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destitute of help Our eyes saith he are unto thee O Lord we know not what to doe Let the Lord sâ—e that our hearts are withdrawn from the creature and those helps which we leaned upon and that we doe faithfully relie upon him and then will hee ride upon the heavens for our help as Deut.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
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
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
an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 and we called unto holinesse 1 Thes 4.7 and when God takes us into Covenant with him he chargeth us henceforth to touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 4. In regard of the effect it works holinesse in those that are called It worketh effectually that which it promiseth and commandeth The promises of the Covenant have a sanctifying vertue in them to sanctifie those to whom they are made for God by them conveyes the Spirit of holinesse into our hearts as the Apostle implyes in 2 Pet. 1.4 and we are thereby encouraged and quickned to grow up â—n all holinesse according to the will of God as is evident by that in 2 Cor. 7.1 compared with chap. 6. end where God having made that sweet promise Come out from among them and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty from hence the Apostle inferres Having then such promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow up unto full holinesse in his feare c. And in regard of this effect of the Covenant thus working holinesse in those that are the people of God they are called the holy people Dan. 12.7 and the people of Gods holinesse Esay 63.18 So in all these respects the Covenant may well be called an holy Covenant And it must needs be an holy Covenant First because the Lord himselfe is the author and ordainer of this Covenant the summe and substance of it was framed and set down in heaven in the counsels of eternity comming forth from the bosome of the Father and concluded by the assent of the Sonne and holy Ghost All the articles of it were first decreed and concluded there and therefore must needs be holy If they had been devised by men they would have been of an other quality savouring of the sinfull and licentious spirit that is in man but being a Covenant of the Lords own drawing he setting down all the articles and conditions of it it must needs be as himselfe is an holy Covenant proceeding from so pure and holy a God hence it is that in Psal 60.6 he hath spoken the words of his Covenant in his holinesse Look as grace and holinesse are united together in God so they are in his Covenant God can no more cease to be holy then he can to be gracious he is both gracious and holy so that his Covenant of Grace is also an holy Covenant as proceeding from him which is both gracious and holy 2. Because the end of this Covenant is to make us partakers of all the holy things of God from which all unholy and uncleane ones are excluded Levit. 12.2 3 6. Psal 50.16 but those that are sanctified enjoy them and use them as their own they are their portion their inheritance Deut. 33. their pearles Matth. 7.6 The Lord would have all his Ordinances to be used holily he cannot abide to have them prophaned and therefore it is that in Ezra 6.21 none but such as were separate from their uncleanesse might eat of the holy things and therefore the Lord will have his people to be an holy people that they may participate in all his holy things Nay more we are called not only to participation of these holy things of God but to fellowship with God himselfe 1 Ioh. 1.3 The Lord saith unto them ye are my people and they say unto him thou art our God Zach. 13. ult But without holinesse no man can have fellowship with God and therefore they must be an holy people that are taken into Covenant with God to enjoy followship and communion with him Quest But wherein stands that holinesse which the Covenant requires of all Gods covenanted people Answ There is a twofold holinesse 1. Relative 2. Positive First Relative in two things 1. In separation from common use 2. In dedication to God 1. There must be a separation from common use in this sence things holy are called separate things Deut. 19 2. Things common in Scripture are opposed to holy to shew that holy things must be separate from common use Hence Solomon speaking of Gods taking Israel to be his own he useth that expression Thou hast separated them unto thy selfe from all the people of the earth c. and thence was that exhortation of Ezra Separate your selves from the people of the lands Ezrah 10.11 and that of the Apostle Come out from among them and separate your selves 2 Cor. 6.17 If then we will be holy we must be separate from the common conversation of the world having no fellowship with the works thereof 2. There must be a dedication and devoting our selves unto God we must be offered up and given unto him Thus the holy dayes were dedicated unto the service of God they were not only separated from common and ordinary use but were dedicated to the Lords service thus were the first fruits called holy and thence the holy things and the dedicated things are taken for one and the same 1 Kings 15.15 as the Altar Numb 7. end the Temple 1 King 8.63 and thus must we be dedicate or given to the Lord as is said of the Macedonians that they gave themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8. we must resign up our selves unto him to be his and for him alone Secondly Positive and this is also twofold Habituall Actuall 1. Habituall qualifying and fitting us by graces infused for the service of God which we are devoted unto as all the things that were appointed for the service of God were anoynted with the holy oyl Exod. 30.26 27. so must we be anoynted with the sweet oyntments which are the graces of the spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 1 Ioh. 2.27 The oyntment of the holy Ghost which was poured upon the head of Christ Acts 10.38 must run down upon us that the savour of his oyntment may be found upon us Cant. 1. we must be sanctified throughout in soule in body and in spirit 1 Thes 5.23 2. Actuall it s not enough to have grace in us but there must be an holy use and exercise of those graces that are in us they are not given to us to be idle or that we should be slothfull in the possessing of them but that we should put them forth in our practice so as to be fruitfull in the improvement of them 2 Pet. 1.8 and thence it is that the Apostle speaking of the holinesse which the Lord requires to be in his people he doth not only require a holinesse of disposition by inherent graces but that we should be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 16. and for this cause the way of Saints is called holy Esay 35.8 they are sanctified not only in their vessels as 1 Sam. 21. but their way is holy also and they are said to be undefiled in their way Psal 11 9. where the soule is sanctified by the spirit of Christ the life will be
holy and sanctified also Now this holinesse of conversation must be shewed first in duties of Religion which are acts properly holy holinesse of disposition will as naturally put a Christian upon duties of holinesse prayer meditation and other spirituall exercises as a sinfull disposition doth put us upon acts that are sinfull Holinesse will make us minde the things that are holy and to exercise our selves in them in a holy manner with holy reverence holy seare holy desires of enjoying the Lord in them with holy rejoycing in his presence and an holy zeale for his glory And though holinesse begins here yet it doth not end here therefore secondly holinesse planted in the heart will cause holinesse to shine forth in our actions of common life so that though the things we deale in be but outward and civill yet our manner of dealing in them shall be spirituall and holy As those that are unholy doe by an unholy use of them pollute unto themselves the holy things of God which they take in hand they dealing in those holy things in an ordinary and common manner so contrariwise whom God hath sanctified they doe sanctifie to themselves the common and ordinary actions of this life by using them not in an ordinary prophane manner but holily to the one the things that are holy become as if they were prophane to the other the prophane and common as if they were holy If we eat holinesse causeth us to eat as before God and to eat for God Exod. 18.12 Zach. 7.5 6. Rom. 14.6 1 Cor. 10.31 If we exercise our selves in our calling holinesse directs a Christian to referre it to the glory of God The man of warre hath holinesse written upon his horse bridles Zach. 14.20 he goes to warre before the Lord Numb 31.6 and fights the battels of the Lord as fighting not for men but for God 2 Sam. 25.28 when he handles the sword he consecrates his hand unto the Lord Exod. 32.29 and therein doth the work of the Lord of Hosts Jer. 48.10 The Merchant in time of peace turns his merchandizing to be holinesse to the Lord that there may be sufficient for them that minister before the Lord to eat sufficiently and to have durable cloathing Esay 23.18 Every one in their severall places and callings walking holily before the Lord so that whether the things they deale about be holy or common yet those which are holy must and do walk holily in both the inward holinesse of the inward man manifesting it selfe in all our outward conversation whether towards God in the things of God or towards men in the things wherein we have to deale with men Vse 1. This lets us see the true cause whence it is that so few among the multitudes of men that are in the world are willing to embrace this Covenant which the Lord offers to enter into with men It might justly be wondred at that it containing such admirable and high priviledges as it doth it should not draw all men unto it that they might enjoy the benefit of it But here is the reason of it It is a holy Covenant though it offer much grace yet it hath this property it is holy and requireth holinesse in all those that claime any part in it and this makes men to withdraw themselves from it because it calls for holinesse in all that look to live by it They are fleshly carnall prophane unholy loathing the way of holinesse and therefore they forsake the holy Covenant Dan. 11.30 They like well to heare of the offers and blessings of the Covenant which it brings and the salvation which it promiseth But when it comes to require holinesse of them that lay hold on it telling them that they must be holy as God is holy this makes all to be unto them of a deadly favour and proves to be unto them a stumbling stone at which they fall to their eternall ruine This is that which makes the breach betwixt God and man men would willingly have God reconciled unto them But this holinesse of the Covenant they cannot submit unto the prophane heart of man is not subject to this law of holinesse nor indeed can be That one clause of the Covenant Touch no unclean thing is the barre which cannot be broken through which keeps the distance and maintaines the enmity betwixt him and them Vse 2. To teach us hereby to try our selves whether we be in Covenant with God or no and have any share in the grace and blessing of the Covenant If we partake in the holinesse of it then doe we also partake of the grace and blessing The way and end must not be separated the holinesse of the Covenant is the way eternall life is the end we must have our way in holinesse that our end may be eternall life Rom. 6.21 Let such then as are pure and undefiled in their way let them rejoyce in their portion all the blessings of the Covenant are theirs God is yours life is yours heaven is yours It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome feare not though you suffer affliction here for a season yet having the anoynting the holy oyle being already poured upon you you are in the way and have a pleadge of the everlasting inheritance But as for all such as are unholy unsanctified they may take Gods Covenant in their mouth and may hope for the life and blessing which it promiseth but all their naming of it will stand them in no more stead then did their naming of Christ who had their mouthes full of Lord Lord but being workers of iniquity were bidden to depart from him Matth. 7.22 It is strange that any such should flatter themselves with hope as looking to enjoy the blessing of the Covenant neglecting the way of it which is holy that men should promise themselves peace whiles they walk after the wicked imaginations of their own heart seeing God never made Covenant with any to bring any unto life but only in a way of holinesse carnall Libertines mistake the nature of this Covenant and doe indeed take hold on the Devils covenant instead of Gods as if Gods Covenant were thus that he would forgive us our sins and save us and yet suffer us to walk in our own wayes fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde as if he that had been unjust might be unjust still and he that had been unholy might be unholy still and yet might hope for that undefiled inheritance of the Saints This had been a pleasâ—ng Covenant unto flesh and bloud but this is the Devils covenant not Gods That article you shall be saved and yet live in your sinnes is foysted in by that false deceiver the Devill who hath thus interlined and falsified and changed the Covenant of God thereby to deceive the wicked and ungodly of the world making that which sounds forth nothing but holinesse to seeme a carnall and loose covenant nourishing men up in all impurity but this
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