But the difference lyes in this That the New Covenant consists of better Promises And this Betterness stands in the Free Absolute Independent engagement of God Himself to Invest His Covenanted Ones with all things conducing to the Blessedness held forth And that as well what is to be done on their part as on His Own upon their doing of it That is plainly To Give to them and Work in them Whatever in this Covenant He requires of them The law shews matter of Duty but gives not where-with to perform it The Covenant of Grace does both by writing the law in the heart And without this it would still have been but a Covenant of works be the Duties enjoined whatever you will It therefore runs not upon Conditional or Failable terms I will If ye will but Absolute and Sovereign I will and ye shall This Covenant does not only give life upon terms of Believing but Faith also and Holiness as the necessary means of attaining that life And this not upon your ingenuous complyance as some term it or better improvement of what you have in common with other Men such allegations the Lord disallows and often Cautions against but of Grace It 's a Covenant made-up of Promises and Promise by Scripture intendment is alwayes Free both freely made and freely perform'd without the desert or procurement of Men. Take Isaac for instance Abraham's body was now dead Gen. 18. 11. ver 14. and Sarah besides her natural barrenness it ceased to be with her after the manner of Women and yet Sarah shall have a Son But How The Promise had in it though Abraham and Sarah had not whatever might tend to Isaac's conception and birth Gal. 4. 23 28. and for this cause He was called The Son of the Promise as also Believers are Rom. 9. 8. Gal. 3. 29. They are also termed Heirs of Promise Heb. 6. 17. And on this account Christ is called The Promised Seed and the Holy Ghost The Spirit of Promise viz To shew the Independent freeness of those Divine Gifts The Promise of sending them Their actual Coming and Effectual operations are all free and free in all respects This Dew from the Lord waiteth not for Men. Mic. 5. 7. For further illustration the Jews are a pertinent Instance as ye read in Jer. 32. from v. 30. to the 36. They had done nothing but evil from their youth up and were a continual provocation And when scattered among the Nations they were no-whit bettered but caused even the Heathen to blaspheme And yet notwithstanding all this the Lord will Gather them and give them an heart to fear Him for ever v. 37. to v. 44. And this even whiles they were not moved neither could they blush chap. 8. 12. See also with what inexpressible freeness of Grace the Lord deals with them in Isa 43. v. 25. I even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions and will not remember thy sins But what 's the Introduction to this so great a Promise See it and wonder at it Thou hast not called upon Me O Jacob Miâ— v. 22. ver 23. ver 24. but thou hast been weary of Me O Israel Thou hast not brought Me the small Cattel of thy burnt Offerings Thou hast bought Me no sweet Cane with thy money but hast made Me to serve with thy sins and wearied Me with thine iniquities I even I whom thou hast dealt so ingratefully with Isa 64. 3. and disingenuously even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake And this was a Great thing they looked not for As indeed considering themselves and what their demeanour had been they had no Reason to look for it Hence 't is cleer That Grace respects not the worthiness of Men in what It does for them Nay it must respect their Vnworthiness rather as that by which Grace is more illustrated and the glory thereof more advanced according to Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound And Paul proclaims it as verified on himself 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutour and Injurious But I obtained Mercy and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant v. 14 and hereupon he falls to Adoring that Grace Now to the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen v. 17. The Richeâ— of Mercy is made-out by Saving the Chief of sinners and in quickening us when dead Ephes 2. 1 4. And it is very observable That the Apostles when ever they mention the Grace of God in Saving Quickening c. do not give the least intimation of Mens Worthiness Preparedness Compliance or any such thing but Dead in Sins and Quickening come one in the neck of the other as light does upon darkness which in no sort induces the light or prepares the dark Earth or Ayr for it as is abundantly evident in all their Epistles And how oft and in good earnest does the Lord declare against all the pretensions of Men as to their activeness in this Matter in Isaiah Jeremy Ezekiel Hosea c. And as a barr to those pretensions The Holy People He calls A People sought-out and that He is found of them that sought Him not with many others This I shall end with a very observable Instance within my own Memory and I bring it not in for proof but Illustration I knew a Man who when he came under convictions endeavoured with all his might to stifle them His Convictions grew stronger and he hardned himself against them He saw their tendency but so opposite to it that he resolv'd in express terms He would not be a Puritan what-ever came of it To the Church he must go His Master would have it so But this was his wont To loll oâ—r the seat with his fingers in both his ears Here General or Conditional Grace was surely non-plus'd But a Chosen Vessel must not so be lost Now steps-in Electing Grace and by a casual slip of his Elbows drew-out the stoppers and sent-in a Word from the Pulpit which like fire from Heaven melted his heart and cast it in a New Mould Surely in this the Lord did not wait for the Man's complyance or improvements His work was not Originated thence nor dependent thereon II. II. If all that pertains to Salvation were not given freely Salvation it self should not be of Grace For to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace Rom. 4. 4. but of Debt But Salvation is of Grace Ephes 2. 5. By Grace ye are saved And agen v. 8. By Grace ye are saved through Faith Where also lest the adding of Faith should occasion in their esteem a lessening of this Grace or seem to detract from the Freeness of it he cautiously subjoyns That this Faith is the work of that Grace Not of your selves It is the Gift of God For if Grace be perfectly free in Choosing it must be answerably
not lose it as some would give the sense had been a Comfortless and empty Notion and an injudicious way of speaking This is yet further confirmed by John 5. 24 He that believeth is passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation The Reason of all which is that their Faith is founded on a Rock Math. 7 15. which Wind and Waves may beat and break themselves against But never the Rock it self nor That which is built upon it He that trusteth in the Lord is as Mount Zion which cannot be moved No Not so much as One of the stakes of that Tabernacle shall be removed Psalm 125. 1. Isa 33. 20. Chap. 45. 17 1 Pet. 2. 6. and that for ever They shall not be ashamed nor confounded World without End It would very much allay that superlative cause of Rejoycing That our Names are written in Heaven If possibly they might be blotted out agen since we find in our selves such a proneness to Revolt which every one acquainted with his own heart must acknolwedge But we are sure Christ would not propound to us a failable ground of rejoycing For that would have been an inviting us to lean on a breakable staff which kind of dependence He is evermore calling us from Believers indeed are sometimes foyl'd but never overcome Though they fall and that seaven times in a day as was said As often do they rise agen And it 's no disparagement to their leader yea it is the Glory of a General to give his enemy advantages and take them agen at his pleasure to his enemies greater confusion and overthrow Satan got nothing by his Winnowing Peter Peter lost some of his Chaff which well might be spared and the Tempter lost many an after-advantage For the World of Believers have been the warier ever since To this second sort of evidence I shall onely add That of the Holy Apostle in Rom. 8. He was perswaded that is He was throughly swayed in his faith to believe it for himself and deliver it down to the Ages to come as a Truth infallible That neither Height nor Depth Nor any other Creature shall be able to separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 38 39. He reckons up all that can be named and lest any thing might have slipt him he brings in Height and Depth as being those two extreams that take in All and more than Men can think and then resolves That even These shal not be able to do it And surely if the super-celestial height of God's Holiness Nor the infra-infernal Depth of sin shall separate from that day of Glory which the sons of God were Predestinated to and for which they were both made and Redeemed called into and groan for then are Believers Roundly secur'd against final Apostacy III. A third sort of evidence for Confirmation are certain Arguments or Reasons why the Saints must needs Persevere in Faith and Holiness By this word Needs must I do not understand any other kind of necessity than well consists with perfect freedom such a Necessity as was upon Paul to preach the Gospel which was a work he rejoyced in such as was upon Jesus Christ to bring-home his sheep and to lay down his life for them Luke 12. 50. How was He streightned till it was accomplished That it was written in his heart was no hindrance to the freedom of his will The expression is well warranted also where it is said That the Scripture speaking of Judas his fact must needs be fulfilled Acts 1. 16. The first Argument Arg. I. John 1. 13. in proof of Perseverance is founded on the Saints Extract or Original They are born of God And this hath the force of a double Argument 1. As God is their Father and Eternal Root Our Saviour holds forth this Relation as the ground of our Faith in prayer Math. 6. 9. And He begins with it Himself when He prayes for His own Glory and that His Disciples might be partakers of it John 17. 1. To the same end He frequently useth that style of Father in the Gospel of John as in particular That He ascends to His Father and our Father John 20. 17. It is to strengthen our Faith in God thro' Himself on the account of His Fatherhood to us The Father loveth the Son John 3. 35. And He loves His Believers as He loveth Christ Himself Iohn 17. 23. On which ground the Apostle concludes That He cannot but give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. Believers are in truth the product of His love both in respect of Election and Regeneration and being so He cannot but have a paternal affection for them to administer to them what-ever tends to their sustentation and growth and to keep-off what ever would intercept or weaken His gracious influences towards them Having once loved them John 13. 1. He loves them for ever They may therefore be confident That what He hath begun in the Spirit He will not let end in the flesh That having begun a good work in them Phil. 1. 6. He will also perform it For As they have their spiritual Being from Him as the Father of it so 't is Natural to Him to derive his virtues into them without intermission as for a Vine to send up its sap into its own branches or the Sun to cherish the plants of its own production All the natural affections that are in Creatures towards their own are but drops of His Immense fullness A Mother may possibly forget the Child of her Womb but the Lord cannot forget His Off-spring That none may hurt them nor they themselves He will keep them night and day Isaiah 27. 3. chap. 46. 3 4. and water them every moment They are born by Him from the Belly and carried from the Womb and even to their old age He will carry them and deliver them 2. The new Creature as it comes from God so it exists in Him and lives upon Him and it is Natural to it to seek its nourishment where it had its Original Nothing can satisfie it but that great Deep from whence it sprang As a New-born child that has not the use of Reason will hunt for the breast by natural instinct and not be qulet without it As soon as ever Paul was converted Behold he prayes Acts 9. 11. Having once received the Spirit of Christ they cannot but incline after Him as Elisha did Elijah upon the casting of his Mantle on him It is natural to them 1 K. 19. 19 20. as for sparks to fly upwards They are said To be baptized with fire Not onely because of the purifying Nature of fire but in respect of its Aspiring quality it will be Mounting and not rest till it come to its own element Obstructions many it meets withall but still it presseth onwards and by degrees bears-down all afore it and carries that with it in which it
virtually in them According with this is that of our Saviour John 3. 36. Ps 37. 31. He that believeth hath everlasting life It argues the certainty of their Perseverance The law of his God is in his heart None of his steps shall slide Isa 65. 8. And therefore he saith Destroy it Not there is a blessing in it III. Another proof rises from the Nature Arg. III. extent and design of Providence or from the Intent and Purpose of God in that great variety of things which believers are exercised with in the world There are three things considerable to make out this Argument 1. That there is a Divine Providence which Governs the World As in dividing to the Nations their inheritance and bounding their habitations at first so by continuing them in possession or Outing them at his pleasure and this oftentimes by very unlikely means and over-ruling things accordingly Seir being given to Esau and Ar to the Children of Lot and their term not being yet expired the Lord inclines them to let Israel pass thorow and to give them meat for their money whereas the Amorites who were destinied to destruction He hardens their spirits and makes them obstinate that they deny them passage and come out against them in battel Deut. 2. 29 30. So when he would translate the Chaldean Monarchy to the Persians He enfeebles the one Jer. 51. 11. Isa 45. 1 5. but stirrs up the Others spirits and Girds them with strength How oft doth the Scripture repeat That the Lord reigneth Ps 93. 1. 97. 1. 75. 7. That He puts down One and sets up another That He doth according to His Will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the earth Dan. 4 35. How evident is it in his humbling of Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and others This Providence reacheth to all manner of Persons times and things and Circumscribes them It leaves not the least thing to a Contingency Even Ravens Sparrows and Lillies yea and the hairs of your head are all numbred and under the Conduct of the Providence of God Matth. 6. 26. 2. That the design and course of God's Providence Eezk. 24. 25. is to accomplish His Purpose As Providence governs the World so Purpose is the Director of Providence He is a Provident Man that orders his affairs prudently i. e. so that nothing is wanting nor any thing spent in waste Both these are in the Providence of God eminently for 1. It is All-sufficient supplies all needs Gives all things pertaining to Means and End 2. It does Nothing in vain Nothing superfluous or impertinent to His Purpose Things most casual to Men are levelled at a set and Certain End What the Lord speaks with His Mouth He fullfills with His Hand 1 Kings 8. 24. and His Act shall not vary a tittle from His Decree which is clearly the meaning of that in the Acts Known unto God are all His Works from the beginning of the world Whence was it that Esau tarried so long at his hunting that he was overfainted That Jacob was making pottage just when Esau comes home which set his appetite on edge after it But that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand The Elder must serve the younger which now came-to-pass by the sale of his birthright And thus the Providence of God makes even the prophaness of Men subserve to His End The Lord had determined to cast Judah and Jerusalem out of His sight for their obstinacy And to this end that is To make way for it it came-to-pass 2 King 24. 20. that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon It was to fullfill the word of the Lord declared in the 2 Chron. 36. 21. tho that was farr from the Rebellers intent So He gave Cyrus all the Kingdoms of the Earth that he might build His Temple at Jerusalem and it was to fullfill His Purpose before recorded by Jeremy the Prophet as ver 22. 23. In like manner Herod Pilate and the Jews they all conspire the death of Christ and each party on a several account not thinking in the least to fulfil the determinate Counsell of God yet That was it which Providence intended in permitting the Thing to be done as is plain by Acts 2. 23. As also the Soldiers in parting His garments and piercing His side It was their barbarous rudeness which put them upon it But Providence designed to make-good a Prophecy These things therefore the Soldiers did John 19. 24. All that God doth in the World is the Transcript or Impression of His Decrees 3. That the Providence of God never fails of Its End Our God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever He will Ps 115. 3. He will Work and who shall let it And what will He work The things that are coming and shall come Isa 44. 7. He hath both devised and done it Jer. 51. 12. His Purpose is To preserve His People Isa 54. 17. and therefore No Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper Whosoever gathers together against them shall fall for their sake Isa 54. 15. And As He hath purposed so shall it stand Chap. 14. 24. The Scriptures abound with instances to prove it As on the Contrary When the Lord will execute Judgment it shall be performed albeit the Means be never so weak and improbable Tho' the Army of the Chaldeans were all wounded men yet shall they burn Jerusalem with fire Judges 3. 31. ch 15. 15. Jer. 37. 10. SHAMGAR shall kill six hundred Men with an Ox-goad and SAMPSON a Thousand with the Jaw-bone of an Ass These things considered and laid together though chiefly referring to Temporal things doe strongly inforce the Argument for things of spiritual Concernment Inasmuch as things of Eternal Moment are worthy of more peculiar regard and security Now All a Believer's exercises which may seem to endanger him are either from the guilt of sins committed From the power of indwelling corruption From Satan's temptations or Persecution from the World None of which come on them accidentally but as things fore-appointed of God and for a good intent It is for the Elects sake that all things else have their being 2 Cor. 4. 15. And are all caused to work together for their good Rom. 8. 28. As namely to humble them for sin To wean them from the World To indear JESVS CHRIST to them To shew them the usefulness of Ordinances To exercise and try their Graces To purge out their dross To enable them to succour others To demonstrate the Wisdom Power and Faithfulness of God towards them To meeten them for Heaven And to make them groan and long to be clothed upon with their house from thence As might plentifully be made out by the Scriptures and the visible effects thereof upon those who have been exercised thereby To instance a few particulars David after that great miscarriage in the matter of Vriah with his broken bones upon it
fight Heb. 1â— Enabled One to chase a thousand when Fear caused a thousand to flee at the rebuke of One 1 Sam. 14. 13. yea at the shaking of a leaf An handful of obedience springing from Faith and confidence in God is more acceptable to Him than sheafs and loads arising from Fear of wrath 1 Cor. 13. 3. If Paul for fear of hell had given his body to be burned it had been Nothing But Faith and love render small things of value with God the Widow's Mite and a Cup of cold water And 't is worthy of Remarque That when the fruits of the Spirit are reckoned up Gal. 5. 22 33. this Fear is not so much as named among them And certain it is That the more lively and sensible our love is to God the less will be our fear of hell For perfect love casts out fear 1 Joh. 4. 18. 5. If Fear were such an Effectual Curb to sin or help to Perseverance There would not be so many Promises of Delivering God's people from their fears Nor could they so Affectionately bless God for their being delivered Nor so Resolutely set themselves against it Neither would there be so many Commands and Injunctions laid upon them Not to be Afraid 1. Commands and Injunctions against Fear Jer. 46. 27 Fear not thou O my servant Jacob for I will save thee and agen ver 28 Fear thou not I will correct thee in measure i. e. Meetly and proportionably according to the scope of my Covenant which is to save thee The Lord would not have His People to think themselves in danger of being Cashier'd when they are Chastened which seems the Import of that in Isa 41. 9. I have chosen thee and not Cast thee away Fear thou not ver 10. So Heb. 10. 35 Cast not away your Confidence Joh. 14. 27 Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid and Luke 12. 32. Fear not litle Flock It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom Innumerable are the Injunctions laid upon God's people against Fear Isa 35. 4. chap. 43. 5. ch 41. 13. 14. chap. 44. 2. Jer. 30. 10. Dan. 10. 19. Joel 2. 21. Zeph. 3. 16. Hag. 2. 5. Zach. 8. 13 15. Math. 10. 28. Act. 27. 24. Rev. 1. 17 c. Therefore freedom from this Fear is no impediment to Perseverance 2 Promises of delivering from Fears Jer. 30. 10. Jacob shall be in quiet and none shall make him afraid Psal 112. 10. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings Prov. 1. 33. He shall be quiet from fear of evil The promise is not made to Fear and fainting but to Faith and Confidence Ps 27. 14 Be of good courage and He shall strengthen thy heart If it had bin the mind of Christ that Believers should still be under this Fear He would not have told them Joh. 5. 24. They are passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation Math. 19. 28. That they shall sit upon Thrones That their Inheritance is reserved in heaven for them 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. and they kept for it and that by the Mighty power of God The Result of all which is That having these Promises we should cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. perfecting holiness in the Fear of God Luke 1. 74. To serve Whom without fear was a main End of Christ's Redemption 3 Examples of Christian Resolution Not to fear Psal 23. 4 yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil Ps 27. 3 Tho' an host encamp against me my heart shall not fear Isa 50. 7 Therefore that is Because the Lord God had promised to help him Therefore have I set my face as a flint and I know that I shall not be confounded Ps 46. 2 We will not fear tho' the Earth be Removed Ps 56. 4 I will not fear what flesh can do unto me and Ps 49. 5. Wherefore should I fear in the dayes of evill when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about These if any thing should have put him in fear but his Faith resolves against it according to Isa 12. 2 I will trust and not be afraid i. e. He would not willingly admit the least mixture of fear with his Faith Neh. 8. 14. and good Reason for it since the joy of the Lord was his strength 4. Instances of Thankfulness for deliverance from fears Psal 34. 3. O Magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt His Name together But what 's the occasion of this joyfull triumph I sought the Lord and He heard me and Delivered me from all my fears v. 4. Psal 27. 6. Therefore will I offer in His Tabernacle Sacrifices of Joy And the Reason of it was That God would hide him in His own Pavillion v. 5. That is He would secure him from danger and set him up above His Fears Which surely he could not with any good Reason have Rejoyced in Nor have prayed that God would Restore to him the joyes of His Salvation if the Dread of Eternal fire had been so good a friend to Perseverance Scriptures to this purpose might be multiplied But these I hope may have left the Objection without footing But besides our Scripture-proof It is evident in Experience That nothing so Elevates the Spirit and Courage of a Man in great undertakings as assurance of Success But whiles he is wavering and doubtfull How he shall speed especially whiles he meditates Terrours and of them the Dreadfullest his hands are enfeebled Nor he has not his Wits about him That which tends in truth to make a Man Steadfast Vnmoveable and alwaies to abound in the work of the Lord is not the fear of Miscarrying and losing all at last but Faith and a certain knowledge that his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58. If a Man once believing cannot lose his faith Why is it said Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall and Look to your selves that we lose not the things we have wrought If no possibility of losing what need such Cautions and so great Circumspection The Maker of this Objection hath elswhere granted that the possession of Canaan was sure to Abraham's seed so as all their unworthiness could not deprive them of it And yet we find their Induction and actual Possession yoked afterwards with as many Conditions Cautions and limitations as the Promise of Salvation to Believers any where is and yet Nevertheless Certain But for more particular answer 1. It is evident That a Righteous Man may fall and as evident it is That he cannot fall finally For tho' he falls Seaven times in a day as often does he Rise agen Pro. 24. 26. And this because the Lord upholdeth him with His hand Psal 37. 24. And Psal 145. The Lord upholdeth all that fall Either He stayes them when