pride and stoutness and resistance
them When did you ever see any ungodly hardened sinner judging himself for his hard heart and begging of the Lord to heal it or willingly applying himself to a ãâã heart-breaking Ministery c. SECT II. Vse 1. DOth the Lord promise that he will take away the stony heart from his people and doth he really do so in his time Hence it will follow First Then they are none of the people of God whose stony heart doth They are none of the people of God whose hard heart is not removed still abide in them and compleatly raign in them and then in what a wofull condition are many people â fear amongst our selves e. g. All those who are unsensible of their sinful estate all those who incorrigibly go on in their sinful wayes all those who were never wrought on by the Word of Christ all those who oppose and reject and slight the Word in the threatnings and precepts thereof all those who do continue impenitent and unbelieving notwithstanding all the offers and invitations of grace c. Secondly Then no marvel that the people of God are of another spirit and The people of God are of another spirit than other men of another temper than the common sort of people are that they dare not run into the same excesse of riot with others nor live so as other men do live that they are so much altered as to themselves Heretofore they were frequent in swearing and now they fear an oath heretofore they made nothing of great transgressions and now a small sin even a little neglect carelesness remisness doth exceedingly disquiet and deject their hearts heretofore they could neglect the Word as well as others and scoff at it and refuse to be ordered by it but now they stand in awe of the Word they are presently bound up by it and wholly moulded and fashioned and ruled by it The reason of all this is because God doth take away the hardnesse of our hearts c. Thirdly Then it is no sign of an evil estate to be troubled for our own sins or for the sins of others David did water his couch for his own sins Psal 6. 6. It is no sign of an evil state to be troubled for our sins And rivers of tears did fall from his eyes for the sins of other men Psal 119. 136. When your former sins are your grief and your present sins are your burden and future sins are your fear and other mens sins are your sorrow this is a clear evidence that the stony heart is taken away and therefore you stand in relation to God as his people To sin and not to be troubled for sin is a sign of an hard heart and of an evil condition but to fear sin and to be grieved for sinning this is a signe of a changed and broken heart They are not to be blamed who oppose Heresies and blaspâemies Fourthly Then it is very unjust to accuse and discountenance any of the people of God as ill affected for this reason only Because they do oppose the Heresâes and blasphemies of these times and because they doe so earnestly contend for the Gospel and Ordinances of Christ by Prayers and tears and speaking and writing c. Why are you angry with them that God hath taken away from them the heart of stone must we be sensible of Gods dishonour or must we not And if if Christ wept at the hardness of heart in Jerusalem because she would not receive the Gospel is there not much more reason to weep and pray because of the hardness nay of the desperateness of any man who endeavours to pull down and extirpate the Gospel I say the Gospel in which all the love and goodness of God is revealed and in which all the glory of Christ is interested and in which all the salvation of poor sinners souls is so necessarily concerned Vse 2. Will the Lord take away the heart of stone from his people what Blesse God for this cause then have those people to bless the Lord who do find this cure wrought in their hearts O it is an unspeakable mercy and favour whether you respect the evil from which you are delivered or else the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart First If that you do consider the evill from which you are delivered by being In respect of the evil from which you are delivered delivered from an hard hâart One saith it is the greatest sin in the world another saith it is the greatest judgement in the world Certainly it is one of the strongest holds of sin and it was the hardness of heart which kept up all the power of your sins and all the sinful practâses it was the foundation of your long impenitency you had long ere this repented had not your hearts been hardned If the Lord had not in wonderful mercy by his exceeding power of grace taken away the hardness of your hearts your souls would never have been brought in to Christ but you would have gon on in your sins and dyed in your sins and been damned for your sins And yet again that after the long reâstance of Gods grace offers of mercy callings of the Gospel strivings and resistings of his Spirit the Lord shall pass by all this and mercifully cure thy foolish proud stout self-destroying soul O what mercy was this and what grace was this And the good which falls in with it Secondly If you do likewise consider the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart certainly you have great cause to blesse God c. e. g. 1. An immediate receptivity or capacity to have the Law or will of God written and engraven on your hearts Simile as when the wax is softned it is thereby made capable of any impression 2. A spring of repentance is set up in the heart to bewail all our sins and transgressions and fear to transgress any more 3. An obediential principle appears in making of us ready and willing to comply with the precepts of God liberty and ability c. 4. The great work of Faith to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts 5. Affectionate communions with God and a special delight in his presence and Ordinances and Services 6. A liberty and confidences in our accesses unto the throne of grace 7. In one word a newnesse of heart and a newness of relation unto God as our God and Father All these flow in upon the soul when God takes away the hardness of the heart and in time all the good of the Covenant and therefore unquestionably you have great obligations lying on your hearts to blesse God if he doth take away the hardness of your hearts Object I will some say no question it is a great blessing to be delivered from an hard heart but we feare it is not so with us for we finde sometimes such 1. A strange indisposition to what is good 2.
when fervency daily degenerates into formality surely tenderness is falling into hardness of heart Watchlesness over the spirit Fifthly A watchlesnesse over the spirit or soul it is not minded observed lookt unto in its motions affections transactions as formerly but the guard is drawn off there is less fear and more security less diligent care and more loose presumption The man was wont to keep his heart with all diligence narrowly observing the passages and workings of his Spirit the inclinations of his heart temptations of Satan behaviours of every day alone and in company and accordingly did apply himself with variety of petitions to God and humbled himself for what was amiss and renewed his strength in the Lord for the time to come O but now it is not thus the precious soul is neglected the City is not watched the thoughts and affections and actions are not observed the poor man is asleep and drowsie and his spirituall frame is impaired and he considers it not 2ly The sadnesse of this condition The sadness of this condition It is an evill distemper First It is a very evil and naughty distemper an hard heart softning that is good but the soft hardning again that 's very evil Was it good to tremble at the Word what is it now not to be moved by the Word was it good to think of sin and mourn what is it now to hear of thy sins and not to be troubled at all was it good to act duties with affections and life what is it now to neglect the duties or to act them with a heavy and careless Spirit There are four things which shew this hardning to be very evil 1. The marvellous ingratitude in it that the Lord should shew so much mercy to heal the disease and yet you relapse into it again 2. There is an express self-condemnation why you were exceedingly troubled at the hardness of your hearts and prayed against it and sought the prayers of others and now to harden your hearts again 3. There is presumption in it you do tempt the Lord by it Do you mean to continue in this case then you are undone do you mean to come out of it why do you then tempt the Lord by falling into it and presuming on his grace to recover you 4. If you look not speedily to your selves where think you will this hardning end perhaps in some great desertion perhaps in some great transgression perhaps in some exceeding great and long trouble of conscience Secondly It is a very uncomfortable condition How is thy Sun eclipsed It is a very uncomfortable condition and thy Spring cut off what is become of that spirit of Prayer what is become of that excellent assurance of which thou hast so much spoken where is that sweetly excusing testimony of Conscience what is become of that joy in the Holy Ghost and that peace with which thou wast wont to work Ah! thou hast suffered thy heart to harden again and God looks not on thee as he was wont and Conscience speaks not as it was wont and the Spirit of God manifests not himself as he was wont and Ordinances smile not on thee as they were wont nor doth Providence shine upon thy Tabernacle as it was wont But instead of these thou meetest with many a sharp affliction with many piercing reproofs with many a sad item and reckoning and scourges which no man knows and feels in the sting and bitterness of it but thou thy self Thirdly It is a very formal and empty estate how may it grieve thee to see It is an empty state a fruitless Vintage of thy soul Tell me what returns hast thou had all this while that this hardning distemper hath been upon thee thou hearest carelesly and negligently what hast thou been the better for all the Sermons which thou hast heard thou prayest coldly and formally and what good hath returned upon thy soul after them thou hast had no trading all this while at heaven how dull must grace be which is not used and how decaying must thy Spiritual strength be which all this while recovers no more strength Fourthly It is a very dangerour posture though it be not absolute Apostacy It is a dangerous posture yet it looks toward it Though I will not say that it is the turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse yet it bends towards it Though it be not falling from grace and though it be not a forsaking of God yet unquestionably it is a gâieving of God and a provoking of him and for which he may very far leave a person 3ly Directions in this case for recovery Directions for recovery Finde out the cause First By all means find out the cause or causes of the hardning observe well 1. What conscience tells thee in thy bed at night or in the day of fear and affliction or in a day of Solemn Humiliation or in the meditation of thy short appearances before God 2. What the Word of God hints and points at in thee at what it levels and strikes there is an arrow some time or other shot which falls into thy very heart a message that is secretly delivered in way of conviction and reproof which saith Thou art the man and this is thy way and thy doings 3. What thy faithful and watchful friends say unto thee what their suspicions and fears are and unto what their friendly counsels do tend A thousand to one but some of these things which I shall mention have brought on thee this new hardness upon thy heart 1. Either spiritual pride this hath made thee to neglect thy watch and to neglect the Ordinances 2. Or a worldly surfet thou hast been taking in too much of the world and worldly business and this hath robbed thee of thy precious time to converse at heaven to meditate to examine to read to hear to pray to confer with thy Fellow-Christians 3. Or the deceitfulness of sin Thou hast ventured on lesser sins and they have ensnared thee and drawn thee to greater sins and these have brought upon thee the hardness of thy heart again c. Secondly When you have found out the spiritual causes by which your hearts Judge your selves and repent have been hardned then judge your selves and repent remember from whence thou art fallen and repent said Christ unto Ephesus Rev. 2. 5. Nay do not stay to look when this hardning will fall off from thee but hasten but compel thy self to retiredness and to a penitential consideration of thy hardning with the causes of it and the great evils in it and fall down before the Lord in humble confessions of thy great back-slidings and poure out prayer upon prayer O wrestle with the Father of mercies for his Christs sake to pity and pardon and heal and once more to cure and recover thee Follow on to seek the Lord though he doth secretly upbraid thee though for a while he delays thee though to thy
apprehension thy heart is more hardned yet pray and yet pray that God would heal thy back-slidings Praise the Lord in the Name of Christ presenting his Covenant unto him wherein he promiseth to take away the heart of stone And this contains in it not only the natural or original hardness of heart but also the accidental contracted hardness by his people the Covenant of taking away the heart of stone extends to both of them O Lord cure this hardning as well as the former hardness I have hardned the heart which thou hast softned O do thou soften the heart which I have hardned revive thy work and quicken my almost dead heart restore my soul and recover my ancient estimations affections tenderness love fear care zeal c. Thirdly If the Lord at length begins to make thy heart to relent by Bless God for any softning his Word or by his Rod or by his Spirit O bless his Name He is come he is come said the Martyr so c. get thee into a corner help on the spring pump the water when the water comes enlarge thy confession abound now in supplications Fourthly Be earnest with God to pardon thee and to give thee assurance of the pardoning Be earnest for pardon and assurance of this hardning and be importunate with him for it I tell thee such a gracious assurance will presently soften and melt thy soul assuredly raise and restore thy soul to those careful and tender communions with God and watchful walking with him Fifthly When you are recovered then bless God and keep up tenderness Keep up tenderness of heart of heart and beware of suffering hardnesse to grow upon your hearts again Quest What is to be done for this Sol. I answer First Never trust hardning causes any more as Eliphas spake in Joh. 15. Never trust hardning causes 31. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence After your great humblings and prayings and wrestlings and prevailings with God do not now go and tamper with sinne and sinful occasions again and do not go and over-world your selves again and do not go and renew familiarity with wicked company again and do not neglect the Ordinances any more c. If you do you will harden your hearts more than ever Secondly If at any time you do espy any hardness creeping and rising Resist hardness returning upon your spirits O make a present resistance and wrestle against it even unto present victory When you pray if you finde coldness and formality in your spirit O stirre up Prayer stirre up the heart and stirre up the graceâ Simile blow the spark break the ice when it begins to harden c. Thirdly Be often in the search of your hearts and keep a daily and Search your hearts often strict watch over them and your ways Blessed is the man that feareth always Prov. 28. 14. Fourthly Constantly and seriously attend the Ordinances which do beget Attend the Ordinances and preserve and encrease softness and tenderness of heart Ezek. 36. 26. And I will give you an heart of flesh I Have finished two Propositions already from these words viz. 1. That there is a natural hardness in every mans heart 2. That God will take away that stonynesse or hardnesse of heart from his people I shall now proceed unto the third and last Proposition from the Text which is this CHAP. XI God gives a heart of flesh Doct. 3. THat God will not only take away the heart of stone from his people All the people of God have a softned heart given them but also he will give them an heart of flesh or that all the people of God have soft and tender hearts given unto them And by the way before I insist upon this Point observe two things 1. That Gods works in restoring and renewing of man are noâ terminated in Privatives or Negatives but they are Positive also and Collative Evill is removed and good contrary to that evill comes in the place of it He doth take away the old heart and also he gives a new heart he takes away the heart of stone and also he gives an heart of flesh He takes away ignorance and gives knowledge he takes away pride and gives humility God is a wise and perfect Agent he will not only deface and abolish Satans Image but also he will repair his own Image he will not only root up what is evil but also he will plant and lay foundations and build up Therefore have a care of your selves that you be not deceived in the judgement of your conditions you are not so wicked as you were but what good is wrought in your hearts what contrary quality unto the former evil c 2. That as to the conversion or change of the sinner all the work rests on God he doth all he works all if the heart of stone be to be removed he must do that work he must take it away and if the heart of flesh be to be enjoyed he must also do that work he must give unto us the heart of flesh power against evil and power to any good all from God we are the Patients he is the Agent we are the receivers he is the giver you cannot take away the hardness of your own hearts nor can you give unto your selves an heart of flesh both of them are the work of God These things being briefly premised I now come to the Proposition it self viz. That the people of God are the people of soft and tender hearts God gives unto them unto every one of them an heart of flesh i. e. a tender and soft heart An heart of flesh in this place stands in opposition to the heart of stone to the unsensible unmournful stubborn unyielding resisting heart and it notes a sensible mourning relenting yielding complying tender teachable and tractable heart But for the opening of this excellent Point I shall discusse these three Questions 1. What this heart of flesh is what this soft and tender heart is 2. How it may appear that the people of God are a people of soft and tender hearts 3. Why the Lord gives such an heart to all his people SECT I. Quest 1. VVHat this heart of flesh is or what the soft and tender What a heart of flesh is heart is Sol. To understand this you must remember that there is a fourfold softness A fourfold softness or tenderness First One is Natural and this is that which we call commonly a good nature Natural and tender disposition and a softly spirit on which any thing is apt to work any harsh word any sad news any affliction any cross any thing that hath the notion of calamitous or grievous This tenderness or softnes is not the soft heart here in the Text for 1. It is no heavenly quality nor is it let in by heavenly means a man never got this tenderness by praying or
Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes Isa 2. 3. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33. But many people they have no desire to hear the Word nor any heart to be taught by the Word Nay they think the Word is much beholding to them if they will vouchsafe him an hours time to come and hear have these men tender hearts to please God who care not at all to know the mind of God Secondly They will not walk according to the rules and prescriptions of it but They will not walk according to it esteem of them as burthens which they would cast off and as cords which they would break asunder Psal 2. 3. or as superfluous niceties and preciseness which they need not to regard Their wills are absolutely incomplying with the will of God and condemning the will of God and perking up above the will of God Can any rational man imagine that such persons have soft and tender hearts to fear the Lord to obey his voice whose heart will not yield to his Word nor submit at all unto it Object But will some say Are there any such men Sol. 1. There have been such amongst those to whom the Word hath come Jer. 44. 16. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee And ver 4. I sent unto you all my Prophets saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate ver 5. But they harkned not nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness to burn incense to other gods ver 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouthes c. Zach. 7. 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hâsts Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother ver 10. and oppress not the widow or the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart ver 11. But they refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Secondly And there are such amongst our selves who will not conform unto the will of God nor obey his Word The Lord saith swear not at all Matth. 5. 34. but they will swear by their faith and by their troth and by the creatures c. The Lord commands every man everywhere to repent Acts 17. 30. but they will not leave their sins he that was proud is proud still and he that was filthy is filthy still and he that was drunken is drunken still The Lord commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but men will not hearken to the Lord in this they will have their delights and will sell their wares and will have their pastimes and meetings on that day c. The Lord commands Parents to teach and instruct their children and to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord and Governours of Families to set up his worship and fear in their houses but men will not do this c. The Lord commands us all to walk strictly and circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. and according to the rule Gal. 6. 16. But we will not be bound up to the straight path of life we will allow our selves such a loosnesse of Opinion and such a loosness of speaking and such a loosness of walking which the Lord doth not only not allow but expresly forbids and condems in his Word assuredly this is farre from the frame of tender and soft hearts Thirdly They do slight and mock at the threatnings of the Word and misuse They slight the threatnings of the Word the Messengers of the Lord Isa 21. 11. Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night Jer. 23. 23. What is the burden of the Lord Chap. 5. 12. They have belyed the Lord and said It is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine Jer. 6. 10. Behold the Word of the Lord is a reproach unto them 2 Chron. 36. 16. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said These men are full of new wine Unquestionably such men as these are far from softness and tenderness of heart which when any have it they do fear the Word of the Lord and do tremble at his threatnings Nevertheless we do find it among our selves that many persons do slight and mock at the reproofs and threatnings of the Word and do misuse the Messengers of God when reproving their sins and applying those threatnings which God himself hath denounced against them for their sinnings As like Solomons fool they do make a mock of sin so like those hardned Jews they do make but a mock of Gods threatnings for their sins despise and laugh at them whereas they should humble their hearts under them and repent of their sins that so they may avoid that wrath which God threatens them for their sinnings Fourthly They will not be brought under the obedience of it let the Lord do what he will Hose 6. 5. I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slain them by They will not be obedient to the Word the words of my mouth and thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth ver 7. But they like men have transgressed the Covenant there have they dealt treacherously against me Zeph. 3. 5. Every morning doth he bring his judgement to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame ver 6. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passe by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is no inhabitant ver 7. I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwellings should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings Thirdly By untowardlinesse and untractablenesse of their hearts under all the mercies By untractablenesse under mercies of God and all the merciful dealings of God Beloved that man is certainly under the dominion of hardness of heart and without all softness and tendernesse on whom no mercies of God will work why nothing will work if mercy will not work Now there are six choice merciful dealings of God which yet work not to any purpose on the hearts of many men viz. 1. Gods merciful Providence 2. Gods merciful Treaties 3. Gods merciful Strivings 4. Gods merciful Waitings 5. Gods merciful Warnings 6 Gods merciful Repentings First Gods merciful Providence in manifold nay in daily fruits of preservation His merciful Providences and deliverance of goodness and blessings the Lord it is who gives us life and all things that pertain to life he feeds our bellies and clothes our backs and maintains our health and multiplies our seed sowen and makes us to prosper and thrive
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the âord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
to perswade you to get a soft and tender heart 2ly I will shew you the way and means to compass and enjoy it 1. The Motives to get a soft and tender heart First The possibility of getting this heart God can give it therefore it is Motives The possibility of it possible to get it God can take away the heart of stone and he can give the heart of flesh Again God hath promised to give it therefore it is possible why should any one think it more impossible for God to give any spiritual good which he hath promised then to give any outward good which he hath promised he having as much power and willingness and faithfulness to perform spiritual promises as he hath to perform temporal promises Nay once more he hath given this soft and tender heart do you not read in Scripture and do you not find in your own experiences many persons of soft and tender hearts and who but God hath made their hearts soft it was God who subdued the pride and stoutness and hardness and rebellion of their hearts and it was God who made their hearts humble and sensible and mournful and teachable and plyable is not God as able as willing as powerful now as ever he was Secondly The necessity of having this heart can you be saved without it what will become of an hardened sinner of the disobedient sinner of the sinner The necessity of it that doth and will walk contrary unto God that will not hearken unto him shall heaven open to to let him into glory who will not open his heart to let in grace can you be brought into this without it if your hearts continue hardened will they not continue unbelieving and if they continue unbelieving will they not continue Christless and if they continue Christless will they not continue hopeless Ephes 2. 12. Without Christ having no hope For Collos 1. 27. It is Christ in you the hope of glory can you find pardon of your sinnes without it Do you find in all the Bible pardon of sins either conferred or promised unto the hardened sinner wrath and destruction are threatned unto unto that sinner but mercy and forgiveness are promised only to the soft and mourning and tenderhearted penitent Thus you see that there is a necessity to get this soft and tender heart if you will be saved if you will have Christ or be Christs and if you will be pardoned Ergo. Thirdly The excellency of this heart As an hard heart is a base heart so The excellency of it the soft and tender heart is an excellent heart Pharach stands upon Record for a hard heart and it is his infamy as long as the world lasts And Josiah stands upon Record for a person of a tender heart and it will remain for his glory as long as the world continues There are five things which are a mans glory and excellency 1. One that he belongs to God in a special relation that God is his Father and that he is one of the children of God why the person of a soft and tender heart is indeed in this relation he is in Covenant with God God is his God and Father and he is a child of God 2. A second that he is a new creature that new creature is an excellent creature he is a glorious creature he is changed into the glorious image of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. And made partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Now every person whose heart God hath made soft and tender he is a new creature God hath changed his heart which was a heart of stone but now is made an heart of flesh 3. A third that he is an humble person Humility is an ornament and God much esteems of the humble and puts honour upon them and will give grace to them but he abhors and resists the proud Now every tender-hearted person is an humble person and the more softness of heart there is the more humbleness of heart there is they alwayes go together as hardness of heart and pride do David Hezekiah Josiah Job Paul the Publican the Prodigal were persons of soft hearts and of humble hearts 4. A fourth that he is one who loves the Lord exceedingly Is not this a mans honour and excellency to love his God! O love the Lord all ye Saints Psal 31. Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul c. Simile Is it not an honour to the wife that she loves her husband and to any of us to love our friend and to the child that he loves his father Thus doth every person of a soft and tender heart he loves his God he fears to sin and offend his God why he loves him and he is zealous against any dishonour done to God why because he loves him 5. A fifth that he is obedient to the voice and will of God ready to hearken ready to follow willing to obey careful to come up fully to the mind and command of God Is not this our honour and our excellency Speak Lord for thy servant heareth And O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Surely it is a shame and reproach to be disobedient to God For 1. Sam. 15. 22. To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Lambs Ver. 23. But rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry And certainly the tender heart is an obedient heart very ready to receive the Law from the mouth of God Fourthly The Benefits and helpfulness of this heart It would be of wonderful use and advantage unto you sundry wayes The benefits of a tender heart A help to repentance 1. It would be an help to repentance both initial and renewed It would help you to repent of your old sinful course of life to bring you off from it with shame and grief it would not suffer you to continue in such wayes of dishonouring God any longer but would hasten and compel you out of it with grief and detestation you would quickly cast away your sins as a menstruous cloth saying Get ye hence if the heart were once made soft and tender it would recover you out of particular falls you would quickly see and acknowledge them and bewail them and return to your first husband and do your first works if you had but soft and tender hearts as David Hezekiah Peter and the Church of Ephesus c. 2. It would be a dayly preservative against sin and temptations unto sin A preservative against sin tenderness is the foundation of fear and fear is the Guardian of the soul against sin No man is more secured against sin than the man of tenderness and of faith and of fear as the hardened sinner is presumptuous and will venture on any sin and on the occasions thereof so a tender heart is fearful of the least sin and
and to rest on his Arm acknowledging that our standing and safety is not in our strength but in the presence and influence of his grace 2ly The Means how to compass a soft and tender heart The Means First You must go to the Lord by Prayer for it a sinner can harden his own Beg it by prayer heart but God only can soften the heart If four things were wrought in the heart it would be soft and tender viz. 1. An experimental Sensation 2. A mournful Humiliation 3. A spirit of Fear 4. An yieldingness and plyableness of the heart to the will of God Object True will some say but who can work these things in the heart Sol. That can God and he hath promised to work every one of them in our hearts if we do earnestly and unfeignedly seek him 1. He can make us to see to feel to remember to consider our sins and our doings which have not been good Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me c. Job 13. 26. Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed 2. He can make the heart mourning and humbling and lamenting Zac. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. Ezek. 7. 16. All of them mourning every one for his iniquity 3. He can put his fear in their hearts Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts And Hose 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness 4. He can make the heart yielding and plyable unto his Word and Will Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Secondly You must to his Word which is the hammer to break and the fire to Attend the Word melt the heart Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do 2 Chron. 34. 27. Thou diddest humble thy self before God when thou heardest his Word c. Object But many men hear the Word and that a long time and yet their hearts are not at all softned by it therefore it cannot be a means to soften the heart Sol. I answer 1. It is true that many men do hear the Word and for many years and are not softned but their hearts are more hardned under it nevertheless this induration comes not from the Word which is a means to soften but from the pride and perverseness of the hearts of men who do hear the Word but will despise and reject the Word 2. It is also true that though many men have not their hearts softned by the Word yet many others have their hearts softned by it Simile as although many who take Physick are nothing better by it yet many who do so are recovered by it and this we find by experience that though the Word be the savour of death unto death unto some yet it is the savour of life unto life unto others And as we must not conclude that the Word is not the means of saving faith because all that hear the Word do not believe so neither must we deny the Word as a means to soften the heart because many who do hear it do remain hardned but if we find First that God hath instituted his Word for such a purpose and end Secondly That God hath blessed his Word and made it effectual to that purpose Thirdly Doth call even sinners to come and attend that they may attain that blessing depending upon this Word And lastly that without the attendance upon the Word there is no enjoyment of that softness of heart but a greater access and confirmation of hardness of heart Thence we may confidently conclude that the Word of God is a means to soften the heart But 3. You must know that the efficacy of spiritual means doth not depend upon the meer presence of the means but upon the concomitancy and influence of the Spirit of God who sometimes doth put forth his power through those means and sometimes doth not so The Word by its own natural and proper vigour doth not convince nor convert nor soften the heart for then every one that hears it should be convinced and converted and softned nor then should it be a means but a principal efficient but those effects it doth work on all who hear it when the Spirit of God comes with the Word unto their hearts in his mighty power working that grace in us which the Word commands from us And therefore when we come to hear the Word to have our hearts softned we should look on the Word as the means but withall on the Spirit of God as the principal cause who works that effect by the Word nor should we ever hear the Word without special prayer and requests that the Lord would by his Spirit make his Word a lively and effectual means of knowledge of faith of all grace unto us and if we did do so the Lord would be found of us and he would give this softness of heart which he promiseth in his Covenant Thirdly If you would have softness of heart you must then get newness of Get newnesse of heart heart Your hearts can never be softned untill they be renewed and if they were renewed certainly they would be softned The old heart is an hard heart and the new heart is a soft heart You may as well expect that a dead man should weep and mourn and go and come as that an old sinful heart dead in trespasses and sins should be a soft and mournful heart for sins or be willing and ready to obey the will of God why hardness in all the causes of it and in all the effects of it is predominant and raigning in an unconverted graceless heart But if the heart were once changed by renewing grace then softness must needs fall into it Forasmuch as the change made by renewing grace brings into the soul another nature quite contrary to our sinful nature and other principles quite contrary to all our old principles Light contrary to darkness and humblenesse contrary to pride and yieldingness contrary to stubbornnesse and softnesse contrary unto hardness Fourthly if we would have softnses or tenderness of heart then we must get Faith for faith is indeed the foundation of a soft and tender heart and the Get Faith more of Faith the more of tenderness Quest What Faith will some say Sol. I answer a Faith 1. Of Knowledge or Credence that God is that he is a great God the living God the Almighty God the dreadful God most knowing most holy most righteous and faithful who will be so to us as his Word
you all things Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father c. Whence it is thus argued That Comforter which proceedeth from the Father and the Son is the person of the Holy Ghost but that Comforter dwelleth and abideth in us Ergo the person of the Holy Ghost doth dwell in us 2 Tim. 1. 14. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us Hence it is also argued the Holy Ghost that keepeth the good gift or gifts in us dwelleth in us but the Holy Ghost which keepeth these gifts is not the gifts but the person of the Holy Ghost distinguished from them Ergo it is the person of the Holy Ghost and not his gifts only that dwelleth in us Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Hence also 't is thus argued the Spirit that dwells in us is the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and shall likewise quicken our mortal bodies But it is not the gifts and graces of the Spirit but the person of the Spirit himself that raised up Christ from the dead and that shall quicken our mortal bodies Ergo the person of the Spirit himself dwelleth in us Thirdly Some do hold that the putting of the Spirit within the heart of the Some say it denotes only the gifts and graces of the spirit given to us people of God denotes only the donation of the gifts and the graces of the Spirit And so is the Spirit often taken in Scripture by a Metonymie of the Cause for the Effect Luke 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his Mothers womb Act. 6. 3. Look you out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom Ver. 5. And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit i. e. the gifts or graces of the Spirit for the Spirit in himself either Essentially or Personally considered is not capable of being quenched there is no abating or remission or vacation possibly incident unto him Fourthly Some do hold that the giving of the Spirit unto the people of God is only the letting in of his vigour and assistance for the works which they are to do Some for the letting in of the vigour and assistance of the spirit and not any Inherent presence of the Spirit in the people of God either as to his person or as to his graces But as a Bowle moves from that power and strength which the hand lends unto it so do the people of God act and move from the vigorous influence which the Spirit of God puts into them and not from any inherent principle of grace which they deny to be in them But this Opinion is not sound for the people of God do possess the Spirit not only in way of assurance to do good but also in way of inward influence to make them good Therefore they are said to be born of the Spirit Joh 5. 6. And to be washed and renewed Tit. 3. 5. And sanctified by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. which notes an inward change made by the Spirit and not a bare assistance only And besides here in the Text the Lord saith that he will put his Spirit within us which certainly is something more than external assistance Again They who do hold the donation of the Spirit as to assistance only hold likewise free-will to supernatural good that there is in the will of man such a power unto the same that it needs not any renovation by the Spirit but only the assistance of the Spirit to that purpose c. which is a dangerous Error Well then the meaning of this expression I will put my Spirit within you is principally to be understood of the person of the Spirit It is principally meant of the person of the spirit And there are three Reasons which incline me thus to think 1. One is because the graces of the Spirit were promised before in the 26. ver A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you which unquestionably takes in the renewing graces of the Spirit and if in this 27. vers by putting his Spirit within us should be meant only the graces of the Spirit then one and the same thing only should be promised But this is no way probable or congruous to affirm q. d. I will give you the graces of my Spirit and I will give you the graces of my Spirit c. 2. Another is because the Spirit here in this verse promised is that Spirit which doth cause us to walk in the Statutes of God and to keep them which cause of such walking cannot well be attributed to any but the Spirit himself 3. Unto which I may add a third viz The usual way of tryal and evidencing whether we have the Spirit here promised namely by the graces of the Spirit which were very improper if by the Spirit in the place were meant the graces of the Spirit q. d. you may know that you have the graces of the Spirit if you do find in you the graces of the Spirit How it may be demonstrated Quest 2. How may this be demonstrated that all the people of God in Covenant have the Spirit of God within them Sol. Besides these Scriptures already produced which do bear witness unto this truth it may be further demonstrated thus First All that are Christs have the Spirit of Christ for saith the Apostle Rom. 8 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit But all who are in Covenant are Christs because all that are in Covenant are believers and all believers are Christs Ergo all that are in Covevant have the Spirit Secondly All that are in Covenant are the Sons of God God is their Father and they are his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. Now saith the same Apostle in Gal. 4. 6 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Nay Thirdly all the people of God have a fellowship and communion with every person of the Trinity and so high is that fellowship that every person of the Trinity doth as it were take up his mansion and make his abode and dwelling in them They have a fellowship with every person of the Trinity 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 1. If there be any fellowship of the Spirit c. Every person of the Trinity dwells and abides in them
as most sure because God hath given his Spirit unto you 2ly In Particular But let us descend unto particulars which if we do rightly understand and consider of we must confess that to have the Spirit given unto us it is an unspeakable blessing and mercy You read in Scripture of several Attributes if I may so call them given unto the Spirit and all of them in relation unto those to whom he is given And every one of them respecting their good and benefit all the dayes of their life He is called 1. A holy and sanctifying Spirit What the spirit is called in Scripture 2. A revealing and manifesting Spirit 3. A strengthening and helping Spirit 4. A restoring and recovering Spirit 5. A comforting and quickning Spirit 6. A dwelling and an abiding Spirit 1 Fifthly The Spirit of God which is given unto you is a holy and sanctifying He is a holy and sanctifying spirit Spirit He is the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30. And the Spirit sanctifies 1 Cor. 6. 11. Now there are three comforts from this that the Spirit of God within you is a sanctifying Spirit 1. He sanctifies you in truth he renews your very hearts it is not a formal or Sanctifies in truth deceivable work but a real and effectual work which is indeen the new Creation 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. the image of God the life and glory of Christ which shall certainly end in happiness Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2. He will go on with his sanctifying work he will begin and make an end Causeth growth in grace 1 Thes 5. 23. He will change you from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Though it begins in weakness he will carry it on in power This sanctifying work of the Spirit shall move on in the soul as the sun doth in the firmament from strength to strength the Spirit within will more and more mortifie and weaken and destroy the body of sin and he will be renewing your inward man day by day 2 Cor. 4. 3. He will still maintain and preserve this sanctifying work against all the rebellions Defends it against all its enemies of our corruptions and against all the assaults of Satan and will never leave untill he hath crowned it with glory Secondly The Spirit of God which is given unto you is a revealing and manifesting Spirit He is expresly called the Spirit of revelation in Ephes 1. 17. and He is a revealing spirit verily herein doth lie most admirable comfort and joy yea all our actual soul joy in this life If all the thoughts and works of grace were hid from us we should have but sad dayes all our life long we should be in perpetual fears and doubts and complaints But the discovery of them which is by the light of the Spirit makes day with us makes joy and rejoycing abound within us Now there are four things which the Spirit of God given unto the people of God can and doth reveal unto them First The presence of Christ within us Though Christ be in us for he dwells The spirit reveals Christs presence within us in our hearts by faith Ephes 3. 17 yet we cannot see or discover his presence but by the Spirit Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us â Joh. 3. 24. To know that Christ is mine and in me and that I am Christs and in him cannot be without the Spirit and this manifestation is from the Spirit and is not this joy and comfort indeed to know that Christ is in us Know ye not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Secondly The love of God towards us 'T is true that God doth love his people with a most gracious love and with a great love and with a most kind love Gods love towaâds us his love is called loving-kindness Hose 2. 19. with a love that surpasseth all love And it is also true that the apprehension and experience of his love is most sweet and transcendent Thy loving-kindness is better than life Psal 63. 3. And if we could know his love unto us this would pacifie us and how should we come to tast how gracious the Lord is by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Simile The love of God is like a fountain that is sealed it is like a vessel of precious liquor like that box of oyntment none can open it unto us none can poure it into our hearts none can make us see and tast it he can and oftentimes doth make us to know that the Father loves us Thirdly The wonderful glory prepared for us Mark what the Apostle saith The glory prepared for us 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Ver. 10 But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirt searcheth all things yea the deep things of God the quality and quantity of future happiness prepared from eternity and must answer the blood of Christ c. Fourthly All the precious works of the Spirit himself with his finger hath The precious works of the spirit wrought in us Though there be an aptitude in them to manifest and discover themselves yet we cannot see them without the Spirit How often are we in darkness how often in doubts and enquiries but have I faith but have I repentance but have I godly sorrow but have I the new heart the tender heart the humble heart In truth Simile Beloved as there is no seeing of the heavenly bodies but by an heavenly light so there is no discovering of the graces of the Spirit but by the light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God O what happiness is all this to enjoy the Spirit of God by whom we come to know Jesus Christ and as present in my soul to know the love of God and tast the sweetness of it in my heart to know the future heavenly happiness that is prepared from eternity and prepared for my soul and to know all that God hath freely given me in order unto my own eternal happiness Thirdly The Spirit of God which is given unto us is a strengthening and helping He is a stâenthening spirit Spirit Ephes 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Rom. 8. 26. Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. Is it not a benefit when one is weak and faint to find a friend to relieve to support assist uphold and help him we are weak we are fainting we are oppressed distressed burdened ready to sink to fail
the Spirit of God Sol. One may know that there is a true work of grace although very How a true work of grace may be known though weak By loving Gods image weak First By his apprehension and love of the image of God of this work of the Spirit in whomsoever he finds it His very soul values such a person and doth close with him and is knit unto him 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Every one that hath truth of grace doth highly prize all that have grace counts them the excellent of the earth and is most delighted Psal 16. 3. and satisfied in the society of such Secondly By the choice of his heart he chuseth God to be his God and the By our choosing God to be our God wayes of God to be his wayes I have chosen the wayes of truth Psal 119. 30. I have chosen thy precepts Ver. 173. Although he doth not serve his God in fulness yet he doth in sincerity although he cannot walk in his wayes exactly yet in these wayes he will walk he is a servant to none but his God and traveller in no wayes but his Thirdly By the desires of his soul They are holy and heavenly and spirituall though his work is little yet his desires are great though his enjoyment ares By the desires of his soul small yet his desires are high and amongst others there are these five desires where there is truth of grace viz. 1. An earnest desire of Gods love and favour Psal 106. 4. Remember me Five desires in the tâuth of Grace O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 2. An earnest desire of Christ a hungring and thirsting after him I will seek him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 3. O that God would give me Christ O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief Mark 9. 24. 3. An earnest desire to walk in all well-pleasing before God O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. they do not keep them but they desire to keep them Lord increase our faith 4. An earnest desire for more grace as Paul Phil. 3. 12. I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Ver 14. I presse toward the mark A desire of the Word that we may grow thereby is a sign of the new birth 1 Pet. 2. 2. 5. An earnest desire that he might not sin against his God Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandements Fourthly By the conflicts in himself Though there be not a present victory By the conflicts in himself yet there is a present war in every one who hath truth of grace Truth of grace will make a man 1. To love the Law of the Spirit of Christ and to joyn and take part with his good motions and directions and commands The good that I would do saith Paul and I delight in the law after the inward man Rom. 7. 19 22. 2. To hate and oppose the Law of sin Though he doth evil yet he hates it what I hate that I do and though he cannot subdue his sins yet he will oppose them He oppâseth and resisteth the pride the filthiness the passions the frowardness the hardness the unbelief of his heart Fifthly By the griefs and complaints of his soul He is grieved that yet sin By the griefs and complaints oâ his soul hath so much power in him and cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and he is grieved that he is so low and weak and short in obedience unto his loving Christ that he can love him no better fear him no more trust on him no stronger and magnifie him no more And he is grieved that he cannot grieve that he cannot believe that he cannot walk up to the Rule of Christ and unto the desires of his soule By the endeavours and actings of his soul Sixthly By the endeavours and actings of his soul He that is weakest in grace is acting according to the proportion which he hath received Simile As old father Latymer said to his fellow-sufferer I am coming as fast as I can brother So the weakest in grace he is stirring and he is doing as well as he can he is doing his Masters will and if he could do more and better service assuredly God should have it from him and glad he is if he can mend one 3. Quest Why no Christian should be discouraged because of the weak measure Why we should not be discouraged because of our weakness in grace All grace is weak at first of grace wrought in him by the Spirit of God Sol. You should not be discouraged for these Reasons First All the graces of the Spirit do begin in weakness we are at the first but babes in Christ and then young men and strong and then Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12. 13 False grace is too suddain and too ripe it begins where it should end and therefore it ends usually as soon as it begins But true grace is first but weak nevertheless it shall encrease Secondly It will not rest so but gets from weakness to strength and from Yet its growing strength to strength as the Sun in the firmament Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Thirdly The weakest grace doth bring God some honour it will make a It brings God some honour man to honor God inwardly and outwardly Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name 1. Inwardly by setting up his will and authority in the heart by loving of him fearing of him and trusting on him though but weakly 2. Outwardly by abandoning every evil way by exercisâng our selves in godliness by countenancing the rules and wayes of Christ and walking before God in truth Even the Children in the Temple cryed out Hosanna to the Son of David Matth. 12. 15. whereupon Christ applyed that of David Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ver 16. Fourthly The weakest grace is the workmanship of the Spirit of God Not It s the workmanship of the spirit of God only our rejoycing but our tears not only our assurances but our very groans are from him Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered So Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure To will any good this comes from the Spirit of God as well as to do any good Fifthly The weakest grace is able to unthrone sin and dispossess Satan and to set up a throne in the heart for Christ to hold
commend to you that have the Envy not the gifts of the Spirit in others Spirit is this Do not envy the gifts and graces of the Spirit in any man nor speak evil of them Numb 11. 29. And Moses said unto Joshua Enviest thou for my sake Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them The Spirit of God gives different gifts unto men to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit Ver. 8. To another Faith by the same Spirit Ver. 9. And there are different measures of his gifts some do excell in one gift and some in another and this holds true in publick persons and in private persons all of us should rejoyce in all these manifestations of the Spirit It should not grieve us that any one is good nor that he can do good in his private way or in his publick way nor should it grieve and trouble us if any man hath more grace or that he can do more good bring more glory to Christ than we do or can The end of every Christian is Gods glory now every one should mind that and contribute towards that one man may contribute more and every man should contribute his utmost towards it is it not enough if Christ be magnified and thy soul saved Sixthly You should not be discouraged for any work which God puts upon Be not discouraged at hard tasks you though never so great and difficult for you have the Spirit of wisdom and power and sufficiency to assist you Zach. 4. 6. Not by might not by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts 2ly Now follows the Positive or affirmative duties for them that have received the Spirit of God The positive duties of such as have the spirit They should shew âorth the vertues of the spirit As love First You should express the virtue of the Spirit which abideth in you you should walk like men of another spirit especially you should hold out those nine fruits or virtues of the spirit mentioned in Gal. 5. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance these you should strive to act in your convesations 1. Love i. e. a loving behaviour especially towards the Godly nay and towards all men you should walk in love without hatred and emulation and envying and rash suspition and censoriousness 2. Joy i. e. such a behaviour as sets out a contentedness and well-pleasedness Joy with our worldly portion and a chearfulness and comfortableness in our spiritual relation unto and portion in God and Christ 3. Peace i. e. such a behaviour as exempts us from medling and wrangling and quarrelling and contentiousness and turbulency and tumâltuousness and Peace variancies and that frames us to a quiet peaceable and unprovoking inoffensive carriage 4. Long-suffering i. e. we should bear much of the weaknesses and infirmities Long-suffering of those with whom we do converse and pass by slight injuries and forgive many a wrong done unto us as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us 5. Gentleness i. e. we should behave our selves towards others in speaking Gentleness or looking or dealing without pâide austerity insolency scornfulness rigidness in a soft humble affable candid manner 6. Goodness i. e. we should not be hard-hearted and backward to do good Goodness to the souls or bodies of others but should be ready to distribute full of the fruits of mercy and be helpful and profitable and merciful to them that need especially to the distressed members of the body of Christ 7. Faith i. e. fidelity we should be just in our words promises and in all our Faith dealing with men by no means lye or deceive or over-reach or deal with guile deceitfully or falsly but squarely plainly and honestly and righteously 8. Meekness i. e. we should suppress all rash furious immoderate unlawful anger and frowardness and perturbation and passionateness and strive to Meekness manifest that we are in some measure able to deny our selves and to bear crosses and afflictions provocations injuries patiently and contentedly 9. Temperance i. e. we should not excessively lay out our cares and labours Temperance for any wordly thing whether honour or riches or pleasures but be soher in the desire and use of all the earthly blessings which God hath given unto us Secondly you should be wonderful thankful unto the Lord for giving of his We must be thankful for the spirit Spirit unto you Paul takes special notice of this mercy and often speaks of it We have received the Spirit of God and he hath given unto us his holy Spirit and his Spirit dwelleth in us c. There are four things for which God is eternally to be blessed viz. 1. For his free grace and love 2ly For his Christ 3ly For his Gospel And 4ly for his Spirit Quest And why for his Spirit Sol. Because what you are in relation to God you are by the Spirit First Are you in Christ this is by the Spirit are you new creatures born Reasons of it again this is by the Spirit are you delivered from Satan and your sinfull corruptions this is by the Spirit 2. What you can do this comes from the Spirit Can you mourn for sin can you poure out your hearts in Prayer can you at any time trust in the Name of the Lord can you look towards his holy place in times of desertion can you deny your selves can you do the will of God can you suffer the will of God all your spiritual strength is from the Spirit Thirdly Have you any discoveries of the Love of God have you any clearness of the love of Christ and of your propriety in him have you any satisfying evidences of your present relation to God have you any sealings and assurances of future blessedness have you ever tasted of joy unspeakable and glorious of a peace that passeth all understanding of recoveries out of sin of sweet refreshings under troubles of conscience then bless the Lord who hath given his own Spirit unto you Thirdly you should improve the Spirit that is given unto you and make Improve the spirit use of him 1. For works which he can do but hath not yet begun within you 2. For works which he hath begun but hath not as yet perfected and finished within you First For works which he can do but perhaps hath not yet begun within you He hath begun the work of humiliation and of vocation and of union and of regeneration but then perhaps there are other works wanting you have found him an healing Spirit but did you ever find him a sealing Spirit you have felt the power of his grace but did you ever tast the sweetness of his joyes you have found him a regenerating
this God doth promise to give unto his people Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son c. Ezek. 7. 16. They shall be on the mountains as the Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil This also is promised Ezek. 36. 13. Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Ezek. 18. 30. Turn your selves from your transgressions Hose 14. 1. Return unto the Lord All this is likewise promised to be given unto the people of God Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Jer. 24. 7. They shall return unto me with their whole heart Seventhly The Lord commands his people not to suffer sinne to reign in them Rom. 6. 12. Let not sin reign in your mortal body And he promiseth that sin shall not reign in them Rom. 6. ver 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Eighthly And he commands his people to make to themselves a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit and he promiseth to give these Chap. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Ninthly What shall I say now The Lord commands his people to walk in his statutes 1. Impartially 2ly Willingly 3ly Affectionately 4ly Uprighlty 5ly Sedfastly And all this he doth promise to cause them to do 1. Impartially Deut. 30. 8. Thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his Commandements 2. Willingly Psal 110. 3. They people shall be willing in the day of thy power 3. Affectionately Isa 60. 9. Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the Doves to their windows Zech. 8. 21. The inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also 4. Uprightly Jer. 31. 9. I will cause them to walk by the Rivers of water in a strait way wherein they shall not stumble for I am a Father to Israel c. Isa 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth Zech. 8. 3. Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth Isa 30. 21. Their ear shall hear a word behind them saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left 5. Progressively and stedfastly Job 17. 9. The righteous shall hold on in his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Isa 40. 30. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint 2ly The parallels 'twixt Gods promises and experimental instances Parallels betwixt Gods promises and the Saints experiences wherein you may find that God hath enabled his people there to walk as he hath promised First He hath enabled them to know him Gal. 4. 9. After that you have known God or rather are known of God 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true 1 Joh. 2. 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth but because ye know it Secondly They are enabled to trust upon him Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will trust upon thee Psal 18. 2. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer my God and my Strength in whom I will trust Psa 22. 4. Our Fathers trusted in thee 25. 2. My God I trust in thee 31. 1. In thee O Lord do I put my trust 52. 8. I trust in the mercy of God Thirdly They are enabled to fear him I fear God said Joseph Gen. 42. 18. One that feareth God said God of Job Job 1. 1. They that feared the Lord spake one to another Mal. 3. 16. I fear the Lord thy God said Jonah Chap. 1. 9. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord Act. 9. 31. Fourthly They are enabled to love the Lord so David Psal 116. 1. I love the Lord. And Psal 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength Fifthly And they are enabled to pray unto him and to call upon him David Hezekiah Daniel Paul and to mourn for their sins David Peter and Mary Magdalen and to hate sin David Paul Psal 119. 104. I hate every false way and to forsake sin Hose 14. 8. And 1 Thes 1. 9. Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living aad true God and Rom. 6. 22. Seventhly And so for all the rest of the Particulars you have clear instances that the people of God have been enabled to walk willingly constantly affectionately uprightly and stedfastly in his waies 3ly The several wayes how God doth cause or enable his people to walk in his Statutes and to do them He doth cause them to walk in his Statutes How God enables his people to walk in his statutes First By giving unto them his Spirit who doth 1. Change their hearts and infuseth into them all Holy and Heavenly Graces which are so many inward principles enabling them to acts or works of obedience as our sinfull and corrupt principles make us willing and ready to walk in the wayes of sin so holy and spiritual principles do make us willing and ready to walk in paths of righteousness 2. Excite and quicken their hearts and stir them up to works of obedience by secret motions and workings and by setting the Commands and Promises of God upon their hearts with strong impressions by which they are led out unto a willing and cheerfull and upright performance of obedience 3. Comes in with his Special and Immediate Assistance to all the works which they are to do he helps their infirmities and guides their feet and strengthens their hands The servants of the Lord are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man Ephe. 3. 16. In the day when I cried unto thee thou heardest me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Secondly By giving faith unto them and enabling of them to live by faith in all their particular walkings and workings Beloved there is a living by faith for mercy and there is a living by faith for duty A man lives by faith for duty when he goes out of himself as insufficient to afford him strength to perform it and applies himself unto and relies upon Jesus Christ and the promise to give him the ability because this and that duty oâ work of
exceeding great danger of self-confidence to do any good and The danger of self-confidence there are three dangers which will befal you 1. You will be but poor and barren and insufficient so as to do nothing at all as the ship lies still if the winde stirs not without me you can do nothing you will be weaker then the weakest Christian the weakest Christian trusting on Christ and the promise will be able to do much when you relying on your self-ability will be able to do nothing There are two sorts of being Two sorts of being One is absolute and of it self as God is who is of himself and can work alone by and from himself Another is depending such a being is every creature yea and every created grace which as it is by virtue of Gods grace so it acts in virtue of his assistance As a beam of the sun is made alive by the sun and it gives light by the continued influence of the sun part it and the sun it is nothing so c. 2 God will leave you at least a while unto your selves that you may be ashamed of your confidence and see your selves to be but vanity that you are indeed without strength and utterly insufficient of your selves and that you stand only and work only in the presence of his might You read that God hath left his servants in four cases In what cases God leaves his servants One when they have been idle and careless and venturing upon the occasions of sin this was Davids case A second when they have not stedfastly believed his word but have given credit to Satan upon this he left Adam and Eve unto themselves A third when they have ventured upon evil company in this case he left Sampson A fourth when they have presumed upon their own strength and sufficiency and in this he left Peter 3. And now you will not be able to do any good nay not able to withstand the greatest sins Satan will be too hard for you and so will sin we shall quickly hear you complaining of hardness of heart and of deadness of heart and of unbelief of heart and I wish these were the worst God doth some times cure the proud self-confidence and the proud self-sufficiencies of his people by leaving them to some gross and vile falls as David and Peter c. Fourthly There is indeed no self-sufficiency in you although sometimes Wherein our weakness appears you veryly imagine and fancy it and I would convince you of this by your own experience 1. You cannot pull down any one sin that troubles you by your own strength it will move and strive and tempt and follow you and do what you can by all your own strength it doth many times captivate you 2. You cannot rise out of any sinful fall unless the Lord gives you his hand to lift you up there your feet stick in the mire and every grace that you have is nonplussed repentance will not stir and sorrow will not melt and faith will not take hold unless the Lord himself comes in with new strength and assistance you cannot deliver your selves 3. You cannot many times act any one grace when your desires are so to do you finde your hearts many times hard but you cannot soften them dull and you cannot quicken them straitened and you cannot enlarge them you would mourn but cannot fetch up your tears you would believe but you cannot stretch forth one act of faith all that comes from you is Lord help my unbeliefe you would pray but are not able c. 4. If it were in your power and self-strength to act and to do any good works and to walk in Gods Statutes then 1. Why do you make your prayers to God for his help 2. Why have the people of God acknowledged their own inability It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps 3. Why do the works of obedience stick and go on so heavily when they rest on our hands 4. Why is it that they go on so freely and easily when God is pleased to put out his assistance I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart saith David Psal 119. 32. SECT III. 3. Use DOth the Lord promise to cause his people to walk in his Statutes What duties it may teach us and to do them this may instruct or teach us especially the people of God four necessary duties 1. To be alwayes sensible of their own weakness and infficiencie 2. Not to dispond or cast down their hearts because of the greatness of any To be alwayes sensible of our weakness work or dutie which God requires of them 3. To depend on God and to make him their strength and help for all the works which they are to perform 4. To give the praise of all to God First To be alwayes sensible of their own weakness and insufficiencie Two things are of great use unto every Christian one is still to believe Gods alsufficiencie the other is still to acknowledge his own insufficiencie When you are to do any work or dutie suppose it be to repent to believe to pray to preach to withstand a temptation to cast out a sinful corruption preserve in your hearts a sense of your own weakness and insufficiencie as Paul spake so do you Lord who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. I can do nothing by my own strength here is much work but of my self I can do nothing I am not able to carrie it on There are three Reasons why I offer this advice unto you because many persons Reasons of it are not sensible of their own weakness and insufficiency to spiritual acts of obedience e. g. 1. Such âs make nothing of the most solemn duties of communion with God they feel not the weight of those services It is all one with them to go to the Lords as to go to their own table it is all one with them to repent of sin as to commit sin it is all one with them to believe on Christ as to say that they believe on Christ it is all one with them to pray as to speak are these men sensible of their weakness and insufficiency unto any duty unto whom the performance of every duty is so easie 2. Such as are seldom in prayer when they are to do any work commanded them of God these men do not see their own weakness and insufficiency they do imagine that they are able to carry on their work in their own strength without the strength of God else they would be much in prayer to God for his help and for his assistance 3. Such as mind not the promises of God to enable them and never make use of them Surely the child thinks himself able to go alone who refuseth the hand and help of the Nurse c. Secondly Because a right sensibleness of your own weakness is a special means to