37.24.25 It 's I that have done all this c. But the spirit of grace is another spirit as it is said of Caleb and Joshua that there was another spirit in them Numb 14.24 Numb 14.24 whatsoever such an one doth as hath the spirit of grace working in him hee is still in himselfe as nothing as Paul saith of himselfe 2 Cor. 12.11 2 Cor. 12.11 that though hee was not behind the chiefe Apostles in the labour of the Gospel yet hee was still as nothing in his own eyes Had Paul been of a Pharisaicall legall spirit we should have had other language from him then to say I am nothing He would have had his trumpet blown before him to sound out his excellency and worth he would have gloried of his goodnesse not onely before men but before God But Paul had the spirit of grace in him and that made him to see that hee had nothing in himselfe to glory in but onely in the grace of Christ The spirit of the law will magnifie the works of the law and will cause us to magnifie our selves because of them but the spirit of grace will make us vile in our own eyes and our works to bee but as a spotted garment Isai 64. leaving us nothing in our selves that is of worth to glory in before God But may not a child of God rejoyce and take comfort in his obedience and fruit of holinesse which he bringeth forth Quest He may as is evident 2 Cor. 1.12 2 Cor. 1.12 Gal. 6.4 but how Answer Not as in that which justifies him or is his righteousnesse before God but as in the fruits which follow and flow from his justified estate so testifying unto him that he is under grace as also oppâ—sing his integrity against the calumnies and suspicions of men But how may I know that the comfort which I take from them is froâ— the spirit of grace and not from the spirit of the law Quest The spirit of the law makes a man goe no further then himself Answer 1 looking at himselfe as the whole author and worker of all the good which he hath done and therefore it is that such despise others in comparison of themselves if they see that they come short of themselves as he did Luke 18.11 Luke 18.11 But the spirit of grace teacheth a man to loâ—k at all he doth as wrought in him by the power of Christ as the Apostle saith 1 Cor 15.10 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am And so ascribes no more to himselfe though he hath done more then he doth to others that have done lesse The spirit of the Law hardens the heart against grace keeps Answer 2 the heart aloft so that it cannot submit and come down so low as to see that infinite need of mercy and grace that it stands in as Rom. 10.3 Rom 10.3 they being led by â—he spirit ot the law and glorying in their own righteousnesse they could not submit to the righteousnesse of faith it was too great a submission for them But the spirit of grace teacheth a man so to see his own uprightnesse and to take comfort in it that withall it makes him in lowlinesse and humility of spirit to flie to grace for acceptance of his best performances and to get pardon for the defect of them as we may see in Nehemiah chap. 13.22 Nehem. 13.22 Remember mee O Lord saith he and pardon me according to thy great mercy And so Paul 1. Cor. 4.4 1 Cor. 4.4 he knew his own faithfulâ—esse yet he durst not adventure himselfe to come before God to be justified thereby Let such therefore as glory in themselves and in their own works see by what spirit they are led even by the spirit of the law these are under the covenant of works Those that glory in grace and in Christ alone these are under the covenant of grace The covenant of works rested in and trusted unto can never Differ 9 in this state of corruption that we are now in work setled comfort peace and quietnesse of heart Let a man walke as exactly as flesh and bloud can attaine unto and let him withall build as confidently on this foundation as he possibly may yet the heart will be still in suspicion in doubt in feare uncertain what to trust unto doubtfull what his estate is But the Covenant of grace rested in and trusted unto doth settle the soule in peace Let a man renounce his own righteousnesse and fly to the free covenant and promise of grace and stay wholly upon it here is a sure anchor for the soule to rest upon Let waves swell and windes blow yet he hath built himselfe on a sure rock which cannot faile and the more confidently that a man adheres to the Covenant of grace the more assured peace he will finde This difference the Apostle lays down Rom. 10. from the 5th ver to 10. Rom. 10. from veâ— 5. to 10. where having before in the third verse laid downe a distinction of a two-fold righteousnesse one of workes the other of faith then next he commends the righteousnesse of faith which is by the covenant of grace above that which is by the covenant of workes and perswades to cleave to the one before the other by this Argument namely because the righteousnesse which is by workes leaves a man full of scruples and doubts making a man to be doubtfully enquiring who shall ascend up into heaven to tell him whether there be a place for him there or who shall goe downe into the deepe to tell him that he is saved from that infernall misery This dubious anxiety doth the Doctrine and Covenant of workes leave a man in but the Covenant of grace takes away all these scruples It saith not Who shall goe up into heaven c. It tells us that Christ is ascended to prepare a place for us nor saith it Who shall descend c. It teacheth us to believe that Christ is descended for to deliver us So that this doctrine of grace frees the minde of those scruples and perplexities which the doctrine of workes leaves a man intangled in He that rests on workes is like a wave of the Sea tossed and tumbled up and down and finds no rest he that rests on grace is like one built upon a rock and therefore cannot be shaken The reason of this difference is Because the Law which containes the summe of the Covenant of workes doth discover the perfect holinesse of God the puritie of his nature his hatred against sinne his strict justice and judgement so as the soule that is but in the least measure privie to his own impurity and sinfulnesse can never grow up to any confidence before God by any thing which he hath done When we have done the best we can reach unto yet the heart will still be doubtfull whether that which we have done be fully answerable to the
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
together yet the grace of God is revealed unto us Be aboundantly thankfull for it that we which were dogs before are now set at the childrens table He hath made knowne his Covenant to us which was kept secret from ages before wherein though they would have been glad to have seen and heard the things which we doe yet they could not what doe wee owe unto God for this mercy Doe therefore as they in Acts 13.48 Acts 13.48 they were glad and rejoyced that the Gospel was preached to them so let us Let us also praise and glorifie God for it as the Gentiles are stirred up to doe Rom. 15.9 10. when the Jewes heard that God had given the Gentiles repentance unto life they glorified God much more should we doe it for our selves And thirdly Let us learne to give up our selves to the obedience of Grace as they did Rom. 1.5 This is that the Gospel teacheth 2 Tit. 11.12 There is much profession of faith in New England but let it appeare in the life manifest our thankfulnesse in our obedience of the Gospel of Christ or else the more the Grace of God is revealed to us the heavier will our judgement be 2 Thes 1.8 God will come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that obey not the Gospel of Christ 5. Here might be noted a fifth Difference that the old Coveâ—â—nt was to last but for a time till the time of reformation Heb. â— 4 but the new Covenant is to last for ever to the end of the world Which makes against the opinion of those which teach the abolition of the ordinances of the New Testament at the setting up of Christs kingdome which they plead for but this I passe by It is an everlasting Gospel and the ordinances of it everlasting to last as long as the world shall last 3. Now follows a third point concerning the covenant of grace to be spoken to and that is touching the blessings and benefits of the Covenant And these are necessary to be considered of and looked into for sundry reasons First That those that are in covenant with God might know the great things which are given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we can never know the things which are given unto us of God but by knowing of the covenant which conveys all the blessings which God doth impart unto his people therefore it is necessary that we should know the blessings of the Covenant that so wee may take comfort in them rejoyce in them and see our owne happinesse what an happy thing it is to be in covenant with God Men that have great possessions will sometimes get upon the top of some high place to take a view of their large revenewes so should wee ascend on high in our Meditations to consider the great blessings which the Lord passes over unto us by his Covenant Wee should doe as Mâ—ses get up to the top of Mount Nebo and view all the land all the severall blessings of the Covenant And as God bids Abraham Gen. 13.17 to view the length and breadth of the land which he would give unto him so should we view the length and breadth of the promise Walke through the Covenant as wee are able to see the heighth and depth of it that so we may know what great things the Lord hath made us possessors of and so rejoyce in our portion and take consolation therein Indeed we can here behold them but as in a Map darkly wee must reserve the full view of them till wee come to injoy them as they shall be exhibited to us hereafter Secondly It may be usefull also to others that are strangers to the Covenant and promises that they by hearing how great the blessings of the Covenant are they may be allured and drawne thereby to come and take hold of the covenant whereby such great and wonderfull things are communicated unto them This drawes some when they see the goodnesse of God unto his people Zach. 8.23 Zach 8.23 Isai 60.9 And thereby they are encouraged to joyne unto them and become one people with them This stird Balaam himselfe to consider their happinesse and to say How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and therefore wished Let me dye the death of the righteous This doth many times efficaciously worke upon the hearts of those that are without the Covenant Thirdly The consideration of the Benefits of the Covenant will helpe to make the burthen of it as it seemes burthensome to flesh and bloud more light and the bonds more easie If we looke at the bond of the Covenant alone we shall be ready to say as Psal 2.3 Psal 2.3 Let us breake these bonds and cast these cords from us But if we look into the blessings of the Covenant which it brings these will make the bonds more easie that the soule will say Lord bind me as fast as thou wilt that I may never start from thee knit my heart unto thee that I may feare thee for ever It will make the service of the Covenant an easie servitude yea it will make us see glorious libertie in it If this be considered we shall not say as Mal. 3.14 and Job 21.15 What profit is it that wee have served the Lord and kept his ordinances c but that in keeping his Covenant there is great reward Psal 19. Psal 19. Fourthly Whereas the Lord doth cast in many blessings upon his people spirituall and temporall the Lord dealing in all his wayes towards his people according to his Covenant with them now the consideration of the many blessings which wee doe enjoy by the Covenant will lead us to the right fountaine from whence we doe receive them even to see the faithfulnesse of God in them who keeps covenant and promise with his people Wee shall thereby see that as he hath spoken it with his mouth so he hath fulfilled it with his hand Fifthly The knowledge of the blessings of the Covenant will helpe to support our faith in all tryalls exigencies and straights which we fall into if we know what the promises of the covenant be it will beare us up that our faith faint not though for the present we be cut short of the blessings which wee have a promise for Herein faith is supported that though God may try us yet he will not forsake us if the blessing be not yet come yet it will come it cannot faile the Covenant being faithfull the Lord will perform mercy to Jacob and truth to Israel Micah 7. last Thus it is every way usefull and profitable to know the blessings of the Covenant And here lift up our hearts to looke for great things great blessings such as the great God hath promised the blessings are sutable to the person that we enter into Covenant withall The things of the Covenant are great things Hos 8.12 Hos 8.12 Princes and Monarches when they enter into Covenant with other Nations they doe not make
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
hearts by partaking in the portion we enjoy under the same wee may take the comfort of what hee hath given us and make use of it for our own good But he never allowed us to keep all unto our selves but commands us to distribute them as good Stewards one part to the reliefe of his poore Saints another part for the benefit of the Common-Wealth either in peace or warre as occasions require and part also for the upholding of his worship and service and the good of his Church Thus Prov. 3.9 honour God with thy riches and with the first fruit of all thine encrease He doth not say honour thy selfe with thy riches but honour God with them as they come from his Grace so they should be used to his glory All things are of him and for him when we are in any need the Lord fulfils all our necessities Phil. 4. So when the Lord stands in need of any thing we must let goe that which he stands in need of according to that of our blessed Saviour in Matth. 21.3 Tell them the Lord hath need of him and then straight way they will let him goe we doe willingly receive from God and we should as willingly give back unto God wee are ready to say with Abraham Loâ—â— wâ—â—â— wâ—lt thou give me Gen. 15.2 but we should be as ready to â—â—y with David What shall I render unto the Lord Psal 116.12 And if any shall say the Lord needs not any thing Acts 1â— 25 It s true he needeth not for himselfe but in his Saints in his servants these may stand in need And this know that what we have done to them for his names sake the same will he acknowledge as done to himself he will say In as much as yee have done it to these yee have done it to me 5. Lastly whether wee want or whether we abound let this teach us to depend upon the faithfulnesse of Gods Covenant either for the supply of these outward things if wee want them or for the continuance and maintenance of that portion which he hath given us we have his promise believe it rest upon it and though all things may seeme to make against us yet his promise will hold it cannot faile The Lord now calls for this exercise of faith to live by faith in his promises we are here in a wildernesse and we may think as they Psal 7â— 19 20. Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse c. but though they were in a wildernesse then as we are now yet God was not a wildernesse to them nor will be to us if we trust upon his mercifull and faithfull promise The Lord will not forsâ—ke his people 1 Sam. 12.22 His name would suffer in our suffrings and wants if he should then forsake us when wee walk before him in faith and obedience according to his will yea though we for our parts have deserved to be forsaken by reason of our great departings away from him yet if we return unto him with all our soul he will not forsake us for his own great names sake because it hath pleased him to make us his people 1 Sam. 12. Therefore cast we our care upon the Lord and he will care for us and though we see our wants encreasing upon us yet remember the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it he hath an hid treasure that we know not of he fed Israel with Manna which neither they nor their Fathers knew Deut. 8.3 And he will finde out such wayes for our supply as neitheir we nor our Fathers before us ever knew of only believe and be obedient to his word and then let not our hearts bee troubled nor feare the Lord will rather make the Rocks to flow forth with honey and the clouds to drop down milk and the grasse of the wildernesse to become as wooll to provide us cloathing rather then we shall want those things which we stand in need of This word is a sure word a faithfull saying The Lord will not forsake his people and what he hath spoken concerning all in generall he speaks to every one in particular I will not faile Thee nor forsake Thee Thus we see what promises the Lord makes unto us what benefits he conveyes by his Covenant both spirituall and temporary for the inward and outward man all which are communicated unto us in this life But besides these forenamed benefits there are greater things to come which the Lord hath promised and will make good to his Covenanted people And these things which are to come are the great benefits of the Covenant these which we now enjoy in this life present are sweet and precious yea and great also if compared with the things of this world But if we compare them with the things to come then are they but as the first fruits to the rich harvest the whole crop The best part of that which God hath promised us in his Covenant it is to be waited for by hope it is laid up it is reserved for us to be revealed in the last times 1 Pet. 1. They are within the vaile whither our eye cannot pierce to see and say what they are they are things which in the fulnesse of them can neither be uttered by tongue nor can heart conceive them Neither doth the world know no nor Gods people themselves do not know the things which are prepared for them It s a sweet gradation which the Apostle hath in that speech of his 1 Cor. 2.9 where he saith That neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor did they enter into the heart of man c. Did never eye see such things Many men have seene strange things A man may see all the excellency and glory the world hath though he possesse it not But though a man may see much yet he may heare more by the hearing of the eare then ever his eye saw And yet more when he hath seen and heard all that can be seene or uttered yet his heart may conceive greater things then all these But here is the surpassing excellency of the things to come which God hath prepared for his people that neither eye hath seene them no nor yet did ever eare heare of them no nor can they be conceived by the heart of man they are above all that ever was seen heard or thought we are now sons heirs but it is only in hope Tit. 3.7 but though our portion be by hope to be waited for yet it is a blessed hope Tit. 2 1â— which when it comes to be enjoyed in present possession will be sound to be above all that we heard conceived or could have hoped for There is life to die no more there is glory no more shame nor contempt there is pleasure no more sighing or sorrowing there is life and that in abundance Joh. 10. Glory and that surpassing the glory of the Sunne Matth. 13.43 pleasure and that in all fulnesse And all these not for
The Gospel-Covenant OR THE COVENANT OF GRACE OPENED Wherein are explained 1. The differences betwixt the Covenant of grace and Covenant of workes 2. The different administration of the Covenant before and since Christ 3. The benefits and blessings of it 4. The Condition 5. The properties of it Preached in CONCORD in NEVV-ENGLAND by PETER BULKELEY sometimes fellow of Johns Colledge in Cambridge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GEN. 17.1.7 The Lord said unto Abraham I am God all-sufficient walke before me and be thou upright And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seede after thee ISAI 55.3 Encline your eares and come unto me heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Published according to Order LONDON Printed by M. S. for Benjamin Allen and are to be sold at the Crowne in Popes-head Alley 1646. they doe concerne This Covenant hath been a port of refuge to which the Saints have alwayes fled in their distresses they claiming the blessing therein contained and grounding their hope upon the faithfulnes of him that hath promised This Covenant hath been the rock for the anchor of their hope to fasten upon when the winds waves of temptation have beaten upon them The troubles of the Church people of God are not yet finished by reason whereof we no lesse then our fathers before us do stand in need of help and consolation from this Covenant in these dayes of affliction in which we live Neither is it only a consolation to know the great things which God hath by Covenant promised unto us but it is a foundation to all godlinesse and holy walking before God perswading us to walk worthy of the Lord as beseems those whom he hath taken into Covenant with him to be a peculiar people to himself God hath so linked together the blessing of the Covenant which is his to give with the dutie and way of it which is ours to walk in that we cannot with comfort expect the one but it will worke in us a carefull endeavour of the other To speake more hereof I shall forbeare When I had finished this Treatise and bethought my self to whom I should dedicate it I could not thinke of any to whom it was so suitable as your self You are to omit other relations one of the children of the Covenant which was first made with Abraham your Father and with Sarah your Mother both which as they lived by faith so they dyed in faith having now received the end of their faith which they waited for Your honoured Father the thoughts of whom are ever precious unto me was a right Abraham indeed If I should speake lesse of him I should speak too little of that singular piety and exemplary grace and godlines which shined in him I abhorre giving titles unto man but give me leave to beare witnes unto the truth I knew his faith his feare his uprightnesse and holy walking before his God whereby he became as a Prince of God among the people of the world Gen. 23. with whom he lived Wherein he went before you also as a patterne to be for ever in your eye to be imitated by you Sir let it I beseech you be your chiefest care and count it your highest honour to walke in the steps of your pious blessed Father His faith follow considering what was the end of his conversation That sweet peace those heavenly consolations which he tasted of those inward feelings which carried him out of himself even whiles he was yet in the flesh are strong engagements and encouragements unto you to walke after his foote as the Prophets expression is treading in the same steps of faith and holines in which he went before you I am sure you cannot forget those dying words of his a little before his end You that are in the flesh thinke c. I spare the rest in mention whereof I speak a mystery to others being but a broken sound but not to you you can interpret my meaning and 't is enough to me that you know the meaning of them for whose sake I mention them that you may often remember them for your own good They will never out of my heart and I trust they will never be forgotten by you Goe on deare Sir in the wayes of grace which you are entred into the Lord having made good his Covenant towards you be you also mindfull to walke in Covenant with your God Set Gods kindnesse before your eyes to stir up your self the more to walke before him in his truth The more you honour him the more you honour your self Study therefore to do great things for God seeke the peace of Jerusalem the prosperitie of Sion Your goodnes extendeth not unto him but to his Church and Saints that are here on earth yet what you doe unto them he will say Yee have done it unto mee Remember Davids troubles Josephs affliction Pauls bonds the distressed estate of Gods Church and people and thinke of Mordecai his Item to Esther This way was Davids spirit working when he was sitting in peace in his own house He was considering what the LORD had done for him and what he should render to the Lord for all his benefits Wonderfull was his zeale for the House of God The cost he prepared for it was almost incredible an hundred thousand talents of gold besides silver other things without number but he lost nothing by all no man loseth by lending to the Lord no more then the rivers doe by powring their water into the Sea which they receive back againe by secret passages in the earth and so are still ever full The more he honoured God the more God honoured him He spared not his riches in things pertaining to God and God cast in more upon him still so that he dyed in riches and honour 1 Chro. 29.28 Let your life be like his and then in death you shall not be divided The God of all grace who hath done so great things for you go on in blessing to blesse you that you may with Nephthali be satisfied with favour and filled with the blessing of the Lord even with all blessings of heaven and earth of this life and of that to come Decemb. 3. 1644. Yours to command in any service of Christ PETER BULKELEY ⧠TO THE READER CHRISTIAN READER I Doe here offer to thy view a subject not unsutable to the state of these present times Times wherein there is no peace to him that goes out or to him that comes in but great trouble to all the inhabitants of the earth Nation destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie God troubling them with all adversities setting all men every one against his neighbour Times they are wherein death comes in not â—t our windows as in the Prophet but rageth
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
when it began to be published in the simplicity of it by the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 Nay is not the time come wherein the Lord of hosts seemes to have a quarrell against all the world and especially his Churches and people whom he goes on to waste by the sharpest sword that almost was ever drawne out and is it not the dutie of all that have but the least sparke of holy feare and trembling to aske and search diligently what should be the reason of this sore anger and hot displeasure before they and theirs be consumed in the burning flames of it Search the Scriptures and there we shall find the cause and see God himself laying his finger upon that which is the sore the wound of such times for so it is said Isa 24.1 to 5. Behold the Lord maketh the earth emptie and waste and turnes it upside downe and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof and it shall be as with the people so with the Priest and the Land shall be utterly spoyled Why For the earth is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof Why so Because they have transgressed the Lawes changed the Ordinance and broken the Everlasting Covenant and therefore when the Lord shall have wasted his Church and hath made it as Adnah and Leboim when heathen Nations shall aske Wherefore hath the Lord done all this against this Land what meaneth the heat of his great anger The answer is made by the Lord himselfe expresly Deut. 29.25 viz. Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers c. And no wonder for they that reject the Covenant of grace they breake the league of peace between God and themselves and hence if acts of hostilitie in desolating Kingdomes Churches families and persons break out from a long suffering God they may easily see the cause and that the cause and quarrell of God herein is just As all good things are conveyed to Gods people not barely by common providence but by speciall Covenant Isa 63.8 9. So all the evills they meet with in this world if in them the face of Gods anger appeares upon narrow search will be found to arise from breach of Covenant more or lesse So that if it be the great Cause of all the publick calamities of the Church and people of God and those calamities are already begun and Gods hand is stretched out still Was there then ever a more seasonable time and houre to study the Covenant and so see the sin repent of it and at last to lay hold of Gods rich grace and bowels in it lest the Lord goe on and fulfill the word of his servants expose most pleasant lands to the dolefull lamentation of a very little remnant reserved as a few coales in the ashes when all else is consumed As particular persons when they breake their Covenant the Lord therefore breaks out against them So when whole Churches forsake their Covenant the Lord therefore doth sorely visit them Sins of ignorance the Lord Jesus pities Heb. 5.2 and many times winkes at but sins against light he cannot endure 2 Pet. 2.21 Sins against light are great but sins against purpose and Covenant nay Gods Covenant are by many degrees worse for the soule of man rusheth most violently and strongly against God when it breakes through all the light of the mind and purposes of the will that stand in his way to keep him from sin and is not this done by breach of Covenant And therefore no wonder if the Lord makes his peoples chaine heavy by sore affliction untill they come to consider behold this sin and learne more feare after they are bound to their good behaviour of breaking Covenant with God againe It is true the Covenant effectually made can never be really broke yet externally it may But suppose Gods Churches were in greatest peace and had a blessed rest from all their labours round about them yet what is the childes portion but his legacy left him written with the finger of God his Father in the new Covenant and the bloud of Jesus Christ his redeemer in his last Will and Testament What is a Christians comfort and where doth it chiefly lie but in this That the Lord hath made with him an everlasting Covenant in all things stablished and sure Which were the last breathings of the sweet Singer of Israel and the last bublings up of the joy of his heart 2 Sam. 23.5 God the Fathers eternall purposes are sealed secrets not immediately seene and the full and blessed accomplishments of those purposes are not yet experimentally felt the Covenant is the midst between both Gods purposes and performances by which and in which we come to see the one before the world began and by a blessed Faith which makes things absent present to enjoy the other which shall be our glory when this world shall be burnt up and all things in it shall have an end For in Gods Covenant and promise we see with open face Gods secret purpose for time past Gods purposes toward his people being as it were nothing else but promises concealed and Gods promises in the Covenant being nothing else but his purposes revealed as also in the same Covenant and promises we see performances for future as if they were accomplishments at present Where then is a Christians comfort but in that Covenant wherein two Eternities as it were meet together whereby he may see accōplishments made sure to him of eternall glory arising from blessed purposes of eternall Grace In a word wherein he fastens upon God and hath him from everlasting to everlasting comprehended at hand neare and obvious in his words of a gracious Covenant The Church of God is therefore bound to blesse God much for this food in season and for the holy judicious and learned labours of this aged experienced and precious servant of Christ Jesus who hath taken much paines to discover and that not in words and allegories but in the demonstration and evidence of the Spirit the great mystery of godlines wrapt up in the Covenant and hath now fully opened sundry knotty questions concerning the same which happily have not been brought so fully to light untill now which cannot but be of singular and seasonable use to prevent Apostasies from the simplicity of the Covenant and Gospel of Christ The Sermons were preached in the remote ends of the earth and as it were set under a Bushell a Church more remote from the numerous society of others of the Saints if now therefore the light be set upon a hill 't is where it should stand where Christ surely would have it put The good Lord enlighten the minds of all those who seek for the truth by this such like helps and the Lord enlighten the whole world with his glory even with the glory of his Covenant grace love that his people hereby may be sealed up daily unto all fulnesse of assurance and peace in
seemes to have some speciall emphasis and force in it when it 's said As for thee also thou shalt be saved by the bloud c. I have sent forth thy prisoners c. He had told them before in verse 9th that Christ shall come then in verse 10. he tells them the Gentiles shall be called and then addes in verse 11. As for thee also thou shalt be saved c. As if he should say though thou O Sion for thy rejecting of Christ come unto thee shalt for a time be forsaken and cast as a prisoner into the pit into miserable thraldome yet at length even thou also shalt be delivered and brought back into glorious libertie for a while thou must be a poore prisoner or captive in the pit of the prison and the Gentiles set in the best roome but yet thou also shalt againe be brought out of the pit in which thou art holden Thus saith the Apostle in Rom. 11.23 Though for the present the Gentiles be taken in and Jewes broken off yet shall they also be graffed in again The Apostle putting in the word also in the same emphaticall manner as it is here used by the Prophet In the words are two things First The present estate and misery of the Jewes they are as prisoners in a pit Secondly A promise of restitution they shall be set free First They are prisoners in the pit of the prison-house they are now brought low they were sometimes the onely people It was said of them Blessed art thou O Israel Deut. 33.29 No people like thy people Israel 2 Sam. 7.23 But now they are become a people scattered and peeled spoyled and troden under-feet sometimes they had the high places of the earth in possession dwelling in a Land which was the glory of all lands but now they are brought downe into the lower parts of the earth prisoners in the pit they are a captive an enslaved people being made as a very footstoole for the enemy to tread upon This have they brought upon themselves for their sinfull rejecting of Christ and putting from them the Gospâ—l of salvation which was preached unto them Christ came unto them but they received him not Joh. 1.11 The Gospel was offered them but they would none of it Act. 13.46 and therefore the Lord hath also rejected them making them the lowest and basest of all people Observ See hence what the contempt of Christ and the Gospel brings a people unto where the Gospel comes and is received it magnifies a Nation sets it up on high it lifts them up to heaven in dignitie as Christ spake of Capernaum Mat. 11. It ennobles a people as it is said of the Beraeans that they were a more noble people then those of Thessalonica because they did with such readinesse high esteeme embrace the Gospel when it was brought unto them Act. 17.11 But on the other side when it is despised God will staine the glory of that people and make them to be despised and the greater the advancement was the greater will the abasement be the contempt of it brings utmost misery it finds us in misery when it comes unto us but when it leaves us being despised by us our misery is increased by it and made double to what it was before though we were prisoners then yet wee were prisoners of hope Zech. 9.12 But when we put it away then we are left without hope without helpe This sin is the sin of all sins it hath the guilt of all other sins in it and addes more unto them this is the killing sin the destroying and damning sin Ioh. 3.19 This brings the greatest and utmost wrath in 1 Thes 2.16 it 's said of the Jewes that for this sin the wrath of God comes upon them to the uttermost It 's a sweet speech of Paul in Rom. 5.20 That where sin abounds there grace aboundeth much more but it is as terrible on the other side that where grace doth abound in the offers of it by the Gospel there sin and wrath by sin abounds much more also where that grace is disesteemed therefore it is that Christ tells the Jews If he had not come unto them they should have had no sin but now they have no excuse nor cloake for their sin Joh. 15.22 The sins of harlots whoremongers swearers drunkards murderers are lesse then this sin of rejecting the Gospel of Christ Mat. 21. Publicans and harlots are better then they the filthinesse of Sodome and Gomorrah is knowne they were exceeding sinners against the Lord Gen. 13.13 their sins were not of the common sort but exceeded and therefore they perished not by the common visitation of all men but their judgement was exemplary to stand as a warning to all ages a fire not blowne by man as it is in Job 20.26 consumed them the fire of God fell upon them from heaven This was terrible and yet their sin was lesse then this sin of rejecting the Gospel and their condemnation shall be more easie in the day of Judgement then theirs shall be which receive not the grace of the Gospel when it is brought unto them Mat. 10. Heathens shall perish in their ignorance and those that dyed under the light of the Law shall have heavier punishment but those that neglect the grace of the Gospel shall exceed both when God punished the wickednesse of the Jewes before Christs coming it was a very heavie plague which was brought upon them it was an evill and an onely evill Ezek. 7.5 It was such a plague that under the whole heavens had not been the like as was done unto Jerusalem Dan. 9.12 And yet afterwards when Christ had come to them and was rejected by them his wrath was then more heavie Oh the miseries which then they endured then God stirred up all his anger and gave way to his wrath even to the uttermost then he fulfilled that which he had afore spoken Deut. 32.23 He spent his plagues and arrowes upon them as if he would emptie the treasure of all his plagues which he had laid up in store in executing them upon that people And this the Lord Jesus foretold them while he was with them Mat. 22.7 and forewarned them of what would follow if having the vineyard in their possession they did not yeeld the fruit of it he told them the Lord would miserably destroy those husbandmen Mat. 21.41 One of our translations reads it He will cruelly destroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And certainly the Lord never shewed so great severitie against any people as he will doe against those which despise the message of grace brought by the Gospel even as that people is now become a spectacle of wrath above all people When the Scripture threatens a woe it notes the extremitie of that misery which is to come but here is woe upon woe threatned against this sin woe to thee Bethsaida woe to thee Chorazin woe to those places where the Gospel comes and is
not to the Angels in heaven is yet pleased for our good and benefit to enter into bonds and bind himself unto us in the bond of a covenant to blesse us and to do us good this ought to be the admiration of heaven and earth See how this affected Abraham Gen. 17.2 3. When Abraham heard that God would enter into covenant with him Abraham falls upon his face before the Lord as first wondering and being astonished to heare and think of such a favour Secondly abased in himself as unworthy to touch the hand of the high God to make up the covenant with him he was abased in himself to see the Lord so abasing himself for his sake Thirdly he falls upon his face as thankfully acknowledging the grace offered Fourthly readily submitting himself to the Lords good pleasure will as one content to lie down at Gods feet submitting to the lowest conditions to do any thing believe any thing so that he might be partaker of this priviledge to be in covenant with the great God See also how this affected David 2 Sam. 7.18 Who am I O Lord c. And hence it is that the Lord mentions this as of his speciall favour which he vouchsafed to Israel Ezek. 16.8 that he entred into covenant with them whereby they became his people let us therefore herein see the abundant goodnesse of God to us Who would not love and fear this God of glory that is pleased to come down and condescend to enter into covenant with us who would not glorifie him for ever and for ever and willingly binde himself to serve and honour him The more he hath abased himself to honour us in taking us into covenant with himself the more let us exalt him and lift him up on high as the Lord did with Christ Phil. 2.8 9. because he humâ—led himseâ—â— â—herefore he exalted him and gave him a name above â—very name c. so should we exalt the name of the Lord our God thaâ—â—e should take us poor worms dust and ashes into covenant and fellowship with himself This lets us â—ee iâ— what way we must every one of us expect to receive Vse 2 the blessing of life and salvation from the hand of God this concerns all neerly to look unto we must enter into covenant with God to take him to be our God and to give up our selves to be his people all men hope to be saved and think that he that made them will save them and though they live as strangers from God and from his covenant and will enter into no bâ—nds with him but walk after their own lusts like the wilde Asse-colt that snuffes up the wind at her pleasure though they break all bonds and burst all cords though they live without care and conscience of Gods covenant yâ—t fâ—r all this they hope to be saved but such men deceive themselves God conveys his salvation by way of covenant and he doth it only to those that are in covenant with him therefore those only may without feare of disappointment look for his salvation that order their conversation aright Psal 50.23 to these will the Lord shew his salvation the loving kindnesse of God is upon those that fear him and keep his covenant Psal 103.17 18. but all those that break his covenant and will walk after their own hearts desire they may look for salvation but they shall be disappointed of it and finde themselves inwrapped in the snares of death God conveys his blessings only by covenant and this covenant must every soul enter into every particular soul must enter into a particular covenant with God out of this way there is no life thereupon is the exhortation of Hezekiah to his people 2 Chron. 30.7 8. Be not you stiff-necked as your fathers but yeeld your selves unto the Lord in the originall give the hand unto the Lord that is they should come and enter into covenant with God he alludes to the custome of men when they make a covenant or agreement they strike hands or take one another by the hand so saith Hezekiah Give the hand unto the Lord that is enter into covenant with him to be his people and then the anger of the Lord shall be turned from you That this is the meaning consider the same kinde of expression in other places Ezek. 17.18 the Prophet speaking of Zedekiah saith he had broken the covenant though he had given the hand c. he broke the covenant which he had made by giving his hand So Ezra 10.3.9 when the people reformed and entred into a covenant they gave their hands that they would put away their strange wives These places I bring to cleer that phrase concerning Hezekiah Give the hand unto the Lord that is enter into covenant with God this we must do every one of us for his own part give up our selves to the Lord as a people in covenant with him as for those that will not come within the bond of the covenant but will walk at liberty after their own hearts such shall never see peace nor did they ever enter into the path of life Such as will be saved must become Gods covenanted people this is the only way wherein we must expect life and salvation Quest If there be such a necessity of entâ—ing into covenant with God what must we do that we may get into covenant with him Answ You must do these five things 1. Break your covenant with your old sins and your lusts or else God will not enter into covenant with you Mat. 6.24 you cannot serve two masters these are so contrary that so long as you are in league with sin and the world you cannot enter into covenant with God take away the matter of provocation which at first brake the covenant between God and you and then there is one step made for your entering into covenant with him Examine thine own heart what is that which maintains the breach between God and thee and makes God a stranger to thee and put that away though never so gainfull never so pleasing a sin without this God will never enter into covenant with thee thou canst not be in covenant with thy sin and God together therefore breake thy covenant with sin if thou desire to be in covenant with God 2. Go before the Lord as guilty of thy former rebellion and unfaithfulnesse in breaking covenant with him and judge thy self for it lay down thy self and life before God confessing and acknowledging that it were just if he should destroy thee condemn thy self for thy former rebellion against him submit thy self to the good pleasure of his will as David saith Here I am let him do with me as seemes good in his eyes put thy life into the mercifull hands of God either to take it from thee or to give it to thee again say unto God If thou wilt save me thou shalt shew abundant grace if thou wilt destroy me thou art just go before God
light and new truths we drinke not in old poysoned errors and be fed with windy fancies in stead of bread Aske for the old way Jer. 6.16 Jer. 6.16 The old way is the good way wherein you must finde rest to your soules Men have itching eares itching mindes and itching tongues also itching to be fed with and to be venting novelties It hath been the blemish of our English Nation that they have been alwayes new-fangled running after new fashions taking up the fashions of every Nation The poverty of our estates will not here permit us to follow new fashions but yet still the vanitie of our mindes is working and doating upon our new opinions whereby men are led into pathes that were not troden by the Fathers of old God charges the false Prophets Jer. 18.15 Jer. 18.15 that they led his people from the ancient wayes Whiles every one is forward to vent his own imagination and hath libertie so to doe every one saying I have seene I have seene when indeed they have seene nothing but the vanitie and lying imagination of their own heart they fill the world with idle fancies which breed questions rather then godly edifying Aske therefore for the way which Abraham David Moses Isaiah and Jeremy with the rest of the Prophets walked in and departed not therefrom Though we have cause to praise the Lord for the aboundant manifestation of the Doctrine of Grace in these dayes more then before Christs coming in the flesh yet the Doctrine is the same As the light of the Sun which shines at noone-time or mid-day is the same light which shined in the morning onely more cleare and bright then before so the Doctrine of Grace though more clearly manifested then formerly when hid under types and shadowes yet the truth is the same Wee hope to be saved by grace as they did and they had the same Doctrine of Grace as we have therefore seeke we after the old way 2. But though the substance of the Covenant was the same then and now yet there is a difference in regard of the manner of dispensation and revealing it being diversly propounded according to the severall times ages states and conditions of the Church delivered one way before the coming of Christ and another way afterward And therefore in regard of the old way and manner of administration of it it 's called the old Covenant and in regard of the new manner of dispensing it 's called the new Covenant The same Covenant therefore is called both new and old as is evident Heb. 8.8.13 Heb. 8.8 13. But lest any should thinke that the old Covenant there spoken of was properly and strictly the Covenant of workes see what is said before Pag. 59 60. c. Wherein stands the difference between the old and new manner of the dispensation of the Covenant of grace Quest It stands principally in foure things Answ 1. One more burthensome another more easie 2. One more darke the other more cleare 3. One more weake the other more lively and strong 4. In regard of the extent of the dispensation one dispensed to that one people of the Jewes the other to all Nations First The Covenant in the former dispensation of it was more burthensome and heavie to be borne and is now made to us more easie which appeares by those places of Scripture-speeches which the Holy-Ghost useth of the Ordinances of the old Testament Acts 15.10 Acts 15.10 They were a yoke which neither we nor our Fathers could beare and Colos 2.20 Colos 2.20 If saith the Apostle you be freed from these worldly Ordinances why are you burthened with traditions He did not say Why will you take upon you the observation of traditions but why are yee burthened with them implying they were an heavy burthen So Galat. 4.3 Galat 4.3 he comparing the state of the Church then and now he saith they were then in a kinde of bondage in respect of us now In the dayes of the New Testament the burthen is made light c. Therefore saith Christ Mat. 11. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burthen light He taketh off the burthen of the Ceremoniall Law that we need not be bâ—â—thened with it Consider the burthen that lay upon them First The burthen of their costly Sacrifices that if any had but touched an uncleane thing he must come and offer sacrifice sometime a bullock sometime a lambe If we were for every offence to offer such sacrifices we should count it an heavie burthen Secondly They had long and tedious journeys to Jerusalem the Land lay more in length then breadth and Jerusalem stood almost at one end of it and thither thrice a yeare all the males were to goe and appeare before God Deut. 16.16 Thirdly They were restrained from many liberties which wee now enjoy we are allowed many creatures for meat which they might not eat as the Hare swine c. Difference of meats is now taken away Fourthly They were tyed to the observation of many dayes the new Moones and many Ceremoniall Sabbaths to which they were bound and not at libertie as we are Now whether wee respect one of these or all together it was a burthensome thing to them But now the yoke is made more easie therefore Christ compares the Jewish Church to a childe that in his nonage is under tutors and governours till the time appointed by the Father But the Church now is like a man growne up that hath his patrimony in his own hand Gal. 4.1 2. Gal. 4.1 2. Though we be bound to the duties of the Morall Law as well as they yet a great yoke is taken off from us Vse Seeing we have so much libertie in the dayes of the Gospel and are eased of the burthen that lay upon them it must teach us with the more freedome and willingnesse to offer up those spirituall sacrifices unto God which he calls for at our hands He hath taken off from our shoulders the heavie yoke which lay upon them Let us not therefore be as the people of Israel of whom the Lord complains Hosea 11.3.4 Hosea 11.3.4 that though he had taken off the yoke and laid meat before them yet they were like an unruly beast that kicketh with the heele If now when the Lord hath taken off the yoke of the Ceremoniall Law and hath given us the Covenant of his grace without those burthens that lay upon them if yet we deale unkindly with him and count those spirituall services which he requires from the inward man to be a burthen unto us how may the Lord complaine of us much more Let us therefore give unto the Lord voluntary and spirituall sacrifices the lesser that our burthen is the greater is the sin if we serve not the Lord with a chearfull heart in the services he requires from us Secondly The Covenant was then revealed more darkly and obscurely but now the dispensation of it is
revelation of the Law so there was more cleare revelation of Christ to them Though at the best it was but darke in comparison of what it is now in the dayes of the New Testament This should teach us with thankfulnesse to accept and prize these dayes of the Sonne of man Vse wherein Chriâ—â—â—ath so clearly revealed the Covenant of his Grace to us that many Kings and Princes have desired to see the things that wee see c. Nay how many in other Nations doe desire to see the things that we see and yet cannot see them Abraham saw Christ but it was afarre off The Israelites saw him but he was then vailed But now wee see him with open face How may wee stand and admire this grace and say with the Disciples John 14. Lord why is it that thou wilt reveale thy selfe to us and not to the world Count it not a small mercy that wee have Christ revealed so clearly now more then formerly It is one of the great promises of God unto his Church as we may see Isai 11.9 Isai 11.9 That the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God And Jerem. 31.34 That all shall know the Lord c. These are the dayes fore-spoken of wherein wee doe in a degree and measure see eye to eye Isai 52.8 though something more may be added in the conversion of the Jewes As God therefore promiseth it as a blessing so count it a blessing Christ taketh the vaile from before his face and saith Behold me behold me O yee sonnes of men Isai 65. Isai 65. Therefore First grow up in the knowledge of the covenant and of the blessings of it We should not now bee ignorant of what God hath promised on his part nor what he requires on our part If we have any intimation given us of a Legacy in some rich mans will O how carefull are we to enquire into it How much more should we labour to know this Testament Secondly labour also to grow setled in the doctrine which the covenant teacheth us not being carried away with every new fangled conceit but grounded in the truth which you have received Be children in malice but in knowledge and judgement be men of ripe age able to discerne between things that differ and to try all things holding fast that which is good Vnlesse we doe thus First we lose the benefit of the dayes of light in which we live if we be still ignorant of the covenant and of the benefits thereby to be received and live not by faith in them as good we had never heard them we take Gods grace in vain In vain should the Sunne rise and give light if wee shut our eyes and will not see it Secondly if we be still ignorant of the doctrine of the covenant and unsetled it argues a sinfull neglect and great contempt of the grace of God and of the light we enjoy and therefore as men open their windowes when the day appeareth though they had drawn their curtains before so let us open our eyes to discerne the doctrine of the grace of God Thirdly if any be now ignorant and ungrounded in the doctrine of grace it is a token of a dangerous estate therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospel be now hid it is bid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world c. And so for ungroundednesse see what the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 3.16 2 Pet. 3.16 That they that are unstable and pervert the Scriptures doe it to their own destruction Seeing the doctrine of grace is so clearly manifested let us labour to know it and to be stablished therein that so we may turn neither to the right hand nor to the left Seeing the light of grace doth more clearly shine now then in Vse 2 dayes before let us therefore goe on in our way with more alacrity and cheerfulnesse of spirit we having the day-light shining to us and guiding us The light of the Lord is risen up on high to guide our feet into the way of peace Therefore as travellers though they walk heavily and uncomfortably whiles they are compassed with darknesse yet when light appeares they goe cheerfully so we that are pilgrimes and travellers should rejoyce that the day is come as they that sailed with Paul Acts 27. we should rejoyce in the light striving against all discouragements we meet withall and walking on cheerfully in the way that is set before us To teach us to walk more exactly inoffensively considering Vse 3 we have our way so plain before us It is no wonder if they that be in the dark stumble they cannot see the blocks that be in their way but they that walk in the day stumble not So it should be with us we should now labour to take heed of offences both of giving and taking offences causlesly John 11.9.10 Endeavour to walk inoffenso pede If we stumble it is not for want of light but of heedfulnesse Let us strive to walk evenly considering wee have more light then the Saints had formerly Labour to suppresse our inordinate passions and affections pride worldlinesse self-willednesse emulation keep these within these should be like the wild beasts of the field which retire to their dens when the Sunne ariseth they are afraid to bee seen in the light so these wild lusts of ours should not dare to appeare in these dayes of light they cannot stirre forth but the light will discover them sinne is now more conspicuous and more odious Let us therefore walk soberly modestly and orderly Thirdly the third difference in the manner of dispensation is in respect of power and efficacie The dispensation of the covenant works more powerfully and strongly now then in the dayes before Christs comming It was then more weak in the consciences of Gods people then now if we speak of the body of them Hence saith the Apostle Heb. 7.18.19 The commandement going before was disanulled by reason of the weaknesse of it It was not then simply and absolutely weak and unprofitable so that it could not communicate life and salvation to any but comparatively weak in respect of the lively and powerfull communication of it now Hence also Galat. 4.9 Gal. 4.9 they are called weak and beggerly rudiments The covenant then did not bring men to that perfection in grace as the new covenant doth And this was becauâ—e there was a lesse forcible influence of the Spirit accompanying the dispensation of the covenant then The spirit was not then given in that large measure as now because Christ was not then glorified Joh. 7.39 And because the spirit was given in a less measure therefore those ordinances were lesse profitable The liberall pouring out of the Spirit was reserved unto the time of Christs ascension to the end it might bee known that it is from Christ glorified that we doe receive the Spirit as John 16.7 If I goe not away
Covenants about childrens toyes and light matters but such as concerne the welfare of the Kingdome so when the great Monarch of heaven and earth enters into Covenant with us it is about the great things of our salvation the great things of heaven yea of God himselfe The Covenant is full of blessings it is a rich store-house replenished with all manner of blessings It is not dry nor barren but like the fat Olive or fruitfull Vine the fruit whereof cheares the heart of God and man God himselfe is delighted in the communication of his grace to his people and they are delighted with the participation of his grace from him The Covenant is a tree of life to those that feed upon it they shall live for ever It is a Well of salvation Isai 12.3 Isai 12.3 It 's a fountaine of good things to satisfie every thirstie soule Zach. 13.1 Zach. 13.1 It is a treasure full of goods as Deut. 28.12 Here is unsearchable riches in this Covenant which can never be emptied nor come to an end Our finite narrow understandings can never apprehend the infinite grace this Covenant containes no more then an egge-shell is able to containe the water of the whole Sea Yet it is not in vaine to consider them as wee are able to expresse them though they be above that which we are able to speake or thinke As Moses though he could not see Gods face nor discerne his glory to the full yet he was permitted to see his back parts so we may take a little view of the blessings promised though the full cannot be seene As in a Map we have the bounds of a Lordship set forth the rivers woods meadowes pastures c. these are seen darkly in the Map but they are nothing to that when they are seen in their own beautie and greennesse to see the silver streames in the rivers the beautifull woods the large medowes fat pastures and goodly orchards which are farre more excellent in themselves then when they are seene in the Map So we can shew you but a little Map of those glorious things which the Covenant containes but by that little that you doe see you may be raised up to the consideration of the things that are not seene but are to be revealed in due time Now the blessings of the Covenant are infolded and wrapped up in the promises of it every promise of Grace containing a blessing in it as every threatning of the Law contains a curse They are now infolded in the promise the time of unfolding is not yet come The time of full discovery is when the heavens come to be folded up Heb. 1.12 Heb. 1.12 then the promises shall be unfolden and then wee shall fully see the blessings of the Covenant Wee have now a right and interest in them which is safe and sure but as yet we have them but by promise onely and therefore it is that the termes of Covenant and promise are taken for the same Eph. 2.12 Ephes 2.12 Rom. 9.5 Hence also we are said to be heires in hope of eternall life Tit. 3.7 Titus 3.7 not in present possession but in hope Therefore if wee would see what are the blessings of the Covenant we must looke into the promises Now the promises and blessings of the Covenant are of two sorts First of things spirituall and eternall Secondly of things temporall that concerne this outward life The spirituall blessings of the Covenant are chiefly comprehended in these places of Scripture Jer. 31.31.33 Jer 31.31.33 This shall be my Covenant saith the Lord after those dayes I will put my Law in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them for I will forgive their iniquitie and remember their sinne no more So Ezek. 36.25 26 27 28. Ezek. 36.25 26 27 28. Then will I sprinkle cleane water upon you and yee shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your Idolls will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you c. So also Jerem. 32.38 39 40. They shall be my people and I will be their God and I will give them one heart c. Gen. 17.7 Gen. 17.7 I will be a God unto thee and thy seed These places compared together with such other doe expresse the summe of all the great things promised in the Covenant First Here is that great promise I will be your God and you shall be my people Secondly But if any say Alas how can God be a God unto me so sinfull as I am that have sinned provoked him as I have done therefore to take away this God saith that shall not hinder I will forgive your iniquities and remember them no more Thirdly But if the soule say further that though God should take all my former sinnes away and pardon them yet I have such a sinfull wretched nature in me that I shall breake out into new sinnes against him and bring a new guiltinesse upon my selfe The Lord removes and takes away this also and promiseth that he will renew our natures and give us hearts of flesh he will wash us from our filthinesse and write his law in our hearts and inable us to keepe his Statutes c. Fourthly But because some may yet say Though God should doe all this for me yet such is my infirmitie and weaknesse that I shall depart againe from the Lord I shall never hold out Therefore the Lord makes answer to this also and tells us that he will never depart away from us and that he will put such a feare of him into our hearts that wee shall never depart from him Jer. 32.40 To begin with the first which is the great promise of the Covenant I will be thy God Gen. 17.7 Gen. 17.7 Jer. 31.33 Jer. 31.33 This is set in the midst of the promises as the heart in the midst of the body to communicate life to all the rest of the members This promise hath influence into all the rest As Christ speaking of the Commandements of the Law calls that commandement of loving the Lord with all our heart the great Commandement so may this be called the great promise of the new-Covenant It is as great as God is He is an infinite God the heaven of heavens is not able to contain him Yet this promise containes him God shuts up himselfe in it I will be your God 1. Here is sufficiency It is a promise of infinite worth an overflowing blessing a rich possession an hid treasure which none can rightly value It was a great promise that Balak made to Balaam Numb 22.17 Numb 22.17 I will promote thee to great honour A greater which Ahâ—suerus made to Esther cap. 5.6 That he would give her the halfe of his kingdome A
to every faithfull soule thou mayst say the Lord is my God hee is my own It is somewhat to say we have an house of our own necessaries of our own bread of our own to eat cloathes of our own to put on so as wee need not goe to others to supply our wants but what a blessing is this that the soul may say I have a God of mine own God is my God It is the misery of the men of the world that they are forced to speak of God as of the God of another people as Laban Gen. 31.29 The God of your Fathers and Pharaoh Exod. 10.16 Pray to the Lord your God c. They cannot speak of God as their own God But this is the felicity of the people of God that they can challenge an interest in God and say as David Psalm 63.1 Psalm 63.1 O God thou art my God This is more then if we could say as Psal 50.10 11. Psalm 50.10 11. That all the beasts upon a thousand mountaines are mine Value therefore this blessing The greater God is in himselfe the greater blessing and consolation it is to us he being wholly ours All the nations of the earth are as the drop of a bucket unto him yea as nothing Isai 40.12.15 17. All the great things which the world admires at and gazes upon they are all nothing in comparison of him And therefore God being so infinite what an infinite blessing is it to have him for our God In Gen. 15. Gen. 15. Abraham asketh God Lord what wilt thou give mee The Lord answers him I will give thee my selfe take me as thine use me as thine The same he speaks of every faithfull child of Abraham Vse me and acknowledge me and all my power Grace and mercy and kindnesse as thine own See how David was affected with this 1 Chro. 17.20 21 22.24 Thus we have taken a little view of this great blessing of the covenant I will be a God unto thee But because this is the main and principall Promise of the covenant being Substantia foederis as Junius call it Anima foederis as Paraeus Caput foederis as Musculus calls it therefore we will a little further sift into this promise and see what it may contain within the bowels of it Now if we would know what this implies when the Lord sayes I will be God unto thee wee must first consider what it is to be God and then we shall see what it is that he promiseth to be God unto us Now to be God implies these three things 1. To bee All-sufficient both to his own Being and Blessednesse and to the blessednesse of the creature 2. To have all that blessednesse and sufficiency that is in him from himselfe and not from another 3. To be God over all to have dominion and soveraignty over all as Rom. 9. To apply these things to the point in hand That God will be a God to us implies these three things 1. That he will be an All-sufficient God to us 2. That he will be all this good to us from himself and from no other 3. That he will be God over us to bring us again under the first dominion as Micah 4.8 Micah 4.8 to rule over us and govern us according to his will First for the first that God will be an All-sufficient God to us this is a part of his covenant that he will be to us a full blessing so as that we shall bee wanting in nothing that is good for us Hence it is Gen. 17.7 that when God tells Abraham He will be his God and the God of his seed if Abraham should now ask what that is saith God verse 1. I am God All-sufficient and also my goodnesse and sufficiency is thine I will bee enough to thee thou shalt need no more Hence also is that in Jeremy 31.14 I will satiate your soule with fatnesse and my people shall be satisfied with goodnesse saith the Lord. God is enough to them that are his Reason Because he is sufficient to his own blessednesse and therefore much more unto ours He needs no creature to adde unto him The greater any one is in state and dignity the more he stands in need of Psalm 16.3 to be a sufficient fulnesse unto him That is too little for a Prince which is enough for a private man Now God is the most excellent Being and therefore that which is sufficient for himselfe must needs much more be so for us That water which fills the sâ—a will much more fill a cup and therefore said David when he enjoyed God My cup runneth over Psal 23. Thirdly because what ever good is in the creature is more eminently and abundantly in God himselfe hee is the Fountain and they are the Cisterns What ever good is in Angels or Men or other creatures is more abundantly in God And therefore if all the good of all creatures joyned together were able to satisfie and to be sufficient for a man as we would think it were then is God much more Thirdly there is in God a sutablenesse to the desires of the soul of man It is the happinesse of the creature to have a thing suitable to it Now the soule being made after the Image of God it is best satisfied with God and nothing else can satisfie it As no creature satisfied Adam till Eve was made that was suitable to him Similitude breeds content The soul is a spirit and dâ—sires spirituall things Now God is a Spirit Again the soule is of an intelligâ—nt nature reaching after the knowledge of high and hidden things Now God is light and wisdome to sati fie the soule in this by filling it with light by the knowledge of himselfe Again the soule is an immortall substance which dies not and the desires of it are immortall So is God therein satisfying our soules dâ—sires Fourthly if God be our God then all the creatures are ours and for our good If God bee ours then all that is his is ours now all the creatures are his Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. end All things are yours As when a virgin marrieth a Prince his riches glory and all are for her good So God having taken us into covenant with himselfe all that hee is and hath is for our comfort and blessednesse As God is able thus to be an All-sufficient God to us so he will be to those that are his First because it is the nature of goodnesse to bee communicative of it self and therefore God being good he will let out himself unto his people He cannot satisfie himself unlesse he doe it Secondly the Lords end in taking us into covenant with himselfe is to make us an happy and blessed people which wee cannot be but onely by the enjoyment of God himself blessednesse standing in a confluence of all good which cannot be found but in God alone There is in man himselfe nothing but vanity and misery he
great increase as Zach. 8.10.12 The reason is it is the Lord who giveth us to possesse all things Secondly Sometimes the Lord gives us the meanes by which we live but it is in such a strange and unwonted manner and way that the hand of God is as evidently seene in the giving of the meanes as if he had upholden our life without meanes Thus Exod. 16.12 Exod. 16.12 the Israelites had a kinde of bread in the wildernesse but it was in such a strange and miraculous manner as though they had lived fortie yeares without any food The usuall way by which we have bread is out of the earth according to that in Psal 104.14 Psal 104.14 But the bread by which God fed them was bread from heaven Psal 105.40 As if God had made heaven a garner or store-house to lay up Corne for the necessities of his people So Elijah was fed with bread and flesh which are ordinary food but the meanes by which he had them were as strange as though he had lived without them God appointed the Ravens there to feed him 1 Kings 17.4 Thirdly Sometimes God gives some meanes to his people to enjoy but the meanes are weake and feeble and unable to worke for our good and comfort without a speciall blessing from himselfe Here therefore the Lord comes in and puts his own strength to the weaknesse of the meanes and makes them worke for us aboundantly above that which we could expect or thinke Thus when Daniel refused to eat the Kings meat and chose pulse thin grewel or hearbs or such course stuffe yet his countenance was better liking then they that did eat of the Kings meat their well liking came not from the meat but from an extraordinary blessing that came from God Dan. 1. Dan. 1. So Gideon must have Souldiers and weapons of warre and yet such a small company and weake furniture that Israel must be forced to say I have not wrought salvation for my selfe but it is the Lord that hath done it So it is in spirituall meanes God sometimes gives but weake meanes to a people in comparison of what others doe enjoy yet many are turned to God by their ministry As by the sound of the trumpets of Rammes hornes the walles of Jericho fell downe so by the ministry of weake man the Lord throwes downe the strong hold of Satans kingdome to the end that the excellency of the power may appeare to be of God not of man 2 Cor. 4.7 2 Cor. 4.7 Fourthly Againe sometimes the Lord increaseth and lengthens out the little and short provisions which he makes for his people so that by reason of the increase which it receiveth from God it is made as sufficient as if it were an hundred or thousand-fold more Thus with the woman of Sarepta 1 King 17.14 1 King 17.14 the Lord increased the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the cruse that it failed not till the day that the Lord sent raine upon the earth Thus it was also with the widow that was in debt 2 Kings 4.3 shee had nothing to pay withall but a pot of oyle yet the Lord so multiplyed it that there wanted not oyle till there wanted vessells to receive it The Lord sometimes causeth the little provisions which he maketh for his people so to last that they want not meat till they want bellyes to receive it Thus also it was with those five thousand that our Saviour fed with a few loaves Mat. 14. And so also with the Israelites in the Wildernesse Deut. 29.5 that when no supplies of cloathing could be made to them then the Lord made that suit of apparell upon their backe and those shooes which were upon their feet to continue this was by the blessing of the Lord. Fiftly Sometimes the Lord giveth the same meanes to one as to another But there is a great difference in the comfort and blessing which is injoyed by the one and by the other One hath food so hath another but one eates and is satisfied as the Lord promiseth that his people shall be Joel 2.26 Joel 2.26 the other eates and is not satisfied as he threatneth Hos 4.10 One is strengthned and growes strong to labour the other is impotent and feeble The Lord hereby shewes that the being satisfied and receiving strength is not from the meanes but from the blessing which he is pleased to communicate to his people from himselfe So it is also in the meanes of grace many people enjoy the same externall meanes the same ministry the same exhortation and promises some are thereby converted and turned unto God others remaine blind ignorant and carnall the reason is because that as the one seekes not unto God but onely unto man so man onely speakes to the one but to the other God speakes by his own Spirit and workes from himselfe over and above that which man doth or can doe Thus we see that both in the want and in the possession of the meanes the Lord is all to his people from himselfe Now the reasons why the Lord doth thus worke from himselfe are First for the glorifying of himselfe Secondly for the comfort of his people For the glorifying of himselfe to make his goodnesse and sufficiency Reason 1 the more to appeare to his people that they may know that he is not as man tyed to meanes or to the greatnesse and power of them but he is an all-sufficient God and therefore should give him all the praise and for this very end doth the Lord sometimes bring his servants into straits beyond the helpe of any creature that when they are brought forth it might appeare that it is the hand of the Lord that hath done it When as the Lord either puts us besides the meanes or cuts them short he doth in effect thus say to us I have hitherto wrought for you but it hath been by such and such meanes which have been as a vaile between me and you that you have not seene my power and goodnesse towards you so clearely but now I will shew my selfe more fully to you Now I will take away those things which though you counted helps to your selves yet are hindrances to hinder me that I cannot shew my selfe so familiarly to you I will now therefore lay them aside and by my selfe I will work for your good The Lord herein deales with his servants as Joseph did with his brethren Whilest he walked more strangely towards them and spake to them by an Interpreter so long he suffered his servants and as many as would to bee present he cared not how many were standing by but when hee meant to let them know that he was Joseph their brother when hee would open all his heart to them and let them see his abundant love then saith Joseph Cause every man to goe out from me Gen. 45.1 So it is here whiles the Lord comes to us by so many outward and ordinary means he
converseth with us but somewhat strangely speaking as by so many Interpreters by them to interpret his mind and will to us but when hee will shew himselfe to us more fami iarly then he bids away unto all these former means silver gold and corn c. and when all these are set aside then he comes and sayes plainly Now you shall see what I my selfe will doe for you and that I who am the Lord all-suffiâ—ient am the Lord your God and from my selfe I will blesse you you shall now see my immediate care of you And when the Lords people see this thereby they know him better and honour him more thereby are they forced to say as Psalm 148.13 Psal 148.13 His Name onely is excellent his Name onely is worthy to bee exalted Before they were ready to ascribe some excellency to the means and instruments sacrificing to their own nets but when they come to nothing and the Lord hath by himselfe fulfilled our desire then are we lifted up to glorifie him hee alone is seen to be an all sufficient God unto his people So that if wee ask Why is the Lord alone in doing good to his people and there is none with him as David was asked 1 Sam. 21.1 1 Sam. 21.1 The answer is because I will not give my glory to another saith God but will have my whole glory to my selfe alone He is alone that he alone may be glorified Reason 2 It is also for the further comfort and consolation of the people of God when then they shall see from whence their help commeth how God by his immediate hand hath wrought for their good A gift from the Princes own hand is farre more gratefull then that which comes another way So when the Lord casteth in kindnesse and favours upon his people from himselfe this is more comfortable then to have it by another means Indeed during the time of the trials of Gods people their faith is put to soar plunges that they begin to question as they said Exod. 17.7 Exod. 17 7. Is The Lord amongst us or not And are ready to say as Isai 49.14 Isai 49.14 The Lord hath forgotten me c. But when they see what hee hath done how he hath ridden on the heavens for their help and on the clouds in his glory and all for their succour and good when they see the Lord himselfe supplying their wants from himselfe then they change their mind and say as Exod. 15.11 Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders There is no God like our God who hath done marvellously for us and we who have such a God shall never be ashamed This may serve to help our faith against the discouragemâ—nts Vse 1 which wee are apt to fall into in the straits into which the Lord hath brought us God hath dealt with us as with his people Israel we are brought out of a fat land into a wildernesse and here we meet with necessities God hath now set us besides our hopes and expectations our props which wee leaned upon are broken our mony is spent our states are wâ—sted and our necessities begin to increase upon us and now wee know not how to be supplied the waters of the river are cut off and now wee begin to be full of cares and feares what wee shall doe when our means faile us then our hearts begin to faile us yea and our faith also we begin to be out of hope and so we doe as the Israelites did who though when they heard of deliverance at first they bowed down their heads and worshipped yet when they met with straits then they quarrelled with Moses Why hast thou brought us hither So we begin to quarrell with Gods providence and without selves and to question whether wee have done well to come hither or no. But against this discouragement learn we to live by faith in this doctrine now delivered tâ—at God will be all things to his people from himselfe alone Therefore though means faile yet let not our hearts faile for the faithfull God will not faile us he hath tied us to means so that wee may not neglect them neither can wee maintain the comfort of our lives without them but the Lord stands in no need of them hee needs not silver or gold wooll or flax nor houses full of store he needs not a fruitfull land to provide for the necessities of his people he can without them provide for our good If wee were left to provide for our selves then we might dâ—spâ—ir when means are cut off but the Lord hath said Cast your care upon me I will care for you As Joseph said to Pharaoh Without me God will provide an answer for Pharaoh so may silver and gold and such things say to us Without us God will provide for the wealth of his people Though our means be gone yet God is the same and if our faith were before fixt upon the Lord then shew it now when means faile us If wee cannot now trust him our former saith was in the means not in the Lord. The more our straits be the more look after the Lord himselfe that he should from himselfe minister needfull things unto us When the stream fails and runs no more then goe to the fountain where the waters are sweeter and more sure See the speech of faith Hab. 3.17.18 Hab. 3.17.18 Though the Fig-tree doe not blossome nor fruit be in the vines and the fâ—â—ids yeeld no fruit c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Though all means fail yet will I rejoyce In the Mount will the Lord be seen Gen. 22.14 If we could but grow up to more dependance upon him to live by faith in him alone it would bee our great advantage for though means doe prove as a broken reed or as a false hearted friend yet the Lord is faithfull and they that trust in him are blessed he will by himselfe create peace and comfort to his people Vse 2 To settle our hearts against the wavering disposition which we are subject unto in this â—and Sometimes the places wee live in are hard and barren and this unsettles us we know not how to subsist I deny not but that one place may be better then another more desireable more fruitfull in it selfe But yet the Lord promiseth Exod. 20 24. Exod 20.24 that in every place where hee sets the remembrance of his Name thither he will come and blesse his people and what is wanting from the place shall bee made up from the Lord himselfe He turneth a barren land into fruitfulfulnesse for his people Psal 107. Psalm 107. If the places be barren wherein we live let us be the more humble the more fruitfull in well-doing the more diligent in prayer the more strong in faith And then we shall
Chron. 2.11 So because the Lord loveth his people that hee taketh into covenant with himselfe therefore he will be King over them to rule and govern them Hence the Prophet joynes these two together Isai 49.10 Isai 49.10 God that hath compassion upon them will lead them hee out of compassion taketh the guidance of his people upon himselfe When hee will manifâ—st his wrath against a people then hee suffers them to walk after their own wills but here is infinite grace and mercy when hee taketh them into his owne government Consider this in a few particulars First consider what power we are under by nature we are under the dominion of cruâ—ll tyrants Satan the God of this world is Lord over us and we are holden under his power who labours to make a prey of our souls Ephes 2.2 Ephes 2.2 Acts 26.18 Now what a blessed change is this to be brought from under his pâ—wer and to be translated under the government of the gracious God Secondly consider how unable we are to guide and governe our selves as Jer. 10.23 Jer. 10.23 It is not in man to guide his own way The best souls would wander into the way of eternall perdition if they were left unto themselves And therefore when the Lord will become our guide to lead us in the way of life what a benefit and mercy is it It is a benefit to a traveller that when he is ready to misse his way then he meets with a guide to direct him how much more when we are ready to misse the way to eternaâ—l life We are as sheep a foolish creature which is apt to wander and this David found Psal 119.178 Psa 119.178 and therefore prayes to the Lord to lead him Thirdly as wee are not able to guide our selves so there is no other creature that can guide us aright unto life as the Lord speaks Isa 51.18 There is none to guide her among all the sons which she hath brought forth c. They may perhâ—ps guide our feet but our hearts will bee erring and wandring still As the Israelites though they had Moses himselfe that great Prophet to guide them and shew them the good way yet they erred in their heaâ—ts Psal 95.10 Fourthly consider the peace accnmpanying and following the guidance of the Lord Jer. 6.16 Ask for the old paths saith the Loâ—d which is he good way and you shall find rest to your soules Who can expresse the sweet peace of the people of God when their hearts are framed to a willing obedience to the guidance and government of the Lord Whereas when they are led by themselves and their own hearts then there is nothing but confusion and disturbance It is a misery that cometh upon a people when God will not guide them but withdrawes his government over them When there was no King in Israel then they had many miseries many troubles much more is it so in spirituall regards when God leaves us to the wandrings of our own hearts how many miseries and sinnes are we subject unto This was their curse Rom. 1.24 Rom. 1.24 to be given up unto themselves and then they ran into all manner of wickednesse And this was the misery of the Gentiles Acts 14.17 Acts 14.17 that God suffered them to walk in their own wayes Hence the Church complains Isai 63. last Isai 63. last Wee are as they over whom thou never barest rule as it is in the old translation when they had complained before how they had erred from the wayes of God their hearts had been hardened from Gods feare now they shut up all in this Wee are as they over whom thâ—u never barest rule there is the misery they complaine of Or if wee read the words as the new translation renders them it is all one in effect We are thine therefore bow our hearts to the feare of thy Name They that is our adversaries as verse 18. are a people over whom thou never barest rule they are a forlorne and forsaken people this the Church lookes at as their enemies misery Therefore it is the blessing of the people of God when God will take them into his government Vse 1 Seeing this is one of the blessings of the Covenant of grace to have God above us and over us to guide and rule us this must teach us when we enter into Covenant with God not to count our condition then a state of libertie as if wee might then walke after our owne desires and wayes as if there were none to command us and rule over us Indeed there is a spirituall liberty from our enemies but there is subjection required to the Lord. Wee must not looke onely after gifts mercies kindnesses pardon and such tokens and pledges of grace but looke also for this to be under God and to set up him on high to be a God and Lord over us And let us not count this our misery but our blessednesse that wee are brought under his gracious government Herein the Lord sheweth his marvellous kindnesse that he will take the care of us Would wee not wonder to see such a Prince as Solomon to take his subjects children to tutour them and traine them up under him Now wee are but poore ants and worms upon earth but the Lord of heaven offereth to take the government of us upon himselfe This is infinite mercy whither would our unruly hearts carry us if he should leave us to our selves Who is there that hath any experience of the sinfull evills that are in his heart but will acknowledge this to be a benefit that the Lord should rule over him with an out-stretched arme If God leave Hezekiah but a little how is his heart lift up with pride so that he must have a Prophet sent to him on purpose to humble him If God leave David to himselfe to what evills is he not ready to fall And is there not the same spirit in us The more contrariety and opposition that there is in us to the will of God the greater mercy it is that he will be King over us Learne therefore to count it no small blessing and when God beginneth with us to over-rule the rebelliousnesse of our hearts and to bring â—hem into order take heed that we spurne not with the heele nor lift up our selves But let us humble our selves and submit our selves to him that he may take the guidance of us into his owne hands Heare the rod and kisse it and take it as a mercy that he is pleased to take the care of us to correct our wandrings and bring us back into the wayes of our owne peace Take heed of walking contrary lest he say to us as to the Israelites that he will reigne over us no more For tryall and examination whether we be a people in Covenant Vse 2 with God and have taken him to be our God For if God be our God then he must be God over us
know the difference between the service of the Lord and of the God whom you have obeyed Come in therefore and seeke the Lord and give up your selves to be his people that he may raigne over you come within the kingdome of his grace here and he will prepare a kingdome of glory for you hereafter Thus much of the first and greatest blessing of the Covenant of grace I will be your God The second blessing of the Covenant followes which is that the Lord promiseth to his people the pardon and forgivenes of sinnes as is expressed Jer. 31.34 Jer. 31.34 I will forgive their iniquitie and remember their sin no more By this promise the Lord takes away that great scruple and feare that might fill the hearts of his people as thinking that the greatnesse of their sinnes would exclude them from ever having benefit by the former promise for if the soule hearing such a promise revealed I will be your God should now reply and say Yea he will be the God of the just as of Abraham and such as have not sinned against him but I have sinned and my transgressions are exceeding many and they stand up as a partition wall between God and me how can he then be a God to me or communicate himselfe and his goodnesse unto me so vile and sinfull Now the Lord in this promise taketh away this objection and saith I know you have sinned I have seene your rebellions against mee yet this shall not hinder but yet I will be your God and what ever sinnes you have committed I will doe them away and put them out of my sight and will be your God and thus the Lord seemes to answer his people Isai 48.4.9 compared together The Lord having promised deliverance to his people they might say Wee are unworthy I know it saith the Lord that thou art obstinate and yet verse ninth For my Names sake I will deferre my anger c. As if he should say In regard of thy selfe and thy own stubbornnesse thou deservest to be cut off and left in thy misery yet for my praise I will doe thee good The sinnes therefore of Gods people shall not breake off their interest in God they may serve to magnifie the grace of God toward them but shall not lessen nor hinder it Well therefore may this promise be reckoned amongst the blessings of the Covenant of Grace and be set in the next place to the former promise I will be your God This promise of pardon and forgivenesse of sinne is one of the great blessings of the Covenant of grace as sounding forth nothing but Grace and blessing Grace from God and blessing to us Grace from God according to that Exod. 34.6 7. Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord gracious and mercifull pardoning sin forgiving iniquitie and transgression c. So it also imports kindnes and blessing to us as Psal 32.1 Psal 32.1 Here is Grace yea rich Grace in this promise of forgivenesse of sin as Eph. 1.7 Ephes 1.7 It is grace because nothing but grace and mercy can forgive God is just but it is not justice that doth pardon sin Justice taketh vengeance for sin it will not spare our misdeeds but grace taketh pitie and forgiveth Againe it is grace because we have nothing to satisfie withall for the evills which wee have done and therefore there is the more grace to us in pardoning Againe there is grace in it because God hath power in his hand to take vengeance He doth not passe by sin as men doe offences when they dissemble forgivenes because they cannot tell how to be avenged and yet carry rancor and malice in their hearts but God forgives though he hath power to destroy and take vengeance as Deut. 32.35 Deut. 32.35 He is able to destroy Mat. 10.28 Mat. 10.28 and yet chooseth to forgive Hence Exod. 34.6 Exod. 34.6 the Lord joyns these together strong and gracious c. This shews him to be gracious that he is strong and yet pardoneth There is infinite grace shines forth in forgiving the sinnes of men And this will appeare if wee consider these things First consider the nature of sin which is a kind of wrong doing unto God there is injurious provocation in it provoking the jealousie of the mighty God As if a wise should wrong her husband by forsaking him and joyning her self to another man how could such a wrong be recompenced Yet such wrong we doe unto God for in every sin wee commit there is a turning unto the creature and forsaking the Creator Here is grace therefore in forgiving such injuries as Jer. 3.1 If a man put away his wife and she become another mans will he return to her again c. But thou hast plaid the harlot with many lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord. Wherein doth grace and kindnesse appeare more then in pâ—ssing by wrongs It is an easier thing to shew many courtesies and benefits to one that never wronged us then to forgive one petry injury yet here is the grace of God unto us c. Secondly consider against whom our sins have been committed and that will set forth grace more They are not committed against man alone but against the Lord. Now a Prince will sometime forgive a trespasse against a common ordinary subject but that which is against their own person they seldome spare Our sins are against God 1 Sam. 2.25 1 Sam. 2.25 and yet he passâ—th by such transgressions This is abundant grace Thirdly consider to whom sin is forgiven and to whom it is not forgiven it is forgiven to us that were enemies but not to his own deare Sonne when hee came to be a mediator between God and us Hee could not have one sinne forgiven him God would not spare him Rom. 8.32 Rom. 8.32 but took the full satisfaction of sin from him but yet hee spareth us that were enemies Here is grace indeed Fourthly consider the quality of the Lords forgivenesse both in the freenesse and fulnesse of it he forgiveth freely as Rom. 3.24 25. Rom. 3.24.25 Being justified freely by his grace c. Hence saith the Lord Isai 48.9 11. Isai 48.9.11 For my Names sake will I deferre my anger c. For my own sake will I doe it for how should my Name bee polluted and I will not give my glory to another I will doe it freely for if I should take any satisfaction from thee I should pollute my Name and darken the glory of my grace and give it to thee that thou wouldest think that thou wert pardoned for thy sacrifices and thy goodnesse The sin that God pardoneth he doth it freely for his praise sake Papists may talk of their satisfaction to God for their sinnes but these are but the words of men and they cloud over the glory of Gods grace and take the glory of God to themselves But upon such termes God will never forgive Amongst men though one
have offended another yet the considâ—ration of former or after courtesie may deserve to have such an offence passed by but it is not so with God Nothing that we can doe can plead any such worth his forgivenesse is free as Isai 43.25 26. Isaiah 43.25 26. I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake Put me in remembrance saith the Lord let us plead together whereas we are ready to think that it is not onely for his own sake but also for our sakes for something which we have done that hee forgives our sins The Lord taketh this away and saith Come and remember me now and tell me what it is that I should pardon thee for the Lord looketh at nothing in that soule which hee pardoneth but onely at his own praise he doth it freely Again as God doth it freely so he doth it fully his forgivenesse is a full forgivenesse hee putteth away all our sinnes old new great small guilt and punishment so that the sinnes of Gods people are before God as though they had never been committed never to be required at their hand The expressions the Scripture usâ—th here are very excellent it is called a taking away our iniquities Hâ—sea 14.2 Hosea 14.2 The blotting out of sinnes Psalm 51.9 taken from debt-books that when the debt is paid then they blot it out of their book so God when he pardoneth he blots out our transgressions that hee never means to call us to account for them Sometimes it is called the putting them away as a mist or as a cloud which is made to vanish by the Sunne and is no more seen Isai 14. Isaiah 14. It is also called a casting of them behind the backe Isai 38. Isaiah 38.17 A casting of them into the bottome of the sea Micah 7.18 Mâ—cah 7.18 that they shall be buried never to rise again It is called a covering of our sinnes that they cannot appeare in his presence nor bee seen of him any more Psal 32.1 Psalm 32.1 and the 85.2 Yea they are so hid and covered as that the Lord sees no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel Numb 23.21 85.1 Numb 23.21 Not meaning as the Familists dote That there is no sinne which the Lord can take notice of in hiâ—â—â—oâ—lâ—â— but that though God doe see sinne in them by the eye of his knowledge yet he doth not see them by the eye of his judgement to lay them to their charge Nay the Lord will so farre put away the sinnes of his people that if hee should after come and make inquisition for sinne in them yet there shall not be one found as Jer. 50.20 Jer. 50.20 they are past and gone as the waters of Noah never to return again If wee consider all these the provocation that is in sinne and how many they are and against whom they are committed to whom they are forgiven and how freely and fully they are pardoned we must needs say Here is grace yea riches of grace in the forgivenesse of sin It is therefore a blessing of grace Secondly as there is grace shewn from God in the pardon of sinne so infinite benefit and blessing commeth to us thereby Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven c. This is not a promise of no value but is one of the most great and pretious promises of the Covenant of more worth then thousands of gold and silver How great a benefit this is will appeare if we consider how great an evill sinne is which by forgivenesse is taken away The greatnesse of the one will set forth the greatnesse of the other Now sin is the greatest evill in the world and that both in it selfe and to us First in it selfe it is the greatest whether we consider it simply in its own nature and being or causally making evill the subject that it dwels in In the former respect it is the greatest evill because it is contrary to the greatest good God is good he is goodnesse it selfe his will also is holy just and good Now nothing is so contrary to God and to the goodnesse of his holy will as sin is this crosseth the holinesse of his will And as for the other if we consider fin causally what is it which makes the creature evill as we read of evill Angels Psalm 78.49 Psal 78.49 and of evill men 2 Tim. 3.13 2 Tim. 3.13 Whence is it that they are become evill It is onely by sinne they were created good but sin hath corrupted them and made them evill And that which makes other things evill must needs of it selfe be much more evill Take away the sin from Devils and they are good they are evill onely by sin Secondly but that which more neerly concerns the point in hand is to consider how sin is the greatest evill unto us and that appears First because it is sin and sin onely which excludes us from God and makes a separation between God and us Poverty reproach sicknesse c. these are evils but they are not such evils as are able to separate us from God Rom. 8. Rom. 8. God was with Joseph in prison with Jeremiah in the dungeon with those that wandred up and down in wildernesses in sheep-skins and goat-skins Heb. 11.37 38. being afflicted destitute and tormented But sin is as a partition-wall betwixt God and us it separates betwixt us and our God Isai 59.1 2. Isai 59.1 2. Sin breeds an alienation and strangenesse betwixt us so as till sin be taken away there can be no communion betwixt God and us But now by the forgivenesse of sin this partition-wall is pulled down so as we have free accesse unto God and may come into his presence and behold his face and stand before him being accepted in his beloved Now by the forgivenesse of sin we return again unto our former estate in which wee stood before our fall before that sin had broken us off from God Now as the Apostle saith 1 John 1.3 We have fellowship with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ In our fall sin brake off our communion with God but by the forgivenesse of sin wee have liberty to recover this our communion with him again Secondly sin is that which hinders all other good things from us Jer. 5.25 Jer. 5.25 If we want any thing that is good for us thank our sin for it God is good and ready to doe good free to communicate his goodnesse to all his creatures why then are good things restrained from us It is our sin which intercepts them and cuts us short But now when sin is done away by forgivenesse then is the former hinderance removed this doth as it were turn the cock which stops the course of the blessing from comming unto us and now we recover an interest in all the good things of the world so as all things are ours when sinne is not ours but is
I will forgive let every soule say within it selfe Surely then I will try I will seeke I will sue for mercy that I may be forgiven But what should I doe that I may be forgiven Quest 1. Enter into thine owne heart Answ and search out all the sinnes of heart and life which thou art privie unto Lament 3.40 Lam. 3.40 This is the Lords owne direction Jer. 3.12 13. Jer. 3.12 13. when the Lord first promised that he would shew himselfe mercifull and not let his wrath fall upon them yet presently addes But know thou thine iniquitie for thou hast fallen by rebellion c. 2. When thou hast found out thy sin goe then before the Lord and confesse and judge thy selfe before him as Ezra 9.6 Ezra 9.6 Confesse thy selfe worthy to be destroyed Doe as the Prodigall did Luke 15. Luk. 15. I am no more worthy to be counted thine 3. Present before the Lord the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus bring no satisfaction of thine owne make no mention of thine own righteousnesse or good deservings but fly onely to the bloudy sufferings and sacrifice of Christ to find acceptance reconciliation through him without that bloud there is no forgivenesse Heb. 9. Heb. 9. 4. Come not before God with an heart purposing still to continue in thy sinne but together with prayer for pardon joyne prayer for a spirit of grace and holinesse to make thee a new heart and a new spirit that sin may live in thee no more be willing to bind thy selfe by Covenant to the Lord to glorifie that grace shewed on thee if he will please to be gracious towards thee in taking away this sin Hos 14.3 with 9. Hos 14.3 with 9. Thus come before the Lord and then as men that have any great legacy left them by the will of another they will intreat for it they will plead the Testament of the Testatour and if that will not prevaile they will bring it into the Court of Justice and there sue for it So let us doe beg intreat require the performance of this legacy of the new Testament which grace hath bequeathed unto us and if this obtaine not then bring our cause into the Covenant of grace and there sue and plead before the throne of grace There bring out the words of the Testament and say Lord here is thine owne Covenant and promise hold the Lord fast to his promise which he hath made and plead with him and say Lord why are thy mercies restrained from me where is thy faithfulnesse why dost not thou pardon mine iniquitie Though I be worthy to perish yet remember thy Covenant make good thy promise in which thou hast caused thy servant to trust Such importunitie the Lord will not take ill he delights thus to be overcome by the pleas of his people Doe thus and he that hath promised will also fulfill and will take away all thine iniquitie and receive thee graciously Hos 14.3 Vse 5 For singular comfort to all the people of God who doe in any faithfulnesse and truth of heart endeavour to walke according to the Covenant they have made with him To all such this word of Consolation doth belong that their iniquitie is pardoned their sin is forgiven It was a word of comfort Christ spake to the palsie man Mat. 9.2 Mat. 9.2 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee So Isai 40 1 2. Isai 40.1 2. And thence was that speech of Christ to Mary in Luke 7.48.50 Thy sinnes are forgiven thee goe in peace There is peace indeed when Christ promiseth sin to be forgiven Now so it is to all the covenanted people of God their sin is forgiven here is their comfort See Psal 103.17 18. Psal 103.17 18. If wee keepe his Covenant his loving kindnesse and mercy is ours to forgive us our sinnes Shall man saith Eliphaz be more just then God shall man be more pure then his maker Job 4.17 Job 4.17 So may we say in this case Shall man be more faithfull then God more mindfull of his Covenant and promise then his Maker No God is the faithfull God keeping Covenant and mercy with those that feare him If we then which are so apt to breake our Covenant with God and men if wee be carefull to keepe Covenant with him how much more will God performe this promise of his Covenant towards us to pardon our sinnes If wee be not unfaithfull towards him he cannot be unfaithfull towards us Nay though we were in part unfaithfull yet cannot he deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 2 Tim. 2.13 Quest But how may I know that my sinnes are forgiven me Answ 1. A plainer evidence I cannot give then this before named scil a carefull conscionable and constant endeavour to walke in Covenant with God Psal 103.17 18. Psal 103.17 18. But I have many failings in the keeping of my Covenant Object Yet so long as you doe not renounce your Covenant Answ and breake the bond till you doe agree to the loosing of the knot in which you have bound your selfe chusing to turne back after your former liberties the substance of the Covenant is not yet broken though some article of the Covenant may be violated There be some trespasses against some particular clauses in Covenants which though they be violated yet the whole Covenant is not forfeited 2. An affectionate and cordiall love to the Lord Jesus who hath washed us from our sinnes in his bloud is a sure signe that our sins are forgiven us Luk. 7.47 when wee so thinke of Christ as that nothing is too much for him nothing enough all we doe or can doe is too little for him and as nothing to that which our soule desireth this love never goes alone but is accompanied with this blessing of forgivenesse And sure thus it is with those that feele in any measure the efficacy of Christs bloud easing their consciences from the guilt of sin They could be content to wash Christs feet not with teares onely but with their hearts bloud and to dye for love of him who hath loved them and given himselfe for them to save them from their sinne 3. The mortification and dying of sinne in our hearts is a signe that our sinnes are forgiven us When Christ takes away Jacobs sinnes he also turnes away ungodlinesse from Jacob Rom. 11.26 27. Rom. 11.26 27. If sin live in us the guilt of it remaines still upon us I meane if it live in us in full strength 4. If we have a tender heart to mourne over Christ whom wee have pierced Time was when we could tread under feet that precious bloud by which we are sanctified But now it melts the heart to thinke that that bloud which wee have so despised should yet be sprinkled upon us to wash us from our sinne This kindnesse of Christ towards us makes our hearts to mourne over him Zach. 12.10 Zach. 12.10 They shall mourne over
him or for him not for our selves but for him mourning that we have pierced him and grieved his Spirit by our sinnes 5. An heart willing to forgive and to doe good unto those that have done evill against us Mat. 6.14 Mat. 6.14 when wee cannot onely forbeare them but forgive them and beare a loving heart to them that have been unloving towards us This disposition of heart in us springs from an higher fountaine of grace which hath been shed downe upon us in forgiving our sinnes When the heart can reason with it selfe to suppresse revengefull desires when they are stirring in us and can argue as Mat. 18. and Eph. 4. Mat. 18. Eph. 4. the Lord is willing to forgive me my debts and ought not I also to forgive my fellow-servant that hath offended me Such a disposition of heart is a fruit and token of the forgivenesse of our sinnes Mat. 6.14 The grace that hath been shewed us in the forgivenesse of our sinnes workes an answerable disposition in us making us ready to forgive the sinnes of our brethren 6. A free and full confession of sinne when we deale openly with the Lord freely willing to open all our whole heart before the Lord discovering knowne sinnes secret sinnes the most prevailing beloved and inward corruptions willing to take the shame of all unto our selves and still to be more vile in our selves that mercy might be glorified in our forgivenesse When we can bring out the whole pack and not keepe a sin back so farre as wee know any thing by our selves but lay all open and naked before the face of God till there be no more to be found such confession hath a promise of forgivenesse 1 Joh. 1.9 1 Joh. 1.9 There may be a forced confession as was that of Saul when he was so fully convinced of his sinne that he would no longer deny it 1 Sam. 15. And of Judas who out of extremitie of horror and rage of conscience was made to confesse his wickednesse in betraying innocent bloud There may be also a formall superficiall and partiall confession when we doe in a generall fashion confesse our selves sinners which confession hath no promise of forgivenes because these confessions are ever accompanied first with a desire if possible to maintaine our own innocency secondly with a spirit of unbeliefe and misgiving heart fearing lest our own mouth should judge us and wee become witnesses against our selves Thirdly with a spirit of pride loath to confesse our selves to be so vile as we must acknowledge our selves to be if we should confesse all our sinnes against our selves But when a man is willing to search out all his sin unto the last that he may lay open all his heart and confesse all his iniquitie against himselfe before the Lord being vile in his own eyes and desiring to be more vile loathing himselfe for all his abominations of such an one that can thus come before the Lord in humble confession of his sinnes I doubt not to say unto him Goe thy way in peace thy sin is forgiven thee If God give us a heart thus humbly to confesse it is unto us a signe there is in God a heart mercifully to forgive Exhortation to all the Saints that have tasted of this rich grace Vse 6 in the forgivenes of their sinnes Let them ascribe glory unto him that hath shewed this mercy on them extolling that grace which hath forgiven them this the Lord lookes for he would have his grace glorified by us Eph. 1.6 Ephes 1.6 The Lord himselfe publisheth this as his own glory that he is a God forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 Exod. 34.6 And the servants of God have herein given glory unto him as Micah 7.18 Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee who passeth by the transgression of the remnant of thine heritage We should make the praise of this grace to ring through the whole world that heaven and earth may take notice of it and wonder at the grace that hath been shewed on us This grace can never be sufficiently glorified by us To teach us willingly to become servants unto this God of all Vse 7 Grace who dealeth thus mercifully with his people See Hos 14.5 Hos 14.5 When the Lord there promiseth to heale the rebellions of his people by taking away their iniquities from them marke what this workes in them ver 9. What have wee say they any more to doe with Idolls with our former sinnes we will serve them them no more we will henceforth serve thee our gracious God which promisest to heale all our backslidings His will wee be him will wee serve And thus much of the second Benefit The third Benefit of the Covenant is the renewing and sanctifying of our natures by the graces of the Spirit The Lord having first justified us by his grace in the forgivenesse of our sinnes he theâ— goes on to sanctifie us that we might be an holy people unto him to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes Luk. 1. Luke 1. When he hath made us imputedly righteous he will have us inherently righteous also And by the promise of this benefit the Lord answers another scruple which his people might be subject unto We might thinke with our selves this is indeed a great benefit which the Lord hath promised hithâ—rto namely to forgive all my sin But though the Lord should performe all this mercy unto mee forgiving unto me all my former sins unto this day yet I have such a vile sinfull nature within mee that I shall returne and sin againe as wickedly as ever I did before and so shall bring a new guiltinesse upon my self Hereto the Lord answers No it shall not be I will renew alter and change that sinfull and wicked nature that is in you I will make your heart a new heart so as you shall be enabled to doe my will and walk in my wayes I will sanctifie you to be an holy and pretious people to my self This renovation and sanctification of our nature stands first in cleansing away our sinfull corruption and then in an infusion and filling of us with the holy graces of the Spirit As a vessell which wee intend for any honourable use first wee scoure and rinse out the filth that is in it and then we sweeten it with other things and so make it fit for service and use Satan had defiled us with his loathsome filthinesse but so many as the Lord sets apart unto himselfe to be vessels of honour in his house those hee cleanseth from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and seasoneth them with all the sweet and gracious gifts of his Spirit Hence it is that we are said to be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Peter 1.4 and to be renewed with the renâ—wing of the holy Ghost Titus 3.5 And we are said to be created new in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 because
and to be renewed unto holines Therefore it is that when Christ converts us from our sins he is said to blesse us in converting us from our iniquities Acts 3. ult Acts 3. ult It is a blessing indeed This is a better blessing then was that wherewith Esau was blessed who had the fatnesse of the earth for his dwelling place and the dew of heaven to mâ—ke it fruitfull This is one of those spirituall blessings wherewith Christ hath blessed us in heavenly things Eph. 1 3. Eph. 1.3 It is such a blessing as makes blessed those that receive it For first by being sanctified in our selves wee come to have a sanctified use of all other blessings which we enjoy To the pure all things are pure but to the impure all things are impure and defiled Titus 1. end Titus 1. end Secondly holinesse is the Image of the blessed God it conforms unto him makes us like unto him This is our excellency and our glory in the eyes of Angels and Men in nothing are wee so glorious as in holinesse this is a Crown and Diadem upon our head and therefore David calls the Saints by the name of excellent ones Psal 16.3 Psal 16.3 Sanctity makes a man to excell himselfe and preferres him above the common condition of men The Spirit of Holinesse is a Spirit of Glory 1 Peter 4.14 1 Pet 4 14. and Grace is Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 Thiâ—dly it makes the Lord to take a delight in us even as a father doth delight in seeing his own Image in his children God loved us before with a love of benevolence and good will but now he loves us with a love of complacency taking pleasure in his people as the Prophet speaks Psal 147.11.149.4 Psal 147.11 149.4 Fourthly by being sanctified wee also are made to delight in God How pretious are thy thoughts to mee O God saith Dâ—vid Psalm 139.17 Whom have I in heaven but thee And Psalm 73.25 Psal 73.25 When shall I come and appeare in the presence of God Psalm 42. Psalm 42. Hereby the Lord becomes the God of our joy and gladnesse Psalm 43.4 Psalm 43 4 His presence is sweet unto us his voice is pleasant his word ordinances and whatsoever else he communicates himselfe in they are delightfull unto us and wee take pleasure in them It is a pleasant thing to a sanctified heart to be praising God and to be exerciâ—â—d in any thing in which we may enjoy communion with him Fifthly By being sanctified wee have peace increased in our inward man God becomes a God of peace unto us in sanctifying of us 1 Thes 5.23 Thereby he stills those raging and strong lusts which had wont to disquiet our hearts While sin raignes there is no peace not onely is the Conscience perplexed by it but the affections of the soule are set at variance one against another Pride would have one thing and covetousnesse would have another Hypocrisie and prophanenesse are divided one against another Like so many contrary winds which lie upon the face of the deep and dash the waves one against another Thus a multitude of contrary passions and lusts distract and divide the soule asunder so that while sin rules in us there is no peace But when grace beginnes to have its kingdome set up in us it then brings with it a blessed peace Holinesse and peace goe together All the faculties of the soule being sanctified by grace they do now ayme at one end which is the doing of Gods will and this unitie makes peace Sixtly By being sanctified we are made instruments and meanes of blessing unto others When God called Abraham to follow him out of his native Country this was the promise by which he incouraged him to follow him I will blesse thee saith he and thou shalt be a blessing It was promised as a blessing to Abraham that he should be a blessing to others Thus Israel is a blessing in the midst of Aegypâ— and Ashur Isai 19.24 Isai 19.24 They are set as a blessing round about Goâ—â— holy mountaine Ezek. 34.26 Ezek. 34.26 The remnant of Jacob Gods sanctified ones are among many people as dew from the Lord and showreâ—â—â—on the grasse Micah 5.7 Micah 5.7 They are a blessing So long as a man 〈◊〉 grace and is unsanctified he is an useles unprofitable creature Psal 14. Psal 14. They are altogether unprofitable like that girdle which the Prophet speakes of which was corrupted rotten and good for nothing Jer. 13.7 Jer. 13.7 They are very corrupt yea very corruption Psal 5.9 Psal 5.9 and not onely corrupt but they are corrupters of others Isai 1. And so are rather a plague and curse to others then a blessing But when the Spirit of grace hath entred into the soule and sanctified it then 〈◊〉 that was before unprofitable is now become profitable and being a vessell of mercy filled with blessing himselfe he lets out himselfe unto others and becomes a blessing unto them Seventhly By being sanctified in our natures wee are made â—â—t to live the life of God from which we have been estranged ever since our mothers wombe we have been strangers from God and from the life of God we have of our selves neither knowledge how to doe well nor any ability to doe what we know we onely wander away from God and bid God depart from us Job 21. Job 21. Wee have neither will nor strength to doe any thing that is holy right in the Lords eyes But when God sanctifies us then a new spirit enters into us and sets us upon our feet and stirres and works in us carrying us on to the doing of the will of God Then we begin to live for God and with God In a word how great a blessing this is we may conceive by the lamentable complaint of the Apostle groaning under the bondage of his corruption Rom. 7. Who shall deliver me saith Paul from this body of death He knew himselfe to be already delivered from the law of death and the power of it so that death could not hurt him and yet Paul would have another deliverance still There was yet one thing which troubled him the body of death the sin which hangeth so fast on the remnant of corruption which like fetters hampered him that he could not so perfectly fulfill the will of God This plague of the heart within Paul desired to be healed of who saith he will helpe me who will deliver me from this misery and set me free out of this bondage of corruption Paul was many a time in bonds in persecution and manifold sufferings for Christs sake but never doe we heare him complaine so of these he never said Who will deliver me and set me free out of this prison out of these bonds out of these pinching wants c. But that which most troubled him was his sinful corruption of nature within This is the plague
which above all other he desires to be delivered from And surely such is the disposition of all those whose hearts God hath effectually touched with his spirit of grace that if they had the kingdomes of the world for their own they could be content to forgoe all so they might be rid of sin and have their sanctification perfected in them Now as we have sâ—â—ne that this sanctification is a singular benefit and blessing unto us so let us consider also how it springs forth unto us out of the same fountain of grace as did the former benefit of forgivenesse of sins These two streames issue out of the same fountaine of grace When God sanctifies us adding this benefit to the former we may then say Grace grace wee doe herein receive a double grace Grace in forgiving grace in sanctifying of us here is grace upon grace It is a blessing of rich grace And this will appeare if we consider First How impiously and wickedly we have forsaken our first holy and blessed estate in which the Lord had created us God made man righteous Eccles 10. ult Eccles 10. ult but he would be finding out many inventions of his own and if he could not invent them in the shop of his own braine then he would take them out of Satans forge by those inventions thinking to make himselfe more excellent then God had made him and so did wilfully cast away that glory of grace with which he was clothed defaced the Image of God which was stampt upon him bringing upon himselfe a sinfull and shamefull nakednesse to the contempt of his person before all creatures cast off his God that had formed him setting light by the God of his salvation chusing to obey the cursed suggestion of Satan Gods enemy rather then to retaine his communion with God This did he and we in him and now the Lord might have said unto us all Let him that is filthy be filthy still Seeing you have thus defiled your selves you shall never be cleansed untill I have made my wrath to fall upon you Ezek. 24.13 It is wonderfull grace if ever the Lord will returne to such to renew us and sanctifie us by his grace Our sin was like the sin of Angels who kept not their first estate no more did we wee sinned as they did but we are sanctified and not they here is grace towards us not towards them They are suffered still to persist in their malicious wickednesse but we are renewed againe according to the Image of him that created us Ephes 4. Ephes 4. Secondly Consider the loathsomenes of the sin and corruption which we have brought upon our selves and doth now lie upon us A wicked man is loathsome saith Solomon Pro. 13.5 Prov. 13.5 So loathsome is the sin that is in us that we are made even to loath our selves and to count our selves more filthy then the dung of the earth Ezek. 6.9 When the Lord formed man in the beginning it was not silver or gold or any such precious matter out of which he fashioned him but it was out of the vilest of the Elements out of the earth the dregs setlings of all creatures The matter out of which man was then made was but vile and base Wonder it was that God would set the gracious Image of his holines upon so contemptible a creature But though it was then but vile yet it was as I may so speake innocent harmles The pollution of sinne had not as yet defiled it there was nothing in it as yet which should make the holy God to loath the creature which he had made sinne had not as yet stained the earth with its filthines But now by sin man is become abominable his uncleannesse is as the filthines of the menstruous the filthy leprosie of sin is not in his forehead alone but is spread all over him so that the Lord might say unto him Depart depart yee polluted stand apart the pure eyes of my holines cannot endure to behold such loathsome filthines But now behold and wonder even the God so glorious in holines Exod. 15.11 even he seeing us lye polluted in our bloud he doth not passe by on the other side but he takes pitie on us and takes us and washeth us with water he washeth us from our bloud and anoynteth us with oyle Ezek. 16.6.9 yea and cloaths us againe with white linnen of sanctity and holines adornes us with ornaments of grace which are as jewels of silver and jewels of gold c. ver 10 11 12 13. and makes us beautifull by his owne beauty which he puts upon us And is not this grace Had wee seene our blessed Saviour rise up from the table to wash the foule feet of his servants we would have wondred How much more wonderfull is this that he should take us filthy lepers and wash us in the waters of Jordan untill we be wholly cleane Consider that place in Ezek. 16.9 how the Lord himselfe amplifies this grace towards us in washing us from our polluted bloud No lesse then three times together doth the Lord there mention this When I saw thee polluted in thy bloud saith the Lord and againe When thou wast in thy bloud and a third time Even when thou wast in thy bloud then I took thee and washed thee and said unto thee Thou shalt live Why doth the Lord so ingeminate so double and treble this When thou wast in thy bloud but onely that we might the more observe his abundant grace towards us in purifying such loathsome uncleane ones as wee are Doubtles David when he had defiled himselfe by that great and foule sin he counted it mercy and rich grace to have a cleane heart renewed in him Psal 51. Psâ—l 51. Thirdly Consider how unable we are to cleanse and purifie our selves we are like little babes who can defile themselves but would lie in their uncleannes for ever should not the nurse wash cleanse them we once stript our selves of the garments of grace but now we know not how to put them on any more we were men at that time when in Adam wee laid them by and put them off But now like little children we should starve with cold and nakednesse should not the Lord pitie us and put these garments of grace upon us We are saith the Apostle of no strength Rom. 5.6 Rom 5.6 not able to thinke a good thought 2 Cor. 3. nor to will one good desire but it is God that worketh in us both will and deed of his good pleasure of grace towards us Phil. 2.13 Phil. 2.13 It is not in our willing or running but in God shewing mercy Rom. 9.16 Rom. 9.16 And it is not unworthy our observing how in ver 18. he opposeth mercy to hardening He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth to teach us to look at it as a speciall mercy when he is pleased to take away the hard
on earth yet we shall see that there is help in heaven though none in our selves yet there is in God and in his faithfull Covenant Vse 5. To stirre up those that doe yet finde themselves destitute of all Grace not able to discern the least spark of goodnesse in themselves let them notwithstanding consider what God hath promised in his Covenant He hath therein promised a new heart a new spirit to create us anew in Christ Jesus He hath promised to poure out waters upon the dry ground Esay 44.3 where there is no sap no moisture no goodnesse but their moisture is turned into the drought of Sommer yet upon such dry grounds on such dry trees the waters of the Spirit shall be poured out and they shall be made to bring forth fruit The wilde forrest of Lebanon shall become as Carmell the Desart a fruitfill Field goe therefore thou poore lost creature thou sinfull soule who never yet to this day hadst one drop of Grace wrought in thy heart goe thou to the Throne of Grace lament thy sinfull and wicked heart before God begge this mercy of him say unto him Lord thou hast promised to give thy Spirit unto such as aske him of thee Now Lord give it unto me a poore sinfull creature make me even me also a partaker of this blessâ—ng Object But here perhaps you will say these promises are made only unto those that are in Covenant with God but alas thou art a stranger and an alien and hast ever so been unto this day thou hast no part in these promises Answ They belong to all that either are in Covenant with God or ever shall be though they be not as yet fulfilled in thee yet they may be intended unto thee these promises may be thine in respect of Gods purpose of grace and intention though not as yet in respect of actuall performance and execution To encourage all to seek after this blessing Consider with your selves three things 1. The extent of these promises I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Whosoever is thirsty come and drink of the waters of life freely yea turne you saith Christ to scornfull sinners at my correction and then behold I will poure out my Spirit upon you And in Ezek. 36. compare verse 20. with 25 26. There you may see that those upon whom he promiseth to poure his Spirit they were such as had polluted Gods name among the Heathen and made it to be blasphemed and yet even to those the Lord promiseth that when the time of Grace was come for mercy to manifest it selfe in them upon them hee would poure out his Spirit and cleanse them from all their uncleannesse 2. Consider the freenesse of these promises come and buy without money or money-worth Isai 55.2 drink of the waters of life freely Apoc. 22.17 3. Consider Christ forwardnesse and readinesse to give to every one that askes hadst thou but asked saith Christ to the woman in Ioh. 4.20 I would have given thee the water of life Mark the place and occasion of Christs words Christ being then weary and thirsty by reason of his journey he askes of the woman a cup of water to drink no great matter to give bring but a cup of water and being by the well side where was water enough and ready at hand yet she gives it not but stands wondering that he being a Iew should aske water of her that was a Samaritane well saith Christ thou denyest me a cup of cold water to drink being weary and thirsty but hadst thou asked of me I would have given thee the water of life Nay and did give it unto her though shee denyed him a cup of water out of the well yet Christ gave her the water of life What would the Lord Iesus have us to take notice of in this his speech unto her and her dealing towards him but that he is more forward to give that water of life his holy Spirit to a poore sinner then we are to give a cup of common water to a thirsty soule O blessed redeemer who would not come unto thee Goe therefore thou that hast denyed the least mercy and kindnesse to Christ in any of his members though thou hast thought a cup of water too much for them yet seek grace from him Aske his Spirit intreat him to make thy heart new within thee doe but aske and seek and he will doe more then thou canst hope or think plead the promise of his Covenant and wait in hope Thus much for the third benefit 4. The fourth benefit which God promiseth unto his in his Covenant is our preservation in the state of Grace to which we are called This is a part of his Covenant with us that he once taking us to be a people unto him in Christ he will never forsake us any more but keep us in that estate for ever And by this promise the Lord takes away that last great scruple which the soule is apt to make in this manner although may one think the Lord hath shewed mercy unto me thus farre that he hath given me hope of the forgivenesse of my sinnes past and hath changed my heart in some measure so as it is my desire to do his will yet for all this I finde still such strong opposition against mee by enemies within and without so many corruptions within and temptations from without that I shall never be able to hold out unto the end but as David said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul so thinks the soule here in mids of many pursuits by the enemy I shall one day perish by the hand of Sathan I shall not be able to withstand him Now to this feare of our heart the Lord answers by this promise and benefit which he hath Covenanted to make good unto us he undertakes to keep us in the same estate of Grace to which he hath brought us he tells us no yee shall never perish feare it not he which hath begun the work will perfect it in us and for us And as God said unto Iacob in Gen. 28.15 I am with thee I will keep thee saith the Lord I will not forsake thee till I have performed unto thee all that I have promised thee So he saith unto us I will keep you till I have perfected towards you all the good pleasure of my goodnesse 2 Thes 1.11 I will keep you in my own hand I will guide you by my councell and afterward will bring you to glory Psal 73. This blessing we have promised to us in Ier. 32.39.40 They shall fear me for ever and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I wil never turn away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me and in Isai 54.8 With everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is unto me as the waters
danger of Apostacy that the end of such is worse then was their beginning 2 Pet. 2. though their beginning was naught sinfull and miserable yet their end is worse And it had been better for them never to have known the way of righteousnesse then when they have known it to turn from it Such shall receive the sorer vengeance Heb. 10.29 The greater the danger is of falling back the greater is the blessing in being preserved in the grace in which we stand Vse 1. This serves for endlesse comfort unto all the Saints of God Temporary blessings yeeld temporary refreshings but this benefit of perseverance assures us of good things more abiding and eternall in the consideration whereof we should be comforted with endlesse comfort everlasting joy should be upon our heads Esay 35.10 Be our enemies never so strong and mighty our infirmities never so many yet shall neither their strength nor our weaknesses expose us to their will but we shall be kept safe unto salvation by a divine power which is above all and over all The Lyons may roare at us but they shall not teare us in pieces Pharaoh may pursue us with his Chariots and horsemen but wait awhile and we shall see the Lord fight for Israel against the Aegyptians wee shall see the salvation of God In Joh. 17.13 when Christ was there praying to his Father in the behalfe of his Disciples which prayer he uttered before them in their presence and audience marke what he did aime at in it which was that they might have his joy fulfilled in themselves Hee was commending them by prayer unto his Father that he would keep them in his name and preserve them from evill that none of them might be lost And this he did that they knowing how Christ the beloved Sonne interceded with the Father for them might be filled with comfort as knowing that his petitions put up for them could not possibly return in vaine This makes our joy a full joy that we are not only brought into a state of Grace to have God for our God and to have our sinnes forgiven c. but we shall be â—ept in this estate for ever Though we be not yet exempted from falling into sinne through manifold infirmities yet we are sure we have a God which will pardon our sins Though we be weak yet when we are ready to fall the Lord will either put under his hand and prevent us that we fall not or if he suffer us to fall yet he will raise us up againe we shall not so fall as to rise no more In the midst of all our infirmities we may say with the Church in Micah 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy though I fall I shall rise againe Let not Gods people bee dejected over much to walk uncomfortably because of their infirmities Bee comforted against them by this consolation of God he hath made a Covenant with you that he will never forsake you If it hath pleased him once to make you his people he will cast you off no more 1 Sam. 12. Thou that complainest and walkest heavily because of thy sinfull corruptions which burthen thee and presse thee down tell me Let me ask and let thy heart make answer within thee doe thy corruptions and failings make thee lesse to esteeme of Christ or doe they make Christ more precious unto thee If thy corruptions get within thy heart and make any thing more deare and precious to thee then Christ is this is dangerous but if by the sence of thy corruption thou art made to draw nearer unto Christ to esteem more of him to cling faster unto him such infirmity may serve to humble thee but it shall never destroy thee Though thou be weak yet his Grace is sufficient for thee sufficient to pardon thy failings sufficient also to keep thee that neither gates of hell nor sinne nor death shall ever prevaile against thee Commit thy soule therefore in well-doing to thy faithfull Creator who hath created thee anew in Christ Iesus and know that as hee is able to keep so hee will keep that which is committed unto him against that day Vse 2. This may serve also for councell and direction unto all Gods faithfull ones to take heed of selfe confidence and thinking to stand by their own strength know wherein your strength lyeth it is not in your selves In his own might shall no man be strong 1 Sam. 2.9 but your strength and safety lies in this Covenant of peace which the Lord hath made with you he keeps the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 he preserves the soules of his Saints Psal 97. 34. So as none that trust in him shall perish It is with us as it was with Sampson all men wondred wherein his great strength should lie but it was neither in his haire nor in his limbs but in the Covenant of his God whiles hee kept his Covenant with God God was with him and by his power assisting and strengthening he made heaps upon heaps and slew thousands of the Philistimes but when he had broken the Covenant of his Nazarâ—ship and so had caused the Lord to depart from him then Sampson became weak as another man whiles we cleave to our Covenant and keep the Lord with us then are we strong and doe valiantly but when we trust in our selves and withdraw our selves from God who is our strength then we are weak and are overcome There is nothing which makes a readier way for the falls of Gods children then this that they grow to confidence in themselves and in that Grace which they have received They think as Samson they will rouse up and shake themselves and then they think to doe as at other times but when the Lord sees this distemper growing upon us then he lets us take a knock or two to heale this evill in us and to make us know that our way to be strong is to be weak weak in our selves that we may bee strong in the power of his might And indeed when we are thus weak then are we strong 2 Cor. 12.9 And contrà when we are strong then are we weak bereft of the power of God which is our stay and strength And therefore let us learn of the Prophet to say In the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength Isai 45. know how unable we are of our selves to doe any thing so much as to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. but are made able to do all things by the power Christ strengthening us Phil. 4.13 And therefore whatsoever we have to doe look we up unto his help to work all our works for us whether we be to meditate to speak or to do any thing which might bee pleasing unto him rely upon him for help make him our strength as well as our redeemer Psal 19. vers last Vse 3. For exhortation unto all to labour for a state in Grace to get within this Covenant of Grace get our souls
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
a little season but for evermore Psal 16. ult Whiles we are here we enjoy life here is glory also in a degree and here are pleasures too but here they are not full there is some death mixed with our life some basenesse with our glory some sorrowes with our pleasures And though they were full which they are not yet they last but for a time But there and then they shall be full and for evermore I cannot passe by that admirable expression of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4.17 where speaking of the blessed estate of Gods people in the life to come he calls it a farre more excellent eternall weight of glory 1. There is glory 2. A weight of glory as much as we are able to beare 3. There is an excellency in it and excellent weight of glory 4. There is one excellency added to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most excellent glory 5. and lastly all this eternall a most excellent eternall weight of glory here is a large expression in few words This is the hope of Gods people which they wait for And for this they have Gods faithfull word and promise his Covenant and Testament and for our assurance he hath already given us the earnest of it in our hearts even the Spirit of Grace and the Spirit of glory which by guiding of us in the wayes of Grace here leads us on day by day to come nearer to our salvation then when we first believed till at last he bring us to glory even to the full end of our faith and hope the salvation of our soules And thus much of the benefits of the Covenant The fourth Part. THE CONDITION OF THIS COVENANT IT remaines now that we come to consider the condition of the Covenant in which we must walke that the Lord may performe unto us the mercy which he hath promised us There is a way of the Covenant in which the Lord conveyes his blessings as we may see in that expression used by the Lord himselfe concerning Abraham Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham saith the Lord that he will teach his houshold c. that I may bring upon Abraham that which I have spoken unto him The Lord fully intended to doe to Abraham as he had promised but yet the Lord will have Abraham to walk so and so before him and then God will bring upon Abraham the blessing which he had promised the like we have in Ier. 11.5 6. Great are the blessings which God hath promised to those which are the faithfull seed of Abraham and therefore as we desire to enjoy the blessing promised so we must see also what he requires of us that he may performe unto us what he hath promised and this is called the stipulation or condition of the Covenant And concerning this I will shew these foure things 1. That there is a condition required 2. Why the Lord hath put a condition to the promise of life 3. What the condition is 4. Whether the putting of such a condition doth or can stand with the free Grace of the Covenant yea or no. First That there is a condition of the Covenant The Lord doth not absolutely promise life unto any he doth not say to any soule I will save you and bring you to life though you continew impenitent and unbelieving but commands and works us to repent and believe and then promises that in the way of faith and repentance he will save us He prescribes a way of life for us to walk in that so wee may obtaine the salvation which he hath promised he brings us first through the doore of faith Act. 14. And then carries us on in the way of faith till he bring us to the end of our faith the salvation of our soules There are indeed some promises which seeme so absolute as to exclude all condition on our part as that promise in Esay 43.25 For mine own sake will I put away thy transgressions c. and so Ezek. 36.22 Where there is no mention made either of faith or any other Grace in us as a condition required on our part But if any shall hence argue that the promise of life is so absolute as to exclude all respect unto faith in those to whom the promise is made and because there is no mention made of faith in such promises therefore there is no intendment of it as if it were not understood but wholly excluded I may as well argue against the merits of Christ also and exclude them by the like reason because there is no mention of them no more then of faith in those absolute promises But as there is no remission without the blood of Christ Heb. 9.22 So neither is there without faith in that blood Rom. 3.25 as God never promised to forgive us our sins without respect to Christ though Christ be not alwayes mentioned in every such promise so neither doth he promise to save without faith though it be not alwayes mentioned particularly To prove that there is a condition in the Covenant of Grace it may be made evident sundry wayes 1. From the nature of a Covenant which is an agreement between severall parties Covenanting together upon mutuall conditions required on both parties Foedus saith Rollock is promissio sub certa conditione Roll. de vocatione efficaci A man may make a promise alone without any condition But a Covenant properly binds both parties and hath a condition annexed Abraham and Abimeleck promise one to another in their Covenant made betwixt them they mutually binde themselves Gen. 20. And so it is betwixt God and Abraham Gen. 17.27 I grant that the word Covenant is sometimes used concerning such promises as are without condition as in Gen. 9.9 Where the Lord speaking of his purpose and promise never to destroy the earth any more he calls that promise his Covenant though there be no condition there annexed But the Question is not how a word may be used upon some speciall occasion but what is the proper nature of a Covenant which doth require mutuall stipulation or condition on both parties This is but one place where the word Covenant is taken for a promise without a condition more such places I know not any in Scripture and besides there was speciall reason of calling it a Covenant namely to shew the unchangeablenesse of his purpose touching the mercy promised that it is as sure as if we had tyed him thereunto by Covenant upon some condition performed by us before hand But this is not properly a Covenant where there is not a mutuall obligation and binding of the parties one to another by condition Hereto agreeth that saying of Beza in 2 Tim. 1.12 Mutua est inquit depositi obligatio inter Deum Sanctos ipsius Though on Gods part this obligation is prorsus gratuita wholly free as hee there speaks though Gods binding of himselfe to us bee free yet ours is not so to God But concerning the freenesse of the Covenant
to that Prayer of his in Iohn 17.4 I have glorified thee here on earth now therefore glorifie me with thy selfe with that glory which I had with thee c. so must we doe we must walke by the same way we must here glorifie that grace by which we look for glory and honour and eternall life 2. The Lord would hereby justifie the way of his grace and stop the mouthes of all such as ate ready to murmure against him herein shewing his righteousnesse in saving those that do beleeve the wicked are forward to complain against the Lord himselfe they had wont to say The wayes of the Lord are not equall Ezek. 18. and in Mat. 20.11 there are that murmure against him as if he dealt not equally with them they are complainers Iude 16. ready to challenge God righteousnesse that they themselves are not saved as well as others These mouthes must be stopped and when the Lord hath carried on his people in a way of grace through faith patience submission and obedience to his will others continuing still in their caâ—nall licentiousnesse this will stop the mouthes of all such complaâ—nours and murmurers It will shew forth the righteousnesse and equity of the Lords proceeding in judgement against them in condemning them and saving those that doe beleive 1 Thes 1.6 3. It s also for the greater consolation of the Saints that wee seeing the condition to be wrought in us and finding our selves to be guided by his Spirit and inabled in any gracious measure to keep the way of his Covenant which he hath appointed for us to walke in we might thereby have the more strong consolation assuring our selves of the fulfilling of his gracious promise towards us that his loving kindnesse shall be for ever and ever on them that fear him and keepe his covenant thinking upon his Commandements to do them Psal 103.17 18. And thus both in respect of glorifying of God the stopping of the mouthes of the wicked and for the comfort of the Saints it was meet there should be a condition annexed to the Covenant Before we proceed to the third point let us make a little use of that already delivered If there be a condition of the Covenant then hence it follows That for the tryall of our interest in the Salvation which the Covenant promiseth there can be no more direct evident and certain way taken then by examining our selves concerning the condition of the Covenant expressed in the conditionall promises The promise of life is made onely to beleevers who are described by other graces accompanying their faith and therefore termed sometimes such as love God sometimes merciful poor in heart upright and such other all these flowing from faith faith shewing it selfe by them Now then faith being the condition of the Covenant as we shall shew afterwards and being known by these other graces accompanying it here is the way for us to try our selves before God whether the promise of salvation doe belong unto us even by looking to the condition of Faith and such other graces as doe accompany it in them that doe beleive This is so sure away of tryall that the Apostle himself directs us thereunto 2 Cor. 13.15 Prove your selves whether yee be in the faith or no If we would know our selves to be such as are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be disallowed or rejected there is no better way to know it then by our faith And Iohn tells us that in this way we shall assure our hearts 1 Iohn 3.14 18 19. In Rom. 10. The Apostle doth propound the doubt of a weak beleever inquiring how he may know that he shall be saved and the Apostle himself answers his doubt telling him that it is not by ascending or descending hither or thither but by looking to his faith For if thou beleevest with thine heart in the Lord Iesus thou shalt be saved v. 9. This way of tryal sheweth the true use of those promises which we call conditional we do not make the graces expressed in them as the matter of our righteousnesse and yet neither do we cast them aside as if they were Legall promises and not Evangelicall but the use of them is thereby to try our selves by the graces expressed in them and this is the chiefest way of tryall which the Word doth direct us unto Yea I doubt not to affirme that if we will in ordinary course have any tryall of our estates by the Word we must have it in this way by the conditionall promises The absolute promises do not describe the persons to whom the blessings of the Covenant doe belong onely the conditionall promises do point out the persons to be saved as the absolute do shew the cause of our salvation if therefore we will try and in a way of tryall have any knowledge of our personall interest in the salvation promised we must either come to know it by the conditionall promises or not have it from the word at all c. Yet neither would I make rhe absolute promises uselesse as some have gone about to do with those that are conditionall I acknowledge they are of singular use First in that they shew unto us the onely cause of our salvation even free grace and no other Secondly they are a foundation for the faith of adherence or dependence to stay upon they yeeld a singular incouragement to a poor dejected soul that finds nothing in it self but sin and misery with hope to cast it selfe upon the free grace of God seeing he looks at nothing in us for which he should save us but onely to glorifie his own grace in us But still though in these regards there be great use of these absolute promises yet the tryall of our estates is not by them because they doe not note out the persons to whom the salvation is promised but this is done as was said by the conditionall There be two acts of faith one of adherence or dependance another of assurance There be also two kinds of promises absolute and conditionall marke now how these doe fit and answer one to the other the absolute promises to the faith of adherence the conditionall to the faith of assurance For example God comes and sayes For mine owne sake will I doe thus and thus unto you in an absolute promise here is a ground for the faith of adherence to cleave unto though I be most unworthy yet I will hang upon this promise because it is for his owne sake that the Lord will perform this mercy that he may be glorified There be also conditionall promises He that beleeveth shall be saved by meanes of which we having the experience and feeling of such grace in our selves we grow to an assurance that we are of those that he will shew that free grace upon And thus the absolute promises are laid before us as the foundation of our salvation which is wrought in the adhering to the promise and the conditionall as the
in all our wayes to governe us according to his owne will that he may be glorified in us Thus God offers himselfe unto us in his Covenant c. Now the answer is ready to the question propounded how faith doth act in closing with the Covenant the work of faith herein is to carry the soule towards the Covenant in the same order and way as it is propounded First accepting the grace offered resting upon God for all the mercy which he hath promised 2. Taking God to bee a God over us submitting to his government and authority to command us and to rule us in all things according to his own will these two things faith doth and so takes hold of the Covenant in the same way and order as God offers it 1. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long-suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin he offers himselfe to be reconciled unto us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us as his sons and daughters in his beloved Now the worke of Faith in respect of this offer of grace is only to accept the grace offered to lay hold on it and take it unto our selves being so freely offered Faith brings nothing to God of our owne it offers nothing to stand in exchange for the mercy offered it receives a gift but giveth no price The Lord holds out and offers the free grace of the Covenant faith receives it and makes it our owne Hence is that expression used by the Prophet in Esay 56. where we are said to lay hold of the Covenant God holds it forth and we take hold of it the hand of grace offers it and the hand of faith receives it and makes it our owne and this it doth by such steps and degrees as these that follow wherein though I should not limit the Lords dealing with all his yet I will shew what I conceive is the most usuall and ordinary course of Gods dispensation towards those whom he brings into Covenant with himselfe Here then faith closeth with the Covenant in this manner 1. By hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant it stirs up in the heart a deep and serious consideration of the blessed condition of those people that are in Covenant with God Oh what a blessed estate is it thinkes such a one to be in favour with God to be one of his covenanted people It makes him say with Moses Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord Deut. 33. It saith with David No people O Lord is like thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed unto thy selfe 2 Sam. 7.23 Time was when we counted the proud blessed and placed our felicity in other things as in riches preferments favour and credit with men c. but now these are become vile and things of no value faith makes us change our voice and to speake with a new tongue and to say not Blessed are the people that be so but Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. ult This high esteeme of grace being accompanied with a sence of the want of it wee seem unto our selves as undone men lost wretched miserable The poor soul thinkes with it selfe no sin like my sin no misery like my misery I am separated from the Lord an alien from his people Oh blessed are they that are are at peace and in covenant with him this is now the onely pearle of price the rich treasure in the field for which such a one is content to give all the substance of his house In the prodigall when he began to thinke of returning to his father these two things were found in him First a deep sence of his owne misery I die for hunger Secondly a consideration of the wellfare of those that were in his Fathers house they have bread enough So it is with those poor soules in which faith begins to work to draw them back into Covenant with God sensible are they of their own woe highly also doe they prize the excellency of grace if by any means they might attain to have a part in it 2. This high esteem of grace and being in Covenant with God begets a longing desire of it good being beleived cannot but be desired and longed for and therefore faith now beleeving the benefit of being in favour and Covenant with God it cannot but work desires after it desire naturally springeth from the apprehension of any good made knowne Faith is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discerne the blessing of the Covenant and then stirs up the will to pursue and desire the attaining of the grace revealed Never did David more long for the waters of the well of Bethlehem then such a soul touched with the sence of sin doth desire to be at peace with God and in covenant with him and therefore it is that they are said to thirst after the the Lord Psal 42.2 to pant after him Psal 42.1 to gaspe after him Psal 119. longing for communion and peace with him Thus in Esay 26.9 with their soules they desire him in the night and with their spirit in the morning the desire of their soul is set upon him and cannot be satisfied by any thing without him peace with him is their life and to be separated from him is unto them as the shadow of death 3. Faith being yet weak and but as in the bud or in the seed and being yet unacquainted with the Lords dealing with his people not knowing how he useth by terrors of death to bring them to life and peace hence it comes to passe that the soule being pressed with sence of sin therefore though its desires be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and vveak vve seeming to our selves utterly unworthy as indeed we are and uncapable which we are not of so high a priviledge as this is to be in favour and Covenant with the most high God Here therefore faith is taken up with many thoughts thereby to support and keepe up the heart in hope carrying the eye of the soul towards God though as beholding him afarre off faine would the poor soul be joyned to the Lord Isai 56. but being as yet dismayed with the sence of sin he stands like the poor Publican afar off as one afraid to come neere into the presence of the holy God as yet faith can scarce speak a word to God it cannot come neer to call upon him only it can with Ionah look towards his holy Temple as being like the poor weak babe which lies in the cradle being both sick and weak and speechlesse and can onely look towards the mother for helpe the cast of the eye after a sort expressing and signifying what it would say Thus doth faith being yet weak it would speak unto God but cannot onely it hath its eye towards
unto him to bee kept by him unto salvation according to his Covenant and promise And thus is this part of the Covenant made up betwixt God and us and the soule now sayes within it selfe I that was sometimes an enemy he hath now reconciled unto himselfe I that was in times past without God without Christ without promise without Covenant without hope none of Gods people not under mercy yet now I have God for my God Christ is my peace in him I have obtained mercy and am now become one of Gods people the Covenant of his peace now belongs unto me the Lord also is become my salvation and here the soule rests and is satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse saying as Jacob The Lord hath had mercy on me therefore I have enough I have all that my heart hath desired Gen. 33.11 Thus we see how faith closeth with the first part of the Covenant that God will be a God of mercy unto us to blesse us with blessings of peace c. 2. Concerning the other part of it wherein God offers himselfe unto us to be a God over us to rule us and govern us in obedience to his will faith works the soule to a closing with this also The converting sinner having tasted the fruit of his own former wayes and finding how bitter and evill it is that he hath sinned doth now desire to resign up himself to the Lords government being willing to deny his own will and to take up the Lords yoke and to be subject thereunto he now sayes no more who is Lord over me Psa 12. He doth no longer look at himself as his own to live to himself after his own minde and will but being weary of his own wayes and finding it sufficient and too much that he hath spent the time past in the lusts of the flesh now he commits himselfe to the Lords government taking him to be a God over him to rule and order him in all his wayes The Covenant which passeth betwixt God and us is like that which passeth between a King and his people the King promiseth to rule and govern in mercy and in righteousnesse and they againe promise to obey in loyalty and in faithfulnesse faith sets up God upon his throne and sayes Let the Lord reigne for ever and ever reigne thou over mee O Lord and lead me in the way which leads unto thee And this doth faith work in us by these or the like meanes 1. Faith looks at the manner of Gods invitation and call when he invites us to come and enter into Covenant with him he doth not offer himselfe to be a God to us to blesse us without being a God over us to order and govern us but links these two both together If we will have his blessing his peace we must bee under his Dominion Look as in a Common-wealth or Kingdom none hath the benefit of the Law but those that subject themselves to the Law none have the protection of authority but those that obey it so here God doth not promise to pardon our sins leaving us still at our own liberty to live as we list but if he doe at all make a Covenant with us he will be a God to us as well to rule us as to save us To say live as yee will sinne as yee will and yet you shall be saved is the Devils Covenant not Gods and therefore it is that when the Lord calls us into a Covenant with himselfe he bids us come out from among the wicked separate your selves and touch no uncleane thing saith the Lord 2 Cor. 6.17 and in this way he promises to receive us and to be a God unto us How vile soever we have been before time it hinders us not from entring into Covenant with God but if we will now become his people we must henceforth walke no more as we had wont to doe we must henceforth be separate from our uncleannesse Ephes 4.17 Esay 1. ver 6.7 8. Come let us reason together let us make an agreement but withall wash you make you clean c. This is the Lords manner of invitation so that faith sees a necessity of submitting to Gods authority because it may not take hold of one part of the Covenant without the other If we will have God to bee our God to pardon us and to blesse us wee must have him a God over us to govern us after his own will 2. Faith opens the understanding convincing us by arguments how just how equall and reasonable it is that God should rule and we obey by faith we see the invisible things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead which before we saw not by faith we see him in his Excellency and Majesty cloathed with glory and honour riding upon the Heavens attended upon with thousand thousands of Angels ministring unto him By faith we see him moderating the whole world by his wisdome and power Psal 103. We look at him as King of Kings as Prince of all the Rulers of the earth Neither doe we by faith thus see God as he is in himselfe but as he is to us as having power in his hand either to save or destroy so that there is no resisting we know now that if we fall upon that stone by our rebellion it will grinde us to powder now there is no more question made who shall have the dominion though in times past we had said this man shall not reign over us Luk. 19. yet now it is our chiefe desire that his Kindome may come into us and beare sway in us Faith sets before us also the benefits and kindnesse of God towards us and so perswades us by those mercies of God to give up our selves as a sacrifice in humble obedience unto his will Rom. 12.1 Faith reasoneth in the heart as David did I will prayse thee O Lord with my whole heart yea I will glorifie thy name for ever for great is thy mercy towards me thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest grave Psal 86.12 13. Faith makes us speak to God as the Israelites did to Gideon when he had delivered them out of the hand of the Midianites Come say they unto him and reign over us both thou and thy son for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian Iudg. 8.22 Now God is counted worthy of all honour and service Apoc. 4.7 5.12.13 Worthy to be exalted and glorified thus faith urgeth it as a thing most reasonable that God so glorious in himselfe having power over us to save or destroy and when he might have destroyed us yet hath saved us from so great a death and prepared for us so great salvation should be glorified by us wee submitting our selves unto the obedience of his will 3. Faith makes us look at the Lords government as a mercifull goverment bringing peace and blessing unto those that are under it it looks at this King of Israel as a mercifull King
how to live and walke before God look at your selves as such as have God in Covenant with you to blesse you with all blessings meet and expediâ—nt for you whether they be blessings of this life or that which is to come you are no more strangers and forreiners you are not aliens from the Covenant or common-wealth of Israel All the good which God hath promised to his Israel belongs to you Live therefore a life of faith resting upon the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you Naturall men live by sence and reason live you by faith in Gods Covenant and promise and there is much use to be made of this consideration 1. In case we have sinned and done things that we should not and thereby have grieved the Lord as David did of whom it is said that the thing that David had done displeased the Lord yet herein make use of our faith trusting still to his grace and mercy for forgivenesse according to his Covenant we must not now fly away from God and stand afar off or cast away our hope as if we had lost our God and had no more part or portion in him but still beleive that we renewing our Repentance before him he will still be our God and love us still and will be mercifull to our iniquities Now is a time to put forth faith in Gods promise we must remember we are not under that hard condition of workes but under the condition of Faith It s the weaknesse and sinfull infirmity of many of Gods people who walk in much discouragement of spirit because of some failings which they see in themselves by which they become uncomfortable to themselvs and to others when yet their conscientious walking and tendernes is manifest to all such a discouraged spirit might well become a childe of the Law that is under the condition of Workes but it becomes not such as are under the condition of Faith Hath the Lord said that if his people sin against him after hee hath taken them into Covenant with himselfe he will cast them off and acknowledge them no more See what Samuel speaks to the children of Israel in 1 Sam. 12.19 20. Ye have indeed sinned a great sin and done all this wickednesse yet feare not depart not from following the Lord for the Lord will not forsake his people The Lord knowâ—â— our frailty and remembers we are but dust and therefore hath told us that he will spare us as a father spareth his son that sâ—rveth him Mal. 3.17 and will be mercifull to our sins If we were or could be without sin we should not have needed such promises of forgivenesse but when the Lord tooke us into Covenant with himselfe he knew we should still need daily mercy and compassion to heale our backslidings and foreseeing our need of such promises he hath made them knowne unto us that we might live by them looking up unto him by faith in the fence of our daily infirmities for a gracious acceptance of us and forgivenesse of our sins 2. In case we want any blessing suppose some speciall grace to enable us to walke more fruitfully in our particular places and callings look herein at the Covenant as a storehouse full of all rich blessings and make use of faith which is the condition of the Covenant set that aworke and draw out of this fountain as much as we need if we want wisedome boldnesse meeknesse temperance remember by what means we must receive them we receive the spirit by faith Gal. 3.14 beleive this promise therefore wherein the Lord hath said he will give the Holy Ghost to them that desire him Luke 11.13 This is the way the Saints have taken David when he found his heart defiled with those lusts what course took he to get it cleansed from these impurities he flyes to God by the prayer of faith desiring to have a clean heart created in him when the Church found her self shut up under deadnesse and hardnesse of heart they fly for help to Gods Covenant Thou art our father and we are thy people Breake not thy covenant with us Isai 63. and 64. Ier. 14. 3. In case we be troubled with feares of Apostacy and backsliding as thinking though we have begun well yet we shall never be able to continue Persecutions discouragements temptations are so many so violent that we thinke we shall never stand out against them here also live by faith God will give an issue to all our temptations in the mean time commit our soules to God in well doing and beleeve as Paul did that he will deliver you from every evill work and preserve you blamelesse to his heavenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. If Satan annoy with his temptations say as Jehoshua did The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Zach. 3. and remember the promise The Lord will shortly tread him under our feet Rom. 16. 4 In case of any service or duty to be performed unto God remember his Covenant I will make you able to keepe my judgements and to doe them Ezek. 36.27 In 1 Chron. 15.26 it is said God helped the Levites in bearing the Arke so will he help us to undergoe the burthen of that work which is too heavy for us if we rest upon him by faith if we have a word of faith to assure us that the work to be done is for the generall Gods worke and that it is particularly required of us as Our works a worke of our calling we have then good warrant to depend upon his help he hath called us he hath sent us to the work and therefore he will be with us according to that speech of his to Gideon in Judges 6.14 16. I have sent thee and therefore I will be with thee This is written not for him only but for us also that being called to any ministration or service we might by faith look for the same presence of God with us the same assistance as he had Many other particulars might be named but these may suffice to give a short direction how to live by faith in the promise and Covenant of God according to the severall occasions which befall us 2. As we must depend upon God by faith for all good things which the Covenant promiseth so we must remember the other part of the Covenant That God will be a God over us as well as a God to blesse us and therefore here our care must be to advance the Lord on high that it may be seen by our subjection unto him that we doe acknowledge him to be our God above us and over us he hath humbled himself to take such underlings as we are into Covenant with himselfe and hath thereby advanced us above our selves our duty is to set up him that hath abased himselfe for our sakes and to humble our selves to walke with our God Micah 6.8 It is said of Abraham that by his faith he gave glory to God if we be the children of Abraham let
us herein imitate the work of Abraham give honour to him whom we beleeve to be our God We are all willing to be in Covenant with God thus far that we may set up our selves and climbe up into heaven that there we may sit upon Thrones and to possesse a Kingdome but we must thinke especially of setting up the Lord upon his Throne that he may rule in us and reign over us he having for this end taken us to be a people unto himselfe Ascribe greatnesse to our God saith Moses Deut. 33 3. make it a name and a praise unto him that he hath vouchsafed to make us his people and to take us into Covenant with him Honour him as he is God but honour him more abundantly as he is our God we owe this unto him by the Covenant we have made with him the world knowes him not nor honours him not the wicked contemne God Psal 10. and shall God have no honour Shall he that stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth and formed man upon it shall he have no glory by all his workes shall he in vain create all the children of men having none to praise him The Lord himselfe answers in Isai 43.21 This is a people whom I have formed for mine owne praise God will have praise from his own people whom he hath taken unto himselfe he will be glorified in all those that come neer unto him Levit. 10 3. He knows them â—bove all the people of the earth Amos 3. and is known of them Psal 72.1 2. he advanceth them as a select and peculiar people and will be honoured by them according to all the great things which he hath done for them Hence is that in Deut. 26.18 The Lord hath set thee up this day to be a precious people unto him and in verse 17. Thou hast set up the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Commandements The word which is there translated avouched Pagnine in his great Thesaurus translates exaltasti Thou hast set up as doth Arrius Montanus also we must then set up our God on high Labour to advance him above the heavens he hath raised us above the earth and above the condition of the men of the earth that we might fill the world with his glory and extoll him above all he hath made it a name and a praise unto us that we are the people in Covenant with him much more should it be a name and a praise unto him that he hath shewed such grace unto the sons of men Isai 55.13 Ier. 13.11 All such therefore as are the faithfull people of God that are entred into Covenant with him consider this duty take heed of polluting the Name of your God let not his name and honour suffer by you but lift up his Name on high that it may be magnified before all the world And for this end take these few directions 1. If we will honour God and exalt him in due manner we must set him up as our cheife and highest in our esteem far above every name that is named in this world or that which is to come set none compar with him none equall unto him Kings count themselves not to be honoured with due honour if they be not set up above other men It s not enough to honour God but we must honour him as God and that is to set him highest in our hearts and above all Hence it is that the Saints of God have used such expressions concerning him as doe single him forth beyond the comparison of all creatures Thus Moses Who is like unto thee amongst the Gods who is like unto thee so glorious in holinesse c. Exod. 15.11 So David Thou art great O Lord there is none like thee 2 Sam. 7.22 So Solomon O Lord God of Israel there is none like thee in heaven above or in the earth beneath 1 Kings 8.23 So Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee which passest by the trangressions of the remnant of thine heritage Thus have the Saints advanced God in their esteem of him making none like unto him in greatnesse in glory in holinesse in goodnesse and in mercy c. And thus we must rise up in our thoughts and apprehensions of God till we come to a holy exstacy and admiration of him carried beyond the limits of all created excellency so as to esteeme all things else as nothing in comparison of him Esay 40. There be men that say they are gods and think they are equall with the most High but they are but gods of the earth as the Prophet calls them Zeph. 2.11 but our God is the God of heaven therefore set him on high above all gods God counts himselfe debased when any are made equall unto him Esay 46.5 9. 2. Count it our blessednesse and highest dignity to be a people in Covenant with God that we have him neare unto us in all that we call unto him for and may live in an holy fellowship and communion with count it our honour that we are his servants and may stand before him and minister unto him David though great in name and dignity who knew his plaâ—â— as well as other men and who could say when occasion was Doe not I know that I am this day King over Israel yet took more felicity in being Gods servant then in being King and Ruler over that great people and therefore he speaks to God in such manner O Lord I am thy servant O God thou art my God c. So then are we honorable as David was yet esteeme we this as our greatest honour that God is our God and we his servants Are we low and despised in the world yet count this honour enough that God hath lifted us up to this excellency to be one of his people And herein the Lord counts himselfe to be honoured by us when being counted as things that are not as Pauls phrase is even as things of nought yet we can say with Jacob I have enough because the Lord hath had mercy on me and hath taken me into Covenant with him to be my God When in persecutions in wants in distresses we can quiet our selves in this that God is our God we doe herein beare witnesse of him before heaven and earth that he is better to us then dignities riches and all worldly contentments that he is enough to those that enjoy him 3. We must count the things of God the greatest things his work to be the greatest work his service the greatest businesse of our whole life yea to be preferred before life it selfe When Nehemiah was in hand with that great work of God the re-edifying of Jerusalem and the reformation of things amisse in Church and State hee looked at this as a great work Neh. 6.3 I have saith he speaking to them that would have drawn him from it a great work to doe which I may not suffer to cease whiles
I come down unto you Nay he would not cease this work to save his life Neh. 6.11 When David was giving direction concerning the building of the Temple The work is great saith he And why great because it is not for man but for the Lord 1 Chron. 29.1 and 22.5 The men of the world look at their own things as the great things which they must attend unto the things of God are with them things of lesse value they preferre their own things before the things of Jesus Christ But those that are the Lords people must remember that they have given themselves unto the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 so as they are not their own any more but the Lords and to be for themselves no further then may stand with his honour no further to seek their own things then may be for the Lord and not against the Lord. Here then first we must preferre his commandements before the commandements and wills of men resolving with the Apostles to obey God rather then men Secondly doe his work in the first â—â—â—e not first for our selves and then for God as the manner is but see that God be first served remembring the words of our blessed Saviour that he which loves himselfe or any other thing 〈◊〉 then Christ is not worthy of him Thirdly offer our best things to God to be for his service and honour the best of our time the best of our children the best of our substance the fat of our wheat and of our wine must be for the Lord. Prov. 3.9 Honour God with thy riches and with the first of all thine encrease the first are usually the best and most desired Mich. 7.1 And therefore when we give the first and best unto God God counteth himselfe honoured by us when we bring him the leane and the scabbie the lame and the blind things of no worth the Lord is then despised in our eyes Mal. 1. 4. If we will honour God as his people should doe we must stand for his honour in times of generall declining when all seeme to neglect him and lay his honour in the dust When People Nations and Languages shall fall down and worship the golden Image which Nebuchadnezar the King sets up then to despise the Kings commandement and to worship our God alone this is indeed to honour him When we shall be forbidden to make prayer unto our God Then with Daniel to have our Window open towards Jerusalem and to make our prayer before him is an honouring of him When we serve him only in times of generall Reformation living in a Land of uprightnesse when it is an honour to our selves to conforme to those that are faithfull with God in these times its more doubtfull whether we seek to honour God or to honour our selves but in corrupt times of generall Apostacy when the world turns their back upon God then to cleave to him and stand for his worship then to say with Joshuah Let all the world chuse whom they will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord this is to honour him indeed and to give him glory before the face of the whole world see Ezek. 44.12 13 15. 5. If we will exalt God we must rest upon his help at dead lifts when all other helps faile us in greatest straits when we know not which way to turn us when we see no help either in heaven or earth but in him alone Herein Jehoshaphat gave glory to God when he knew not what to doe then were his eyes towards the Lord 2 Chron. 20. Thus the three Children when cast into the fiery Furnace and Daniel when thrown into the Lyons Den yet then they believed that the God whom the served was able to deliver them Dan. 3. And thus Moses honoured God at the Red Sea when all was desperate in the eye of flesh and blood yet Moses by the power of faith then believed a deliverance should come Stand still saith he and see the salvation of God God is greatly honoured by us when we trust upon him in such desperate times 6. If we will honour God we must be exceeding carefull to keep our vowes and promises which we have made unto him walk circumspectly according to the Covenant we have entred into We see how the Lord sometimes blames Israel for despising his Covenant which they had made with him Ezek. 16.59 we cannot neglect our Covenant with him but it will argue a neglect of God himselfe Thou hast despised me saith the Lord to David when he had despised the Commandement which he had promised to observe 2 Sam. 12 9.10 We commonly deale with our promises to God as we doe with those which we make to our little children we think to please them with promises for the present but neither mind greatly what we say unto them nor take any care to performe as thinking they will never remember what we say unto them any longer then whiles we are speaking But would we deale so with our Prince would not he count it a sleighting of him if having bound our selves by promise to performe such a service to him we should have no care to performe Be sure the Lord will require the promises we have made unto him Hast thou then opened thy mouth unto the Lord know thou canst not goe back Judg. 11. Thou canst not neglect thy promise to God without a neglect of God himselfe 7. If we will honour God we must lie under the authority of every word of his and conforme our selves to his example labouring to become followers of him in imitating the vertues of God which hee hath set before us to walk by It s a part of that honour which children owe to their parents to obey their commands and to imitate their godly example in well doing we cannot honour God more then when we are humbled at his feet to receive his word Deut. 33.3 suffering his word to rule in our hearts so as we dare not goe against it in any thing trembling to sinne against it Esay 66. and when we renounce the manners of the world seeking to become followers of God as deare children this is to set him up as honoured by us Ephes 5. 8. In a word if we will honour God we must contend in his cause with much striving being zealous for him and for the defence of his Word Truth Gospel Kingdome and whatsoever concerns his honour not yeelding or giving place one hour Gal. 2. not leaving an hoofe behind us Exod. 10.26 standing out to the utmost in the things of his Kingdome And when we have done all that we can do still magnifie his grace that he wil vouchsafe to admit such as we be to minister unto him even as David did when as he had shewed a great deale of zeale in furnishing the house of God having given of his own cost an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and an hundred thousand Talents of Silver 1 Chron. 22.14 and had withall
stirred up the Princes to be helpfull in the same work yet what saith he after all this he doth not goe glorying before God as if he had done some great thing for God but humbling himselfe saith Who am I O Lord and what is my people that we should offer in this sort unto thee 1 Chron. 29.14 He thought himselfe unworthy to offer any thing to the great God and that it was an high dignity and favour done unto him that God would accept any thing at his hands Thus must we seek to honour our God that hath so highly honoured us in taking us into Covenant with himselfe And thus much of the condition of the Covenant The Fifth Part. THE PROPERTIES OF THIS COVENANT IT follows in the fifth place to consider the Properties of the Covenant and these are foure For it is First A free Covenant Secondly A sure Covenant Thirdly An everlasting Covenant Fourhly An holy Covenant 1. It is a free Covenant a Covenant of free grace freely made with us and freely communicating to us all the blessings promised in it The blessings made over to us in this Covenant doe spring from nothing in us but only from grace in God Gods Covenant is not like Covenants which are usually made among men in which each party expects some benefit from the other Abimelech thought it good to make a Covenant of peace with Isaac because hee saw God was with him If Isaac were against him God would be against him too he could not be an enemy to Isaac but he must be an enemy to God he thinks therefore its best for him even for his own peace and safety to be at peace with Isaac and to make a Covenant with him Gen. 26.28 The like we see in the Shechemits that make a Covenant with Iacob but they alledge the reason of it shall not their flocks and their cattle and substance bee ours Gen. 34.23 Thus it is in the Covenants of men but it is otherwise in the Covenant which he makes with his people he looks for no benefit by us in his Covenant with us but only to communicate good unto us His Covenant is free I will love them freely saith the Lord Hoseah 14.4 And it is so free in two respects 1. In respect of his entering into Covenant with us 2. In respect of his performance of it First In respect of his entering into Covenant with us there being nothing in us moving the Lord to take us into Covenant with him but only his own grace it is his good pleasure to love us and doe us good though wee come without silver without any thing of worth in us yet we may come unto him and be taken into Covenant with him Esay 55.1 3. Hence it is that when God enters into Covenant with his people he is said to give them his Covenant Gen. 17.2 for so the word is in the originall I will give thee my Covenant In our translation it is I will make my Covenant betwixt mee and thee but in the originall I will give c. As in Numb 25.12 God is said to give the Covenant of the Priesthood unto Phineas as a gift so God gives the Covenant of his grace unto all that he takes into Covenant with him Hence also are those expressions used in Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord set his love upon you to take you into Covenant with him not because ye were more in number then other people but because he loved you and chose your Fathers as noting out the freenesse of his love towards them loving them because he loved them and the constancy of his love towards their Fathers towards whom he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto them this was all the cause that moved the Lord to take them into Covenant with him And hereto agrees that of Samuel It pleased the Lord to make you his people 1 Sam. 12.22 That they were become the people of God rather then Aegyptians Moabites Ammonites or others was not for any thing which the Lord saw in them more then in other people but it pleased the Lord it was his good pleasure to chuse them and to make them his people This freenesse of grace in entering into Covenant with us may appeare by these particulas 1. That God is first in seeking after us to draw us into Covenant with himselfe wee seek not him but he seeks us we chuse not him but he chuseth us he loves us first Ioh. 15.16 1 Ioh. 4.19 And in this respect he is said to be found of those that seek not after him because hee first reveales and offers himselfe in mercy unto us Esay 65.1 2. But though he be first in seeking after us may there not bee something in us to draw his eyes and heart unto us the man seeks first after the unmarried virgin but there is beauty or dowry which drawes him But there is no such thing in us there is no worth in us he sees us polluted in our blood Ezek. 16 6. he saw us contemptible and vile so as none would regard us vers 5. and yet then doth the Lord take us up and enters into a Covenant with us vers 8. This unworthinesse of ours made Abraham to wonder when hee heard the Lord speak of making a Covenant with him Gen. 17.3 And this same made David to break out into that affectionate and admiring demand Lord who am I that thou shouldest speak thus unto thy servant 2 Sam. 7. 3. There is desert in us to the contrary to keep off the Lord from ever owning such a people as we were yea though we should have sought after him As First Our former vile unfaithfulnesse in that first Covenant he made with us wherein we dealt treacherously against him forsaking him and lightly esteeming the God of our salvation as Moses speaks of Israel Deut. 32.15 we brake the Tables of the Covenant and cast them away from us yea and cast away the Lord from being our God the more undeserved therefore and more free was that grace which moved the Lord to make a new Covenant with us having been so false to him in the other Secondly The enmity that is in us against him and against the things that please him we are as contrary unto him as is darknesse to light and evill to good Rom. 8.7 we are a crooked generation that cannot abide the streight wayes of the Lord our whole nature is sinfull and corrupt before him 4. Consider the time wherein the Lord takes us by the hand to bring us into Covenant with him and then we shall finde that when we are most averse and backward and have least thought of ever seeking after him then it is that he seeks us to take us unto himselfe Thus the Lord called Saul when he was persecuting raging breathing out slaughter and threatnings against the Lord and against his Saints then the Lord takes him by the hand and enters into Covenant with him Act. 9
stands firme betwixt him and us he mediates with the Father for us when he sees him provoked by our sin he mediates with us also by his Spirit bringing us back to God in a way of repentance so renewing our Covenant towards him and helping us to take new hold of his Covenant towards us Christ is a Priest for ever to be Mediator of an everlasting Covenant Vse 1. Here is a spring of everlasting consolation to those that are in Covenant with God this fountaine of comfort will never be dryed up Let other things end or change as they will yet God is ours in an everlasting Covenant never to be broken off death may put an end to other Covenants betwixt man and man but this Covenant betwixt God and us stands fast for ever Though Abraham be dead yet God is Abrahams God still and by vertue of this Covenant betwixt God and him Abraham shall be raised up and live againe This may stay the minds of weak ones in time of desertion when they seem to be dead livelesse lost and cast off as if God would remember them no more yet then consider Gods Covenant is an everlasting Covenant so that if ever you gave up your selves to God by Covenant to be one of his this Covenant shall continue and abide for ever If ever you found your selves infolded in the bands of this Covenant know for certaine the Lord will not loose you he will remember his Covenant and promise and will return and love you again and that with an everlasting love what he hath been unto you the same he will be for ever and ever You will say perhaps you have sinned and now he is angry with you for your sin suppose it be so he may be angry with his dearest ones as he was with Moses Deut. 1.37 but he will not alwayes chide Psal 103.9 nor will he cast off for ever Lament 3.31 he will be pleased againe and will love you with an everlasting love see Psal 89.28 29. to 38. Here is a ground of everlasting consolation in this everlasting Covenant Vse 2. For exhortation First Let this stirre us up for ever to magnifie that riches of mercy which hath taken us into the bond of this everlasting Covenant There is no end of this mercy and goodnesse Oh that there might be endlesse prayses sounding from us with enlarged desires to publish this grace shewed on us If this Covenant had been for a little season it had been the lesse mercy but that we should have the High God to enter into an everlasting Covenant to be our God for ever who can sufficiently admire this goodnesse When God had made that large promise to David concerning his House and Kingdom for ever 2 Sam. 7.16 See how David was taken up with admiration Lord saith he who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto namely to the Kingdom And yet this was but a smal thing in thy sight O Lord God and therefore thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while vers 19. This enlargement of Gods love to Davids house for a great while even to stablish it for ever this enlarged Davids heart and mouth towards God as not knowing how sufficiently to set forth the praise of his goodnesse Truly such is the mercy shewed us in making this Covenant with us that if we might live unto eternity we should think we never had day enough or time enough to magnifie this everlasting mercy shewed on us 2. Let it admonish us to be constant in our Covenants and in all duties of love according to what we have Covenanted and promised It s mentioned as one of the sinnes of the Gentiles that they were Covenant-breakers Rom 1.30 Let it rest with Gentiles let it never be said that it is the sinne of those that professe themselves the children of an everlasting Covenant 3. Let all those that are as yet without and have no part in this Covenant of God Let them seek to partake in it come within the bond of it it brings an everlasting blessing which failes not In the things of the world the more continuance any thing is of the more esteem it is of Inheritances are preferred before leases c. All the things of the world are but temporal the things of God which he passeth over to his by his Covenant are eternal â— Cor. 4.1 the things which are temporal please us so long as they last but when they are past the comfort of them is vanished with them and many times it irkes us that we had them and now have them not but the things of this Covenant are everlasting if we be once possessed of them we shall never grieve for the losse of them they shall never be taken away because they are given to us by an everlasting Covenant Come off therefore from the dying and perishing things of the world and seek the things of this everlasting Covenant in them is continuance and we shall be saved Esay 64. 4. The fourth property is that it is a holy Covenant Deut. 19.24 Luke 1.72 And it is so called an holy Covenant in these respects 1. In respect of the parties contracting and entering Covenant one with another which are the holy God and his holy Saints First the holy God that God to whom the Seraphins cry Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. he is one party that is confederate in this Covenant Secondly his holy Saints are the other party in it Psal 50.5 For God doth not take the wicked by the hand as Job speaks Iob 8.20 to enter into Covenant with them He doth not allow them so much as to take his Covenant into their mouths Psal 50.17 He is the God of the just of the righteous and holy people he is the King of Saints Apoc. 15. he will have no fellowship with the wicked 2. In regard of the parts of the Covenant whether we look at the promise on Gods part or at the condition on our part First the promise on Gods part is holy Psal 105.42 he remembers his holy promise he hath spoken it in his holinesse Psal 60.6 And the substance of his promise is holinesse which he hath promised to work in the soules of his people he hath promised to sanctifie us to take away the stony heart to poure clean water upon us to cleanse us from all our filthinesse and to make us holy Ezek. 36.25 26. Zach. 3.3.4 Secondly the condition on our part which iâ— faith by which we lay hold of the Covenant is holy also therefore called by the Apostle holy faith Iude 20. It is a most holy grace of the Spirit purifying both heart and hand not daring to touch or lay hold of the Covenant with unwashen hands 3. In respect of the Commandement it commands holinesse Be ye holy saith the Lord for I the Lord your God am holy Levit. 11.44 19.2 20.7 and therefore it is that Gods calling is termed
will be sanctified in them Levit. 10.3 but without holinesse we pollute his name Ezek. 36. it is not sanctified in us 7. The seasons and times we live in call for holinesse these are dayes of grace wherein we enjoy all the holy things of God more aboundantly then in former times to the end that we might abound in all the holy graces of the spirit The Lord gives us his holy ordinances that we might be sanctified by them being changed into the similitude of the same holiness This argument the Apostle useth Rom. 13.11 And this reason should move us the more because the greater the light is in which we live the more evident are the blots and blemishes which are in us moats in the Sun-beame being more conspicuous then beames are in the dark therefore as the dayes we live in be dayes of light so let us walk as children of light shining forth as lights in the midst of a perverse and corrupt generation Phil. 2. 8. Consider a time of separation must come wherein the Lord Jesus will divide and separate the holy from the unholy as a shepheard separates the sheep from the goats Matth. 25. â—t will be good to be found among the Saints at that day and to stand in the assembly of the righteous Wo then unto all those that are secluded from them to all those that must stand without and be amongst dogges and Devils having no fellowship with Christ nor with his Saints It s good therefore to be holy it will be found so then wo unto the prophane and ungodly at that day And for our selves here the people of New-England we should in a speciall manner labour to shine forth in holinesse above other people we have that plenty and aboundance of ordinances and meanes of grace as few people enjoy the like we are as a City set upon an hill in the open view of all the earth the eyes of the world are upon us because we professe our selves to be a people in Covenant with God and therefore not only the Lord our God with whom we have made Covenant but heaven and earth Angels and men that are witnesses of our profession will cry shame upon us if wee walke contrary to the Covenant which wee have professed and promised to walk in If we open the mouthes of men against our profession by reason of the scandallousnes of our lives we of all men shall have the greater sinne To conclude Let us study so to walk that this may be our excellency and dignity among the Nations of the world among which we live That they may be constrained to say of us only this people is wise an holy and blessed people that all that see us may see and know that the name of the Lord is called upon us and that we are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Deut. 28.10 Esay 61.9 There is no people but will strive to excell in some thing what can we excell in if not in holinesse If we look to number we are the fewest If to strength we are the weakest If to wealth and riches we are the poorest of all the people of God through the whole world we can not excell nor so much as equall other people in these things and if we come short in grace and holinesse too we are the most despicable people under heaven our worldly dignitie is gone if we lose the glory of grace too then is the glory wholly departed from our Israel and we are become vile strive we therefore herein to excell and suffer not this crown to be taken away from us Be we an holy people so shall we be honourable before God and precious in the eyes of his Saints And thus also of the properties of the Covenant Now the God of peace that brought againe the Lord Iesus the great shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in all good works to doe his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be prayse for ever and ever Amen FINIS THE TABLE A ABsolute promises refresh the soul 290 the use of them 289 How they agree with the conditionall 292 both one in substance 291. Acts of faith two 289 they enable to walk with God 315 seq they only are the conditions of the Covenant 298 why so ibid. Actually none in the state of salvation before he believe 322 nor justified till Christ be Actually his 324. Actuall holinesse what 378. Affections sanctified signes of true sanctification 239. Agreement in both Covenants 50 51 in the condition and freenesse of grace in the Covenant 292. All-sufficiency in God to his people 130 the reasons of it ib. he is All-sufficient in two respects 132 how he is so 133 he is so from himselfe 136 137. Assurance works a holy security 250. Ark the want thereof promised as a blessing under the Gospel 5. B Beliefe none actually justified before he Believe 322. Binding the Covenant is so 282 293 294. Benefits that arise to the Saints from the Covenant 147 seq from the knowledge of the Conant 119 120 the things which are to come are the great things promised in the Covenant 277 278. Blessings the Covenant the fountaine of them 342 pledges of better things 262 how God makes it appeare they are from himselfe 138 139 why God doth so 141 142. Blood of Christ taken two wayes 229 of the Covenant what it signifieth 229. Burthen the Covenant of Grace under the Old Testament so 106 we are free from that Burthen ibid. C Calling wrought by the commandement 331. Captivity applyed to three things 2 3. the Iewes at this day in Captivity 3. Christ a Covenant between the Father and him 29 30. his name taken two wayes 36. darkly revealed in the old Testament 108 the righteousnesse of the Saints 324 vid. Mediatour Circumcision considered two wayes 59. Cleane how to become cleane from sinne 241. Condition what it is in the Covenant of Grace 295 it excludes not freenesse of Grace 291 336. that it is in the Covenant 280 proved from the nature of it 281 282. it hinders not the free grace of the Covenant 323. Contempt of the Gospel what a great sinne 10 11. reasons of it 12. Commandement our calling wrought by it 331 of the Law and Gospel how different 332. Conversion the obedience of the soule to God at its conversion 310 vid. Iewes Covenant between God Christ 29 30 between man and God proved 31 32. the danger of breaking it 49 a comfort to believers 48 49. the Lord conveys life and blessednesse by it to us 26 28. why called a Testament 283 why called a Covenant of salt 368 why so few embrace it 376 the certainty of it 364 it is a storehouse of blessings 342 it is sure 360 why so ibid. It is conditionall 285 the necessity of entring into a Covenant with God 43 44. what we are to doe to get into Covenant
were mighty and the people of God thought it impossible that they should be redeemed out of Captivitie God taketh a resemblance from the worke of Creation and applyes it to the worke of their redemption that as he stretched out the heavens alone and spread abroad the earth by himselfe so by himselfe alone he would worke out salvation for his people So Isai 59.16 Isai 59.16 God speaketh like a man that looketh that others should come and helpe him but none came therefore his owne arme brought salvation and sustained his people Israel The Lord alone will be a sufficient blessing to his people Hence Isai 45.7 Isai 45.7 The Lord saith that he formes light and creates darknesse he makes peace and creates evill Sometimes God so creates evill that if it be asked whence it comes or what is the originall of it we must answer as Isai 47.11 we cannot tell whence it cometh but onely from the Lords immediate hand The Lord makes it evident that it cometh from him that men are forced to say as Jehoram 2 Kings 6.33 2 King 6.33 This evill is of the Lord or as the Magicians Exod. 8.19 This is no other but the finger of God So on the contrary the Lord so workes from himselfe in the communicating of his goodnesse and mercy to his people that they may see and plainly perceive that it is the immediate hand of God that hath wrought all This may be made manifest both first in the want of outward meanes and secondly in the injoyment of them First In the want of meanes here God steps in and makes a supply and becomes all things unto his people sometimes God withholds from his people the meanes of life and yet they live that it may appeare that our life is not in the meanes but in God that he is our life and the length of our dayes as Deut. 30.20 Deut. 30.20 And that in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. Thus Moses when he had neither bread nor water for fortie dayes yet he lived and was as strong as though he had daily eaten his appointed food So also was it with Elijah and our Saviour Christ Mat. 4.2 So also with the people of Israel God suffered them to be hungry and yet they did not famish that it might appeare that man lives not by bread onely but by every word of God Deut. 8.3 Hence is that in Isai 41.17 18.20 Isai 41.17 18.20 The Lord will open rivers in the high places and fountaines in the valleyes for the poore and needy c. And for what end will the Lord doe this that they may know and consider that the hand of the Lord hath done this c. Thus was the Lord good to the Israelites in the wildernesse he was all things to them First they had no setled habitation but the Lord was an habitation unto them Psal 90.1 Psal 90.1 Againe they had no ordinary bread for fortie yeares together and yet they were preserved alive that they might know that the Lord was the God of their welfare as Moses saith Deut. 29.6 Deut. 29.6 Againe they had no meanes of renewing their cloathing and yet they wanted not as Deut. 29.5 Their cloathes waxed not old upon them nor their shooes upon their feet Againe they were often to journey and travell by night as well as by day and they knew not one foot of the way they should goe therefore the Lord himselfe was a guide unto them He went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night Exod. 13.21 Exod. 13.21 Therein the Lord fulfilled that which he speakes Isai 48.17 Isai 48.17 I the Lord thy redeemer lead thee in the way wherein thou shouldest goe Hence is that in Deut. 32.10.12 The Lord alone led him and there was no strange God with him He alone provided for them he alone fed them he alone conducted them he alone did all for them As it is thus in temporall benefits so also in spirituall blessings the Lord is from himselfe all in all unto his people In Ezek. 11.16 Ezek. 11.16 the Lord tells them that he would carry them into captivitie and now lest they should be discouraged for want of the Temple and Ordinances therefore the Lord promises that he will be a Sanctuary unto them he will supply unto them the want of publique ordinances from himselfe Hence is that in Isai 54.17 Isai 54.17 it is said that they shall be taught of God and Rom. 8.26 Rom. 8.26 that the spirit helpes the infirmities of Gods people when the servants of God would pray but they cannot the Spirit himselfe maketh up their wants and fills their hearts with groanes which pierce the heavens So when they are to speake before the adversaries of Gods truth and they know not how to answer then the Lord puts an answer into their mouthes as Mat. 10.20 Mat. 10.20 So also in the preaching of the Word the Lord himselfe puts words into the mouthes of his servants that whereas they may say as Moses Exod. 4.10 I am of a stammering tongue and cannot speake or as Jer. cap. 1.6 I am a childe c. yet the Lord is a mouth unto them and they speake words not which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 1 Cor. 2.13 that they which heare them are forced to say God is in you of a truth So also in the comfort and peace that God giveth unto his servants he giveth it not as the world giveth by abundance of earthly comforts and outward prosperitie but when all things threaten trouble yet then he gives peace from himselfe Joh. 14.27 Joh. 14.27 Secondly Consider how God is all to his people from himselfe even in the possession enjoyment of his good blessings sometimes the Lord continues to us the meanes of life and yet so workes and orders all that the benefit and blessing is evidently seene to come not from them but from the Lord alone And this he maketh to appeare divers wayes First Sometimes God lets us enjoy the creature and yet wee want the blessing for a season till he command a blessing to come Sometimes we have raine but not the raine of blessing yet afterwards he causeth it to come in mercy and to become a blessing The Sunne shineth in the firmament but we want the heat of it the warmth and quickning power of it is withheld to let us see that it is not the Sunne but the Lord by which we doe enjoy the blessing We cast our seed into the ground but it doth not prosper afterward it growes and flourisheth Sometimes we carry out much and bring in little what is the reason It is to let us see the truth of that 1 Cor. 3.7 1 Cor. 3.7 that it is the Lord which giveth the increase Sometimes we carry out little and bring in
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
taken away from us Thirdly it is sin which brings all sorrowes and miseries upon us this is that which brings sword famine pestilence nakednesse and all such outward calamities sin iâ—â—he true cause of all these These spring not out of the dust nor come by chance but are the fruit which growes upon the forbidden tree of sin but let sin once be forgiven then are these things which are in themselves evill turned unto good unto us Affliction is good when the sin which causeth it is gone and done away one that hath his sin forgiven may rejoyce in affliction Rom. 5. Romans 5. yea hee may be exceeding joyous in all tribulations 2 Cor. 7.4 2 Cor. 7.4 When sin which is the sting of every crosse is removed is pulled out then may we take up that crosse which before we fled from as from a serpent and put it in our bosome and not be hurt by it Fourthly it turns good things into evill unto us sometimes God gives good things even to wicked and evill men making his Sunne to shine and rain to fall upon the wicked and unjust Matth. 5.45 Matth 5.45 But so long as sinne is unpardoned though the things be good in themselves yet they are not good unto them sin corrupts the good things they enjoy it turns blessings into curses as the Lord saith in Malachi 2.2 Malachi 2.2 I will curse their blessings thâ—ir health wealth peace and prosperity are as snares unto them to work their ruine Psal 69 22. Psalm 69.22 But where sin is pardoned there is no more curse Apoc. 22. Apocal 22. Then the blessing returnes to the creature and is in the creature the rain is a rain of blessing Ezek. 34.26 Ezek. 34.26 our meat and our talk a blessing our prosperity a blessing we are then blessed in all we enjoy in all we put our hands unto Fifthly what an evill sin is and what a benefit forgivenesse is we may conceive if we doe but look on such men as have felt the sting of sin in their own consciences and have felt the burthen of it â—ying on them Look upon Cain crying out in the horror of his conscience My sin is greater then can bee forgiven Gen. 4. Genesis 4. Look upon Saul complaining that God was departed from him I am saith he in great distresse 2 Sam. 28.15 Look upon Judas when his sin pressed upon his conscience how unable he was to beare it very anguish of conscience on earth makes him cast himselfe into the gulfe of hell Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will beare his infirmity all outward sorrowes so long as his conscience is at peace free from the trouble of sin but when sin comes and burdeneth the conscience of a man this none can beare This David found to bee a burthen beyond his strength he was not able to beare it Psal 38.3 Psalm 38.3 A stone is weighty and the sand is heavie but sin upon the conscience is heavier then them both Pro. 27.3 Prov. 27.3 This burthen makes the whole creation to groan under it Rom. 8. Romans 8. And whosoever hath felt the guilt of his own sin lying upon him such an one wil easily conceive what a blessing this is to have sinne forgiven By forgivenesse the burden is lightned the wound is healed the soule is eased of that anguish and bitternesse which it was in before While our sin was unpardoned we looked at God as an enemy to condemne us but now we have peace towards God we are reconciled the cause of the enmity being taken away All this considered well might Dâ—vid say as he did Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven and iniquity covered Psal 32. Psalm 32. Now this great blessing God hath promised in his covenant he will forgive the sin of his people which give up themselves to walk in covenant with him Hee will not remember against them their former iniquities their sins shall be as if they had never been hee will see no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel he will passe by the sin of the remnant of his heritage he will remember their sins no more yea though their sins be great yet hee will forgive them though they abound yet his grace shall abound much more in the forgivenesse of them Rom. 5.20 See Isai 43.25 And this the Lord will doe First because mercy pleaseth him Micah 7. It is a pleasure to him to shew mercy to his covenanted people Never did we take more pleasure nor so much in the acting and committing of our sins as he doth in the pardoning of them Hee is the Father of mercy 2 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 1. And therefore delights in mercy as a father delighteth in his children It doth him good to see the fruit of his own mercy in the taking away of the sins of his people Secondly it is the purpose which he hath everlastingly purposed within himselfe to make his grace glorious in those whom he hath by covenant given unto Christ to be saved by him he will have the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1.6 Ephes 1 6. Hee will not lose this glory he will be admired in the Saints 2 Thess 1.10 2 Thess 1.10 Hee will make the world to wonder when it shall bee known what sin hath been committed by them and pardoned by him Gods people are called vessels of mercy Rom. 9. Rom. 9. As those therefore which are vessels of wrath shall be full of the wrath and indignation of the Almighty to make his wrath known in them so the vessels of mercy shall be filled with mercy filled up to the brim God will have no empty vessels all shall be full one sort filled with wrath the other with mercy Thirdly The Lord hath received a satisfaction to his Justice in Christ what ever Justice could require at our hand Christ hath satisfied for us to the utmost farthing So that now Justice cannot complaine though that sin be forgiven unto us because it was fully punished in Christ Fourthly If the Lord should not forgive the sinnes of his people which believe on Christ Christ his sufferings should be in vaine To what end was it for him to suffer the just for the unjust Why was the chastisement of our peace laid upon him if wee should also suffer for our owne sinnes God would never have laid our iniquities upon him but that he intended to forgive them unto us Fifthly There is no other way to have sinne done away no other meanes to get free from sin but by forgivenes Either God must forgive sin or all the world must be condemned and lie under his curse for ever But there are a remnant that God will save from perishing in the condemnation of the world c. Sixthly The Lord hath not onely promised forgivenes and spoken it with his mouth but his act and deed gives us assurance that he will
faithfully performe unto us that which he hath promised his dealing with us doth evidently declare his gracious inclination towards us and his readinesse to forgive First His great patience in waiting for our repentance and turning unto him he waits for this very end that he might be gracious Isai 30.18 Isai 30.18 Secondly His proclaiming of his Name as he doth in Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord gracious mercifull forgiving iniquities why doth the Lord thus proclaime his Name and tell us openly that he is a God forgiving iniquities c. but that we might take notice of his graciousnesse towards us and might be encouraged to looke unto him for forgivenesse Even as Kings proclaime their pardon that they might be acknowledged to be gracious Lords Thirdly His gracious invitation also assures us that he will forgive Come unto me saith Christ Mat. 11.28 If sin burthen you I will ease you Yea he entreats us to accept of reconciliation and to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fourthly Consider his commanding of us to forgive one another he commands other men to forgive us which is an argument that himselfe will forgive For first herein he shewes his love towards us that he would not have the hatred of any creature to lye against us no not so much as the displeasure of a weake man but would have us to enjoy their love how much lesse then will he let his owne wrath lye upon us which is infinitely more heavie then the displeasure of all the creatures in the whole world and secondly If he would have us to forgive one another which have so littlâ— love and compassion in us how much more will he forgive us his compassion being so tender and pitifull towards the worke of his own hands These acts of his goodnesse doe confirme this unto us that he is a gracious God ready to forgive This lets us see the onely way to get free from the guilt of our Vse 1 sinne which lyes upon us here is the way and there is no other but to fly to grace and mercy to obtain free forgivenes The wicked hypocrite thinkes to escape by denying his sin as Saul did 1 Sam. 15. 1 Sam. 15. or by hiding it from the eyes of the Almightie as they doe Psal 94.7 Psal 94.7 Others thinke that God cannot know them as Job 22.13 14. Job 22.13 14. or that he will not regard them as Psal 94.7 But marke what the Lord himselfe saith Hos 5.3 Hos 5.3 I know Ephraim and Israel is not hid from me And in Amos 5.12 Amos 5.12 I know your manifold transgressions and your mightie sinnes And in Hos 7.2 Hos 7.2 I remember all their wickednesse saith the Lord yea he hath Our sinnes laid up as amongst his treasures Deut. 32.34 Deut. 32.34 and sealed up as in a bag Job 14.17 Job 14.17 to bring them forth against such Atheisticall hypocrites in the day of his visitation Others thinke to make amends for their sinnes that they will appease God with thousands of Rammes and ten thousand rivers of oyle as Micah 6.7 but the Lord will be appeased by none of these Our onely way is to fly to grace and to free forgivenesse all other meanes whether pardons from men or satisfactions from our selves will not free us from the guilt of the least sin the taking away of our sinnes must either be by free forgivenesse or they must lye upon us for ever Is forgivenesse of sinnes one of the blessings of the Covenant then Vse 2 surely it reacheth no further nor to no more then to such as doe give up themselves to God to walke in Covenant with him such therefore as walke contrary to the Covenant which is between God and his people such as will be bound in no bonds but cast away all bonds from them and will walke at libertie and will not be restrained let such know that the bond of the Covenant as the Prophet speakes in Ezek. 20.37 and the blessing of the Covenant goe together so as those that will not come within the bond of it shall never partake of the blessing When God drawes his people into the bond of his Covenant then he is about the forgiving them their sinnes Consider that of the Apostle Rom. 11.26 27. Rom 11.26 27. when God doth take away the sin of a people then doth he also make a Covenant with them and takes away ungodlinesse from them A loose ungodly walking contrary to the Covenant which God makes with his people is an evident demonstration that our sinnes are still bound fast upon us and they will be as fetters and snares to bind us hand and foot to cast us into utter darknesse This benefit of forgivenesse of sinnes is proper onely unto those that are a people in Covenant with God and doe by Covenant bind themselves unto him to walke before him as becoming his people Vse 3 For incouragement unto all such as doe desire to renew their communion with the blessed God and to returne into acquaintance and fellowship with him you desire to have God to be your God you would faine draw near and get into Covenant with him that he may be a God unto you and you a people unto him but this dismayes you this puts you back you have so much guilt lying upon you so many sinnes standing up betwixt God and you that you thinke it impossible that the holy God should ever take such a sinfull wretch by the hand and enter into Covenant with him to become his God But let such consider this sweet promise of grace I will be mercifull to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more When he had before said that he would be their God now lest any should be beaten off from drawing neare unto him to renew their communion with him he subjoynes this promise I will forgive their iniquities As if he should say though you thinke I will not be a God unto you any more because of your sinnes yet these shall not hinder for I will forgive them they shall stand in my sight no more Vse 4 Hath God thus promised forgivenes of sin in his new Testament and Covenant then let us for our parts labour to partake of this rich blessing lye no longer under the guilt of our sinnes but seeke to have them forgiven Say not there is no hope we have a promise and we may be the children of the Covenant to whom the promise is made Thinke what the Prophet saith in Amos 5.15 Amos 5.15 It may be the Lord will be mercifull to the remnant of Joseph though before in ver 12. the Lord had told them that he knew their manifold and mighty sinnes yet the Prophet here puts them in hope it may be the Lord will yet be mercifull much more should wee be incouraged by the plaine promises of God And therefore when we heare the Lord say I will be mercifull