see that we abiding with him in the places he hath set us in he will be with us and blesse us so as we shall want nothing that is good For direction to all such as desire to find the accomplishment Vse 3 of this gracious promise of God to his people that God will be from himselfe an all-sufficient good to them this is to teach them how to walk that they may find this blessing performed to thâ—m let them betake themselves to God alone and cast themselves wholly upon him Let them make him all unto them let them make it appeare that they look after nothing in heaven but him nor desire any thing in the earth in comparison of him as Psal 73.25 Psal 73.25 And then when thâ—ir hearts are taken off from these râ—eds and broken staves which they râ—sted on when it is with thâ—m as the Prophet speaketh Isai 17.7 8. that they look unto tâ—eir maker and not to the creature not to thâ—ir own devices and projects but onely to the holy One of Israel then will the Lord appeare in his glory and will make it manifest that from himselfe he will be an all-sufficient good to his people Let all other things be to us as though they were not use them as though we used them not see a fulnesse of all things in God Let us cast our selves upon the bounty kindnesse and all-sufficiency of the Lord And then will he arise and help us and doe for us according to our need Imitate the practise of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20. when hee saw himselfe destitute of help Our eyes saith he are unto thee O Lord we know not what to doe Let the Lord sâ—e that our hearts are withdrawn from the creature and those helps which we leaned upon and that we doe faithfully relie upon him and then will hee ride upon the heavens for our help as Deut. 33.26 Deut. 33.26 and say This is a people that will not lie they have cast themselves upon mee and therefore I will not faile them nor forsake them I will be an all-sufficient good unto them For comfort unto godly and faithfull parents that having Vse 4 come over hither have here spent their estates by which they might have provided comfortably for their children they have come hither for the name of Christ that they might enjâ—y him in the means of his worship and though they doe here find grace and mercy from the Lord and a spirituall advantage to their souls yet they meet with losses troubles and straits for the outward man that they can now doe little for them What shall parents now doe What shall children doe Here is comfort look to the all-sufficient God that from himselfe will be all in all to his people Though there bee no blessing in the hand of the Parent yet there is in the hand of the Lord. What hee would have done for the children by the hand of the Parents he wil now doe it from himselfe by his own hand It is said of Isaac that after the death of Abraham God blâ—ssed him Gen. 25.11 Gen. 25.11 If Isaac prosper whiles Abraham lives he might seem to be upholden by the substance of his father But when Abraham was dâ—ad then it was evident that the blessing upon Isaac came from the Lord So whiles the Parents estates continue children might seem to bee enriched by them but when their fathers estates are wasted and come to nothing and yet the children are provided for and prosper then it appeares to bee from the Lord. Lâ—t therefore both parents and children depend upâ—n him and live by faith in him who wil be a Father to them an all-sufficient good to those that trust in him 3. Now to the third and last particular in this promise I will be your God To be God implies soveraignty and superiority over all To be over all as Rom. 9.5 Rom 9.5 and above all aâ— Ephes 4.6 Ephes 4.6 This therefore is also comprehended in the promise That hee wil bee God over us and above us to rule us to command us to direct and order our wayes for us That though he doe advance and set us up on high when he takes us into covenant with himselfe as Deut. 26.18 19. yet so as that he wil be Lord and Gâ—d over us as Pharaoh said to Joseph when he advanced him to that high honour Yet saith he on the Kings Throne I will bee above thee So though God do lift up his people by entring into covenant with them so that all the world are but servants to minister unto them for their good yet will the Lord still retain his soveraignty over them and bee exalted above them As he wil be above all his â—nemies in that wherein they deale proudly as hee was above the Egyptians Exod. 18.11 to breake them in peeces with a rod of Iron So hee will bee above his owne people to rule them with a golden Scepter And this is a blessing of the covenant of grace Now this benefit implies these things First that the Lord will bring his people from under the power and dominion of other Lords which have gotten the superiority over them and bring them into subjection unto himselfe alone so that whereas they might say concerning the time before as Isai 26.13 Other Lords have had dominion over us besides thee yet now they shall rule over them no more but they shall be subject to him only Hence saith the Lord Joel 3.3 4 Joel 3.3 4. c They have cast lots for my people c. And what have you to doe with me O Tyre and Zydon and all the coast of Palestine will you render mee a recompence c. The meaning is as if God should speak to the enemies of his Church You have trampled upon my people and dealt cruelly with them and this you have done in revenge against me because I have plagued you Will you thus recompence me I will break you in peeces and deliver my pâ—ople from under yâ—ur power As a King when he makeâ—h a covenant with a people to be King over them he then covenants with them to save them out of the haâ—ds of all their enemies to suffer no foraigne power to tyrannize over thâ—m So it is here the Lord promiseth that no tyrant shall rule over his people neither sinne nor Satan nor the world nor the lust of their own hearts but he himselfe will rule over them 2. When he hath delivered us from our enemies then he will be God over us to command us and appoint us what wee shall doe to please him Though he communicate himselfe to us in all his goodnesse grace and mercy yet he will not lose his soveraignty over us In Exod. 4.16 Exod. 4.16 Moses was called a God unto Aaron because he was to command appoint and direct Aaron in all and Aaron was to execute all according to the direction received from Moses So the Lord
with open violence in our streets he that rideth upon the Red horse having power given him to take peace from the earth and that men should kill one another Apoc. 6. In these times so full of perplexitie and trouble it cannot but be welcome newes to heare of Conditions of peace and when death comes to our dores and we are at deaths-dore then to be offered a Covenant of life This Covenant here spoken of is a Covenant of life and peace and therefore seasonable It is also the more sutable in regard of that holy and gracious practise begun by our renowned Parliament going before the body of the Kingdome in entring into an holy Covenant with the God of heaven to become the Lords people the onely way to a blessed peace Till we be at one with God it will be in vaine by humane policies to devise wayes of peace with men but peace being once made in heaven will bring peace on earth and good will amongst men If otherwise man still rage yet shall his rage be restrained and turne to Gods praise the Lord on high hath a bridle for his lips and an hooke for his nostrills he will subdue the oppressour and will still the enemy and the avenger Blessed be they whose care it hath been to draw the Land into this holy covenanting with God let mercy and peace be upon them as upon all the Israel of God And blessed be that God who hath put this care into their hearts as being the onely way to obtaine an assured blessing This Covenant so happily begun is the principall subject of this booke in which thou mayst see both the necessitie for every soule to enter into a Covenant with God and how it is to be done as also how those that have made a Covenant with God are to walke in it and what blessings doe belong unto those that so walke When these things were first preached in New-England there was little thought of publishing them in such a time But he which inhabiteth eternitie with whom all things are present fits things past to those that are present and to come that his wisdome might be knowne to order all beyond what we conceive or thinke It is now some five or six yeares since I first began to handle this doctrine now published a time then full of trouble in these American Churches through the inordinate activeness and impetuous violence of some busie spirits of whom the Country is now well rid through the Lords great goodnes deeming all others except themselves to be wholly ignorant of the Covenant of grace and to be shut up under a Covenant of workes All the Preachers in the Land were legall Preachers the Christians legall Christians as having onely the letter of the Gospel but not understanding the mystery or spirituall meaning of it as it was revealed unto themselves by the spirit The disputes about the two Covenants did then exceedingly trouble the minds of many amongst whom there was little speech but about the covenant of grace and of workes and of being under a Covenant of workes I having then in the course of my Ministery propounded to my self this order to follow namely on one part of the Lords day to handle one part of the body of Divinitie concerning God Creation Man his first pure estate and so on concluding that part with his lapsed and falne estate and on the other part of the day to speak of the means of Gods restoring man againe to the state of salvation I could not then passe by the handling of the Covenant of grace without a purposed declining from that which both the agitations of the Countrey and mine own proposed method did lead me unto Hereupon I entred upon the handling of this subject in the ordinary course of my Ministry endeavouring my self so far as the Lord enabled me to settle the minds of those amongst whom I lived in the knowledge of the truth concerning which some were wavering by reason of those spirits of error which were gone abroad deceiving the minds of some This was the occasion of handling this doctrine When I had finished it it pleased God to give it such acceptance in the hearts of the hearers that many of the chiefe amongst them came to me with a solemn request desiring me to publish what I had delivered that so they might have it continue with them which request of theirs as it was unexpected by me so was I both unwilling and unable to satisfie their desire unwilling as being conscious to my self of mine own infirmities unfit to publish any thing in this learned age and unable as not having so penned any part of it as to make it fit for publick use But the earnestnesse of their desire on the one side and the rawnesse of the draught which I had written for the help of my self on the other side so far crossing one another gave occasion of a second revising of what was before done which also caused some further additions thereunto and hath at last brought forth that such as it is which is now presented to thy view And thus thou understandest gentle Reader the occasion both of the preaching and publishing of the doctrine of the Covenant which now comes forth Which notwithstanding the former inducements I should hardly have adventured to have published had I not been encouraged thereto by some others of better note It is not any confidence I have in my self which hath drawne me forth into publick view I thank God I do in some measure know mine own weaknes But if the Lord will use his weakest instruments to perfect his own praise who am I that I should let God I wish this had been undertaken by some other of greater strength but none hitherto appearing in this kinde being desired to what I have done I have been content to yeeld to the desires of those that have perswaded me hereunto There is a Treatise of the New Covenant published some yeares ago by a precious light in the Church of God whose worke is come almost into all mens hands If that worthy servant of Christ had lived to see these dayes we now live in or then were when these things were delivered I doubt not but he would with much more accuratenesse have handled these things then my weaknesse is able to attaine unto But God having carried him to his resting place before these questions brake forth which have since troubled and doe still trouble the world it is not to be marvelled that some one coming after him inferior unto him may adde something to that which hath been before delivered The opinions formerly stirring in New-England and now in old if fame be not a lyer have given occasion to touch some things not of ordinary occurrence As namely 1. Whether the Covenant of grace be made betwixt God and man or onely betwixt God the Father and Christ 2. Where also by occasion of the former question is handled that place in
be considered consider how the name Christ is taken in Scripture and that is two wayes First Personally Secondly Mystically 1. Personally and that most usually as in those places A Saviour Christ the Lord In Christ are all the promises yea and amen There is one Mediatour between God and man the man Jesus Christ 2. Mystically not for Christs person alone but for the whole body of the faithfull united to Christ and so it is taken 1 Cor. 12.12 where the Apostle having spoken of the severall gifts powred upon the members of the Church saith As many members make one both so is Christ that is according to all Expositors the body of Christ the faithfull that are knit to him by faith and it cannot be taken otherwise and so it is taken here in this place Gal. 3.16 Marke then there is Christ mysticall as well as Christ personall And Christ mysticall being the whole company of the faithfull are this one seed of Abraham to which the promise is made as opposed to the carnall seed which seeke for righteousnesse by the law which have no part in the promise But how may it appeare will some say that this is the Apostles meaning that the name of Christ is so to be taken in this place for Christ mysticall 4. To cleare this therefore marke the next point namely the order how the promise is made to Abrahams seed and in what order the seed spoken of cometh to partake of the promise And that is thus The promise is made first to Abraham and then to his seed to Abraham at first hand and to his seed as second in order from Abraham Abraham is the root his seed are as the branches and therefore this seed being such a seed as cometh to have right to the promise as second in order from Abraham therefore this cannot be Christ personall but mysticall for Christ personall doth not come to have right to the promise from Abraham but rather Abraham from Christ Some more reasons to confirme this interpretation you shall see afterwards 5. Adde hereto the consideration of the Apostles scope and matter which he hath in hand and see whether this interpretation doe not agrâ—e with that also The scope then which the Apostle aymes at is to prove that wee are justified not by the works of the Law but onely by faith in Christ Jesus and that whosoever believeth in him whether Jewes or Gentiles are iustified by him there being but one way of life for both people Rom. 3.29 30. Now this one proposition that all both Jewes and Gentiles are justified onely by faith in Christ though it be but one compleat truth yet it stands of three branches or parts contained in it for first there is in it faith the instrument secondly Christ the object thirdly Jewes and Gentiles the subject to be justified and though no one of these is in any part of the Apostles discourse excluded yet in some passages he drives more especially at some one of them and in other passages at another as for example Chap. 3.5 6 7. here he speakes more especially of faith the instrument and meanes of our justification sometimes againe he poynts more particularly at the subject or persons to be justified as in ver 8.14 mentioning the Gentiles sometimes he aymes especially at Christ the object of our faith as vâ—r 17. The promise was made with respect to Christ Nâ—w because one of these branches namely that which concernes the Gentiles might seeme to be brought in by the Apostle beâ—â—des or â—â—ainst the intent of the promise made to Abraham and to his sâ—ed for it might seeme that the promise being so limited to Abrâ—ham and tâ— his sâ—ed therefore the Gentiles which were not the seed of Aâ—â—â—hâ—m were to have no part in the promise therefore to remove this douâ—t the Apostle shewes that the believing Gentiles are a paâ—t of that seed of Abraham to which the promises were made as he saith ver 7. Thâ—se that are of the faith they are the seed of Abraham And if it be asked how that can be he tells you ver 29. That if we be by faith beâ—â—mâ— Christs then wee are Abrahams seed and heires by promise so that be we Jewes or Gentiles if wee â—e of the faith of Christ we are Abrahams seed and partakers of Abrahams blessinâ— The reason whereof is given ver 17. Bâ—â—â—use the promise of blessednesse was made to Abraham and to his seed with respect to Christ as being one with Christ and no otherwise so that when the Apostle saith The promise is made to one seed which is Christ his meaning is as if he should have said Whether they be Jewes or Gentiles thâ—t believe in Christ and are one with him by faith they are alike partakers of the blessing because the promise is made to men as they are Christs and as they become one with him by faith And because the Apostle saw that some others might still object that though it was thus before the Law that men should be justified by faith yet after the Law given there was a new way of justification shewed namely by the workes of the Law To this the Apostle answers No and gives a double reason of his deniall First That the Covenant or Testament of God is unalterable no man may adde or alter any thing therein therefore much more is Gods Covenant unalterable ver 15. Secondly Because the Covenant was confirmed before in respect of Christ or with respect to Christ and onely to that seed which is by faith made one with Christ and therefore being made to that seed only which is Christs and with respect unto Christ it cannot be disanulled without disrespect and wrong doing unto Christ v. 16. And hereto agrees that which follows vers 17. that the covenant was confirmed before with respect to Christ Christ is the bond of the covenant betwixt God and us so as if that covenant which God hath made with respect unto Christ should be broken and disanulled it could not but be a neglect cast upon Christ himself but this cannot be therefore the covenant made with respect unto Christ and made with that seed which is Christs and one with him must needs stand fast and never be disanulled Thus then we see how the taking of Christ for Christ mysticall agreeth both with oâ—her Scriptures and with the scope of the Apostle in this place and therefore when they say the promise is made to Christ only and therefore not to us I say it follows not it is to Christ only and yet to us also because it is to Christ mysticall and not to Christ personall And when they say it is to one seed therefore not to us being many I answer it followes not if by many they understand many persons the persons of all the faithfull making up but one spirituall seed as the whole number of those that seek righteousnesse by the Law do make but one carnall seed 1. Thus much I
with this spirit of submission and seek peace from him go and put thy rope about thy neck like Benhadads servants and confesse thy own guiltinesse without this God will never enter into covenant with thee God will have thee know thou must take thy life as a free gift of grace and that thou standest at his mercy either to save thee or destroy thee 3. Come with an humble submission to yeeld up thy self to the obedience of the will of God wee must receive him from the law of our life by which we must live When you come to make a covenant with God you must not come to give lawes unto God but to take lawes from God not to impose lawes upon him that he shall save you so and so but you must leave God free to make the conditions of the covenant after his own minde and will think it honour enough that you may be a people in covenant with God and have your life granted by covenant from him but for the conditions leave them to God let him command and require what he will he must be free or else he will not make a covenant with you This is that which Hezekiah exhorted to to come and give the hand to the Lord and serve him we must come and make a covenant with God as a servant with his master as Subjects with their Prince a covenant of service not to be our own Lords the sons of David and princes of Israel when Solomon sate upon the Throne came and gave the hand unto Solomon 1 Chron. 29.24 they made a covenant with him but it was with submission to his power such is the covenant which we must make with God we must give the hand under God submitting to him to be ruled by him Thence it is that we are called upon to deny our selves If any one will be my disciple let him deny himself c. we must not cleave to our selves to our wills and make our own Lawes we must deny our own inclinations wills and affections refuse to be governed by them and resign up our selves to the will of God this is the resolution we must come unto if we will enter into covenant with God as it was in the sacrifice of the Law he that offered it laid his hand upon the head of it as dedicating it to God and quitting it from himself as if he should say I have no more to do with this bullock it is now the Lords that was in part the signification of that action so if we will be the Lords people in covenant with him we must resigne our selves only and wholly to be for him Rom. 12.1 2. we muâ—t present our bodies as a living and acceptable sacrifice consecrate and devote them to God to live unto him and to be our own no more as it is in a marriage covenant when a man and woman make a covenant they do resigne up themselves one to another not to be to themselves any more it is a marriage covenant that we make with God I will marry thee to my self saith the Lord therefore we must do as the Spouse doth resigne up our selves to be ruled and governed according to his will 4. If we would enter into covenant with God we must come before him in the name of a Mediator that is the Lord Jesus in the mediation of his sacrifice we must offer up to the Lord a satisfaction for all our treacherous rebellion against him in that sacrifice we must come and seek reconciliation and the renewing of our covenant with God without such a sacrifice whereby Gods justice may be satisfied there is no hope of a covenant to be made between God and you As in the Law Exod. 34.1 to 8. they come and sacrifice and so the covenant is made between God and them Now these were types of Christs sacrifice come therefore sprinkled with the blood of Christ and say Lord here is the blood of the sacrifice which maketh satisfaction for my rebellion and in this blood enter into covenant with me They that make a covenant with God do it by sacrifice Psal 50.5 And therefore in the mediation of Christs blood and by faith in it look for a re-union and knitting of God and us together 5. After all this that you have broken your covenant with your sins judged your selves for them submitted your selves to the will of God and come in the name of a Mediator then by faith look at the gracious invitation of God and consider his readinesse and willingnesse to enter into covenant with you though there be an infinite disparity between the God of glory and us yet he is pleased to invite us to make a covenant with him if you seek to him he will not turn away his face from you as Hezekiah saith to the people 2 Chron. 30.8 9. though he might turn away from you in wrath and displeasure yet he will not but will enter into a gracious Covenant with you He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast off saith Christ Joh. 6.37 In that manner therefore goe thou and humble thy selfe before God confesse thy treachery and rebellion and looke at God as having a golden scepter in his hand and intreat him to enter into a Covenant with thee and submit thy selfe wholly to be at his command plead the promise of his grace touch the top of the scepter and take hold of the Covenant and then certainly in time the Lord will speake to thy soule and conscience by the testimony of his Spirit that he will be a God unto thee and take thee to be one of his people Thus you see the way to enter into Covenant with God It may serve for all such as are already entred into Covenant Vse 3 with God to admonish such to looke unto themselves and to take heed they be not unfaithfull in the Covenant that they have made with him Take heed of breaking Covenant but let us walk according to the covenant that we have made with him This the Lord expects Exod. 19.5 that if wee enter into covenant with him we should be carefull to keepe it In the things of this life a strict eye is had to the covenant In all conveyances of Lands we look narrowly to the covenants and if they be broken all is gone Now ouâ— life lyes upon our keeping covenant with God labour therefore so to walke that it may appeare that you have a care to keepe the covenant which you have made with God Wee have made a covenant with him in our Baptisme in our conversion and turning unto God and coming to the Lords Supper Now it is not enough to enter into Covenant but wee must keepe it wee have broken the first covenant of workes take heed wee breake not a second there being no more place for any more covenants Now therefore cleave to the Lords Covenant and live unto him Let there not be in any of us an unfaithfull heart to
more cleare and evident the light now is marvellous it is as the Sun shining at noone-day Hence Rom. 16.25 26. Rom. 16.25 26. the Gospel is called the revelation of the ministery which was kept secret since the foundation of the world but it is now made manifest c. Though it was revealed before yet it was but darkly but now it is revealed more clearly since the coming of our Saviour Christ so also Ephes 3 4 5. Ephes 3.4 5. and Colos 2.26 Colos 2.26 Consider the truth of this in some particulars First Consider the promise of eternall life it was darkly covered over not clearly promised to them The promise of eternall life is very rarely in expresse termes mentioned in the old Testament I know but one place which is in Dan. 12.2 Dan. 12.2 where plaine mention is made of life eternall It was shadowed out to them in the promise of inhabiting in the Land of Canaan which was a shadow of eternall life so the threatning of eternall death was typed out by the threatning of exclusion out of the Lords Land Hosea 9.3 Hosea 9.3 When they should be driven into captivity it was a type of their sending into hell if they did not returne to walke with him in his Covenant And hence are those promises They shall inherite the land and dwell in the earth Psal 37.11 Psal 37.11 Not as if that were all they were to looke for but because it was the type of another and better inheritance in heaven This was the cause that made Jacob Gen. 49.29 Gen. 49.29 give that charge to his sonnes that they should not bury him in Aegypt but carry him into the land of Canaan And Joseph Gen. 50.24 25. tooke an oath of his brethren that they should carry his bones with them And why was this done but because they looked at that Land as more then an earthly possession taking it as a type of heaven and by giving that charge they testified their faith in the promise of God concerning the possession of life eternall Therefore also it was that Abraham though he indured many troubles and injuries in the land of promise and had time to have returned into his own Country yet he would not Heb. 11.15 Heb. 11.15 because he looked at that as a land of promise and a type of the rest that remained for him in the kingdome of God Thus was the promise of eternall life obscurely propounded Secondly Consider the revealing of Christ either the person of Christ or his offices and wee shall see that they were darkly propounded unto them in respect of what they are to us Christ was but shadowed out to them in types and figures and dark prophesies Concerning his person it was revealed unto them that he should be God as Isai 9.6 Isai 9.6 where he is called the mighty God and also that he should be man and therefore said to be borne Isa 9.6 But how he should be both God and man in one person was very darkly revealed Which made the Jewes that they could not answer to that question how Christ should be both Lord and sonne to David So for his offices his Mediatorship was typed out by Moses his being between God and the people his Priesthood typed out by Melchisedek among the Canaanites and Aaron among the Jews and his sacrifice by their sacrifices his Propheticall office shadowed to them by Moses who revealed the minde of God to the people Therefore saith Moses Deut. 18.18 Deut. 18.18 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me which is applyed unto Christ Acts 3.22 Acts 3.22 His Kingly office typed out in the kingdome of David and Solomon Luk. 1.31 Luk. 1.31.32 God shall give him the kingdome of his Father David But how darke these things were unto them you may perceive by the speeches of the Disciples unto Christ who knew not how he should execute those offices they knew not that he should dye they dreamt of an earthly kingdome they saw Christ under a vaile but wee see him with open face 2 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 3. end Thirdly The benefits that come by Christ were not so clearly made knowne to them as they are to us Justification was signified by the sprinkling of the bloud of the sacrifice Exod. 24.7 8. Exod. 24 7 8. So sanctification was typed out by the water of purification The benefits which are so clearly revealed unto us that Christ is our wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption were but darkly propounded unto them So that the light now is become like the light at noone day the light that they had was but like the dawning of the day or the light of the starres Hence is that of Christ Mat. 13.16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare c. Quest Why was the Covenant revealed more darkly then and more clearly now 1. Answ Because the work of our redemption was not then transacted and accomplished the things were not then passed as now they be and therefore as the light of the Sun is lesse before its rising then afterward so Christ before his rising in the world was not so fully knowne as since 2. The Church was then in its minority and infancy but now it is of full age Gal. 4.1 2. Galat. 4.1 2. Therefore as a Father gives some hints of his purpose and will to his childe when he is under age but makes knowne all his minde to him when he is growne up so dealt the Lord with his Church then as with children c. 3. It was meet that this glory should be reserved to Christ himselfe he being the great Prophet of the Church that he should reveale more to the world then ever was knowne before It was not meet that all should be revealed before his coming but that he should have the glory of revealing those deepe things which were hid with God making them knowne to his Church and people And therefore they were more darkly revealed before Onely this observe that the further the times were from Christs coming the lesse light they had and the nearer to Christ the more light sprung up The promise to Eve was more darke more cleare to Abraham and still more cleare to David c. And the reason of this is First Because Christ is the light of the world Now as the Sunne the further it is from rising the lesse light it gives and the nearer to rising the more so did Christ the Sun of righteousnesse Secondly The more light was discovered neare the coming of Christ to stirre up the mindâ— of people to wait for Christ and his coming The more knowne the more desired Ignoti â—â—lla câ—pido the lesse knowne the lesse desired Thirdly Before the Law was given there was lesse sense of sin and therefore the lesse revelation of Christ But as the sense of sin increased by the
was at first full of grace and goodnesse an Image of the blessed God but now he is become a spectacle of misery So all other things under the Sun are to him turned to vanity and vexation of spirit As a deale of wind in the body doth not refresh it but gripe and pain it so all the windy comforts of the world cannot satisfie but rather trouble us till we recover our fellowship with God As we lost our felicity in losing God so we must recover it again by recovering him Therefore wee find in experience that the soule never finds setled test till it come to rest in God As the Bee goes from flower to flower because there is not full contentment to be found in any one so the soulâ— from creature to creature til it comes to God Hence the Lord is called the rest of the soule Psalm 116.7 And this the Lord knowing that the soule cannot find rest any where else but in him therefore he will communicate himself to them this being his end to make the creature blâ—ssed by enjoying of him Consider how God is an All-sufficient God to us in two respects First in respect of all our occasions and necessities whatever our case be It 's Gods prerogative alone to be an universal good The things of the world can help but against some one thing bread against hunger drink against thirst cloathes against cold and nakednesse houses against wind and weather friends against solitarinesse riches against poverty Physick against sicknesse c. But God is an All-sufficient good he supplies all the necessities of his people he is all in all to them he is habitation to them he is life c. he doth good to the inward and outward man his grace is sufficient to help all the defects of the soule Look upon the guilt of sinne there is abundant grace to pardon Are our infirmities many there is power in Gods grace to heale them Are our corruptions strong the power of Gods Spirit can overcome them and make us able to keep his Statutes and Judgements and to doe them Are our consciences disquieted and our peace broken His joy is able to make us rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious Again his sufficiency extends also to the body all the welfare of the outward man is laid up in God he is the God of our life Psal 42.8 Psalm 42.8 and the strength of our life Psal 27.1 Psalm 27.1 He is a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 1 Cor. 15.45 which though it be true in regard of the inward man which he doth also quicken by his Spirit and grace yet it is there spoken of the outward man of the body which the Lord shall quicken after death and doth now keep alive by his power For in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 Acts 17.28 When God formed the body at first out of the dust whence had it life Not from it selfe nor from any creature God breathed into him the breath of life and so he still keeps the breath in our nostrils and upholds our soule in life or else we should presently return to dust Secondly God is an all-sufficient good in respect of all times and seasons both for this life and the life to come Other things serve but in their seasons as it was said of David that he served his time so doe the things of this life but they continue not our health and strength are with us in youth but they stay not The flowers give their smell in the spring but by and by they are withered and gone The Sunne gives light in the day time but hides it selfe in the night cloathes keep us warme but they wear away But God is a lasting yea and an everlasting good He is God and changeth not and therefore is called God from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90.2 In a word he is sufficient First to save us from all evill and thence hee is said to bee a Wall of fire round about his people Zach. 2.8 So also a Cloud against the heat a Shield and Buckler against the Sword c. an all-sufficient protection to his people against all evill Secondly an all-sufficient good to communicate all blessings to us which we stand in need of therefore hee promises to open his good treasure Deut. 28.11.12 And hee tells Abraham when hee enters into covenant with him that he will be his exceeding great reward I will be all things to thee Hence the Lord is called a Sunne Psalm 84. that as the Sun is the cause of all fruitfulnesse to the earth bringeth forth corn grasse and hearbs and withall cherishes them so the Lord by the influence of his grace and goodnesse bringeth forth something out of every creature for the good and comfort of his people Thirdly he is able to make up all our losses whatever wee have forgone for his Names sake and his Gospels we shall have an hundred fold more either in the same kind or in contentation or inward peace of conscience Thus the Prophet tells Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. when he asked what he should doe for the hundred talents saith the Prophet The Lord is able to give thee more then this Have we with Abraham forsaken our native countrey and our kindred The Lord is able to make up all Fourthly He is sufficient to work for us and by us what ever we desire according to his will What ever enterprise wee have in hand or goe about though wee have mountaines against us as Zach. 4.7 yet the Lord can make them plains and work all our works for us Have we any grace to bee wrought in us Hee can make all grace to abound in us He hath abundance of spirit Heb. 13.21 and can work both will and deed Thus you see that God is every way sufficient to his people Vse 1 This may let us see both the cause and cure of those manifold discontents that we meet withall in our daily course troubled we are on every side nothing satisfies the unsatiable desires of our hearts but when we have the things we sought at Gods hand yet we are discontented The reason of all is because we doe not injoy God we doe not live upon him wee doe not possesse nor improve our interest in him We pore upon the Creature and place our rest there and so misse of our expectation If we did injoy God in our daily conversation wee might finde a sufficiency and contentment in every estate as Paul did Phil. 4.13 Phil. 4.13 2 Cor. 6.10 as having nothing and yet possessing all things He lived to God and enjoyed him and he was an all-sufficient good to him Wee may injoy God in any condition in the meanest as well as the greatest in the poorest as well as the richest Nothing can separate us from God but sin alone God will goe into a wildernesse into a prison into a low condition with his people and he
yet would live in hatred of their brother ver 9. They would say they loved God yet loved not their brethren 1 Ioh. 4.20 Now against these Sayers as I may call them that were all in profession and in word saying Lord Lord but not doing his will against these I say the Apostle opposeth these others which had the true work of sanctification in their heart and tells us that hereby we know c. Namely if we doe not onely say we love the brethren but doe indeed love them c. hereby we know that we are passed from death to life Thus by these expressions taken out of the Apostles own mouth we see clearely who they are whom the Apostle meaneth by this we namely not we onely who have received that immediate witnesse of the Spirit assuring us of our election and justification but we also which have this work of sanctification wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost Quest But some may say why should we goe about to evidence our justification by our sanctification rather then our sanctification by our justification Ans Because though they goe both together in time yet they are not both alike in respect of manifestation Our sanctification is more manifest to us then is our justification It s easier discerned First because our sanctification is the work of the Spirit whose part it is as was said before to make known unto us the hid things of God for which cause he is called the Spirit of Revelation c. Eph. 1.17 Secondly because our sanctification is a work within us wrought in out own hearts Our justification is an act of God without us God not imputing to us our iniquities but our sanctification is an inward work wrought in a mans own bowels of which he hath and cannot but have a sensible feeling in himselfe Obj. But by this reason may some say a man may as well know his justification as his sanctification because we are justified by faith and faith is an inward Grace planted in the heart as well as any other sanctifying Grace which springs therefrom And therefore we may know our justification by our faith as well as by our sanctification Answ True so farre as we discerne our faith we may thereby discerne our justification also But this makes for us not against us Though this withall is to be considered that faith being as the root of all other Graces is more hidden then they are as the root of the tree is more hidden in the earth then the body or branches but this we stand not upon This therefore we would grant that a man may know his justification by his faith but this toucheth not the point in hand For when we goe about to try our justification by our sanctification and by qualifications inherent in us in this way of tryall faith is excluded as much as any other sanctifying Graces be And the meaning of those that doe oppose this way of evidencing by our sanctification is to remove all evidence by any thing in our selves whether by faith or by any other Grace and to urge only the immediate revelation of the Spirit The summe is that this is a safe way of tryall being laid down unto us by the Lord himselfe in the Word And it is a possible way in as much as our sanctification is more evident then our justification this being an act of God without us as was said before and that a work within us which we feele and finde in our own soules Would we then know whether we be of the number of those that are saved by the blood of the Covenant we need not for this ascend up into heaven to search the book of Gods election nor need we to goe down into the lower parts of the earth for any there to tell us that we are deliveâ—ed thence but goe down into our own hearts and if we finde this work of sanctification there wrought then what Moses said of Israel Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord the same may be truly said of us Our salvation is begun we have the seale of it the earnest the first fruits which shall at length bring the full possession of the whole harvest Blessed therefore are they which are undefiled in their way saith David which walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119.1 Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5.8 Those that have innocent hands and a pure heart shall surely ascend into the mountaine of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24.3 4. Such as these shall never be moved or confounded Psal 15. end But if in our hearts we doe still nourish impurity if we be fleshly carnall such as have not the Spirit then have we no part nor portion in that salvation which the Covenant brings unto Gods people without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 No unrighteous person no uncleane thing shall enter into Gods Kingdome 1 Cor. 6. Quest But how shall we discern our sanctification to be right sincere and sound Answ 1. By the extent of it It goes over the whole man soule body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 and therefore compared to leaven Matth. 13.33 which runnes through the dough till all bee leavened As corruption had defiled all so Grace sanctifies all The minde which was darknesse before is now light in the Lord to know and understand the will of God and to discerne things that differ The judgement made to approve the good which is known the will to desire and endeavour after the doing of it The conscience is made watchfull and tender fearefull to offend The affections ordered aright to love the things which God loveth and to hate the things which he hateth The body is made an instrument to execute and doe that which is holy and good Both body and spirit are Gods set to doe the things that please him by which he may be glorified 1 Cor. 6. all that is within us and without us is imployed to praise God 2. True Sanctification as it doth sanctifie the whole man so it doth forme the heart to a closing with the whole will of God without exception or reservation when God writes his Law in our hearts he writes all his Commandements there as he wrote all of them before in the Tables of stone and they being all written in the heart now we love all the Commandements of it saying as Paul The Law is holy and just and good now his Commandements are not burthenous or grievous all are equall and right we love all embrace all and labour to practice all duties of holinesse towards God duties of love and righteousnesse towards men goe hand in hand in the life of a sanctified Christian He makes account he hath done but half his duty if either of these be omitted He counts himselfe as debtor to God and man to glorifie God and procure the good of men and desires to keep a cleare conscience
hee makes them able to lend unto others makes them the head and others the taile c. sets up his own above and the other beneath 7. God is in Covenant with our whole man he is the God of our body as well as soule and spirit we are wholly his he hath taken us wholly to be his own and therefore even as our Saviour Christ in Matth. 22. doth hereby prove the resurrection of Abrahams body because God was in Covenant with Abraham he was the God of Abraham of whole Abraham body as well as soule and therefore God being the God of the living and not of the dead Abrahams body must live and rise againe so by the same argument we may gather assurance that God will provide for our outward man because he is the God of the whole man he is a God to us not only to pardon our sinnes to sanctifie and save our soules but he is the God of our bodies also to feed and to cloth them to minister to them such things as are convenient for them And hence is that in 1 Cor. 6.13 as our body is for the Lord to serve and glorifie him so is the Lord also for the body to redeem it to nourish it to glorifie it 8. The Lord knowes how many discouragements we meet with here to dishearten us in his service And therefore he casts in these outward blessings as encouragements to provoke us to serve him with more willingnesse and cheerefulnesse of Spirit As Hezekiah caused the Levites to have provision brought in unto them that they might be encouraged in the service of the Lord 2 Chron. 31.4 so will the Lord doe much more hee will have his servants to know that they shall not serve him for nought Iob 1. not so much as to shut a doore in his house in vaine Mal. 1. 9. The Lord hath commanded such duties unto his servants as they cannot performe without a supply in these outward things works of love mercy kindnesse helpfulnesse one to another yea he would have us to abound in these things and as examples to goe before all other people And therefore he will also furnish us with sufficiency that we may be compleat unto every good work He will not send on a message and cut off the feet of him whom he sends Prov. 26.6 10. The Lord looks for service from our outward man give up your body as an holy living Sacrifice unto God Rom. 12.1 Glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are God's saith Paul 1 Cor. 6. but he will not reap where he hath not sown nor look to gather where he hath not scattered he will sustaine us if he look for service from us 11. We are Gods houshold and family and therefore hee will provide for his own If he have charged us to provide for our own 1 Tim. 5.8 he will not he cannot be wanting to his If he feed the Ravens Job 39.3 and cloath the Lilies Matth. 6.26 he will not suffer his children to want bread 12. By giving us these outward things the Lord would nourish our faith in the hope of things spirituall and heavenly for when we see his care over us in these lesser things it may assure us that he will not neglect us in those that are of greater moment The outward blessings which God gave unto Israel were not outward blessings alone but pledges and tokens of better things he gave them bread from heaven and it was an outward bodily food but not that only but it was a pledge to them of the true bread from heaven he gave them water out of the Rock which did quench their bodily thirst but not that only but was a sign and pledge of Christ the true Rock out of whom springs the water of life he gave them a good and fat land to dwell in where they had vine-yards orchards gardens and lived in pleasure therein through his great goodnesse Neh. 9. but not as an outward blessing only but as a pledge of a better inheritance And thus doth he unto us though every thing is not now typicall to us as to them yet thus far we may go to say that these outward blessings are made pledges unto us of Gods love towards us in better things so as we may argue from the lesse to the greater that if he be so mindfull of us in these smaller things of this life then doubtlesse he will not neglect us in those greater things which concerne the eternall salvation of our soules 13. He knowes we have need of these things Matth. 6.32 and therefore he having commanded us to give unto him that needeth Ephes 4.28 and open our hand wide unto the poore Deut. 15.11 surely he will not shut up the bowels of his compassion from his own needy servants but will open his good treasure unto them to satisfie them with good things Deut. 28.12 Quest But sometimes wee see Gods faithfull servants to bee kept short in these outward blessings how comes this to passe the Lord having made such ample promises unto them and how farre forth may any bee assured to have a sufficiency in these things Answ To the first I conceive thus First all the promises of things pertaining to this life are subordinate and subservient to the promises which concern our inward man and our eternall salvation God doth not promise us these outward things so as to make against our spirituall good but so as to further and help it forward he promiseth them with Christ not against Christ nor to hinder his Kingdome in our hearts Rom. 8.32 If it so fall out that sufficiency in these may better us in the inward man wee shall not want them but because the Lord sees us sometimes to abuse them to the fulfilling of our wanton desires to pride security confidence and trusting in them here the Lord is free from his promise least by filling us with those things that are outward he should empty us of that little grace that is in us Secondly there are times of tryall in which the Lord will try all his children The Lord will try the righteous saith the Prophet Psal 11.5 thus he tryed them in Heb. 11.36 37. they were tryed with mockings and scourgings being destitute afflicted and tormented Thus also he tryed Israel in the wildernesse Deut. 8.2 16. and thus he tryed holy Job God will know what is in us he will see whether we serve him for wages yea or no or whether wee would continue to serve him out of love though he should give us nothing Hee will see whether we follow him for loaves or whether we can be content to cleave to him in wants and necessities having nothing But though the Lord will thus try us yet these times of tryall last not alwayes these are not the wayes of Gods ordinary dispensation towards his people During these times of tryall the Lord doth sometimes cut short his servants in outward things but it is to do
the Covenant of Grace which he hath made with us in Christ They are not so unto the wicked who are not in Covenant with the Lord but to the Saints they are in Gen. 33.5 when Iacob speaks of his children these saith he are the children which God of his Grace hath given thy servant Iacob saw Grace in this so should we see Grace in every outward blessing wee enjoy Object But these outward blessings are common to good and bad and no man can know love or hatred by these things which are before him how then may I know that God gives me these things out of Grace and love Answ 1. If we come by them in the way of the Covenant we walking before God in the way of holy obedience and dependance upon him It s certain they doe then come to us as blessings and are given us by vertue of his Covenant And therefore it is that in Deut. 28.1 2 8 12. If thou shalt diligently observe the Commandements of the Lord thy God saith Moses then shall he command the blessing to come upon thee and all these blessings shall overtake thee c. he doth not say thus shall thou be enriched thus shalt thou encrease in goods c. but thus shall the Lord blesse thee and these blessings shall come upon thee to note unto us that when we walk with God in this way of obedience conscionably then what ever good things come unto us they come as a blessing The Lord not only gives the blessing it selfe but hee gives it as a blessing and a blessing of Grace comming through his Covenant 2. If they be as bands and cords of love betwixt God and us as bands to draw us nearer unto him and as cords to tie us faster unto him causing us to love him more and to honour him in the use of those good things which we have received from him doubtlesse they doe then come from his Grace towards us and are blessings of the Covenant I have loved thee saith the Lord in Jer. 31.3 and with mercy have I drawn thee If God draw us unto him by any meanes there is mercy in it and there is a blessing in it Take this as a rule for ever what ever brings us to God is a blessing as contrariwise whatever separates us from God is a curse And that which causeth love comes from love If these things work love in our hearts towards God then doe they come from his love towards us Consider then are our hearts carried away from God by the things we enjoy this is dangerous But are our hearts thereby more drawn and knit unto him then own them as blessings of the Covenant as springing from the fountaine of Grace which God hath opened to us in Christ 2. Seeing these outward good things are given to Gods people by Covenant as blessings and as springing from Grace this must teach us to be content with such a measure of them as our Father seeth meetest for us though we have lesse in outward things yet there is the same grace in that little as if we had an hundred fold Sometimes there is much love seen in a little thing and so it is in these gifts which God gives to his children The gift may be small but the love is great from which it comes This love should satisfie whether the gift we receive from it be lesse or more As a younger childe which his Father loves tenderly though he have not so large allowance and liberall maintenance as his elder brother that is grown to yeares yet he comforts himselfe in this he saith in his heart I know my Father loves me as well as any childe he hath and thus satisfies himselfe in his Fathers love though his yearely allowance bee not equall with some other so should we Though we have not so much wheat and wine and oyle c. yet we may satiate our soule with the Lords goodnesse Ier. 31.12 14. that goodnesse of his being the same towards us in our little as if our portion were much more abundant And this contentation we should the rather labour for because if we be not satisfied with that lesser portion which the Lord bestows upon us untill we abound it is suspicious and we have cause to doubt whether our contentment be not more in the gift then in the grace and love of the Giver For if it be his love that satisfies us why are we not satisfied when we have lesse as if we had more if we have food and rayment having them from the gift of his Grace let us therewith bee content Satisfie us with thy mercy saith Moses Psal 90.14 Moses could be satisfied with mercy though he had but little else there is a satisfying sufficiency in it if wee can but see it and rellish it in the things we enjoy Let us make sure of this that what we have it may come from the hand of Grace and then let us be contented with it be it lesse or more 3. Doth the Lord thus provide for his servants in these outward things let us then serve him with our outward man Hee blesseth us with all kinde of blessings in spirituall things pertaining to our inward man and in outward things pertaining to our outward man to the end that we might serve him and glorifie him in both he feeds and cloaths our bodies he maintaines the health and strength of them therefore give them up as a living sacrifice unto him Râ—m 12.1 Let him be magnified in our body Phil. 1.20 Our body must be for the Lord as the Lord is for the body 1 Cor. 6.13 And it is the Apostles exhortation Let us glorifie him both in body and Spirit for they are God's 4. This same consideration before named may teach us how to use the good things of this life which we doe enjoy For 1. Doe we receive them from Grace doe not then abuse them unto sinne to pride wantonnesse excesse c. This is to turn the Grace of God shewed in giving of them to us into licentiousnesse In Hosea 2.8 the Lord complaines there that when he had given them corne and wine silver and gold they bestowed them upon Baal abusing them to Idolatry and to sinne And it s noted as the sinne of wicked Athaliah that the dedicate things which should have been to the honouring of God these shee bestowed upon Baalim 2 Chron. 24.7 When we thus abuse his blessings unto sinne we turne that against God which we have received from him for good And in so doing we may justly feare least they become testimonies against us in the day of our account Therefore do not so requite the Lord Deut. 32. Remember from what hand wee have received them and take heed we abuse them not 2. Hence learn to return part of our substance unto God Give up that unto him which we have received from him The Lord gives us leave to eat and to drink and to cheere our
he is to be God over us that wee must neither spâ—ak nor do but according to the command of God As a man when he maketh a covenant of marriage with a woman he covenants with her to be her head to rule her that she shal be subject to him to please him or as when a man hires a servant c. So when the Lord takes us into covenant with himselfe it is that we shall bee his servants to doe his will pleasure and commandement When Isaac sent away his son Jacob to Padan Aran hee blessed him but withall he gâ—ve him a charge Gen. 28.1.6 Gen. 28 1.6 in both verses the blessing and the charge are mâ—ntioned togâ—ther So whâ—n the Lord giveth this blessing to us That hee will bee our God the charge goeth with it see thâ—t you keep the charge of the Lord your God and that you do whatsoever I commâ—nd you 3. B cause the Lord knows as he speaks himself Isai 48.4 Isai 48.4 that we are obstinate and our neck is an Iron sinew c. and are râ—ady to say as Jer. 2.31 Wee are Lords wee will not come at thee we will have none to command us Therfore the Lord promiseth this alâ—o when he saith That I will be a God over you that hee will subdue the rebelliousnesse of spirit that is in us and the stoutnesse of our hearts that he will bend and bow these stiffe necks of ours and make us pliable to his will in all things He will subdue our rebellions Micah 7.19 He will over-rule our unruly proud and presumptuous spirits and cause us to keep his Statutâ—s and Commandements to doe them This the Lord promiseth Ezek. 20.33 As I live saith the Lord surely with a mighty hand and wiâ—h a stretched out aâ—m and with fury powred out will I rule over you These words are a promise of grace that though they had other purposes in their minds they were thinking to goe after their Idols and to become as other countries serving wood and stone as verse 32. yet saith the Lord it shall not bee so I will over-rule these sinfull Idolatrous hearts of yours and you shal not serve these false Gods which you are doting upon but I will bring you unto my selfe and you shall serve me And this exposition is confirmed by the 34 37 38. verses compared together I will bring you into the wildernesse and there plead with you face to face and thâ—re make you ashamed and I will make you passe under the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant and purge out from among you the rebels c. This is therefore a promise of grace There is indeed one word which seems to favour another interpretâ—tion given by some as if God did herein threaten a judgement because he saith I will rule you with wrath powred out verse 33. But this doth not hinder but the words may bee taken up as a promise of grace For the wrath here threatned may bee intended against the counâ—ries into which they were scattered a d who held them in bondage as verse 34. or else it may be extended to the hypocrites and reprobates amongst themselves whom the Lord would separate and cut off from them as verse 37.38 God might threaten wrath to them though he extend grace and mercy to his own people Or if it be understood of the judgements which he would execute upon his owne people taken into covenant with him yet this makes nothing against the interpretation before given Because the Lord doth by his corrections in which he shewes himselfe angry with his people subdue their stout hearts and over-power their rebellious natures and make them submit themselves unto him hee maketh those messengers of his wrath to become meanes of good unto his people he layes his yoak on them to tame their unruly spirits Thus saith the Lord concerning Solomon 2 Sam. 7.14 That if he did sin against him he would correct him And it is said 1 Kings 11.9 that God was angry with Solomon and he powred out wrath against him stirring up adversaries to trouble him A father rules over his childâ—en in love and tender compassion and yet by reason of their unruly disposition hee is sometimes forced to shew himselfe angry with them by some sharp corrections So it is with the Lord in the rule that he exerciseth over his people Therefore though we do restraine the wrath powred forth to be upon his own children yet it may bee a promise of grace that the Lord will by meanes thereof bring under and over-rule the stubbornnesse of their hearts and governe them with a mighty hand whether they will or no. Thus hee over-ruled the spirit of the Prophet Ezek. 3.14 Ezek. 3.14 that though hee had no mind to preach to the Jewes being such a rebellious people yet the hand of the Lord carried him to the performance of it with indignation of his own spirit which was against it 4. When he hath subdued our spirits unto him and brought us to submit unto his will then he will be God over us to teach instruct and direct us in the way wherein we should walk that if either ignorance or heedlesnesse doe turn us out of the way then the Lord guides us into the right way wherein we ought to walk as Isai 48.17 And this he promiseth to doe Isai 30.21 You shall heare a voyce behind you c. we are apt to heare and passe by as though we heard not therefore the Lord is said to call after us as one that speaks behind us and cries to us Ho Ho you are out of your way this is the way c. This also hâ—e promiseth Psalm 25.9.12 Psal 25.9.12 that when he hath once meekned our crosse spirits and made us willing to obey him then he will guide us in judgement and teach us the way which himself chuseth for us And thus the Lord will be God over his people a God above them as a Prince is ovâ—r his pâ—ople an husband over his wife a father oâ—e his children a master over his servants or a shepheard o er his flock to rule and order them according to his owne mind And this is no small benefit and blessing of the covenant For look as it is for the good of a people to be under the government of a gracious King the good of the wife to bee under the government of a prudent husband the good of a child to be under the government of a godly father and for the good of the flâ—ck to be under the guidance of a skilfâ—ll shepheard So it is for the good of the people of God that hee will bee pleased to bee a God over them and that he will not leave them to the rebellious lusts of their own hearts This is a rich blessing of the covenant of grace As it is said of Solomon that because the Lord loved Israel therefore he gave them such a King 2