this is the new Covenant I but here 's one promise hath a speciall Oath to it its worthy observation what peice of the new Covenant the Lord especially sweares to and that is this promise of Christs kingdome Once have I sworne by my holines that God will not lye to David and what is that that God sweares to its this that his seede shall endure for ever and his Throne shall be as the Sun before him Now to this promise is added a speciall Oath and its observable that the Lord speakes of Christs kingdome severall times in Scripture there are foure times that the Lord speakes of this and he doth sweare to it When he made this Promise to Abraham that his seed Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Gen. 22.16 By my selfe have I sworne saith he when he comes to make this promise to David that Jesus Christ shall have a kingdome God sweares againe Once have I sworne by my holines that I will not lye unto David His seede shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me Againe if you looke into Isai 45.13 you have God swearing againe there I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sweare Why what is the meaning of that why it s the very same with that in the Philippians every knee shall bow to Christ every tongue shall confesse that Christ is the Lord it is the exalting and setting up Christ Jesus as King So if we looke into Isai 54.9.11 Oh thou afflicted Tossed with Tempest and not comforted and in the 14 ver In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and thou shalt be far from oppression it s a description of Christs kingdome which he confirmes by his oath in the 9 â—h ver speaking of this very time of the kingdome of Christ For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee that is he would not in that day be wrath with his people so as to put by the fulfilling this good word of his promise I will make good this peice of my Covenant Now if we consider it surely there is something in it that the Lord should confirme all the new Covenant by an Oath and should confirme one branch of it and that by an Oath swearing by himselfe and by his holines and by his righteousnesse and swearing that he would not lye and swearing that it should be as certain as the word to Noah that the world should never be drowned againe That the Lord should sweare over and over to it surely there is much in it now the Lord hath done thus as to Christs kingdome what ever the world say the Lord hath founded this upon the new Covenant and he hath confirmed this new Covenant with an Oath when the Lord saw what opposition there would be in the world what distrust in his peoples hearts lest any should doubt of it he comes over and over againe with this particular branch of it with an Oath I have sworne I have sworne I have sworne that my Son shall have a kingdome So that in the Covenant with David there was the promise of the kingdome of Christ Fourthly Let us come to the worke it selfe where the worke doth begin to rise in the world and you shall see that it doth begin to rise and that upon the account of the new Covenant The worke of Christs kingdome the glorious beginning of it it shall be about the time of the Jewes coming in and indeed the coming in of the Jewes shall be a very great advancement of this kingdome and where ever the Lord doth speake of the coming in of the Jewes he doth lay it upon the foundation of this new Covenant and indeed it s a very great argument to me against those that thinke there is no such thing as the kingdome of Christ because God hath so often laid it upon his new Covenant Looke into the 26 of Leviticus the Lord had spoken before of rejecting and of the casting of them off 42 ver he saith when they should be cast off then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land This doth not onely looke to the rejecting of the people of Israel for a time when they were carried Captive into Babylon for that was a rejecting onely of part of the seed of Abraham but it doth looke to their long Captivity of all the seed of Abraham for these many hundred yeares the Lord engages he will restore them and restore them upon the account of remembring his Covenant Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land and I will bring them backe againe and I will gather them upon the account of my Covenant saith God Deut. 4.30 31. In the 27 verse Moses had been speaking The Lord shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you then he tells them in the 30 verse When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice even in the latter dayes mind the expression in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice for the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them When the Lord hath cast them off they shall be gathered and that upon the account of his Covenant and so in the 54 of Isai that Chapter is a prophesie of the Conversion of the Jewes and of that glory that shall follow thereupon and the Lord doth engage his Covenant for the bringing of it about The mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee So likewise in the 33 of Jere. the two last verses Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seede of Jacob and David my servant so that I will not take any of his seede to be rulers over the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for I will cause their Captivity to returne and have mercy on them This is spoken of their last restoration as I told you at first and the Lord doth
second coming in glory under that Administration shall have its fulfilling But now the promise of the coming of the Spirit that is the promise that we are to expect the fulfilling of under the present Administration that Administration which is betwixt Christs first and second coming not but that there shall be much more as I shall shew anon of the Spirit of God given forth when Jesus Christ shall be personally present with his Children yet notwithstanding the great promise of the Spirit which is spoken so much of in the old Testament and in the new is that which we are to looke up to God for betwixt the time of Christs first and second coming When Jesus Christ was to goe up to heaven and leave his Children and they were to undergoe a very blacke and tempestuous day and Christ saw what the rage of the world was what the Roman power and the Antichristian power and the Kings of the earth would doe therefore that he might not in such a darke day leave them comfortlesse he makes this great promise of the Spirit as if he should have said In all that time O Saints when ever you suffer looke for my Spirit when ever you want comfort looke for my Spirit when you feare that this Antichrist will deceive you looke for my Spirit and so this promise of the Spirit is a promise that runs through all that time in a more especiall manner to the people of God which they doe wait for the fulfilling of Object If the promise of the Spirit be the great new Testament promise how then comes it to passe that the Saints and people of God under the new Testament Administration have so little of the Spirit Ans Why truly there may be something in this as one reason of it namely The way of Gods dispensation which hath been and it is to put death 's upon his promises not onely before the fulfilling time of a promise comes but even when the fulfilling time is come and in the fulfilling time God will put a death upon his promise Though Abraham had a blessed promise made to him by God that he should have seede and God told him that it should be in Bondage foure hundred and thirty yeares and at the end of that time he would wonderfully shew his power bringing them forth with a high hand and give them the land of Canaan but before the fulfilling time came there 's first one death and another upon the promise first Abraham was a hundred yeares old his body dead and yet without any that should be the heire of the promise and Sarah is old and her wombe dead before the fulfilling of the promise and after the heire of the promise was come forth Abraham must goe and offer up his Son why what might Abraham thinke would become of Gods promise Isaac was the Son of the promise and must I goe and offer him up where will Gods promise be Here was a death upon a death upon it and after this Isaac the Son of the promise in whose loines as I may say the promise ran the promised seede was to come forth from him yet Isaac after Abraham had no seede a great while so that before the fulfilling time of the promise came there was deaths upon deaths upon it yet notwithstanding when the Time was come for the fulfilling it when the Lord was now giving forth that that he had promised to Abraham and when he had sent Moses into Egypt to bring Israel out yet then the Lord in the very fulfilling time brings deaths upon it when the Lord had raised up some measure of faith in the people of God expecting deliverance yet the bondage grow's so great that their hearts grow dead as to hope and they thinke they are further off than ever before and afterward when they thought they had nothing to doe but to run to the land of Caâ—aan no but there are great deaths in the way they must goe through a Sea and through a wildernesse and this not all but they must wander forty yeares in the wildernesse and there the whole generation that came out of Egypt dyes what deaths were there upon the promise in the fulfilling time So God made a promise to his people in Jeremiah's time that after 70 yeares Captivitie in Babylon they should come to Jerusalem againe and that should be built but when the fulfilling time was come what deaths were put upon the promise so that for many yeares together the building of Jerusalem and the Temple was hindred I doe urge this notion to this purpose that though the new Testament Administration be the Administration in which the Saints are to waite for the fulfilling of this great promise yet in the fulfilling time there may be very great deaths upon the promise and such as we may see very little of the Spirit given forth and it may be for ages and generations together as in some generations it hath been but little of the Spirit may appeare Secondly Because although the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise that is made to those times yet the fulfilling of this premise may not be alike to all but may be especially made good to some periods of that time The promise of Christ was the great old Testament promise that which Saints all along in the old Testament waited for but that was not fulfilled till the last period of that time so it may be with this Thirdly Another Reason why Saints under the new Testament Administration have so little of the Spirit though this is the great new Testament promise It may be from Saints darknes in the way of the new Testament Saints going out of the way of the new Testament and that Legality that is in and upon the spirits of the Saints As the promise of the Spirit is the great promise of the new Testament that God gives foâ—th in new Testament times so God will give forth his promise in the way of the new Testament if so be therefore the saints be darke as to the way of the new Testament in which God will give forth new Testament mercy's why truly they may be under the new Testament Administration and yet have but very little of the Spirit for even in new Testament times there is as I may say an old Testament spirit upon the Saints they looke upon themselves through their darkness and Ignorance as standing under the old Administration they have thereby the Spirit of the old Covenant and of the old Testament wrought in them and so far as they have an old Testament spirit so far there will not be a giving forth of the Spirit to them in that full measure for God will give forth the Spirit in the way of the new Testament Quest What is the way of the new Testament in which God will give out new Testament Mercy 's Ans To that I answer The way of the new Testament it s this To
what men thought of him it was this he had a holy sincere end when the Corinthians iudged him saith he I care not to be judged of you or of mans judgement So in such a day as this when the people of God are under sufferingâ— and who may be under sufferings it 's onely knowne to the Lord O that the Lord would give us to have such ends in our actions as may be holy and sincere that we may have comfort joy and peace 10 Reas 10 We had need to look into our ends for If a man have false ends he will never be able to continue and hold out in a good worke It 's very remarkable that we have in these men here that ran after John What went yee out into the wildernesse to see They were very earnest and very hot and very zealous they had a great delight in Johns Preaching I but saith Christ What went ye ought to see What is your end it was bad He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light It held but for a season they make a very great profession and seem much to owne John and to owne the truth and seem much to be taken with the word but have a wrong end therefore they rejoycing but for a season they came to have their hearts hardned and they rejoyce no more Therefore what need have we to look into our owne hearts and observe our aimes and ends and indeed that we may know our ends 1 It 's good to be jealous of our owne hearts that there may be some end that lyes deeper than I am aware of or than I doe discern It s good to have a holy jealousie over our hearts in our acting that there may be some end that we see not 2 If we would know whether we have a right end It 's good to take a view of our owne hearts and ends at such a time as we have most light and have fairest opportunity and advantage When we have most light that is at such a time when the Lord doth most clearly shine upon the soule if there be any time wherein you have a more clear sight of the love of God then at another at that time look into your heart to see your ends 3 Looke into them at such time as we seem to have a helping opportunity There are two times which if we fall in with will give us great help to look into our ends First Look into our ends When we see others more eminent than we and that goe before us in graces and abilities when we see them drop for then the soule hath some stirring and working and I may come to get a sight into my ends the more by that opportunity Secondly Look into our ends at such time when others doe censure and judge us If a Christian be censured by another that is a good time for him to look into his end that will make him look more narrowly and pry into every corner of his heart 4 Beg of the Lord That he would be pleased to come search and try for after all our trialls if God doth not try us we may be at a losse and deceived and herein was the sincerity of Davids heart manifested Prove me and try me O Lord saith he And so it 's with every gratious heart he will say Prove me and try me O Lord. if there be any wickednesse if there be any corruption that I doe not see Prove me and try mâ— O Lord if there be any Hypocrisie that I havâ— not yet found Prove me and try me O Lord We are to be much in begging of the Lord thaâ— he would try us and prove us 5 If we would see fully into our ends Then as soone as ever thou doest find any false end presently deliver it as a Traytor to be executed Say Lord I have found out such a juggle I have found out such a bye way wherein my heart is gone good Lord come and destroy it Lastly Keep the love of Christ warm upon thy heart O labour so to goe to Christ as that the love of Christ may be warm upon thy heart that thou mayest live in the light of that love and the more thou seest of that love the more will thy soule desire to live according to it FINIS The Idolls Abolished ISAIAH 2.18 And the Idolls he shall utterly Abolish WOuld you know the time to which this Prophecy looks the second Verse tells us in generall The last dayes And it shall come to passe in the last dayes now because last dayes is taken sometimes largely for the whole of Gospel times sometimes strictly for the very last of the last times therefore in other expressions of this Prophecy it 's held forth that last dayes is to be taken strictly as 1 This relates to the time when the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines vers 2. The Mountaine of the Lords house is Christs Kingdome which is the Lords Mountaine it shall be established in the top of the Mountaines that is in the top of worldly Kingdomes when yet hath this ever been Indeed we have for many Generations had Antichrist lifting up his Scepter above worldly Princes but we are all clear enough that yet there hath been no fullfilling of this Prophecy But as the Devil when he sees any glorious work of Christ to come forth he will forestall it and set up something of his owne that shall be so like it that we are sometimes almost deceived so the subtill Dragon seeing that in time such a thing should be a Kingdome of Christ should over-top all the Kingdomes of the world he fore-runs it and sets up a thing like it viz. a Kingdome of his owne which himselfe sets up rules in such is Antichrist whose rise is not from God but from the Devil nor is Christ there served but the Dragon is worshipped Revel 13 14. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power untothe Beast This Kingdome the blind of Christs by which the world hath been deceived and wondred after it before which the Kings of the earth have laid their Crownes hath been set up But all discerning soules know this to be the Divels Kingdome no Gods the very Throne of Iniquity not of Holinesse but when was there such a Kingdome of Christs over-topping others 2 This relates to a time when the Law shall goe forth out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem vers 3. By Law being distinguished from Word of the Lord I understand the Civill Law the Law of Civill Government as by the word of the Lord the spirituall Law This therefore relates to a time when Civil Government shall be in the hands of the Saints when the Law of the world shall goe forth from Sion and the Spirituall Law also the Preaching of the Gospel from Jerusalem that is from the Cities or Churches of the
Kingdome shall very shortly begin to break in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes Insomuch that the spirits of many precious ones were revived their minds inlightened Insomuch that methoughts I heard one Disciple that had been ready to faint and quail saying to another Disciple in Jonathans language See I pray you how mine eies have been inlightned because I tasted a little of this Hony This word of the Lord concerning the glorifying of his Son in the sight of all Nations is sweeter than the hony or the hony comb Oh dear hearts you who heard a proof of Christ speaking in him Tell me Did not your hearts wax warm nay did they not burn within you while he spake of those things to you and while he opened to you in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power those Scriptures which do so neerly concern the King of Saints and his Cause at this day His next design was to travel from Prison to Prison where any of the Servants of Christ were shut up and accordingly made an entrance upon that work in coming to this Castle to visit us as not being ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of us his Prisoners 2 Tim. 11.8 but appeared very willing to be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel of the Kingdome according to that measure of the power of God which should be given him even to suffer bonds in the maintenance of that Cause and glorious Truth which formerly had been owned but is now rejected by the General and his Men of War Insomuch that he would in private discourse with some friends declare That a Prison was like to be his portion ere long And no question if he had lived to have inlarged upon the signs of the times and the Spirit of God had come upon him with power the Supreme single Person at his Head-quarters at White-hall with the advice of his Cabinet Councel would after grave and mature deliberation have found it very necessary absolutely necessary to have suspended and silenced such a Preacher as neither knew how to hold his peace nor yet to pipe to the tune of the New Instrument for we must know that this New Monarchy is founded upon NECESSITY Necessity is the Father and Mother Necessity and Policy are the Nurse and the Guardian of this young Government Alas poor creature it was born in a Consumption and besides that hath had many Convulsion fits since it came into the world insomuch that its Friends and Physitians have had much ado to keep life in it at several critical hours since its Nativity And beside we shall find that Maxime true Nullum violentium est perpetuum violent Motions will quickly work Commotions Confusions and Destructions Let none take offence at this Language for I cannot forbear vilifying the Kingdomes of the fourth Beast when my thoughts are upon the magnifying of the Kingdome Power and Glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isa 37.22 And if the Virgin Daughter of Sion without any disparagement to her holy modesty might of old be allowed by God himself to despise the great King of Assyria and to laugh him to scorn I know no reason to the contrary but one of the Lambs followers may without breach of rule in an holy triumph of Faith express contempt of the Kings of the Earth who are all of them the lovers of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth But to return from this digression of Necessity Both Friends and Foes may easily conjecture how warm an incouragement it would have been to all of us to be refreshed with his company in the several Prisons where wee and our Brethren are shut up if it had pleased the Lord to say Amen and so have given the word for the undertaking of his intended spiritual Summer-progress for wee found him to bee indued with such a Spirit and to have so much acquaintance with the Lord and his Word concerning the present oppressed Truth and Work that undoubtedly the Glorious Cause wherein we are ingaged would have been so much the more inquired after and searched into by many of the Saints But the Counsel of the Lord must stand By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher I understood how long since and upon what occasion the Lord had taken him by the hand and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom and glory which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times So that I now plainly discern this in regard his day was to be so short he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time for those Generation-works of his his Books so called together with his knowledge of the times are no question a special product of Providence in this season and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch to look about them that they may not be surprized And for the rendring unexcusable that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders which this Nation swarms with at this day Neither let it seem strange to thee whosoever thou art that readest this that the learned Rabbies and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point for first consider It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings if such Doctrine should be preached by them or imbraced by the people as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall And then secondly It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us such mysteries use to be hidden in their first discoveries at least from the wise and prudent and were revealed unto Babes that so no flesh might glory in his presence Wherefore let no man find fault that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice to prepare the way nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching glorious ministration of it It is true such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times at the 52 page c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily whether those things there discussed be so or no I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men by communicating ere long to publick view if not prevented what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation from under this dark cloud to entertain these Sermons of this Disciple lately deceased taken in short-hand from his lips
especially renewed or with two persons more eminently namely with Abraham and with David The Covenant was renewed with Abraham and therefore it s oftentimes called the new Covenant made with Abraham Now if we looke into that we shall finde the great thing that was held forth in it is this of Christs visible kingdome wherein Christ shall bare Rule over all his enemies conquer all his enemies if we looke unto this Covenant as renewed to Abraham in the Galatians the Apostle speaking of this promise apply's it to Christ now looke upon the promises that were made to Abraham and we shall finde this truth that there was such a thing held forth as an outward visible kingdome Gen 22.16 17 18 ver And said by my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son thine onely son That in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore and thy seed shall possesse the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice Thy seed to Abraham and his seed were the promises made saith the Apostle He saith not to seeds as of many but unto seed as of one Christ and that here it must be understood not of seeds as many but of the seed as one the seed Christ is cleare because it s said thy seed shall possesse the gate of his Enemies not the gate of their Enemies which if it had been spoken of seeds as many it should have been but it s the gate of his Enemies and shew's that it s spoken of Christ now that which is promised is that Christ Abrahams seede shall possesse the gate of his Enemies there shall be a day wherein Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Quest What is the meaning of that Ans Why truly the meaning is this that a day shall come wherein Jesus Christ shall have power over all his Enemies in the world he shall have rule over his Enemies he that hath been trodden upon in his members we cannot say that he hath ruled over his Enemies yet but a day shall come wherein he shall have an absolute rule over his Enemies which is expressed here by the Gate as when a Conqueror comes against a City or Castle when he hath once possessed the gate he hath gotten the strength of it and they are all under him and at his mercy so there shall a day come wherein Christ shall possesse the gate of his Enemies they shall all be brought under him in such a manner as they shall be all subject unto Jesus Christ and his But now there hath never been such a day as yet indeed the Enemies of Christ they have hitherto possest his Gate if you looke from the first day to this day the Enemies of Christ have ever been in his Gate that is they have been treading the Church underfoote which is most properly his Gate But there is a day wherein Jesus Christ shall possesse their Gate and tread them underfoote therefore there is such a thing as a visible kingdome held forth in this promise made to Abraham Looke but to that promise made Rom. 4.13 where the Apostle speaks thus For the promise to Abraham was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith The promise to Abraham that he should be heire of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law there was a promise expresly made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world we doe not finde this promise in Genesis in so many words therefore it seemes to me that the Apostle doth gather up the summe of all the promises made to Abraham and he doth sum up all in this God promises to Abraham that he should be heire of the world All the promises that Abraham should be a father of many nations all nations should be blessed in him his seede should possesse the gate of his Enemies what is that now that is the great thing held forth in all those promises why it was that he should be heire of the world and the promise therefore is of such a thing and indeed it was the substance of them all thâ— marrow of them that Abraham should be a great and an absolute heire and should have all the world given to him Now let us consider this it s the promise of God and he cannot lye Abraham himselfe never did possesse the whole world but was a stranger in it dwelling in Tents and Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 And if we looke to the naturall seed of Abraham namely the Jewes they never yet possest more than that little spot of land the land of Canaan and they have been cast out of that a long time and if we looke unto the beleiving Gentills the spirituall seed they have been to this day persecuted in the world its out-casts the of-scouring of it and cannot in any sence be said to have been made possessors of the world as an heire which is the Apostles word is made a possessor of his Inheritance where he beares rule as a Lord and all within the Compasse of his Inheritance are to him in no other capacity but of servants and Tenants Abraham was the heire of it but they never had the possession of it yet there is a time wherein they shall have the world for God who made the world and hath given it to whom he pleaseth was pleased of his own good will to give it to Abraham indeed what right had Abraham to the land of Canaan but God who hath right to all was pleased to give it to Abraham why so here Abrahams seed have the world given them there must be a time wherein the seed of Abraham shall possesse the world as truly as the seed of Abraham did possesse the land of Canaan which God gave to Abraham and his seed Now I say this hath not been and we cannot looke upon this as if so be the fulfilling of this promise were in giving them a part of it for God promises the world and therefore indeed there is a time wherein Abraham and his seed are to be possessed of the world and if so be there were not what were Abraham and his seed the better for the promise if so be they never possesse it And this promise is said to be made to Abraham not through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith and that is upon the account of the new Covenant for in the Romans its said That the righteousnesse which is of faith speakes on this wise he doth oppose the old Covenant unto the righteousnesse of faith so that by the righteousnesse of faith we are here to understand the new Covenant and this promise made to Abraham as the heire of the world and that as of the
righteousnesse of faith comes in upon the account of the new Covenant Let me adde one notion more upon this Scripture that this promise is made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world the Lord he doth give to Abraham as a pledge or as an earnest of this great promise the land of Canaan to him and his seed and now as Abraham while he was a stranger in the land of Canaan he had the land of Canaan given to him and his seede by God and so had a true right to it so Jesus Christ though he is now a stranger in the world little knowne in the world and the seede of Christ wander as strangers in the world yet they have a true right and Christ hath a true right unto this great heiredome of the whole world as true a right as Abraham had unto the land of Canaan when that idneeed he was but a stranger in it and looke as Abrahams naturall seed the Jewes upon their coming out of Egypt they were by God possessed of that land which God did give to Abraham as a pledge or an earnest of the great Inheritance so likewise shall Abrahams seed both naturall and spirituall Jew and Gentill for now they are both one for the partition wall is broken downe this seed of Abraham when God shall set his hand the second time gathering together his people Isai 11.11 that is when he shall deliver his Children from the Antichristian Tyranny and bondage and he shall bring the Jewes into their own land in that day shall they as truly be possest of this great Inheritance of the whole world as Abrahams naturall seed when they went out of Egypt were possest of the land of Canaan and to make this a little out first Abraham was made by God an heire of the whole world and that indeed is the great Inheritance that is here promised the promise to Abraham was as to an heire of the whole world And secondly Abraham was made an heire of a lesser inheritance and that was given by God to Abraham and his seede to live upon as I may so say untill the appointed time came that they should possesse the whole world now one was the pledge of the other and answerable hereunto Abrahams seed have two great Captivities of which one was the Type of the other First Abrahams seed was carried captive into Egypt and in Gods due time God brings them out and when he had brought them out God puts them into that land that was the pledge of that great Inheritance now after that they sin against God and he delivers them into a greater and longer Captivitie so likewise Abrahams seed who wonderously increased in the time of their first Captivity in Egypt in the time of this long Captivitie doe wonderfully encrease for now the Gentills come in and they are his seed now Abraham is made the father of many Nations now Abrahams seede being encreas'd to a multitude of Nations as the promise is God will bring them forth a second time and as he did upon the first bringing them forth he gave them the land which was the type of the promise so at the second time of bringing them forth he will give them the whole world which he hath promised to them Secondly Looke upon the Renewall of this Covenant with David as the new Covenant was renewed with Abraham so likewise it was renewed with David the renewall of it with David we have if we looke into the 89 Psalm 3 4 ver I have made a Covenant with my Chosen I have sworne unto David my servant Thy seed will I Establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Selah What this Covenant is observe in the 4th verse Thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations that is the great thing the great branch of the Covenant made with David I will build up thy Throne but whose Throne is this Davids Throne as David no it s not Davids Throne but indeed Christs spoken of under David as a type of Christ as King and that is cleare if you looke into the 19 ver Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one and saidst I have laid helpe upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the People This David here its cleare it s spoken of Jesus Christ though David was the type of Christ that mighty one and then againe it s more cleare in the 27 ver Also I will make him my first-borne higher than the Kings of the earth I will make him my first-borne It s Jesus Christ that is the Fathers first-borne and its Jesus Christ that is to be exalted higher than the Kings of the earth David was never exalted higher than the Kings of the earth there have been Kings of the earth that have been higher as to outward glory than David was but its Jesus Christ that is exalted higher than the Kings of the earth But Quest How doth it appeare that this is the new Covenant Ans Why it appepres from two things First It appeares from the unalterablenesse of it in the 34 ver My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lipps It was such a Covenant that this kingdome was founded upon that God would not breake nor alter and therefore the new Covenant Secondly Because there was an oath added to the Covenant in the 35 ver Once have I sworne by my holines that I will not lye unto David Here 's the oath of God Once have I sworne saith God doe you thinke that I will be false to David Once have I sworne and that by my holines the highest thing God could sweare by Now it must therefore be the new Covenant because there 's an oath added to it when the Lord made the old Covenant there was no Oath went with that therefore the Apostle in the 7th of the Hebrewes saith that the Priests of the old Covenant were made without an Oath but now the Priests of the new Covenant they are made with an Oath 20 21 ver The Priesthood of the new Covenant is confirmed by an Oath what ever God doth in the new Covenant there goes an Oath with it and so when Christ is made the high Priest of the new Covenant the Lord sweares what ever he doth I will doe what he doth as a Priest I will ratifie and confirme it I will never repent me of it there 's an oath but now the Priests of the old Covenant are made without an Oath and because it s confirm'd by an Oath its cleare it was the new Covenant the whole new Covenant hath an Oath goes with it God willing to shew unto the heires of promise the Immutability of his promise he confirmes it with an Oath that by two Immutable things in which it was Impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation c. So that its cleare
a rocky foundation it s founded upon the Covenant of God that is an Impregnable rocke it s such a foundation that all the world cannot hurt if any come and strike at it it will grind them to powder this is a sweet consideration and should provoke us to looke up to God for the accomplishing of this great mercy and to looke unto him for new mercy's Gods people stand for nothing concerning this kingdome but God will make the world one day know it was a peice of the new Covenant The unworthynes of the Saints shall not hinder them of this mercy for new Covenant Grace will ride Tryumphing over the head of all the Infirmities of the people of God Thirdly Vse 3 Another thing if it be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant we may learne hence is That it is not strange or it ought not to be strange to us if we should see a death upon this worke if we should see this worke struck dead when it may be it seemes to be coming forth for indeed its Gods way in bringing forth mercy's of the new Covenant to strike the mercy dead Abraham had two sons the son of Hagar the old Covenant and the son of Sarah the new Covenant there 's no death comes upon Ishmael the old Covenant but there comes a death Abraham's body is dead and Sarah's wombe is dead upon Isaac the new Covenant the new Covenant mercy is struck dead so when the Lord will set up his Son as King he will doe it upon the account of the new Covenant therefore we must expect this new covenant mercy to passe through death so that God strikes the new Covenant mercy dead before he brings it forth When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt they come out upon the account of the new Covenant God remembers his Covenant and sends Moses to them thereupon they are full of expectation of deliverance but presently their burdens were encreased and their oppression encreased and thereupon all is struck dead and they are further from deliverance than ever they were and yet notwithstanding when God had tryed but a while their faith and patience for that is the end of all his bringing deaths upon a worke to try our faith and patience but so soone as ever that was tryed then the Lord brings them forth by his glorious hand So it was with David God had promised him the kingdome yet there was a wonderfull death came upon Davids kingdome David is made a king and some few come to him and David had some faith when Abiathar the Priest came to him when he fled from Saul saith David Abide with me and thou shalt be safe for with me there 's safety but when his kingdome is just ready to come to him there comes a great sentence of death upon the worke because its a new Covenant worke all is struck dead I shall certainly perish one day by the hand of Saul and I must leave the Country saith David so it s with all new Covenant mercy's that the Lord might try the faith of his Children which he will have tryed and that he might make the mercy the sweeter when it comes and that we might be more in crying to him God strikes the worke dead that we might exercise the more faith and prayer therefore let us not be discouraged when we see a sentence of death upon it it would be a great discouragement to me if there were not a Sentence of death upon it I should beleive then it were a greater way off than it is for if it be a new Covenant merâ—y there must be a Sentence of Death put upon it As in mercy's to a particular soule God will have the soule strucke dead before the Lord reveale the new Covenant mercy to him that the soule shall say I can see nothing I have nothing at all it can see no wisdome no righteousnesse nothing in it selfe and when all is strucke dead then the Lord comes with new Covenant mercy's to the soule so when the Lord intends to set up his Sonnes kingdome in the earth it must first be wholly struck dead Fourthly Vse 4 If this kingdome of Christ be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant then wee should waite upon God patiently for the bringing of it forth New Covenant mercy's they are to be waited for Abraham lost himselfe greatly in murmuring while he was waiting for the fulfilling of the new Covenant promise he cryes out I goe Childlesse he had a promise and because he sees it not fulfilled he cry's I goe childlesse and this Eleazar of Damascus who is Steward of my house must be my heire and what doth this his repining bring forth why presently the very next thing we read is Abraham and Sahah distrusting God lay their heads together and upon advice he goe's in Hagar he turnes into the old Covenant and had fruit by her and there Abraham rests and settles himselfe some yeares he goes and turnes into the old Covenant by an Impatient waiting for the new Covenant we are not to waite as Idlers doe for helpe in a ditch and cry God helpe us but we are to wait as if we would have it in by our very striving strugling yet notwithstanding there must be a quiet waiting on God for his time so it should be with us for this new Covenant mercy waite for it patiently be content with it in Gods own time when he will bring it forth and the more our heart is brought to lye downe submissively before God it s a great argument that the mercy is so much the nearer the Lord doth ordinarily in giving forth the mercy's of the new Covenant though there may be striving and strugling for a time yet he brings the hearts of his Children to this Lord when thou wilt in thine owne time O that God would bring all the hearts of his Children to this that our hearts might not be engaged by our own thoughts but that we may be so free that God may have his own time that there may not be an Impatient spirit in waiting And is it a new Covenant mercy Vse 5 this will be a sweet mercy when it comes all the new Covenant mercy's are sweete things what ever the world thinke of Christs kingdome when it comes it will be a sweet thing that the Saints shall have glory hereafter doth that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of God here so the outward kingdome of Christ what will that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of Christ But the Devill play 's his game thus in the new Testament Times he made men to looke for an outward kingdome onely when Christ was about to set up a spirituall kingdome and now that Christ would set up an outward kingdome saith the Devill looke onely to the spirituall kingdome as if the ourward and spirituall kingdome could not stand together as if the glory of the body's and soules of the Saints could not stand together And
then againe Vse 6 If it be a new Covenant mercy it will be a spirituall thing though some may call it a carnall and a low thing yet it will be a spirituall thing the Lord teach us to waite upon him to looke up to him to trust in him to relye on him for there shall be a day of his kingdome our worke is to waite seeke pray and waite in these day's the Lord teach his people to goe along with him as the little Children at his entrance into Jerusalem cryed Hosanna Hesanna he rides upon a poore meane creature the foale of an Asse and the Children follow him crying Hosanna Hosanna so we should eye the Lord Jesus now in the meanest appearances and follow him crying Hosanna in the Highest this we should doe The Lord make us waite on him for his owne Time and that time is not farre off I cannot thinke its farre off because many thinke it a great way off it s an argument to me its neare for God comes upon his people when he finds not faith on Earth when Gods people say its farre off then its neare as when God sent Moses to tell the Children of Israel the Lord would deliver them but before deliverance thesentence of death comes and O say they to Moses Aaron what have you brought us to where is their faith now expecting deliverance at the hand of God Now it was worse with them than before and their bondage is encreased and their deliverance was thought further off O but then was the Lords time he Immediatly brought it to passe then was the Lords time come when their faith was gone So when David stood up first upon the account of his kingdome saith he to Abiathar Come with me and thou shalt be safe I am sure God will give me the kingdome though Saul be a Potent Enemy and mine Enemies many yet I am sure God will give me the kingdome but yet after that when Saul pursued him that he was forc't to fly out of one Hole into another Now saith he shall I perish one day by the hand of Saul then when he thought it thus farre off then the kingdome comes forth the hand of the Lord cutts off Saul and the kingdome Immediately comes to David As when the Children of Israel came out of Babylon they thought they should have all things then Jerusalem built and the Temple and all things but when they were about it building the Temple now a stop is put upon the worke and they cry The time is not for the Lords worke yet till that Haggai and Zachary tells them Now is the Time for building the Lords Temple As it is with private Christians in a doubting houre Saints usually conclude we are too forward for that time observe Then is Gods time they had faith at first and after their faith fayles from the worke and they said it was not time mark then was the time the Lord sends Haggai to tell them they liv'd in their Ceiled Houses and neglected Gods house O now was the time when they thought not of it And just so when Christ suffered on the Crosse We thought say the Disciples this was he that should have delivered us their hope was gone of any deliverance by him yet then was their Redemption at hand their Redemption comes forth Immediatly he finishes the worke of Redemption at that time so that to have faith struck dead is not an Evidence that the worke stands a great way off but that its neare and approaching surely the Lord will come forth in his Time and he is not farre from doing some great and glorious thing in the world Gods peoples faith is not grounded upon fancyes but they see and know that God is doing some glorious thing in the world he is overturning kingdomes and setting up the kingdome of his Son O that we could quietly looke up unto the Lord and waite upon the Lord Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with Trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry yee great ones of the Earth lest his wrath be kindled and you that follow the Lord O doe you rejoyce with feare and serve him with Trembling they that stand may fall O when was there such a falling as now shall be when the Lord saith I will arise to shake terribly the earth no History can paralel such shakings as have been in these last dayes therefore we had need take heed lest we fall and looke up to the Lord that we may stand Indeed it s a blessed truth what ever men may thinke of it so sure as my hand is upon this Bible so sure shall such a thing come forth in due time for as this is the true word of God of a true God that cannot lye so certainly it shall come to passe I have onely insisted on one particular the kingdome as a Branch of the new Covenant but to speake of the kingdome as it s held forth in the Word would take up a large time for there 's not any one truth hath more to be said from the Scripture for it than this of Christs kingdome for as the end of all is Gods glory so this is that concerns Christs glory there 's a vane of it running through the Scripture from the first promise made to Abraham to the last spoken of in the Revelation The Lord give us hearts to looke up to him for the accomplishing of it in his Time FINIS Signes of the Times MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times THese words are spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto a generation of men which came to him tempting him desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven in the first verse The Pharisees also with the Sadduces came and tempting desired him that he would shew them a signe from heaven The Pharisees and Sadduces they were in their Principles contrary and opposite one unto another and yet they can either of them very well agree and comply against Christ and both joyne hands and heads in tempting our Lord and their Temptation it ly's in desiring a signe from heaven our Lord Jesus he takes occasion from this to mind them of the signes of the times Can yee not discerne the signes of the times and lest that they should reply that these signes were so darke that they could not be knowne therefore our Lord labours to convince them and that from things that were of a more outward nature you say in the evening it will be faire weather for the skie is red and in the morning it will be foule weather to day for the skie is red and lowring O yee hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said what are yee not as wise in spirituall things as you are in Temporall are you not as wise concerning the
of Cyrus destroying of Babylon or in Alexanders destroying the Medes and Persians Monarchy or in the Romans destroying the Grecian Monarchy for that was a part of Gods decree as well as this what should the people therefore now sing Hallelujah's for more than in those times But because of the difference of the Instruments things now being done in a more holy sanctified way to a more pure end and there shall be more of the Image of God appeare upon those that shall doe this worke now and therefore they shall sing Hallelujah's otherwise the worke did not goe beyond the worke that had been done before Seventhly Reason 7 The Ruine of Rome or of the Beast it shall be so carryed on that this worke shall be a shaddow of the glorious kingdome of Christ of the kingdome of the Mountaine The kingdome of the Stone when it comes to smite Rome then shall be in it a resemblance as it were of the raigne of Christ and the glory of the kingdome of the Mountaine therefore it s said in the sixth verse And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thunderings saying Alleluja for the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth There shall be so much of the Majesty of God of the power of God of the purity of God so much of the Image of God upon his Children when that worke is done as that they shall now say the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth it could not be said Hallelujah the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth if the worke were done by a Company of carnall nations and yet this is before the end before Christs coming for after this appearance we have the Bride making her selfe ready and the kings of the earth come together to destroy the Bride preparing for her husband and then you have Christ coming forth in his fury destroying his Enemies and rescuing his Bride But before that day there shall be such a glorious appearance in the world and such power in the hands of the People of God that it shall be said when men look upon it the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth the Lord Jesus Christ who is king of the world and king of Saints raigneth therefore it shall be done by Saints as leading Instruments Eightly Reason 8 Looke through the old and new Testament where ever we have a description of the persons that shall doe the glorious worke of God at the last day and you shall ever find them described and characterized as Saints I shall give you but two or three places one is Zach 9.13 When I have bent Judah for me filled the Bow with Ephraim and raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece and made thee as th sword of a mighty man marke Raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece who are they that are raised up against the Sons of Greece that is against the Turish power as I shewed you formerly they are the Sons of Zion I will raise up thy Sons O Zion whereas there was in all the foregoing Monarchy's one earthly Power raised up against another when it comes to the very last time God raises up another manner of Power I will raise up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece So if you looke into Obadiah 18 21 verses And the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame and the House of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them and there shall not be any remaining of the House of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to Judge the Mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Saviours shall got up on Mount Zion who shall they be the House of Jacob and the House of Joseph shall burne up the Mount of Esau they shall Judge the House of Esau and then shall the kingdome be the Lords the universall kingdome of the Lord is not yet come in but here comes in the kingdome of the Stone the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame they shall burne up all the workes of the world and Saviours shall come up upon Mount Zion and Judge the Mount of Esau When all his Enemies are brought downe and become his footstoole then shall he come forth and take the kingdome and the kingdome shall be the Lords Sit thou at my right hand uneill I make thine Enemies thy footstoole then the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the mid'st of thine Enemies there 's the coming forth of Christ when his Enemies by his Saints are made his footstoole So likewise if you looke into Micah 4.11 12. Now also many nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye looke upon Zion This gathering of the nations is not after Christs coming but before and what then Arise and Thresh O daughter of Zion for I will make thine Horne Iron and I will make thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt beate in peices many people and I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Who shall arise and thresh arise and thresh O daughter of Zion shee shall have Hornes of Iron and Hoof's of brasse to beate all the Enemies of Christ into very chaffe and dust as it s said the great Image was ground to powder why its Zion the poore despised daughter of Zion she that they stood looking upon and said Let her be defiled let our eyes look upon Zion they stood jeering at Zion and saith God Zion I will make thee a trouble and a torment to them all come up Zion and I will make thy Hornes Iron and thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt breake all the nations to peices that now stand looking upon thee And in another place the Lord tells us Jacob is his Battell-Axe and weapons of warre so saith God Jer. 51.20 For with thee will I breake in peices the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes When he comes to worke his great worke in the world his faithfull Children shall be his weapons to bring it to passe Come to the new Testament and we shall see who God will make his Instruments to carry on his worke against the Beast Revel 15.2 And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the Harps of God And in the 6 verse And the seven Angels came out of the Temple having the seven last plagues clothed in pure and white linnen and having their Breasts girded with golden girdles They shall be pretious Instruments they shall have much purity and Holines and much of the Image of God upon them and much
consists of many parts oftentimes first second third and fourth lofts and yet these are so united and compact together as that they make but one building and there 's but one foundation so I may say In the spirituall building that glorious blessed building of our salvation it s a building that consists of many parts there 's the Eternall love of the Father free pardon and remission of sins comfort new obedience and the like and yet notwithstanding all these they are so compact as that indeed all make up but one glorious blessed building and there 's but one foundation to all and that is Jesus Christ the Lord of glory Other foundation can no man lay And as in building the foundation it s that which ly's at the bottome so in this blessed building of Salvation Christ as a foundation ly's at the bottome of all he ly's at the bottome of the fathers love and the fathers love built up upon him he ly's at the bottome of our Justification he ly's at the bottome of all our Comforts he ly's at the bottome of all our obedience and holines so that we are to understand by Christs being a foundation his being laid at the bottome of all that ever we have not onely at the bottome of our Justification that men will easily acknowledge but Christ is at the bottome of every dram of Comfort Christ at the bottome of every duty Christ at the bottome of every affection Christ at the bottome of every grace at the bottome of all we have so he is the foundation that what our soules would enjoy be it comfort be it holines be it Justification be it what it will Christ lying at the bottome of all is Christ's being the foundation 2. Quest In what respect is Christ said to be a foundation Ans I answer first Christ is a foundation in respect of the fathers having laid him for a foundation Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation Isai 28.16 I lay in Syon The father he lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation God knows no other foundation to erect that blessed glorious building that heavenly structure of our Everlasting Salvation upon but onely Christ that glorious building of grace and glory could stand upon no other bottome but Christ and therefore when the Lord comes to raise up this building saith he I lay in Syon for a foundation for a foundation I lay my Son as the foundation as the bottome of all he is the foundation God the father hath laid the father knows no other if we would have that foundation for our soules that the father judges to be the sure foundation and would have our comfort built upon that it must be laid upon Jesus Christ this is that foundation that the father hath laid Secondly Jesus Christ may be called a foundation in Respect to Gospel Revelation The Gospel reveales no other foundation but Christ looke over the whole Gospel of God from first to last and you shall find no other Corner Stone no other bottome stone but the Lord Jesus Christ onely Christ is the corner stone as the Apostle tells us upon which the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is built Eph 2.20 And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the cheife Corner stone the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets its here by the Apostle called a foundation but it s such a foundation as hath another foundation lying at the bottome of that Jesus Christ the Corner stone is laid at the bottome of this foundation Truth it s the foundation of our faith but the Lord Jesus Christ he is the foundation of truth that foundation that truth stands upon he is still the bottome foundation Thirdly Jesus Christ may be called a foundation In respect of his owne meetnes and fitnes every way to be a foundation Christ he is the most meete and fit of all others to be a foundation First He is a Stone as the Prophet saith I will lay in Syon for a foundation a stone you know if men goe to lay a foundation they doe not goe and gather up dust and rubbish that is no fit matter for a foundation but they goe and gather up Stones and lay them for a foundation so our Lord Jesus Christ he is a stone I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone so there 's a fitnes and meetnes in him for a foundation he is most meete for a foundation Secondly As he is a Stone so he is an Elect Choice Stone he is a fit chosen stone and therefore he saith I lay in Syon for a foundation a cheife corner stone Elect and precious he is a fit stone Men picke out of their best Stones for a foundation so he is a Stone pickt out by God himselfe when the Lord was to lay the foundation of this blessed glorious building of our Everlasting Happines God tooke a view as I may so say of men and Angells and he could not find such another Stone so fit for a foundation as the Lord Jesus Christ was he is a fit Stone But againe Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ He is a Rockie Stone so he is called in Scripture the rocke the rocke stone 1 Cor 10.4 And that rocke was Christ and they that are offended at Christ they are offended at the rocke Rom. 9.33 He is a rocke of offence they that smite against Christ smite against the rocke and therefore are broken to peices And on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind them to powder Math 21.44 Now the rocke stone is the greatest firmest and hardest Stone and therefore the fittest for a foundation And Christ being a Rocke he is most fit for a foundation Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ He is a Tryed Stone so saith the Prophet I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone a tryed stone that is a stone that there hath been proofe made of every way whether it would be fit for a foundation or no there 's great difference between stones there are some stones if you put them under the hammer they will breake to peices and there are some if you put them into the furnace they will melt or moulder But our Lord Jesus Christ he is a tryed stone a stone that hath been under the Hammer of the worlds rage and under the Hammer of Satans Temptations and under the Hammer of our sins and corruptions And he hath been in the furnâ—ce of his fathers wrath and yet he is a solid stone still he is a tryed stone and therefore fit for a foundation he hath been so tryed that the Lord saith of him he is a sure foundation I am sure saith God whatsoever is built upon my Son shall stand I am sure what ever soule what ever comfort what ever obedience stands there shall stand Fifthly The Lord Jesus Christ he is a Pretious Stone 1 Pet 2.6 Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone Elect and pretious he is not
a common stone but a pretious stone and indeed in this respect too he is very meete yea most meete and fit of all others to be a foundation There are two things in Christs being a pretious stone that doe make him fit to be a foundation First Thereby there is an Answerablenes in the foundation to the building if a building be very rich and made all of pretious pearle its fit there should be some answerablenes in the foundation to the building the new Jerusalem it s said of it it was of pure gold and the foundation of the Citty was of all manner of pretious stones there was an answerablenes in the foundation to the building so I may say this blessed building of our Salvation it s indeed builded that is made up all of pretious pearle there 's the blessed pearle of the fathers love there 's the blessed pearles of our Redemption Justification Adoption Sanctification the whole is made up of pretious pearle looke over every peice and part of it every thing that is in this building it s of pretious pearle Now the building it selfe being made up all of pearle therefore the foundation must be some glorious thing there must be an answerablenes in the foundation now therefore we have this pretious Stone laid in the bottome which indeed doth enrich the whole building and add's to every peice and parcell of it And then Christ being a pretious Corner Stone he is most meete for a foundation Secondly In regard That of all Stones pretious Stones are the most durable The Adamant or the Diamond which of all stones is the most pretious of all stones none so hard it will breake other things and will not easily be broken and cut other things and it selfe cannot without difficulty be cut Jesus Christ he is a durable foundation therefore there is not such a foundation in all the world Sixthly Jesus Christ He is a living Stone 1 Pet. 2.4 To whom coming as unto a living Stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and pretious he is a living Stone that is he is such a stone as hath life in it and by that life there is First A Cementing of the building to the foundation therefore a transforming the building into the nature of the foundation Now consider this and of all others Christ is the most fit for a foundation for by this Cementing the building to himselfe this building becomes unmoveable though the building be never so glorious yet if it can be taken off the foundation what would become of the glory of the building this is that that makes the building such a blessed building that it is so united to the foundatiō that there can be no removing of it off the foundation if the powers of Hell come and all the powers in the world come there can be no removing of the building off the foundation this is the blessed state of those soules in Christ herein is Jesus Christ most meete of all others for a foundation because so far as Christ is a foundation he doth unite the building to himselfe fixes the building upon himselfe that there can be no removing of the building from off the foundation Secondly Christ as he doth by this life that is in him Cement the building to himselfe so he doth transforme the building into his owne nature by sending up that life into the building that is in the foundation hereby the soule being transformed into the Image and nature of Christ it doth preserve the soule from rottennes and putrefaction you know how it is with living things they doe not dye they doe not rot and putrefie but they are dead things that rot and putrefie why now the Lord Jesus Christ by conveying of that life that is in himselfe and sending it up from himselfe into the building thereby the building is kept from rotting and putrifying that soule that is in him doth not rot and putrifie but take any other soule in the world and he doth rot and putrifie at one time or other if he doth not stand upon this foundation all his comforts all his enlargements will rot and vanish away at sometime or other Seventhly The Lord Jesus Christ he is one Stone it s not said I lay in Syon for a fountaine Stones but I lay in Syon a Stone one Stone now this add's to the excellency of the foundation if a foundation be of one stone it s a great deale the stronger Jesus Christ is one Stone and so the most meete for a foundation Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ is called a foundation In respect of beleivers being built upon him all those that are of the fathers building as every true beleiver is are builded upon this foundation Truly there are a great many in the world that goe to build up this building of Salvation and they attempt to build it themselves now what man or woman goes to build themselves it s with them as its with little Children they will goe to Imitate builders get a little dirt and clay together to build a little house but they neglect they never mind the foundation so it s with these soules they build themselves up they build their Justification and build their Comfort and build an obedience of their owne but they regard not the foundation if they can get something of Comfort and conformitie to duties and the like they never looke to the true foundation I am afraid that when the Lord comes to shake the world a great many will be found without a soundation but now all those that are of the fathers building they are built upon this foundation the father he builds like a wise Master-builder when he comes to build a house he takes speciall care about the foundation that that be laid firme and sure for saith he what will ye build if there be not a foundation laid so is it when the Lord comes to your soules to build you man or woman he lookes to the foundation I will lay their soules upon my Son saith God when God takes a soule into his hands the very first worke that he doth is to lay the foundation to see that Jesus Christ be laid as the foundation in the soule so that Jesus Christ may be called a foundation in respect of the fathers building of all beleivers upon him as a foundation Lastly Jesus Christ is called a foundation In opposition to all other foundations to all false foundations there are a multitude of false foundations in the world and in opposition to all the sandy and false foundations that we lay and that sometimes Satan lay's and that are not of the father's laying Christ is the foundation First Christ is a foundation in opposition to those vaine and empty hopes that some sinners have of amendment of life for the future Truly this cannot properly be called a foundation yet because there are a company of poore sinners in the world that goe on in drunkennes swearing whoredome
is of another kind its comforts are of another kind And this God brings all his to before ever they become fruitfull in a Gospel way for note here it may be the condition of a true childe of God as well as of the hypocrite to build too much upon these foundations yea to be building yeares together upon them and that too after true grace is wrought in his soule Abraham was a true beleiver and yet goes in unto Hagar the old Covenant and thirteene yeares together his heart run's upon her fruit and all his Expectations are from it But note this withall that till God brings a belever to this to make a more direct and Immediate close with Christ in the new Covenant he will be barren as to Gospel fruit Abraham had no fruit from Sarah till God had discovered to him that Hagar's fruit was not the fruit but he must yet looke for fruit from Sarah so a true beleiver will be barren as to Gospel fruit untill he is brought off from all other foundations and made to close with Christ in the new Covenant And indeed I thinke I may say that there never was a beleiver in the world but either before conversion or after he hath been brought under the old Covenant and there hath been a building upon such foundations for it is naturall to a soule under the old Covenant so to doe Quest 6. But when doth God lay Christ as a foundation in the soule is it in the first worke or change that is wrought upon a soule or afterwards Answ There is a twofold worke or change wrought upon many soules I say many because every one doth not passe under this double change First Legall which is a worke or change wrought by the power of the Law or by the Ministry of the letter for so the Apostle calls the Law 2 Cor 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life And I doe here expound the Law by the Ministry of the letter to the end we may not looke upon the Law as containing onely the matter of the ten Commandements and the promises and Threats annexed to these but indeed take the Law at large for the summe of that truth revealed either in the Scriptures of the old or New Testament which containes within it Doctrines Promises Precepts Threats c. so far as this truth comes to a soule and is received onely as a notion as it is the letter a voice of words c. so far it falls short of being Gospel which is a word of Power the Power of God unto Salvation a Ministration of the Spirit and life and is no other but the word of the Law that is a bare word without Power a killing letter to it And whatsoever worke or change is wrought by this word as it comes to the soule onely as an enlightening notion or directing letter discovering to a man his duty state c. or as it comes as a threatening terrifying voice of words driving the soule to that it apprehends to be its duty and making it for feare to seeke after a better state than it sees it selfe to be in for all this the word as its a bare letter or a voice of words may doe I say all this worke or change is no other nor better than a legall worke or change for it is a worke wrought by the Ministry of the letter by a voice of words it is the light of the bare letter and the terror of the voice of words that makes a man in his owne strength fall to working and accordingly the worke brought forth or the change produced hereby seeing it is no other but an act a worke a change performed by the strength of nature and not by the strength of the promise it can be no other but a worke of the flesh a child of the Law or old Covenant as was Ishmael and not of the promise or new Covenant as was Isaac Secondly There is an Evangelicall worke oâ— change which is that worke which is wrought upon the soule by the power of the Spirit in the word cutting the soule off from the dead stock of old Adam and ingraffing it into the living stock of the new Adam Jesus Christ And the very foundation of the worke or change is marriage-union with Christ The Spirit of God in the Word lays hold of a poore soule by an Almighty power and breakes it off from the old stock and in the same Instant ingraffs it into Christ Now by the engraffing there is a union and from this union a communication to the soule of that new sap and life that is in Christ and by virtue of this a glorious work and change is wrought in the soule new fruit new actions appeare in it Now observe the Fathers laying Christ as a foundation is not in the first worke which I call Legal for a soule may have that work as had Ahab Judas Herod Stony Thorny ground c. and yet perish for ever but so cannot any that Christ is the foundation of for if so then could not Christ be a sure foundation as the Prophet calls him Esay 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation a Stone a tryed stone a precious corner Stone a sure foundation But the laying of Christ as a foundation is in this second worke And the beginning of this is our union which is that thing by which we are ingraffed into Christ and so grow and beare fruit upon Christ as the stock or foundation when a soule hath this union from that moment is Christ his foundation but not before for what ever may be found in him or come from him before this union be it sorrow for sin Comfort obedience c. it hath not Christ for a foundation for how can Christ be a foundation to that soule or to any thing in that soule that is not united to him can we say such a thing is a foundation to such a building and yet the building be separate from that thing and standing upon something else not so Quest But the soule may say If there be this double worke and change and Christ is the foundation onely of the latter How shall I know whether the worke upon me be Legal or Evangelical that so I may know whether Christ be my foundation yea or no Ans This is a most difficult Question and the farther I consider it the more doth it beget matter of feare and trembling and the rather because those things which we ordinarily bring forth as evidences of the grace of God within us will not manifest this difference because there is not any one particular worke affection grace that flowes from the Gospel-worke upon a soule but that worke which is onely Legall hath the counterfeit of that worke grace affection c. not but that there