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
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
me to this faith assents also and carries us on in an answerable conversation thereby testifying before all the world that we have set up the Lord to be our God to command us and to rule us and that we have given up our selves to be his people And here are sundry acts of faith by which it inables us so to walk As 1. Faith hath alwayes an eye to the rule and command of God which he hath set before us to walke by it attends constantly to the Tables of the Covenant in things to be beleived it looks to the promise and in things to be practised it looks to the Commandement As in matters of faith it will beleeve nothing without a word of faith to rest it self upon so in matters of fact it will doe nothing without a word to command or warrant that which is done because without a word it cannot be done in faith and it is no act of faith which is not done in faith Rom. 14.23 Faith will present no strange fire before the Lord Levit. 10. It is inquisitive to understand what the will of the Lord is as knowing that he accepts nothing but what is according to his own will and word therefore it is that David prayes Teach me good judgement and knowlâ—dge for I have beleeved thy Commandements Psal 119.66 as if he should say I beleve and know that what thou commandest is good teach me to judge aright and know thy Commandements faith will be circumspect and fearfull till it see a word to direct and warrant its way but when it sees a plain word then it growes bold and confident as knowing that this way is right This then is the worke of faith to attend to the word of faith in every thing if we be to perform any act of worship unto God it will worship him not after the traditions and precepts of men but after the will of God if we bee to perform any office of love mercy or justice towards men it hath an eye to the word in all these to doe every thing according to the pattern set down in the word to walk without a word to direct us by is the work of unbeliefe not of Faith 2. As Faith takes direction from the true rule so it directs us to the right end it lifts us up above our selves and above our owne ends and aimes making God our highest and chiefest end for which we live and work as we are of him and live in him and by him so by faith we live to him and for him Rom. 14.7 8. 1 Cor. 10.31 1 Pet. 4.11 2 Cor. 5.15 Reason tells us we must be for our selves but faith tells us we must be for God this God claimes as his right and due and faith also assents unto God faith Thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 Faith saith I will glorifie thee for ever Psal 66.12 3 Faith shields us against the hindrances and temptations which we daily meet withall in our Christian course sometimes we are tempted on the right hand by the baites and allurements of the world as Christ was Mat. 4. All this will I give thee saith the World if thou wilt be mine but here Faith overcomes the world 1 John 5.4 by setting before us better things then these even a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10. those earthly pleasures which seem so pleasing to the eye of sence are but empty and vain shaddowes in the eye of faith which looks at things afar off at things to come at things within the vaile where Christ the fore-runner is gone before to prepare a place for us Hebr. 6. Sometimes again we are tempted on the left-hand with crosses persecutions afflictions and sufferings for the Name of Christ by which Satâ—n seekes to turne us out of the way and to make us falsifie our Covenant with God but here also our faith helpes us to overcome and makes us conquerors through Christ that hath loved us by setting before us the end of our patience and faith telling us that these short sufferings of this present time will bring unto us an eternall waight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 and that all the sufferings of this present life are not worthy of the glory to be revealed Rom. 8.18 and thus faith makes us to despise the shame and the sorrow which we now suffer looking to the joy which is set before us Heb. 12.2 and thus faith is our victory by which we overcome the world and do continue faithful and stedfast in our Covenant unto the end 4. Faith incourages us unto well doing by perswading us that our services are accepted of God in Christ and by propounding unto us the promises of reward First it perswades us of acceptance that the Lord will have a gracious respect unto our services which we present before him Gen. 4. The Lord hath promised to accept our services which are done in faith Isai 56.7 and thereby faith encourageth us to every good worke The beleever knowes all his workes as they come from him to be full of imperfection yet considering withall that it is Gods good and acceptable will which he conformes himselfe unto and offering up his service in Christs name hence faith looks for acceptance according to that witnesse of the Apostle Acts 10.35 And this is no small incouragement to well doing when we believe what we doe shall be accepted graciously What will not a subject do if he know his King will take in good part the service which is tendred unto him sometimes they run themselves out of all to humour them Now faith assures us that there is not one prayer one holy desire one good thought or word or good purpose which is thought or spoken or done to the glory of God but God takes notice of it and accepts it in good part Mal. 3.16 Secondly faith assures us of a reward which shall be given us faith sees a recompence in the hand of God Heb. 11 2â— as knowing that he will not forget our labour of love which we have shewed unto his name Heb. 6. but will one day say unto us come hither Well done good and faithfull servant enter into thy masters joy 5. Faith doth not onely encourage us unto well doing but it doth furnish us with strength and ability by which we may perfome Faith is a strengthening grace renewing our strength as the Eagles increasing power in our inward man Ephes 3.16 17. unbeleefe weakens the heart and makes the hands to hang down Heb. 12.12 and doth not onely discourage but also disable unto that which is good but faith makes us full of power and strength by the Spirit of the Lord Micah 3.8 to goe through the worke which is committed unto us so as if we want strength it is because we want faith or at least do not make use of our faith as we should do Now there is a twofold strength and power which we get by faith First a power inherent and dwelling
to him by the Father Esa 50.5 6. Joh. 10.17 18. And according to all this which Christ thus covenanted with the Father he was carefull to discharge the same Joh. 17.4.6 Joh. 12.49 50. 4. According to all this Covenant passed betwixt the Father and Christ Christ expects the glory which was promised to himselfe and to his members To himselfe Joh. 17.5 and to his members Joh. 17.24 He expects the accomplishment of both from the Father Thus farre then I grant a Covenant betwixt God the Father and Christ and hence it is that God is called the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 1.3 which is by reason of the Covenant betwixt them But if any shall hereupon conclude that there is no Covenant passing betwixt God and us then I say they deny that which is as cleare in Scripture as the Sunne shining at noone day I may say of them as the Apostle doth of some 1 Tim. 1.7 that when they would be teachers they understand not what they say nor whereof they affirme There is therefore a Covenant passing between God and man which I will prove by these evidences 1. Consider those expresse testimonies wherein mention is made of Gods Covenanting with the people of Israel which must needs hold forth a Covenant between God and man Deut. 4.23 Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you c. Esa 55.1 2 3. where the Lord calls every one that thirsts after life to come unto him These are called to enter into Covenant with God but these speeches cannot be applyed to Christ but to us that wee should come to Christ and through him make up an everlasting Covenant betwixt God and us see also Jer. 31.31 I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah and in Ezek. 20.37 saith God I will bring them into the bond of the Covenant which places hold forth a Covenant between God and man 2. Consider more particularly such testimonies as doe expresse Gods Covenant with sundry particular Saints as with Abraham Gen. 15.18 and 17.2.4.7 and the same renewed to Isaac Gen. 26. 3. and confirmed to Jacob Gen. 35.12 all mentioned together Levit. 26.42 Psal 83.3 2 Chron. 13.5 I thinke that there is none so sottish as to say these persons were Christ 3. Lest any should say It 's true God makes a Covenant with us but it is made with us not in our persons but in Christ Therefore in the third place consider such Scriptures as doe not onely expresse a Covenant of God made with us but a Covenant on our part made with God as Psal 50.5 Call my Saints together that make a Covenant with mee with sacrifice the Saints make a Covenant with God Hence we are said to passe into Covenant with the Lord Deut. 29.12 as God for his part enters into Covenant with us so doe we also with him 4. Consider those places frequently used in Scripture in which wee are said sometimes to keep Covenant as Psal 25.10 Psal 44.17 103.17 18. Sometimes to transgresse and breake Covenant Gen. 17.14 and not to be faithfull in Covenant Levit. 26.15 From which places I argue thus Those that either keepe or breake Covenant those are in Covenant and doe make a Covenant with God but wee are said to breake or keepe Covenant Ergo. 5. Consider that the Covenant made with Christ concerning us was made from everlasting 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 The promise was made to Christ before the foundation of the world but there is a Covenant also made in time Deut. 29.12 noted in these words this day if there were no other Covenant between God and us but what is made with Christ then it couâ—d not be said to be to day because the Covenant made with Christ was before the world was and therefore the Covenant and promise that is made to day must needs be made with us 6. That Covenant of which Christ is the testator must needs be a Covenant with us else if the Covenant were made onely with Christ then he must be both testator and the partie to whom the Testament and Legacies are bequeathed which is absurd Men doe not use to bequeath a testament to themselves but Christ is appointed the testator Heb. 9. In the covenant between the Father and Christ there he is a partie not the testator but in this he is the testator therefore besides the covenant between God and Christ there is also a Covenant between God and us and therefore the covenant is not made with Christ alone but with us also 7. A seventh argument may be taken from the paritie and likenesse between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace though there be great difference between them as shall be shewed afterward yet they agree in this in that they are both made betwixt the same parties and persons between God and man God made a covenant of workes with Adam and that being broken he comes and makes with him a new covenant of grace through Christ Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head one of these covenants comes in the roome and stead of the other and therefore the parties covenanting are the same God and Adam in the first covenant the same God and the same Adam in the second covenant 8. From the end and use of the Sacraments which is to confirme the covenant of grace as being the seales of it Rom. 4.11 Now in reason these two must goe together the Covenant and the seale of it It were a fond thing in a man to make a covenant with one and to give the seales to another they must have the seales that have the covenant made with them but the seales of the covenant the Sacraments are given to us and therefore the covenant is made with us also 9. If there be no promise or covenant made to us as some would have it then infidelitie and unbeliefe is in us no sinne for as the Apostle saith Where there is no law or commandement there is no transgression so where there is no promise there is no unbeliefe When God promiseth and yet then wee believe not this makes unbeliefe a great sinne but if wee have no promise made unto us then are wee not bound to believe and so our not believing is no sinne 10. The contrary doctrine is a doctrine tending to licentiousnesse for as the covenant tends as wee have heard to bind us faster to God to walke before him in obedience so on the contrary to say that there is no covenant between God and us it opens a gap to loosnesse of spirit For if there be no covenant then cannot a man be charged with unfaithfulnesse to God though he walk never so loosly and therefore let such men as broach such tenents take heed whilest they teach such libertie they be not found to be the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 These are the arguments to
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
with this spirit of submission and seek peace from him go and put thy rope about thy neck like Benhadads servants and confesse thy own guiltinesse without this God will never enter into covenant with thee God will have thee know thou must take thy life as a free gift of grace and that thou standest at his mercy either to save thee or destroy thee 3. Come with an humble submission to yeeld up thy self to the obedience of the will of God wee must receive him from the law of our life by which we must live When you come to make a covenant with God you must not come to give lawes unto God but to take lawes from God not to impose lawes upon him that he shall save you so and so but you must leave God free to make the conditions of the covenant after his own minde and will think it honour enough that you may be a people in covenant with God and have your life granted by covenant from him but for the conditions leave them to God let him command and require what he will he must be free or else he will not make a covenant with you This is that which Hezekiah exhorted to to come and give the hand to the Lord and serve him we must come and make a covenant with God as a servant with his master as Subjects with their Prince a covenant of service not to be our own Lords the sons of David and princes of Israel when Solomon sate upon the Throne came and gave the hand unto Solomon 1 Chron. 29.24 they made a covenant with him but it was with submission to his power such is the covenant which we must make with God we must give the hand under God submitting to him to be ruled by him Thence it is that we are called upon to deny our selves If any one will be my disciple let him deny himself c. we must not cleave to our selves to our wills and make our own Lawes we must deny our own inclinations wills and affections refuse to be governed by them and resign up our selves to the will of God this is the resolution we must come unto if we will enter into covenant with God as it was in the sacrifice of the Law he that offered it laid his hand upon the head of it as dedicating it to God and quitting it from himself as if he should say I have no more to do with this bullock it is now the Lords that was in part the signification of that action so if we will be the Lords people in covenant with him we must resigne our selves only and wholly to be for him Rom. 12.1 2. we muâ—t present our bodies as a living and acceptable sacrifice consecrate and devote them to God to live unto him and to be our own no more as it is in a marriage covenant when a man and woman make a covenant they do resigne up themselves one to another not to be to themselves any more it is a marriage covenant that we make with God I will marry thee to my self saith the Lord therefore we must do as the Spouse doth resigne up our selves to be ruled and governed according to his will 4. If we would enter into covenant with God we must come before him in the name of a Mediator that is the Lord Jesus in the mediation of his sacrifice we must offer up to the Lord a satisfaction for all our treacherous rebellion against him in that sacrifice we must come and seek reconciliation and the renewing of our covenant with God without such a sacrifice whereby Gods justice may be satisfied there is no hope of a covenant to be made between God and you As in the Law Exod. 34.1 to 8. they come and sacrifice and so the covenant is made between God and them Now these were types of Christs sacrifice come therefore sprinkled with the blood of Christ and say Lord here is the blood of the sacrifice which maketh satisfaction for my rebellion and in this blood enter into covenant with me They that make a covenant with God do it by sacrifice Psal 50.5 And therefore in the mediation of Christs blood and by faith in it look for a re-union and knitting of God and us together 5. After all this that you have broken your covenant with your sins judged your selves for them submitted your selves to the will of God and come in the name of a Mediator then by faith look at the gracious invitation of God and consider his readinesse and willingnesse to enter into covenant with you though there be an infinite disparity between the God of glory and us yet he is pleased to invite us to make a covenant with him if you seek to him he will not turn away his face from you as Hezekiah saith to the people 2 Chron. 30.8 9. though he might turn away from you in wrath and displeasure yet he will not but will enter into a gracious Covenant with you He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast off saith Christ Joh. 6.37 In that manner therefore goe thou and humble thy selfe before God confesse thy treachery and rebellion and looke at God as having a golden scepter in his hand and intreat him to enter into a Covenant with thee and submit thy selfe wholly to be at his command plead the promise of his grace touch the top of the scepter and take hold of the Covenant and then certainly in time the Lord will speake to thy soule and conscience by the testimony of his Spirit that he will be a God unto thee and take thee to be one of his people Thus you see the way to enter into Covenant with God It may serve for all such as are already entred into Covenant Vse 3 with God to admonish such to looke unto themselves and to take heed they be not unfaithfull in the Covenant that they have made with him Take heed of breaking Covenant but let us walk according to the covenant that we have made with him This the Lord expects Exod. 19.5 that if wee enter into covenant with him we should be carefull to keepe it In the things of this life a strict eye is had to the covenant In all conveyances of Lands we look narrowly to the covenants and if they be broken all is gone Now ouâ— life lyes upon our keeping covenant with God labour therefore so to walke that it may appeare that you have a care to keepe the covenant which you have made with God Wee have made a covenant with him in our Baptisme in our conversion and turning unto God and coming to the Lords Supper Now it is not enough to enter into Covenant but wee must keepe it wee have broken the first covenant of workes take heed wee breake not a second there being no more place for any more covenants Now therefore cleave to the Lords Covenant and live unto him Let there not be in any of us an unfaithfull heart to
holinesse which the holy God requires and lookes for And thus it was with the young man Mark 10. Mark 10. that was so perfect in his owne eyes who thought he had kept all the Commandements of the Law mentioned to him yet he comes as one unsatisfied in his own minde and doubtfull whether he had done enough to bring him unto life And therefore comes to Christ to know what more he should doe beside what he had done alreadie The Papists who build upon their workes teach a doctrine of doubting No man say they can come to be assured and setled in an undoubted perswasion of his own salvation and well may they teach such a doctrine when they build upon such a sandy foundation of their own workes Let them establish their owne righteousnesse with all the strength they can as the Jewes did Rom. 10.3 Rom. 10.3 yet as long as they rest here and doe not submit to the righteousnesse which is offered by grace the issue will be anxiety of mind fearfulnesse of heart conscience will be perplexed it will never finde rest nor peace but let a man renounce his own righteousnesse and fly to the Covenant of grace and cast himselfe wholly upon grace here is a sure rock for the anchor of our faith to rest upon Let us then hereby see the way of peace to quietnesse of heart Vse and assurance for ever Isai 26.3 Isai 26.3 even to stay our selves upon this rock fly to the rock that is higher then we as Psal 61.2 Psal 61.2 build upon the foundation of grace and come off from the foundation of our own workes they that rest upon the Covenant of workes will be diffident of their owne estate they are upon a rock that is no higher then themselves and when the waters swell they will quickly get above them But if wee rest on the foundation of grace that is a rock that is higher then our selves there is safety all the surges and waves of greatest troubles can never get above the top of this rock stand here and we are safe for ever Hence Rom. 5.1 2. Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified by faith we have peace with God c. But many that doe believe and build on this foundation Object are yet troubled with many feares and are full of doubting c. These doubts and feares of theirs Answ are not like the feares of those that build upon their workes the cause of their feare is not because there is not a sufficient foundation to beare them up but because their adhaerence and dependence is feeble and weak They are weak in faith they are flesh and spirit there is in them a spirit of faith which cleaves to grace and there is also a spirit of unbeliefe which is leaning to their owne workes and this causeth their doubtfulnesse But it is otherwise with those that doe wholly rest upon their workes Let a man build himselfe upon these never so resolutely let him establish his own righteousnesse with all the strength he can yet this will never give him assurance not because he doth not adhaere firmly to his foundation but because his foundation is nought and shakes under him Suppose two men both in feare of drowning by water one stands on a firme rock the other on a quick-sand he that stands on the quick-sand stands there resolutely he that is on the rock is doubtfull and weake in his resolution So it is in this case In the one of these the foundation is firme but adhaerence is weake In the other adhaerence is strong but his foundation is unsound The way to true peace is to rest wholly upon grace and the more we commit our selves to grace alone the more peace Hence saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he will keep that which I have committed to him And 2 Tim. 4.18 2. Tim. 4.18 The Lord shall deliver me c. When feare shall seise on hypocrites which have trusted in themselves and in their own workes then shall those have confidence which have rested on grace these shall be able to look death in the face and shall have confidence in the day of Judgement Differ 10 The Covenant of workes is impossible to be fulfilled by us in this state of corruption But the covenant of grace by the help of grace is possible to be fulfilled Since the day that sin came into the world never did any man fulfill the Covenant of workes all of us being transgressors from the wombe Hence saith the Apostle Rom. 8.3 Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not doe c. And Rom. 9.31 32. He saith that the Jewes which followed after the Law of righteousnesse did not attaine unto that righteousnesse The Papists may talke of perfect keeping of the Law but the Scripture teacheth us another doctrine Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart cleane And 1 King 8.46 There is no man that sinneth not But the Covenant of grace is possible and therefore the Saints doe plead this before the Lord Psal 44.17 Psal 44.17 that they have been faithfull in his Covenant They doe not plead themselves to be without sinne against the Covenant of workes and yet they can say they had not dealt falsly with God in the Covenant of grace Nay the Lord himselfe lookes at them as fulfilling and keeping Covenant with him Psal 103.18 Psal 103.18 One of these Covenents is as Acts 15.10 Acts 15.10 a yoake too heavie for us now to beare the other as Mat. 11.29 30. Mat. 11.29 30 an easie yoake and a light burthen The Pharisees that were teachers of the Covenant of workes laid load and heavie burthens upon mens necks Mat. 23. Mat 23. But the Commandements of the Covenant of grace are not grievous The Covenant of grace may be fulfilled 1 Joh. 5.4 or else no man could be saved To provoke us to come from under the Covenant of workes Vse and to get under the Covenant of grace Who would serve an hard soure Master that will never be pleased with any thing that he can doe when he hath spent his utmost strength such a Master is the Law we can never fulfill the minde and will of this Master But grace is kinde loving easie to be intreated taking every thing in good part so it be done in truth and faithfulnesse according to the strength received It will accept the will to doe when wee have no abilitie to performe It saith Well done good and faithfull servant But alas it is with us as with all flesh and with all other things Every thing desires to continue in its state in which it was bred and borne Now we are borne under the Law the Covenant of workes and therefore would faine continue under it This made Paul speake in that manner to the Galatians Cap. 4.21 Gal. 4.21 Yee that will be under the Law They had
greater then that which was made to Christ Mat. 4. if he that made it had been able to have performed it But this promise passeth them all If wee had a promise of an hundred worlds or of ten heavens this is more then all When God said to Abraham I will be thy God what could he give or say more As Heb. 6.13 God having no greater to sweare by swore by himselfe so God being minded to doe great things for his people and having no greater thing to give giveth them himselfe well therefore might the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 2 Pet. 1. looking at these promises call them exceeding great and precious promises This is the greatest promise that ever was made or can be made to any creature Angels or men Herein God giveth himselfe to be wholly ours all his glory power wisdome goodnesse grace holinesse mercy kindnesse all is ours for the good of his people that are in Covenant with him Quantus quantus est he is all ours Hence saith the Lord to Moses Exod. 33.19 Exod. 33.19 I will make all my goodnesse to passe before thee And the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.19 All things are yours and all shut up in this I will be thy God When a man taketh a wife into the Covenant of marriage with him what ever he is he is wholly hers he gives himselfe and that which he hath to her so when the mightie God of heaven and earth taketh his people into covenant with him he is an husband to them and marries them to himselfe and therefore what ever he is in the glory and excellency of his nature it is all for the good and comfort of his people Consider God essentially or personally all is theirs God in his essence and glorious attributes communicates himselfe to them for their good And God personally considered as Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost they all enter into Covenant with us Isai 54.5 The Father enters into a Covenant with us he promises to be a Father to us 2 Cor. 6.17 Hence saith the Lord Exod. 4.22 Exod. 4.22 Israel is my sonne my first-borne and Jer. 31.9.20 Jer. 31.9.20 Is Ephraim my deare sonne is he my pleasant childe The Lord speaketh as though he were fond of his children delighting in them as Psal 147.11 Psal 147.11 pitying of them Psal 103.13 As a Father hath a care for his children to lay up something for them so the Lord hath a care to provide both heavenly and earthly inheritance for his children he hath a care to nurture and instruct them in his wayes Deut. 32.10 Deut. 32.10 2. Christ the Sonne is in Covenant with us and speakes to us as Isai 43.1 Isai 43.1 Thou art mine and Hosea 13.14 I will redeeme them I will ransome them O death I will be thy death Thou hast destroyed my people but I will destroy thee There is the Covenant of the Sonne with us He brings us back to his Father from whose presence we were banished and sets us before his face for ever He undertakes with us to take up all Controversies which may fall between God and us He promiseth to restore us to the Adoption of sonnes and not onely to the title but also to the inheritance of sonnes that wee might be where he is Joh. 17.24 3. The Holy Ghost makes a Covenant with us as Heb. 10.15 16. Heb. 10.15 16 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witnes to us testifying of this Covenant which he makes with us For after that he had said before This is the Covenant that I will make with them I will put my Law into their hearts and in their minds will I write them c. Though the Father be implyed in it yet here is the proper worke of the Holy Ghost What the Father hath purposed to his people from all eternitie and the Sonne hath purchased for them in time that the Holy Ghost effects in them He applyes the bloud of Christ for the remission of sinnes he writes the law in our hearts he teacheth us he washeth us from our filthinesse and comforteth us in our sadnes supports us in our faintings and guides us in our wandrings He that effects these things for us is there said to make a Covenant with us Thus God personally considered Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are in Covenant with us 2. As there is sufficiency in this promise so also a propriety to all the faithfull Therefore it is said not onely I will be God but I will be thy God and so every faithfull soule may say God is my God 1. They have a right in him 2. They have a possession of him First They have a right in him The name God in the promise is a name or title of relation as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vir which signifie not onely a man in generall but a man with speciall relation to such a woman as he hath by Covenant betrothed to himselfe So here the name God it notes forth the relation in which God stands to us Hence it is said he is not ashamed to be called their God Heb. 11.16 Therefore when he had made a Covenant with Abraham he called himselfe the God of Abraham and afterwards the God of Isaac the God of Jacob the God of Israel As a woman may say of him to whom shee is married this man is my husband so may every faithfull soule say of the Lord he is my God Secondly They have possession of him He doth impart and communicate himselfe unto them in his holinesse in his mercy in his truth in the sense of his grace and goodnesse He doth not onely shew himselfe unto them but communicate himselfe unto them Hence it is said 1 Joh. 1.3 1 Joh. 1.3 Wee have fellowship with the Father c. and Christ is said to come and sup with them Rev. 3.20 Rev. 3.20 and to kisse them with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.1 2. And to be neare to them in all that they call upon him for Deut. 4.7 Deut. 4.7 It is true we have here but the first fruits the earnest peny a little part of that fulnesse which shall be revealed because we live by faith and by promise more then by sense and sight And thence it is that sometimes Gods owne people seeme to feele God departed from them as Isa 45.15 Isai 45.15 65.15 Yet they enjoy God still even in such desertions First In regard of his Grace pardoning their failings Secondly In his power sustaining Thirdly In his grace sanctifying them Fourthly In all these they have a sure pledge of a more full communion with him when the fulnesse of time is come Reason The reason why the Lord promiseth to give himselfe to his people is because a reasonable creature can be made blessed no other way then by enjoying of God himself It is not all the other things of the world that can make man happy but onely
is able to make up all to them that they are cut short of Our discontents therefore doe not arise from the change of our condition in outward things but because we want our fellowship with God If we doe not finde a sufficiency it is because we doe not injoy him our all-sufficient good What is the cure then We must stirre up our faith and consider our Covenant thinke with our selves what God hath promised to be to us even our God our all-sufficient good If wee had faith but as a graine of Mustard seed and did exercise our faith in this promise and live by it wee might command these stormes of discontent which trouble us to be at peace and be still We might then say as Psal 42.11 Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast downe within me O my soule c. Hast not thou an all-sufficient good a God to injoy Here then is the way to true contentation Labour to enjoy God live upon him he is the rest of the soule an all-sufficient good Vse 2 It may be a rule of triall whereby we may in some part discerne whether we doe indeed enjoy God in the outward comforts of this life which we doe partake in Many will aske the question Whether doe I injoy God in the blessings I have Here is one thing whereby it may be knowne God is an all-sufficient good to them that doe enjoy him he fills all things with his fulnesse He maketh every thing a full blessing when he comes to us in it It is contentfull Doe we then finde that the things which we have are sufficient for us and doe they bring a kind of satiety and fulnesse with them so that we are satisfied with our portion this is because God is in it and fills the blessing with his fulnesse and so makes it to fill us and makes us say with Jacob I have enough therefore when wee are not satisfied with what we have it is a signe that God hath left the creature and then it proves an empty and windy vanitie to us So much satiety so much of God in every blessing For direction where to pitch our affections and settle the desires Vse 3 of our soule when we would find contentment in any blessing Set our hearts there where we may be sure to find that which will fill the desires of them Contentment is that which all seeke for but they seeke not aright fasten therefore the affections of the soule on God and on him alone Set not your hearts on riches Psal 62.10 Psal 62.10 Lâ—y not out your money for that which is not bread Isai 55.1 2. and your silver for that which satisfies not Nothing can fill the heart but the fulnesse of God For comfort unto all those that are in Covenant with God to Vse 4 you I may say as Moses to the people of Israel Deut. 33.29 Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord And as David Psal 33.12 Psal 33.12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord. Take notice therefore of your blessednesse This is a blessednesse that hath the confluence of all good in it Let others blesse themselves in their wealth dignitie in titles and places of honour and in their power and authoritie over men this is a poore and miserable blessednesse But let us say as Psal 144.15 Blessed are they whose God is the Lord Rejoyce therefore in your portion you have an all-sufficient God to save you from all kinde of evill to minister to you all kinde of good to worke all your workes for you and in you and the time will shortly come when you shall say I have enough my cup runs over But we see many that professe to be in Covenant with God Object that live as poore contemptible lives feele as many wants and lie under as many troubles as any other For the present I say in a word thus 1. Answ That the time of the full enjoyment of this promise is not yet come 2. Peradventure Gods owne people sometimes walke not in the way of the Covenant for as there is the blessing of the Covenant so also the way wherein they must walke and they starting out of the way misse of the blessing 3. The lives of Gods people are not to be judged of by their outward appearance but by their inward state and condition many a man lives poorely for outward things in this world and yet finds more sufficiency and fulnesse in that estate then many a man that hath barnes full and fares deliciously every day For first they have necessaries as well as they that have more though but little before-hand They have every day a certain provision prepared for them As the King of Babylon provided for Jeremiah 2 Chron. 36. 2 Chron. 36. Again though Gods servants have many times but little yet they have as much comfort in that little as those that have greater abundance Psal 37.16 They have as much peace quiet of heart and conscience as free from feare and care as chearfull and comfortable and finde as good a savour in that homely provision they feed upon as others in their honey-combe And whence is all this but from hence that the fulnesse of God is in that little which they enjoy There is a full blessing in it God hath put himselfe into it and though it be but little and mean in shew yet it is much in substance And lastly If Gods servants want at any time he sees a little to be better for them then more abundance not because God cannot fulfill their necessitie or is not willing he is able to supply their wants and will in due time administer all Grace to them God is a sufficient God to his people and therefore blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. 2. As God will be a sufficient God unto us so he will be all this to us from himselfe God hath his all-sufficiency from himselfe therefore called Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is the first cause of his own blessednesse and communicates all blessednesse to his people from himselfe Man may communicate good to man the Father to the children a Minister to his people one neighbour to another but he cannot doe it from himselfe but as he hath first received from God The vessell may give you water but not from it selfe but what it hath from the fountaine the fountaine onely gives it from it selfe So it is between God and the creature God is the fountaine of living waters who immediately communicates all to his people and thus the Lord will be to them as he promises Isai 44.24 Isai 44.24 I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth out the heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe There is the force of the promise that whereas the enemies
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
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
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
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
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
yet would live in hatred of their brother ver 9. They would say they loved God yet loved not their brethren 1 Ioh. 4.20 Now against these Sayers as I may call them that were all in profession and in word saying Lord Lord but not doing his will against these I say the Apostle opposeth these others which had the true work of sanctification in their heart and tells us that hereby we know c. Namely if we doe not onely say we love the brethren but doe indeed love them c. hereby we know that we are passed from death to life Thus by these expressions taken out of the Apostles own mouth we see clearely who they are whom the Apostle meaneth by this we namely not we onely who have received that immediate witnesse of the Spirit assuring us of our election and justification but we also which have this work of sanctification wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost Quest But some may say why should we goe about to evidence our justification by our sanctification rather then our sanctification by our justification Ans Because though they goe both together in time yet they are not both alike in respect of manifestation Our sanctification is more manifest to us then is our justification It s easier discerned First because our sanctification is the work of the Spirit whose part it is as was said before to make known unto us the hid things of God for which cause he is called the Spirit of Revelation c. Eph. 1.17 Secondly because our sanctification is a work within us wrought in out own hearts Our justification is an act of God without us God not imputing to us our iniquities but our sanctification is an inward work wrought in a mans own bowels of which he hath and cannot but have a sensible feeling in himselfe Obj. But by this reason may some say a man may as well know his justification as his sanctification because we are justified by faith and faith is an inward Grace planted in the heart as well as any other sanctifying Grace which springs therefrom And therefore we may know our justification by our faith as well as by our sanctification Answ True so farre as we discerne our faith we may thereby discerne our justification also But this makes for us not against us Though this withall is to be considered that faith being as the root of all other Graces is more hidden then they are as the root of the tree is more hidden in the earth then the body or branches but this we stand not upon This therefore we would grant that a man may know his justification by his faith but this toucheth not the point in hand For when we goe about to try our justification by our sanctification and by qualifications inherent in us in this way of tryall faith is excluded as much as any other sanctifying Graces be And the meaning of those that doe oppose this way of evidencing by our sanctification is to remove all evidence by any thing in our selves whether by faith or by any other Grace and to urge only the immediate revelation of the Spirit The summe is that this is a safe way of tryall being laid down unto us by the Lord himselfe in the Word And it is a possible way in as much as our sanctification is more evident then our justification this being an act of God without us as was said before and that a work within us which we feele and finde in our own soules Would we then know whether we be of the number of those that are saved by the blood of the Covenant we need not for this ascend up into heaven to search the book of Gods election nor need we to goe down into the lower parts of the earth for any there to tell us that we are deliveâ—ed thence but goe down into our own hearts and if we finde this work of sanctification there wrought then what Moses said of Israel Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord the same may be truly said of us Our salvation is begun we have the seale of it the earnest the first fruits which shall at length bring the full possession of the whole harvest Blessed therefore are they which are undefiled in their way saith David which walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119.1 Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5.8 Those that have innocent hands and a pure heart shall surely ascend into the mountaine of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24.3 4. Such as these shall never be moved or confounded Psal 15. end But if in our hearts we doe still nourish impurity if we be fleshly carnall such as have not the Spirit then have we no part nor portion in that salvation which the Covenant brings unto Gods people without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 No unrighteous person no uncleane thing shall enter into Gods Kingdome 1 Cor. 6. Quest But how shall we discern our sanctification to be right sincere and sound Answ 1. By the extent of it It goes over the whole man soule body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 and therefore compared to leaven Matth. 13.33 which runnes through the dough till all bee leavened As corruption had defiled all so Grace sanctifies all The minde which was darknesse before is now light in the Lord to know and understand the will of God and to discerne things that differ The judgement made to approve the good which is known the will to desire and endeavour after the doing of it The conscience is made watchfull and tender fearefull to offend The affections ordered aright to love the things which God loveth and to hate the things which he hateth The body is made an instrument to execute and doe that which is holy and good Both body and spirit are Gods set to doe the things that please him by which he may be glorified 1 Cor. 6. all that is within us and without us is imployed to praise God 2. True Sanctification as it doth sanctifie the whole man so it doth forme the heart to a closing with the whole will of God without exception or reservation when God writes his Law in our hearts he writes all his Commandements there as he wrote all of them before in the Tables of stone and they being all written in the heart now we love all the Commandements of it saying as Paul The Law is holy and just and good now his Commandements are not burthenous or grievous all are equall and right we love all embrace all and labour to practice all duties of holinesse towards God duties of love and righteousnesse towards men goe hand in hand in the life of a sanctified Christian He makes account he hath done but half his duty if either of these be omitted He counts himselfe as debtor to God and man to glorifie God and procure the good of men and desires to keep a cleare conscience
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
receive some gift of Grace from him whose glory fills his temple shall stand and continue to the end till they receive the end of their faith and hope the salvation of their soule when thousands fall at their side and ten thousands at their right hand yet shall they stand upright they shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. This abiding Grace let us every one labour for seek it as silver call cry for it digge deep and search for it as for Treasures Prov. 2. Blessed is he that findeth it blessed now and blessed for ever Thus much of the fourth benefit and so also of all the spirituall blessings of the Covenant 2. It followes now to speak of the temporary which concern the good things of this present life Concerning which kind of promises the Lord is not wanting in making his goodnesse known towards his people in full measure The Lord knowing how apt we are to have our minds taken up with carefull thoughts about them and knowing also that we cannot in ordinary course bee without them he hath therfore made known unto us his care which he hath over us that he will provide for us whatsoever is needfull and convenient for us to the end that we knowing his promises concerning these things we might by faith rest upon his faithfulnesse and might be free in our minds from all vexing distracting cares serving him chearefully in our places according to his will looking to him for supply of all such things as we stand in need of And concerning these kind of blessings we may observe how the Lord hath made us some generall promises of all good things so as we shall want nothing that is good Psal 34.10 84.11 The want of some one thing needfull might more disquiet us then the possession of many things could cheare us And therefore he hath promised to give us all things And besides these generall promises he hath also given us promises of many particular blessings as of length of dayes Deut. 5.3 25.15 30.20 Prov. 3.16 of protection Gen. 15. Prov. 6.1 ult Psal 84.11 Zach. 2. of health and freedome from the diseases of Aegypt Exod. 15.26 23.25 Deut. 7.15 and many other of like kinde which I passe by Onely one kinde or sort of them I mean to insist upon a little those I meane which concern our sustenance and comfortable provision of necessaries for life as food convenient and cloathing convenient c. bread to eat and clothes to put on as Jacob speaks Gen. 28. These the Lord hath promised that he will minister unto his Covenanted people These promises we have laid down Levit. 26.3 to 14. Deut. 28.2 to 15. Psal 112.2.3 132.15 Isai 33.15 16. Jerem. 31.12 Ezek. 36.30 Matth. 6.33 2 Cor. 9.8 1 Tim. 4.8 I mention the more of these that we seeing so many and large promises made unto us we might be encouraged the rather to believe rest upon the faithfulnesse of him that hath promised If the Lord should have spoken but once unto us in the whole Scripture concerning these things we should not have needed to doubt of his word But when hee is pleased so often to repeat his promises over and over againe and againe so often telling us that he will not be wanting to us in these things it is too much incredulity in us if after all these we believe him not and cast not our care upon him Especially considering how the Lord himselfe reckoneth these promises a part of his Covenant which he hath made with his people Note that in Deut. 8.8 the Lord thy God gives thee power to get substance to establish his Covenant which he made with thy Fathers c. God doth herein fulfill his Covenant with us when he gives us such sustance as pertaines to the comfort of this life and so in Levit. 26.5 6. c. I will cause the land to yeeld her encrease and your threshing shall reach unto the vintage c. And why will the Lord doe this unto them He tells them in the ninth verse following sc I will establish my Covenant with you that is I will therein performe and make good my Covenant c. Psal 111.5 He hath given meat or a portion to his people what moves him thereto Even his Covenant He is ever mindfull of his Covenant the like we have in Ezek. 34.25 27. In all which we see how the Lord reckons this as apart of his Covenant in which he hath bound himselfe unto his people even to give unto them such things as they stand in need of for this present life And because it is the duty of Gods people to live by faith as well concerning those things that pertaine to this present life as those which concern the life to come to the end therefore that we may with more assured confidence rest upon the faithfulnesse of God in these things Let us help our faith by these considerations following 1. Look at the fulnesse and bounty of our God he hath a full hand a rich treasure full of all good things there is no end of his riches he is able to make us abound unto all sufficiency 2 Cor. 9. and is most liberall and free-hearted aboundant in goodnesse bountifull not sparing and close-handed but ready to communicate to every one that stands in need 2. As he is bountifull so he is also kind and loving to his people he loves the prosperity and welfare of his servants It delighteth him to see it go well with them he is tender-hearted towards them pittying their wants sensible of their sorrows and necessities 3. He hath already given us greater things then these he hath given to us his Son his Spirit himselfe how shall he not then give unto us these lesser things Rom. 8.32 4. Christ hath purchased them for us he hath given a full price for them hee emptyed himselfe and became poore to make us rich 5. Our bodies are the members of Christ and temples for the Spirit to dwell in and therefore not only the love which he beares unto us but that love which he beares unto Christ may assure us that he will for his sake give us that which is convenient because we are members of his body 6. It is not for the honour of Christs Kingdom that those which are his subjects should be exposed to wants in needfull things If he should leave them destitute the sorrow might lie upon them but the dishonour would redound unto Christ as if he sought not or cared not for the welfare of his people And thence it is that in Ezek. 24.29 36.30 when hee promises unto them the encrease of the field and such other outward blessings hee tells them that he will thereby take away from them the reproach of the Heathen they should henceforth beare the reproach of the Heathen no more and in Deut. 28.12 13. It is an honour which God puts upon his people in the sight of other Nations that
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
pray for but God doth promise to us these outward things therefore we may pray for them Christ also hath taught us the same Matth. 6. and it s our duty to doe it thereby to testifie our dependence upon God our heavenly Father for the supply of all our necessities and in so doing wee give glory to God as acknowledging that every good gift must come from him James 1.17 3. Whereas some of Gods servants are possessed with doubts concerning their estate before God as fearing that they are not the Lords people because they are suffered to prosper so much in outward things this point may serve to remove that scruple because these outward blessings are blessings of grace to the people of God and therefore may well stand with a gracious estate If we endeavour to walk before God in truth and uprightnesse striving to keep a pure conscience in all things towards God and man then for any one to say I feare I am none of Gods people because I prosper in the world is all one as if he should say I feare the Lord intends me no good because he makes good unto me the blessings which he hath promised in his Covenant Vse 3. For direction 1. In the want of these outward blessings 2. In the enjoyment of them First In the want of them and here consider 1. The cause whence it is that we are deprived of them 2. What to doe to get them supplyed I. As for the cause of our wants what shall we say is God unfaithfull doth his promise faile is he unmindfull of his Covenant if not then think what is the cause of these wants which lie upon us c. In Iosh 7. when Ioshua saw the people flie before their enemies which seemed contrary to the promise of God the Lord having before promised to Joshuah that not a man should stand before him all the dayes of his life Joshuah falls on his face before God and begins to expostulate with him why he had brought them thither to destroy them But mark the Lords Answer Get thee up saith the Lord to Ioshuah why lyest thou upon thy face Israel hath sinned and therefore they cannot stand before their enemies Ioshuah not knowing nor considering the sinne of the people hee wonders at their overthrow as if the Lord had not been mindfull of his promise he having promised that not a man should be able to stand before them But the Lord tells Ioshuah Nay saith the Lord It is not I that have failed in my Covenant towards you but you have broâ—en Covenant with me Israel hath sinned and transgressed my Covenant and therefore it is that they cannot stand before their enemies So we when we feele our selves pressed with wants and necessities we are apt to think that Gods falls short of his promise towards us He hath promised sufficiency of all good things to his servants but we see not his promise made good unto us we suffer wants And now we are ready to aske why hath the Lord brought us hither into this wildernesse to destroy us But let us know it is not the Lord which hath broken promise with us but we have sinned and broken Covenant with him There is amongst us an accursed thing which till it be cast out of the campe of Israel we shall not stand before our necessities but they will prevaile against us as an armed man They are our iniquities which have turned away these things and our sins have hindred good things from us Jer. 5.25 Our own wayes and doings have procured these things unto us we may thank our selves if we be cut short in the things we would have Let God be true and every man a lyar Let him be acknowledged faithfull in his promise but we have dealt treacherously against him we have sinned and there is the true cause of our misery 1. We have amongst us Achans sinne I saw and coveted saith he we have amongst us worldlinesse and coveteousnesse which hath seised upon us and hath eaten up our hearts The rust hereof hath consumed the good that was in us we pretended to come hither for ordinances but now ordinances are light matters with us and we are turned after the prey Had any other people that professed themselves to be of the world and for the world had they thus walked the Lord would have said of them they are gone thither for the worlds goods and let them take their fill of it let them have what they goe for But as for us the Lord will not suffer us so If he see us forsaking the substance the true treasure to runne after these shadows they shall flie from us the more that we pursue them till we turn againe unto the Lord and then though we follow not them yet they shall follow us and shall pursue us and overtake us as Moses speaks Deut. 28.2 As now we are pressed with wants so then we shall be laden with benefits Psal 68. 2. We have amongst us excesse and pride of life pride in apparell daintiness in dyet and that in those who in times past would have been glad to have been satisfied with bread this is the sinne of the lowest of our people 3. Another sort are idle and walk inordinately not labouring at all but live unprofitably going from house to house They cannot put their hand to works 4. We have abundance of oppression and injustice in our dealings with breach of Covenants and promises there is want of truth and justice it is almost departed from our streets The Lord may now complaine of us as sometimes he did before of Israel I looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crying Isai 5.7 and this sin will make a fire which is not blown by man to kindle of it selfe to consume us Job 20.19 26. 5. By these our sinnes we have brought a reproach upon the Gospel the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which should have been glorified by us So long as the Gospel held its credit amongst us so long the Lord also manifested his marvellous goodnesse towards us upholding us also and keeping us from those wants which now we feele But when the credit of the Gospel began to suffer by us we began to suffer with it also receiving therein a just recompence of our evill as was meet 6. There is amongst us a straight-heartednesse and close-handednesse towards the Lord in not ministring to the things which concern his worship the least portion is enough and the worst is good enough for those things that concern his honour This is a sinne which the Lord hath ever been wont to punish with scarcity as we may see in Hag. 1. Mal. 3.9 10. Prov. 20.25 These are the Achans which have robbed us of our silver and gold these sinnes have spoyled us of our substance and where the e things are found it is no marvell though we complaine of wants yet not through breach of Covenant on
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
we shall speak hereafter thus much only for the present he affirmes that there is mutua obligatio a mutuall bond or tie by which God binds us to himselfe as well as he binds himselfe to us c. 2. But for further confirmation hereof consider the different kinds of expressions which the Scripture useth in speaking of the Covenant betwixt God and us There is mention made of a Covenant promised And there is mention also of a Covenant commanded not to imply two Covenants but two parts of the same Covenant one part of it standing in the promise from God to us the other in duty from us to God Thus Deut. 7.12 there is the Covenant which God promised and by oath swore unto his people and then in Josh 7.11 there is the Covenant commanded which is the condition on our part required take away the condition you must also take away the Covenant commanded and if there be a Covenant commanded there must of necessity be a condition 3. Consider that expression used in Ezek. 20.37 I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant saith the Lord why doth the Lord speak of a bond of the Covenant If the Lord had bound himselfe only and put no condition upon the Covenant for us he could not have said that he would bring us into the bond of it But hereby he would teach us that when he makes with us a Covenant of Grace and mercy he doth not then leave us at liberty to live as we list but he binds us by Covenant to himâ—elfe he doth not only bind himselfe to us but us to himselfe as in Jer. 13.11 He is said to have tyed to himselfe the whole house of Israel binding them to himselfe as with a girdle in the bond of the Covenant wee were sometimes free from God and free from righteousnesse Rom. 6.20 But now we are by Covenant become the Lords servants 1 Cor. 7.22 being bound unto him by the bond of the Covenant 4. Consider how we are said sometimes to keep Covenant sometimes to break Covenant with God In Psal 25.10 and Psal 103.18 Here we are said to keep Covenant but in Psal 44.17 and Esay 24.5 There is mention made of breaking Covenant with God and in Deut. 29.25 they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God This keeping of Covenant and bâ—eaking or forsaking of it cannot bee conceived to be done otherwise then by observing or violating the condition of the Covenant required on our part Such as are most profane and wa k most loosely they will be forward enough to claime Gods promise but they are faulty in performing their own part of the Covenaâ—t Thus the Jewes they would hold to the promise that God was their God Joh. 8. and yet they brake the Covenant by failing in the condition required of them 5. Consider how the name of Covenant is given not only to the promise which God makes unto us but to that duty which he requires on our part to be done by us in Gen. 17.7 There the name of Covenant is given to Gods promise which he makes to us but afterwards in vers 9. the same name of Covenant is also given to the duty required of us I will saith the Lord to Abraham establish my Covenant with thee and what is that I will be a God unto thee c. and thou also shalt keep my Covenant that is there is the duty I require of thee by which thou shalt testifie thy observance of the Covenant namely in circumcising thy seed This use of the word Covenant being applyed to that which is required of us shewes plainly that there is a stipulalation or condition in the Covenant required on our part 6. We reade expresse mention made of the condition upon which the promise of life and salvation is made as in Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.9 If thou believest thou shalt be saved c. 7. Gods dealing with the Israelites when he made his Covenant with them at Mount Sinai shewes plainly that there is a condition in the Covenant Exod. 24.3 to 9. when the Lord was about to make up his Covenant betwixt him and them you see how Moses rehearseth before them the words of the Covenant that they might know what it was which the Lord required of them and to the end it might be done more seriously he repeats the termes of the Covenant to be observed by them twice over and they doe twice promise to observe the words of the Covenant before the bloud of the Covenant by which it was confirmed was sprinkled upon them shewing unto us thereby that we must for our part assent unto the Covenant not only accepting the promise of it but also submit to the duty required in it or else there is no Covenant established betwixt God and us we must as well accept of the condition as of the promise if we will be in Covenant with God Object But the Covenant is otherwise called a Testament Heb. 7.8 9. Answ This terme or name of Testament is given to the Covenant not to exclude the condition but to shew the firmnesse and inviolable and unchangeable nature of it being confirmed by the death of Christ the Testator and therefore never to bee altered nor changed Whiles men live they may alter their Wills or Testaments as oft as they please but when they are dead it is unalterable Gal. 3. Christ hath dyed to confirm his Testament it s therefore now unchangeable being ratified by his death as a Testament is by the death of the Testator And that this is the true reason why the Apostle calls it a Testament is evident by Heb. 9.16 17. Where a Testament is saith the Apostle there must be the death of the Testator and he gives the reason even now alledged because the Testament is confirmed when men are dead and not before And that the Apostle had no intent in so calling it to exclude the condition is evident by verse 15. where he saith That Christ is made the Mediator of a better Testament that through his death those which were called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance These words those which were called doe plainely and fully imply the condition required in the Covenant of life our calling being finished in the working of faith which is the condition of the Covenant no man is effectually called so as to have part in that eternall inheritance untill he believe so that the Legacies of the Testament being to those that are called that is to those that do believe it is most manifest that the intent of the Apostle in calling the Covenant by the name of a Testament was not to exclude the condition but only as was said to shew the stability and immutability of the Covenant It being now like a Testament confirmed by the death of him that made it The forme of the former Covenant which God made with Israel in the
but legall Christians and legall Preachers as allowed this way All her assurance was from revelation it was revealed unto her that shee was one of the Elect of God and shee knew all things by immediate revelation from above but I fear she knows not that her glorious revelations were but Satanicall delusions Let her damned heresies shee fell into denying the resurrection c. and the just vengeance of God by which she perished terrifie all her seduced followers from having any more to doe with her leaven which shee spred among them Beware of her sinne least yee perish in her plague Vse 2. Is there a condition of the Covenant Then let this provoke us all who look for the blessing which it brings to be faithâ—ull with God in keeping our Covenant with him take heed we fall not short of the condition least we be deprived of the blessing this is that which the Apostle teaches us Heb. 4.1 Seeing we have a promise left us of entering into his rest there is the blessing promised let us feare least through unbeliefe any of us should be deprived there is the condition required The words through unbeliefe are not in the Text expressed but they are evidently implyed as appears both by the coherence with the third Chapter and by that which followes Chap. 4.2 To be deprived of such a blessing is a heavy losse such as can never be recompenced and the preventing of this losse so far as concernes us is by keeping of our Covenant which the Lord commands us to walk in If we forsake the condition we forsake the promise and therefore it is also that when God took Abraham into a Covenant with him he did not only tell Abraham what he would be unto him a God to blesse him but he brings Abraham to walk in Covenant with him Thou also shalt keep my Covenant saith the Lord Gen. 17.9 Thou shalt walk before me and bee upright Gen. 17 1. When God takes us into Covenant with him we are said to be brought into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. to teach us that now we must look at our selves as tyed and bound unto God in a Covenant never to be broken we are not now any longer at our own liberty to walke as we list but must observe our Covenant to walk therein when we walk so that we may truly say before the Lord our heart is not turned back from thee neither have we dealt falsely with thee in thy Covenant as it in Psal 44.17 18 this keeps the heart in a comfortable expectation of the blessed hope which is set before us Thus Paul I have kept the faith I have finished my course and now henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Let us carefully walk in the condition and then the promise will be sure not only sure in it self but suâ—e to us 2 Pet. 1.10 These bonds of the Covenant are not like the fetters of a prison they are like the pleasing bonds of wedlock vincula nuptiarum which every one gladly enters into Oh let us love these bonds give up both our hands unto the Lord yea and our hearts also to be bound in them for ever these are sweet bonds they work no griefe seek not therefore to break them Psal 2. nor cast them from you say not we will be our own and walk by our will such lawlesse and licentious spirits as will be at liberty they shall be at liberty to their wo they shall have such a liberty as Jeremy threatned to the rebellious Jewes a liberty to the sword to the famine and to the pestilence Jer. 34. a liberty to goe to hell to their eternall destruction a liberty with a curse granted unto them in wrath which shall end in chaines of everlasting darknesse and bring them into that prison from whence there is no going out Therefore let all such as look for the blessing and life promised in the Covenant Let them walk faithfully in the condition of it and in this way expect the mercy which is promised Thus wee have shewed First That there is a condition of the Covenant Secondly Why the Lord hath put a condition unto it 3. The third point follows to shew what the condition is which though it hath been obiter mentioned before yet is now to be spoken of more particularly The condition then of the Covenant of Grace is faith Rom. 4.16 Rom. 10.9 10. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved so Acts 18.31 Joh. 3.16 hence in Rom. 3.27 The Gospel is called the Law of Faith because as the Law of works doth put works as the condition of that Covenant so the Gospel puts faith as the condition of the new Covenant Quest But why is faith made the condition of the Covenant Answ 1. The blessing of life promised is not in our selves but in Christ Christ is life and he which hath the Sonne hath hath life and he which hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 We are dead Colos 3.3 and our Works are dead Heb. 9.14 there is no life in them they cannot bring life unto them that doe them nor can wee quicken our own soules but Christ is the life of men Joh. 1.4 Colos 3.4 and the way to receive Christ and the life which is in him is only by faith Ioh. 1.12 unbeliefe rejects Christ and puts him away But faith as an hand puts forth it selfe to receive him in whom our life is If we had life in our selves and could have found it in our own works it had then been needlesse to appoint faith as the condition of the Covenant but being that both we our selves are dead in sinne and our works are dead works nothing but death to be found in either therefore it s required that wee believe in Christ that we may receive life from him 2. The condition of the law is now become impossible unto us through the infirmity of our flesh Rom. 8.3 and therefore the Apostle saith that the Law cannot possibly give life Gal. 3.21 Therefore the Lord would go that way with us no more the Lord saw by Adam what would be the fruit of that condition if we had been put upon the same as Adam was we should have done as he did we should have shewed our selves men like men transgressing the Covenant as Hoseah speaks Hos 6.7 This condition being above our ability to performe the Lord hath in goodnesse appointed another which is possible through grace to be fulfilled by us having now received a spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 It is now given us to believe Phil. 1.29 this is possible 3. It is by faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4.16 The Covenant is stablished upon the condition of faith that it might appeare to be by grace that wee obtain the blessing the condition must answer the nature of the Covenant therefore being a Covenant of grace 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
acceptance with him so it is no lesse vigilant and watchfull in observing and taking notice what answer comes from the Lord how he answers the desires we have presented before him As the prisoner at the barre not only cries for mercy but marks every word which falls from the Judges mouth if any thing may give him hope and as Benhadads servants lay at catch with the King of Israel to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him to plead for the life of Benhadad so doth the poore soule that is now pleading for life and grace it watcheth narrowly to see if any thing may come from God any intimation of favour any word of comfort that may tend to peace thence it is that the Saints have so often called upon God for answer of their prayers they thought it not enough to pray but they would see how the Lord answered them Psal 102.1 2. Thus Psal 51.8 O let me heare joy and gladnesse c. David did not only pray for mercy but desires to heare from heaven a word spoken to his conscience by which he might know he was accepted though David was not in the beginning of that work we now speak of yet the case is alike he was now in his own sence as if he had been to begin anew and thus in Psal 85.8 I will heare what the Lord will say for he will speak peace unto his people c. 7. As faith doth thus wait for an answer from God so likewise according as the Lord doth either answer or not answer so doth faith demeane it selfe First Sometimes he answers not to our sence I mean and discerning as we see in Davids case he felt himselfe as one forsaken and prayed unto God but found no audience Psal 22. What doth faith in this case it followes God still and cryes after him with more strength and earnestness as resolving never to give over till the Lord either save or destroy if the Lord will destroy yet the soule chuseth to die at Gods foot as Joab did at the hornes of the Altar when he was bidden to come forth from thence to take his death in another place Nay saith Ioab but I will die here Here the humbled soule doth as that woman did in Mat. 15. shee sues to Christ but Christ seemes to have no regard of her gives her not one word but shee seeks still still she cryes after him and though still repulsed yet shee comes a third time and cryes Lord help me and though still the Lord gives her another repulse yet still she hangs upon him and follows him for mercy and would never give over till she he had gotten even what shee desired Even as Christ in his agony when he saw deliverance came not he prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 so doth the poore sinner in the time of his agony when he is striving as for life and death if help come not at first call he prays againe and that more earnestly faith will be urgent with God with an humble importunity and the more slack the Lord seemes to be in answering the more instant is faith in plying God with prayers It will be wrastling with God as Iacob did with the Angel it will not rest without a blessing it will take no denyall but will crave still as hee did blesse me even me also send me not away without a blessing it resolves to wait and look up untill the Lord shew mercy Psal 123.2 Lament 3.49 50. Secondly Sometimes againe the Lord doth answer but yet he speaks but as out of the dark cloud giving somâ— little ease but not speaking full peace much like as he spake to the woman Ioh. 8.11 Goe thy way and sinne no more saith Christ he doth not say goe in peace thy sinne is forgiven thee that had been a word of full comfort but goe thy way and sinne no more a middle kind of expression neither assuring her that her sinne was pardoned nor yet putting her out of hope but it might be forgiven And hereby faith gets a little strength and looks after the Lord with more hope and begins to plead with God as Moses did Lord thou hast begun to shew grace unto thy servant goe on Lord to manifest in me all thy goodnesse here faith takes a little hold on the Covenant though with a feeble hand as yet shaking and trembling for want of strength and yet now it begins to follow the Lord with more encouragement as finding that its former seeking hath not been wholly in vaine Thirdly Sometimes againe the Lord speaks more fully and satisfactorily to the soules of his people applying some promise of Grace to the conscience by his own spirit letting the soule feele and taste the comfort of such a promise more effectually then ever it could before it hath often heard and thought on such a promise but could never feele any peace in it because it could never apply it to its own particular but now being applyed by the help of the Spirit it finds and feeles peace Here then the Lord doth not any longer hold the soule in suspence and doubting by propounding unto it such promises of hope as I may so call them It may be yee shall bee hid in the day of wrath Zeph. 2.3 but he speaks full peace as Esay 41.10 Feare not for I am thy God I will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sinnes behind my back and I will remember them against you no more I have received a reconciliation Iob 33. Goe in peace Here â—aith waxeth bold and with a glad heart entertaineth the promise thus brought home unto it the Apostle expresseth this with a word very significant calling it an embracing of the promise Heb. 11.13 embracing implyes an affectionate receiving with both armes opened to shew an heart enlarged to those that come unto us and now the soule having thus embraced the promise and the Lord Iesus Christ in the promise and having him like Simeon in our armes it layes him in the bosome and having before gone forth to meet him hee being now come it brings him into the chamber of the heart there to rest and abide for ever now the soule possesseth him as her own rests in him and is satisfied with him layes it selfe down in a holy rest after all its former troubles praysing God for his mercy as Simeon did when he had Christ in his armes and committing it selfe for ever to that mercy and goodnesse which hath been thus revealed unto it And thus the poor soul which hath been at emnity with God comes by little and little to touch the top of the golden Scepter and to enter into a Covenant of peace with the high God now the hand is given to the Lord as Hezekiah spake 2 Chron. 30. As God reacheth out to us the hand of Grace and of saving help so doe wee give unto him the hand of faith yeilding up our selves unto him committing our selves
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
should have said unto us you have once broken my Covenant and yet if you will at last fulfill my Law which I gave unto you I will yet accept you as just unto life yet we could not have done it the condition was too hard for us to perform If we had been held close to this condition of fulfilling the Law we should have missed of life for ever The Lord therefore seeing and pittying of our infirmity was pleased to propound unto us another condition saying unto us only beleive Beleive on my son trust on my grace and thou shalt be saved herein the Lord hath condescended to our weaknesse taking compassion of our infirmities laying upon us no other burthen but this Beleeve my promise accept my grace and rest upon it and this thy faith shall save thee Thou shalt never perish 3. It serves for comfort to all Gods faithfull ones that have beleived through grace if you have received this first gift if it be given you to beleeve you shall not fail of a second gift even the gift of eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Though your repentance be lesse then to equall the measure of your sins though your obedience be imperfect yea though your faith it selfe be weak also yet if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfained syncere and sound this your faith is accepted of God and is imputed to you for righteousnesse Those that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham saith the Apostle Gal. 3.9 Blessed is shee that beleeveth saith the Angell Luke 1.45 and the Son of God comes in as a third witnesse testifying that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but is passed from death to life Iohn 3. Here are three witnesses from heaven and earth all witnessing the blessed estate of such as do beleive Faith is well termed precious faith 1 Pet. 1.2 Pet. 1.1 because it makes us partakers of all the precious blessings of grace which are contained in the Covenant The faithfull are inheritours of all the priviledges which God hath promised to his chosen and therefore it is that they are called heires of promise Heb. 6.17 and heires of blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 You beleevers be exhorted to see and owne your blessednesse take notice of the great things the Lord hath done for you he hath made a covenant with you even a Covenant of peace and blessing and life for ever God is become your God he will be all things unto you and when all helpes under heaven fail you yet from himselfe he will do you good all your sins are forgiven you his spirit is yours to lead you to sanctifie you and to heal the evils that be in you he will uphold you in that state wherein you stand and will keep you that you shall never perish and will at last bring you to a full injoyment of himselfe in his heavenly Kingdome where you shall for ever blesse him and be made blessed by him and shall rejoyce before him with joy unspeakable and glorious pluck up your hearts therefore and be glad lift up your heads strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees serve the Lord with gladnesse and joyfulnesse of spirit considering the day of our salvation draweth neer though now for a time you may be in heavinesse through manifold temptations and afflictions in this evill world yet faint not you being partakers of that precious faith you have the holy and faithfull God in Covenant with you to love you to blesse you and to save you and yet a little while and he that shall come will come and receive you to himselfe and then you shall fully know what it is to have beleived and to have been in Covenant with God what it is to have God to be your God when you shall see him and enjoy him as he is Only nourish your faith and live by faith make much of this precious grace cherish it by thinking often on the promises and of that grace which hath been shewed upon you from on high study to walke worthy of that mercy received and in so doing wait for the end of your faith the salvation of your soule 4. If faith be the condition of the Covenant then woe to all unbeleevers that go on in their impenitency and unbeleife Their unbeleife deprives them of that good which the Lord hath by his Covenant promised to his people they have no part nor portion in God they are without God without Christ without Covenant without promise without mercy their sins are unpardoned they are under the curse the wrath of God abides upon them there is nothing to take it away from them but if they abide in unbeleif wrath abides upon them for ever There is a wrath wherby God is angry with his own people but that anger lasts but for a little season it is but for a moment Isai 4.7 8. it passeth away and abides not upon them but the unbeleiver hath wrath abiding on him for ever John 3.36 In Iude 5. it is said that God afterwards destroyed those Israelites that beleived not when once they had had the means of grace made known then not beleiving God afterwards destroyed them you that tread in the steps of their unbeleif you are little troubled to thinke what misery is comming upon you as not knowing that you are in danger but you are under wrath your judgement hastneth and your damnation sleepeth not be awakened therefore be thinke your selves and consider what your end will be by your unbeleif you put a bar to exclude your selves from the blessing of life promised to Gods people you thus continuing the Lord neither will nor can save you You will thinke this an hard saying but you will finde it too true God cannot lye Titus 1.2 much lesse can he forswear but God hath sworne this that such shall never enter into his rest Psal 95. and Hebr. 3. ult In Mat. 13. ult It s said Christ did not many great works in his owne country for their unbeleifes sake But in Marke 6.5 it s said hee could not doe them he neither did them nor could do them unbeleif stops the course and diverts the stream of Gods goodnesse from comming unto us Christs usuall speech to those that expected any blessing from him was this According to your faith be it unto you faith makes all things possible Marke 6.23 It will reverse the sentence of death which is passed upon us and bring us back unto life but unbeleife makes it impossible so that we cannot be saved The Lord can do nothing against his own counsell and will and he hath concluded this with himselfe to save none but such as beleive and that whosoever beleeveth not shall perish all you unbeleevers consider this your unbeleefe will bee your destruction Secondly Is there such a work of faith in bringing us into Covenant with God and in enabling us to walk in Covenant with him 1. This serves to direct all the people of God
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