and take deeper root in the same then any care of the things of the life to come So if they seek the kingdom of heaven at all yet it cannot be said that they keep the rule Seek first or chiefly the kingdom of heaven 2. They be not diligent but slothfull desires wishing to dye the death but not willing to be at the pains to live the life of the righteous either they do nothing at all for it or at least not all that they should do they may perhaps leave many sins as was to be seen in Herod not do all that is commanded as is to be seen in the young man in the Gospel notwithstanding he did seem to have a very forward and fervent desire of salvation still they stick and stand at something and howsoever they seek the kingdom of heaven yet adde they not this and the righteousnesse thereof 3. They be not stable nor constant desires but fits and starts unconstant motions like the morning dew so that if they work at all yet do they not work out their salvation So that you have no reason to be put by the comfort of this point because of any desires in the wicked and unregenerate this way your desires being 1. deep and serious such as could not be put off but with satisfaction in some measure in the point it self 2. You seeking first the kingdom of heaven your heart running more upon this point of your own salvation and it going neerer unto your heart then the things of this 〈◊〉 3. You seeking the kingdom of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and that ye have a respect to all Gods Commandments declining no duty entertaining no sin and in thus doing ye shall not be ashamed Lastly thy desires being stable and constant although it may be not in a like degree thou working out the work of thy salvation Q. The time was sometimes indeed that I could have said so much of the desires of my salvation that they were serious that they were not slothfull that I wrought out my salvation with fear and trembling but now I finde such slacknesse remissenesse security that makes me greatly doubt that my desires have not been such as they should A. This is indeed an ill to be regrated prayed and striven against even this great and ordinary ill of security But for your comfort understand that one and the same degree of desire and diligence is not to be expected alwayes no not in the best of Gods children especially their desires being more sharp their care their fear their diligence more great in the beginning of their conversion that as ye heard before they may be well entred in the course of Christianitie and well buckled with all Christian duties but many times afterwards there will be a falling away from their first care and diligence even the wise Virgins will slumber Christs own Spouse sleeped when her heart waked But herein stands the difference betwixt the instabilitie and inconstancie of the wickeds desires and of the godlies That the godly although they remit sometimes somewhat of the degree of their desires and cares this way yet do they never altogether return to their former securitie which they had before their wakening and conversion they may fal from their first care and diligence but not from all care and diligence the wise Virgins did slumber but were not dead the Spouse slept but her heart waked there will be ever something wakening and stirring the hearts of Gods children whereas the wicked grow altogether as secure and sluggish yea more like water heated which grows colder then before This no doubt if you apply it to your self will give you some resolution and comfort And thus far for this point 2. Now for the second point it is also true that the wicked and unregenerate may have a sight of their own corruptions wickednesse and sinfulnesse but it is also far from the degree and kind of that sight of sin and corruption which the regenerate and Gods own children have who have gotten the eye-salve the speciall illumination of the Spirit and are inlightned by that true light who lighteneth every man that cometh into the world they see more then flesh and blood can reveal unto them The difference may be especially seen in these foure particulars 1. The wicked and unregenerate although by the light of nature or a generall illumination they see some outward grosse corruptions corruptions of their flesh as fornication murther c. yet see they not their inward secret corruptions no lesse reigning and raging in them and no lesse odious unto God their pride their hypocrisie their infidelity their impatience their spirituall idolatry and whoring after the creature they see not the filthinesse of the spirit 2 Cor. 7. 2. Although they see sin in the branches and fruit yet see they it not in the root and fountain they see not into that originall corruption of their nature the blindnesse errour and vanity of their minds the great aversnesse and rebellion of their wils the inordinatenesse and earthlinesse of their affections the deadnesse of their consciences the hardnesse whoring hypocrisie and desperate wickednesse of their hearts they see not that body of death Rom. 7.24 3. They see not all their spirituall wants but think themselves as is to be seen in the Church of Laodicea to be rich and to have need of nothing to beleeve in Christ as well as any to love God as well as any c. 4. And lastly they see not the manifold imperfections of their best services but with the Pharisee rest upon the bare outward performance not pondering their own hearts nor considering that the Lord ponders them the wayes of a man seem good in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the heart whereas the children of God on the contrary acknowledge all their righteousnesse to be but a menstruous cloth In a word the naturall and unregenerate mans light and sight of sin is but like an ordinary light whether candle-light or day-light while entring into a roome will discover any great or grosse filthinesse whereas the light of the regenerate is like the light of the Sun-beams which entring into a place discovers the very small moats in it This is clearly to be seen in Paul Rom. 7. before his regeneration and the coming in of the light of Gods Spirit by the Law he had a good conceit of himself he saw not concupiscence to be sin but afterwards he gets afar other sight of sin and of himself For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed Thou then who 1. seest thy inward corruptions thy secret and spirituall ones as well as the outward and grossest 2. Who seest the corruption of thy nature as wel as thy actuall transgressions 3. Who seest thy spirituall wants that thou art poore miserable and naked 4. And who seest a great imperfection in thy best services that they are
seeing that thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve and hast given us such a deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandments wouldest thou not be angrie with us untill thou hadst consumed us As if he should say Shall we not regard both thy judgements and thy favours And because some had done thus therefore he saith O my God I am ashamed to lift up my face to thee O my God Consider moreover how thou hast sinned against the means of Gods Word so often calling upon thee standing at the doore and knocking stretching out his hands all the day long and that thou hast sent him away with a refusall This neglecting the Lords call and refusing to hear his Word and obey it is a most fearfull sin and fearfully threatned in Gods Word Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye have not heard and have stretched forth mine hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought my counsell and would have none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamitie and mock when your fear cometh Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shall not find me There cannot be a more fearfull threatning then this and yet ye see it is but just and proportionable which shews the offence to be exceeding great And indeed how great a sin must it be that the great God should vouchsafe to speak to us base creatures and that thou in the mean time shouldst not daigne to hear him or hearing him refuse to obey him Now this thou hast done so often as ever thou hadst the occasion of the Word and either slighted to hear or didst not do the thing thou heardst Thou must not think that it was a man onely that thou didst misregard to hear or to obey but even God himself whose Ambassadour he is O that we would consider this rightly that when we hear the Word it is the great God whom we hear or whom we misregard according to that of the Apostle that they received the Word not as the word of 〈…〉 as it is indeed the Word of the living God This would make us truly to acknowledge the greatnesse of our by-past offences in this point and for time to come to hear with greater attention to better purpose but because this is not sensible enough considered by us therefore is it that we cannot see the greatnesse of this sin to wit to heare the word of God negligently This sinne is also fearfully threatned Isa 6. v. 12.66.4 Ier. 7.13 all which shewes that the contempt yea neglect of Gods word is not so small a sin as we apprehend it to be how then shouldest thou be humbled who hast been so often guilty of this sin See we not when Malefactors are broght to the place of the execution even for crying sins that yet this sin cries louder in their consciences then all the rest as is to be seen by their confessions further consider how thou hast sinned not onely in generall against the light of Gods word but even in particular against the Gospel against the offer of mercy and hast neglected so great a salvation Now this makes thy sins to be exceeding sinfull it is fearfull to sin against the very light of nature as is clear by the testimonies of the Lords wrath upon Belshazzar Dan. 5. and upon these Rom. 1. They had but the very light of nature and yet because they abused even but that light because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull therefore he gave them over to a reprobate minde and far more fearfull is it to sin against the light of the written Law for that was a clearer light and so we see the transgressors of the Law were precisely and peremptorily punished every transgression received a just recompence of reward But most fearfull and sinfull of all is it to sin against the most clear light of the Gospel and the offer of salvation in it as is clear out of these two places Heb. 2.1 Heb. 10.28 29. And our Saviour saith plainly that it shall be easier in the day of judgement even for Sodome and Gomorrah then it shall be for the neglecters of the Gospel Consider then how thou hast sinned in this last kind and so how great thy sins must be Were the breakers of the Law severely punished yea even those who had nothing but the light of nature O what deservest thou what need hast thou to be humbled that hast sinned against the highest light if by humiliation thou do not prevent it it shall be more tolerable for Sodom then for thee Now the thing that makes sins against the Gospel to be so sinfull is this because they are against not onely the Lords Commandment but his most loving entreaties and that by his tender mercies and the precious merits of his Son and therefore notwithstanding these to disobey and so to despise the offer of grace is and must be exceedingly sinfull for it is no lesse then as the Apostle cals it to neglect so great a salvation to tread under feet the blood of Christ and to count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing for by the Law the Lord commands us indeed so to do but the tenor of the Gospel is by intreating to win obedience out of love I beseech you by the mercies of God Rom. 12.1 If a just King should out of Authority command his Subject any reasonable lawfull thing and he should disobey certainly his disobedience were great and greatly to be punished But if the Prince laying aside his Authoritie or with his Authority should request and allure with benefits and yet be neglected what punishment thinkest thou were that person worthy of Now the case is thy own the Lord thy God hath more interest in thee then all the kings in the world and is more worthy to be obeyed then they all also he hath been commanding thee and not onely so but requesting beseeching thee and that not by any common favours but by his tender mercies and the precious merits of his Son and renewing the offer of salvation and remission of thy sins to leave such and such sins and to do such and such duties but thou wouldest not O then how great and how just shall be thy damnation is not this to tread under feet the blood of Christ O that this were considered if a Subject should rebell against his Prince his punishment should be both just and great But if the Prince notwithstanding all that had past would of his free grace offer him a free remission and pardon and intreat him to accept of it and no more to continue in his rebellion and yet neverthelesse he should despise the pardon and continue in his former rebellion what punishment can be devised sufficient for such a one Just such is the case of such who sin against the Gospel the Lord offers freely
against it judge thy self for it thou hast reason indeed to sorrow for it but not to dispair or be discouraged yea rather get more faith that thou maiest get a further victorie and purification And thirdly For that predominant corruption that thou canst not get ridd of but in all thy doings it cleaves unto thee pollutes thy best services this should not discourage thee for 1. This is the case of Gods children they have sin that hangeth fast on them yea even Paul saies When I would do good evill is present with me and cries out against the body of death And 2. But if thou fall out with and loath thy sin if thou regard it not if thou judge thy self for it fear not thou shalt not be judged for it if thou cry to God against it thou shalt not be found guilty no more then the woman under the Law it is not thou but sin that dwelleth in thee If thou think it strange that the Lord should exercise thee with such strong corruptions so displeasing to himself he doth it for good ends 1. To cure a more dangerous corruption to bring thee out of conceit of thy own righteousnesse to chase thee to his Christ for expiation and to the holy Ghost for mortification of corruption to exercise thee in praier and in thy Christian warfare were it not for this we would not so often and so fully feele the necessity and sweetnesse of Christs sufferings intercession and righteousnesse we would not make so much of the sanctifying subduing power of the holy Ghost nor have so oft recourse unto it where would be the exercise of our faith and patience about the performance of the promise of sanctification what would stir us up to fervent and sincere prayer where should be the matter of our Christian warfare Obj. I do not finde the hatred and loathing of sin and this doth puzzle me in this point I find indeed that I do not entertain it but I think it to be more out of fear of punishment then out of hatred of sin A. Doth not thy heart rise against sin even in others to whose sin thou art not accessarie which cannot flow from fear but from hatred yea doest thou not hate those who are profain and wicked although they have other recommending and insinuating parts as on the contrary thou lovest those who are good and holy say not then that thou art altogether voyd of this point of the hatred of sin further though we finde not all that we would have yet should not we faile to be both thankfull and incouraged in regard of the things that we finde the Lord gives us to find many things that we may be exercised in thankfulnesse and to misse some things that we may be exercised in prayer pray then that the Lord more and more would make thee partaker of his divine nature and of his holinesse that so the hatred of sin may grow more and more sensible in you for he is of purer eyes then that he can behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 He loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse Psa 55.7 A fourth Mark faith worketh by love Wherefore observe two things of faith 1. That it worketh it is operative and not idle it brings with it a spirituall life unto the soul of man and this spirituall life brings out spiritual operations when faith is put in the heart of a man there is a stirring disposition put in his heart also he is not his own man in his own element finds not quietnesse in his mind unlesse he be sometimes working and well employed Faith ever worketh towards God I mean immediately for all our works are to him as to our last end in being about the points of his worship in obeying his acceptable will in glorifying his Name advancing his kingdom seeing to the doing of his will by others so far as opportunitie and our callings permit Sometimes towards our selves in that great work of our salvation Sometimes towards our Neighbours in the works of charitie yea of spirituall charitie so necessary and so often recommended Exhort instruct edifie comfort admonish one another and yet neglected much want of compassion to the poore soul So their faith is ever working which clearly cuts off those who please themselves that they abstain from ill yea from some few grosse ills that they are no theeves murtherers adulterers c. although they never do a good deed not remembring the doome of the unfruitfull tree and unprofitable servants But secondly as it worketh so it worketh by love there is much working upon wrong motives which is all lost labour like building without a foundation there is nothing we should look more unto then this what is the motive of our obedience for it is the thing the Lord looks most unto He pondereth the heart yea doth not man so also if he can know it Now the motive most acceptable to God the disposition and affection of the heart which he requires which is here a Mark of Faith is the motive of love the Lord cares not a whit for our obedience if it come not from love yea he reckons it not for obedience therefore Love is the summe of the Law it fulfils the Law it is the end of the Law Even love out of a puâ—â— heart c. He shews mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments If I give my body to be burnt and bestow all my goods upon the poore without love it profiteth nothing Love is the soul the salt of all obedience and without it it is but a dead unsavoury carkasse Hence is it that the Lord doth begin his Law the summe of all our obedience with the remembrance and the rehearsall of a main temporall favour and deliverance typifying a far greater even that great salvation which shews that he would have the obedience rendered unto his Commandments to flow from love This is also the way of the Gospel even the way of love and the commands thereof are rather requests then commands I beseech you by the mercies of God Rom. 12.1 We beseech you exhort you by the Lord Jesus c. and in sundrie other places So that the Gospel doth require a lovely obedience and would draw us by the cords of love And this certainly makes our obligation of obedience the greater and our guiltines the greater if we obey not If one who may command will yet intreat the disobedience is so much the fouler and more odious And this is indeed to sin against the Gospel and to neglect that great salvation to wit when we are intreated and besought by him who hath all power and right to command us and that not by common favours but by the mercies of God and sufferings of Christ and yet refuse to obey But to the point Wouldst thou then render an acceptable obedience let the sense of the Lords great and many temporall and spirituall favours and deliverances be ever fresh and firm in
and obeyest the voice of his servants and therefore not onely mayest but shouldst trust in the Lord Isa 50.10 Thou hatest not to be reformed and therfore mayest take his Covenant in thy mouth Psal 50.16 17. Thou keepst his Sabbaths and choosest the things that please him and therefore mayest take hold of his Covenant Isa 56.4 Thus far for thy comfort But thou who ever thou be that wantest these things whereof we were speaking be not deceived thou hast neither faith nor that humiliation that should go before it 1. Was never thy conscience wakened directly with the sense of sin was never thy minde troubled with the sense of spirituall wants wa st thou never solicitous for thy own salvation and took it to heart above all things else Alas it is too too evident thou art not right as yet 2. Wantest thou that tendernesse of conscience hast thou no care no fear of the snares of sin and Satan nor watchest thou to prevent sin art thou not with the Apostle herein exercised alwayes to keep a good conscience Again and haâ—t thou no checks nor accusations in thy conscience after the commission even of the smallest if known sins but canst ban and swear speak sinfull words think sinfull thoughts c. and never be troubâ—ed a whit for the matter but doest sin securely and lyest in sin securely without repentance and seeking after reconciliation and so art every way a sleighter of sin Then assuredly no work of humiliation hath ever been wrought in thy heart and consequently no work of grace for this is the first work 3. And lastly look how the matter is between you God how thy soul carries it self in regard of secret sins namely of entertaining sin in thy thoughts and in regard of secret duties If thou dare or doest regard iniquity in thy heart feed thy thoughts upon ambitious and covetous pleasures or vanities or sinfull lusts without controllment yea and with delight and dare omit or shuffle over thy secret duties hast thou not some constant inward principle and secret mover that lets thee not alone but puts thee on to a daily and constant discharge of Christian secret duties daily prayer nightly repentance daily and nightly meditation upon the Word of God but doest all these duties by starts and fits or superficially or not at all then certainly no right humiliation no true grace yet in thy soul be earnest to labour for and to pray for that which thou wantest for it concerns the damnation or salvation of thy soul Thus far for these Marks which be taken from the antecedents of faith or those things which go before faith at least in order of nature Concerning these three Marks of a right and true work of humiliation or of that preparatorie work of the Spirit which goes before faith the way I say to make these Marks clear comfortable and convincing is 1. To compare them with our own former case and condition and so to try them by experience which we have alreadie done 2. To try them by comparing them with the case of the ungodly and wicked and so to try them by the Word of God which now we are to do wherein although some things be coincident with things spoken before the labour will not be unprofitable I. The first Mark of right humiliation and of the work of the Spirit in that respect is this to wit namely the right sight of sin the Spirit of God when he comes first into the heart of a Christian working by the Law or Commandment gives unto a man another sight of sin then any natural man how qualified soever he be with humane literature and naturall wisdom can have This is cleerly understood by the doctrine and in the person of St. Paul Rom. 7. I was alive without the Law once that is in a good conceit of my self and of my own righteousnes but when the Commandment came that is the Spirit with the Commandment or Law for he had the Commandment or Law in the letter before sin revived and I dyed I saw another sight of my sinfulnes then before To speak more plainly and particularly of this note when the Spirit comes and works this sight of sinfulnes in him it works this threefold sight in him 1. A sight of his sin and particular corruptions 2. Of his gracelesnesse and wants 3. Of his unrighteousnesse and imperfection of his best actions Now all these be hid from the naturall man as is clear by example 1. Of the Nation of the Jews who went about to establish their own righteousnesse 2. Of the Papists who take upon them for want of this sight to fulfill the Law to merit to supererrogate 3. Of our own ignorance who till the point of death cannot be brought to this sight of their own sinfulnesse but ever are justifying themselves thanking God they never wronged any instead of confessing and humbling so that this is clearly the case of the naturall man But to the particulars 1. The Spirit gives to a man a sight of his sinfulnesse and corruptions When the Commandment comes sin revives that is there is a further sight of sin Hence is it that 1. they are out of conceit of themselves thinking themselves to be the chief of sinners 2. That they complain so heavily of their own corruptions Who shall deliver me from the body of death 3. They feel the flesh lusting against the spirit Gal. 5. Now the ungodly or naturall man is not so for 1. He hath not so evill a conceit of himself as to think himself to be the chief of sinners or a great sinner but quite contrary I thank God I am not like that Publican 2. He is not sensible of his sinfulnesse whether of the body of death or of his actuall sins flowing therefrom But on the contrary He flattereth himself in his own eyes untill his iniquitie be found to be hatefull as it is in the 3. Psal He feels no such battell between the flesh and the spirit for why The strong man holds the house so that all things are at peace Hence the one sort is prepared for Christ the other not The whole needs not the Physician but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Q. But you will say Hath the wicked or naturall man no sight of his sins A. Some sight of some grosser discernable sins by the light of nature but not such a sight of sin as the Spirit gives to the spirituall man They may see 1. outward corruptions of the flesh as theft fornication c. but not these more inward of the spirit pride spirituall idolatrie unthankfulnesse infidelitie impenitencie 2. They may see sin in the branches and streams that is actuall sins but not in the root and fountain the body of death the sinfulnesse of their nature blindnesse of minde backwardnesse of will unholinesse and unheavenlinesse of affections hardnesse whoring hypocrisie of their hearts 3. In
for thy self suppose that thou wert sure of mercie and that thou hadst already obtained mercy yet thou hast need neverthelesse to humble thy self under the mightie hand of God therby to prevent the sharpnesse of the Lords chastisements and to be corrected in measure thou hast need to judge thy self that thou mayest not be judged for even where the Lord is mercifull he takes vengeance for transgression he may well correct in measure but he will not leave altogether unpunished Upon David's first confession it was said to David Thy sins are forgiven thee and yet ye see what he suffered both in regard of spirituall and temporall crosses as the 51. Psalm and the History can bear witnesse This should startle all sinners and make them to haste out of their sins suppose thou get mercie and repentance which is but a peradventure yet neverthelesse thou shalt find that is an evill and bitter thing to depart from the living God the Lord will have thee to find some dint of his threatnings both upon thy temporall and spirituall estate Look what ever pleasure thou tookest in sinning the Lord will have thee one way or other to taste as much bitternesse by his chastisements and therefore that these may be in measure we have need to humble our selves under the mighty hand of God and to walk humbly with our God all the daies of our life To conclude this point then which I have insisted on the longer because it is a main one Would ye then attain to the ground-work of humiliation and obey this present Exhortation Then take the threatnings of Gods Law and lay them before you and meditate oft and seriously upon them and crave earnestly the Spirit for that end apply them to your self and suffer not your heart to shift them and strive to fear the Lords threatnings and to tremble at his Word for our deceitfull hearts are very ready to shift them to make a covenant with hell and to put the evill day far from us they have no will to hear such harsh tydings our souls shun this work of humiliation mightily and the devill he is very busie to steal out the fear of the Lords threatnings out of our heart for he knows that if he obtain that he hath then made sure work He did so with our first parents and prevailed God threatned they should dye the devill said Ye shall not dye and he was better beleeved then God None of us but we will condemne our first parents in this but fares it not even so with every one of us The Lord hath added this threatning to every one of his Commands If thou do this thou shalt surely dye if thou swear thou shalt dye if thou whore thou shalt dye if thou lye thou shalt dye and yet we stand not to commit these things which thou durst not do didst thou not beleeve the devill and thy own heart whispering into thee that thou shalt not dye thou beleevest the devill and belyest God But I intreat you beloved still beleeve the threatnings of Gods Word that so ye may humble your selves under the mighty hand of God as did good Josiah when he heard the book of the Law and that ye may stand in aw for times to come and not sin II. The second main and chief mean to bring us to humiliation is to consider and meditate upon the Lords judgments set down in Scripture adding withall the consideration of Gods unchangeablenes and how as the Apostle saith he is not an accepter of persons this surely is a notable mean David saith My heart trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid because of thy judgements And did we consider that we are guilty of the like if not the same or greater sins how would our hearts tremble There is no sin almost but the Lord hath left a registrate punishment for it in his Word the more to humble us seeing that his bare Law and threatnings without execution would not affect us How are we bound to him that teaches us in this manner by others harms 1 Cor. 10. The Apostle brings in a number of instances of the Lords severe judgements against divers sorts of sinners against unbeleevers murmurers fornicators intemperate lusters c. and concludes saying Now all these things befell them for examples and they are written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are fallen The Scripture is full of other examples and surely now were not the hardnesse of our hearts so extreamly great I know not what could be more effectuall the Lord concurring by his Spirit to bring us to humiliation for our by-past sins and to cause us to stand in aw to sin for times to come then a deep and due consideration of the judgements against sinuers guiltie of the like transgressions and sins with our selves Adding withall the consideration of the unchangeablenesse of the Lord God who dealt thus with them and inflicted those judgements upon them for he being the same yesterday and to day and for ever there being no variablenesse nor shadow of turning with him he being no accepter of persons especially thy sins being greater Then certainly how can the Lord but have the like quarrell with thee as with them as the Apostle saith Thinkest thou O man that doest the same things that thou shalt escape the judgement of God how canst thou think it unlesse thou think that thou hast not to do with the same God or that he is changed from that he was and that he is not so offended at sin now as he was of old or that he is an accepter of persons all which or any of which to say is very blasphemous Was the Lord so offended of old with the infidelitie and with the impatiencie and murmuring and repining of his people and did he punish it so severely and shalt thou for thy manifold delinquencies notwithstanding thy by-past experiences and thy frequent repining against the Lords will escape unlesse thou repent it and humble thy self and amendi Did the Lord punish so sharply Nadah and Abihu for profaning his worship and offering up strange fire to him and not sanctifying the Lord when they came before him and neer him And doth not that same guiltinesse lye upon thee and hath not the Lord the same quarrel with thee who so often hast profaned his worship with hypocrisie and sloth drawing neer to him with the lips but thy heart being far from him but set upon thy vanities and doing his work negligently rushing in before him without sanctifying thy self when thou drewest neer him yea coming with thy sins upon thee and so offering strange fire to him many wayes shall not the Lord punish thee also Unlesse thou humble thy self and amend 3. Did the Lord so peremptorily punish the man who blasphemed his Name making him to be stoned to death and shalt thou who hast so often blasphemed the holy and dreadfull Name of the Lord thy God think that the Lord
Covenant of reconciliation even he shall intercede for him that he be not cast out of it again Jesus Christ our Saviour is the Mediator of the New Testament in such a sort not onely to enter us once in the Covenan with his Father but which is most comfortable when we fail he is ready to intercede for us He sits at the right hand of the Father making request for us And hence is it that this Covenant is so sure and so everlasting a Covenant This point is also notably and clearly set down and made good by that style that Daniel Nehemiah Ezra give unto God O Lord who keepest Covenant and mercie A sweet saying and style for both on his own part he keeps Covenant and then for us when we break and sin he hath mercie for us So in the Scripture we have it more then once that sweet combination of mercy and truth Psal 57. He will send out his mercie and his truth Psal 25. all his wayes are mercy and truth c. His truth is to perform his promise his mercie is to cover our sins and to pardon them that they be no impediments for him to perform his mercie towards us Had he onely truth our comfort would be but small for we make the first breach and fail in the condition so that the Lord may without any breach of his truth and justice break his promise with us but when he joyns mercy with truth and is a God that keeps Covenant and mercie in this stands our comfort and happinesse and this is it that makes it an everlasting Covenant As also in that notable Psal 89. My faithfulnesse and my mercie shall be with him And again notably v. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His mercy endureth for ever How often repeated in Scripture a notable comfort against our renewed sins But of all most notably clearly and expresly is this surenesse and everlastingnesse of the Covenant set down in that same Psalm where the Lord professes which is indeed most wonderfull and sweet that although sin and the devill should have so far prevailed against us as to make us forsake Gods Law that though he may well visit our transgressions with the rod and our iniquitie with stripes so to bring us to repentance yet His loving kindnesse he will not utterly take from us nor suffer his faithfulnesse to fail so that he will not break his part of the Covenant for all this O the wonderfull goodnesse of God in his Son Christ who although we change every moment yet he changeth not whom he loves he loves to the end his gifts and his graces be without repentance Q. I hear that upon my repentance I shall have accesse to this precious Covenant though after seventy times seven times yea infinitely often for Gods wayes are not like mans wayes but are above them as far as the heaven is above the earth which is very comfortable and also that the Lord will take pains with me to bring me to repentance will visit me with the rod c. O but what if I continue in sin without repentance if I be not to be reclaimed no not by rods and so fall away altogether A. Thou shalt not get leave to do this for this is a part and a clause of this precious and sure Covenant Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their heart that they shall not depart from me to wit altogether or without returning this puts on the very top-stone of the surenesse of the Covenant That place is worth the noting for in it the Lord undertakes both his own part and ours This point is also notably and clearly set down Heb. 8. where the Apostle setting down the difference between the old Covenant and the new he saith of the old indeed they abode not in that Covenant but for this he saith I will write my Law in their hearts and put it in their inward parts So Ezek. I will put my Spirit within them and cause them to walk in my statutes to do them So ye may see that this is still a most sure and everlasting Covenant Q. But may it not be objected that this doctrine of the surenesse everlastingnes and steadfastnesse of the Covenant is ready to faster security and to prove an obstruction to Christian obedience A. It may well make one relent of that slavish or at the best selfish obedience flowing from fear and arising from self-love and self-respects But as for that acceptable obedience which flows from Faith and from the love of God The love of God constraineth me surely it doth greatly advance and fortifie it for why as ye see it fortifies faith exceedingly this point of the surenes of the Covenant and everlastingnesse on Gods part now faith produces this acceptable obedience faith which worketh by love the more faith the more working and that by love the more heartie and cheerfull obedience So whatsoever doctrine serves to increase faith in us to breed in us the full assurance of faith is so far from rendring us carnally secure and so sluggish as on the contrary it renders us spiritually secure it makes us the more working and diligent it addes spirit and life heart and courage to work Faith which worketh by love it both increases and rectifies our obedience whereas faith which is the tree being weak good works which are the fruit must be few as the assurance of Faith rouses up the soul to go on in a cheerfull and right course of obedience with an eye to God whereas otherwise all our obedience is at the best felfish if not slavish Do ye fast unto me saith the Lord and even for this restraint of fear to stand in aw and not to sin This Covenant for all the sweetnesse of it hath sufficient ground for as ye hear although the Lord for the main take not his loving kindnesse away yet neverthelesse he visits with the rod and with stripes even with sad and sore chastisements even where he is favourable he takes for all that vengeance for transgression even where he corrects in measure he suffers not altogether to passe unpunished Hence is that complaint Thou hast wounded me with the wound of an enemie and chastised me with the chastisement of a cruell one And again The Lord hath chastised me sore but hath not delivered me over to death There was never so much pleasure in thy sinning as thou who ever thou art shalt find bitternesse in thy chastisements for sin even although the main thing and the punishment be remitted so that thou hast need to stand in awe and not sin So that this Covenant though full of confidence yet hath some place also for fear and aw Obj. When I consider this surenesse and everlastingnesse of the Covenant surely I must think them happie that have propriety and interest in it but I fear that I have none that it belongs not