neglect of it must be a sin many has never laid the guilt of not entring in a personal particular express Covenant with God to heart readily there are some who have come under some general confused resolutions and possibly under some vows to God but to go and firmly state a Covenant wherein they indenture to accept of the offer of Christ in the Gospel and to bind to the terms on which the offer is made without altering of any of the terms how few take up this for a guilt yet certainly there is a great deal of guilt in it if ye shall take a view of the five or six Grounds that I brought this day fourthnight to prove the necessity of personal Covenanting with God Therefore without resuming any of them I do exhort all the multitude that are hearing this Sermon that they would be convinced that the neglect of this is a very provocking guiltiness against God yea it 's a mother sin and it 's a nurse to other sins if thou knew what it were personally to Covenant with God readily there would not be so much neglect of morning Prayer and Family Worship and there would not be so much liberty taken in your walk the bond of the Covenant would restrain thee nay it 's not only a mother sin and a nurse to other sins but it 's the highest affront that can be given to God who offers his Son in the Gospel and thou has never given a particular and personal acceptance of him SERMON XVI 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow AN Historical Faith such as the Devils have who believe and tremble will assent to this truth That God hath made a Covenant but it requires a saving and justifying Faith to put to these two word with it The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant I have handled the Doctrinal part of this great Duty of personal Covenanting and now I come to the practical part I began in the Forenoon with an Vse of Information of five or six Branches 1. Is it a Duty personally to Covenant with God then the neglect of it must be a sin every contrariety to a Duty is a Sin it 's indeed a sin of the highest degree however many that are challenged by a natural Conscience for other sins do not ponder it it 's a mother sin and an affronting of the Father in his Son But 2. If this personal Covenanting be a Duty then it 's no presumption personally to Covenant with God it is well observed by some practical Divines there are many things that it were presumption in us to require them of God but it 's no presumption to do them when they are commanded of God indeed for us to have dreamed of such a thing as that the Son should marry us that the Spirit should dwell in us and that we should have such a Covenant of Promises it had been presumption in us to require them but being made Duties it cannot be made presumption in us to obey them there are many stand at a personal Covenanting with God what so great a God so great offers as himself and his Son and to be made ruler over all that he hath but since his liberal heart hath not only offered them but hath commanded us under the pain of his displeasure it can be no presumption to obey though I confess it had been presumptive to require them 3. Is it a Duty personally and particularly to Covenant with him then it necessarly follows that our duty is our honour a very great priviledge what God to be our God and to be in Covenant with him to be able to take up the Bible and read that part of the verse which is agreeing to our case My Beloved is mine and I am his what greater priviledge than this Saul made an offer of his Daughter in marriage to David he was lately following his Fathers sheep Seemeth it a small thing to you says he to be Son in law to a King But the offer made it David's duty to imbrace the offer and the King's Command and his duty became his Priviledge And here ye would notice two Things by the way 1. That it is remarkable that the great duties of the Gospel are not meer Service but a Christians greatest Honour Believing delighting in God walking with him rejoycing in him are not meer Service but a Priviledge which is necessary to be observed by some who think if they win at their duties they are advanced to great honour and they take up the want of them as their Affliction these are thy Duty and the want of them is thy Sin But there are others that take up the duties of the Gospel as their duty but they go about them Toyling and Wrestling but they take them not up as their Priviledge and yet they are both woven through other and our Duty is our greatest Priviledge 4. If this personal Covenanting with God be a Duty then we are not to Disput whether we should enter in this Covenant or not commanded Duties should not be Disput he is not a Servant that thinks he understands himself so well that if his Master command him to go or to come that will stand and debate with himself whether it is most convenient for me to go or to come the Masters will is to determine him in this it 's ordinary for us we are more in disputing our Duty than in doing our Duty we are constantly debating this Question and that Question and our converse together is more in disputing than in helping one another to do but that which is duty should not be disput readily the adversary if one be about this Duty of personal Covenanting with God will bring in this and that and a third thing but not to lay by the duty yet to delay it but this is duty and it 's a notable evidence of a faithful Servant to his Lord and Master that will not disput his Duty but will make all the inquiry how he should do it 5. If it be a Duty thus personally to Covenant with God then we are not to stand on Events about our duty for where ever there is duty we are not to consider Events the great reason that Schollars give of this say they when God commanded the duty he foresaw the Events and it 's a reflection upon his Wisdom to think he would engage his People in Duty and not care for them in the Even some need not be careful about the Event why We are clear about our Duty Now if this personal Covenanting be as it 's proven to be a Duty for us to sit down and calculat as with Counters this will cost me so much doing and that will cost me so much suffering no in the matter of Duty
Covenanting with God it 's this they are like a Woman that is already married marrying another Husband They have made a covenant with death and with hell are they at an agreemet as ye heard cited from Isaiah 28. It 's true That is making lies their refuge as it 's called in that same place yet they cannot break that Covenant they cannot break the Covenant they have made with their Lusts sometimes they are inclining to break it they are oftentimes like a sleepy Servant in a house the Master calls him he will cry coming and immediatly falls a sleep again several times they will break that Covenant with their Lusts but that is but like the morning Dew or an early Cloud like Ephraims goodness it soon goes away they cry coming and then falls a sleep Now the great impediment of the generality that hinders them from personal Covenanting there is a Covenant driven and roved and subscribed and Sealed with Death and Hell and Lusts and they cannot break this Covenant they cannot shake it off Lastly It impeds the greatest part the generality their entering in this personal Covenant with Christ fear of difficulties if they shall Indenture with him they must resolve with the Cross they know indeed there is much good gotten with him but there is evil also there are Reproaches and Crosses as some of the Heathens professed to the Primitive Christians that they could imbrace the Gospel but they could not burn for it but as we have said where there is a Question about the duty we are to leave the Events to him that hath commanded the Duty for he hath commanded no duty but he foresaw the Events and will regulat them and yet ordinarily we cannot trust him with Events These things makes among many that may be brought that the generality of natural men and the generality of them that are living in the visible Church they rest on the Covenant of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord but to take them to consider their misery they are under by continuing in their natural estate and what intanglements from the World lyes in their way and what a difficulty it is to break the Covenant with Death and Hell and that they should leave Events to the Lord they cannot look through them therefore they go on in the house of their pilgrimage from twenty years old to thirty and from thirty to sixty and like sheep they are laid in the Grave and Death hath Dominion over them these are the impediments that the generality have lying in the way of personal Covenanting with God In the second place There are some that go an higher length beyond these that I have spoken to it may be they come under some implicit Covenant with God that dare never venture on an express formal stated Covenant with him either to subscribe with his hand or to lift it up as some that make personal Covenants will do or to open the mouth by some solemn engagement to him they dare not come this length and there are three or four things use to ly in their way and I would gladly cast up the Gaâ—es and remove the stumbling blocks that ly in their way 1. Sometimes before we can trust God we would have surer pledges from him than his Word It 's a difficult thing to live the life of Faith and very often his People would have some sense and experience before they can personally Covenant with God like Thomas he would not believe until he saw the print of the nails and yet he came at length to do it Thou art my God and my Lord says he this was a great injury done to him but he had to do with one that could soon forgive injuries it was a great wrong not to believe the Resurrection of Christ he had been often told of it before and yet I will not believe untill I see the print of the nails and put my hand in the holes of his side and readily many of his People before they Indenture and Covenant with him they would have some sensible Proofs and Experience of his Covenant I will not believe while I see the print of the nails before I can say my Lord and my God this was a great injury but he hath magnified his Word above all his Name and yet oftentimes when we think of personal Covenanting we cannot credit the Word of him who cannot lie This several times keeps back his People from personal Covenanting they can tell O! such a Covenant such a sure one and such Promises as are in it and made by a God that cannot lie O say they I see not the print of the nails the hole in the side and therefore they refuse personally to Covenant until they get such a measure of Sense It 's just that they go mourning over the want of it 2. Sometimes his People refuse thus to Covenant personally with him because they mistake the Work of the Law and the Conviction of the Spirit accompanying the Law frequently if the Law like a Sword put in the Spirits hand begin to wound they presently think there is no more for them but to dwell on sorrow or like Jacob if they should live to gray hairs they should go down to the Grave with sorrow for ordinarily the Spirit and the Law wound together and it 's strange to see the thing that Christ intends to drive to personal Covenanting with him should be the thing that should hinder us from it The great end why the Spirit takes the Law and convinces and challenges it 's no to drive us from the Covenant the great end of the Law is to be a School-master to lead us to Christ it was evil Logick in Peter to say Depart from me for I am a sinful man it was far more suitable to have said come to me for I am a sinful man this readily hinders many from coming to Christ and personally to Covenant with him they think it suits best with them to cherish the Challenges of the Spirit and Convictions of the Law and to dwell on them if it were to go to the Grave with no other Religion than what that hath produced altogether mistaking the design of the Spirit which is in all these Convictions and Work of the Law to drive us to a personal Covenant with him But 3. A third impediment that lyes in the way of this personal Covenanting it 's this many a time these who would go about it they account the things in the Covenant so far above them that they cannot offer to claim at them what say they God to be their God and Glory to be theirs himself to be theirs and to be made Ruler over all that he hath oftentimes this keeps many of his People from personal Covenanting with him they are like some weak eye that is dasled with looking upon the Sun the Sun is so bright the things offered in the Covenant are so great that in a manner they
Covenant and imbrace Christ on the easiest terms and thou shalt find thy Right to the Covenant confirmed by the Covenant to be brief thy desire of a right to the Covenant may be satisfied if thou will but add to thy desires the aceepting of the Covenant and imbracing of the offer put forth thy trembling hand and take the Covenant and thou shall find it satisfie thy desires as to thy right to the Covenant so there is none can justly except that the Covenant satisfies not all desires if they desire a right to the Covenant I tell thee again if thou will but accept of and imbrace this Covenant I make the offer to thee in his Name this day take it and it 's thine But to confirm it the better I will offer thee two or three things 1. If thy desire be of a right to the Covenant if thou accept of the offer thy desires shall be satisfied notwithstanding of all thy former guilt if thou have a desire of a right and an interest in the Covenant though thou were a Murderer a Whoremonger a Persecuter or a Blasphemer thou shalt have thy desires satisfied the Covenant excludes not thee but rather it tells thee though thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers yet return unto me 2. The Covenant will not stand at the weakness of thy faith if thou be one that desires a right to the Covenant and if thou accept of it though thou take it with a trembling hand and with a palsie arm though it be a trembling and shaking faith if thou have a desire to accept the Covenant there is in the Covenant that which will satisfie all thy desires though thy faith be but like a grain of mustard seed or a bruised reed or a smoaking flax if it be sincere it will satisfie thy desires if thou accept the Covenant But 3. If thou accept the Covenant it shall satisfie thy desires and satisfie thee as to thy right of it though thy faith be mingled with much corruption suppose thou cannot say I believe yet say I accept and let the next word be Lord help my unbelief 4. If thou will accept this Covenant thou shalt be satisfied in thy desires of a right to it though thou have no price in thy hand to give if thou have no money yet thou may buy without money it 's God that sells and he sells without money and without price so thou cannot say thou has no price to give for a right to it the Covenant may satisfie thy desires in that for the price is payed in the Covenant so I suppose the first Objection is satisfied for I have holden out the Covenant to be full containing all that 's in the Creature all that is in Heaven and all that is in God if thou shalt say it satisfies not my desires I desire a right to it and cannot win at it but as to the offer of a right and accepting of the least faith for all former guilt and a faith mingled with corruption and a faith that cannot buy because they have no money the Covenant dispenses with all these therefore if thou be not satisfied in thy desires of a Right the fault it 's not in the Covenant but in thy self for thy desires of a Right comes not to be satisfied but through the Covenat SERMON XXXIV 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow IT must be an excellent thing that can satisfie all our desires how vast are our desires and how unsatisfiable would ye then know what it is that satisfies all our desires the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and this is all my desire I was offering you some reasons why the Covenant satisfies all our desires I was entering to answer some Objections that would contribute to clear it I named one two or three more I will name you and then shall come to the Application Object 1. It may be objected in the first place that only can satisfie all our desires which being alone enjoyed is satisfactory take a man in Prison in Poverty in Contempt will the Covenant alone satisfie him have we not lawful desires after Meat or after Apparel and if these be nothing can the Covenant satisfie all desires for Answer to this ye shall notice three things 1. That all outward things in so far as they are necessar and we can only warrantably desire them in so far as they are necessar are promised in the Covenant it 's a rare thing for one to die of hunger thousands die of Surfeit and Gluttony where one dies of Hunger and yet the Covenant satisfies their desires are to necessaries 2. Ye shall notice suppose there were want of necessaries yet it 's accomplished and made up in other things Gold will compense Brass and Copper he that hath God and a Right to Heaven will hardly complain of the want of Health he corrected his word well that said there is nothing left me but God and but God said he and what would I have more 3. The Covenant alone it will satisfie all desires in regard it compenses and makes up any thing that we can desire that is wanting a remarkable instance ye have of this in the Bible Jacob he got the Blessing Esau he got the fat of the earth Gen. 27. Esau cometh to meet Jacob with four hundred men Jacob offereth him a present Gen. 33. Esau he refuses to take it I will not take it says he for I have enough take it my brother says Jacob for I have all now he had not the fat of the earth if he would have counted his whole Stock it would have but amounted to two Bands but he had the blessing God was become the God of Jacob he had seen God in a Vision at Bethel and God had blest him therefore he can say take it my Brother for I have all now he that hath all hath satisfaction to all his desires so the Covenant alone holding out Christ and the Father in our offer is alone satisfying Object 2. Another Objection may be made against this my heart desires says some the possession of the Promise the accomplishment of the Promise is not the Covenant my heart would have the accomplishment I would have the Peace the Joy the Consolation that is promised and I would be at the Heaven promised now how can the Covenant satisfie all desires it contains excellent promises indeed but it contains not the Peace the Heaven and the Joy promised and how then can it satisfie all my desires Answ For opening this to you I desire ye may take notice of three things 1. Ye must take notice that there is a twofold Inheritance or a twofold Possession there is a possession of the Promise and a possession of the thing
Covenant of Grace He not only saw no merit nor alluring motive but he saw us in a state of enmity yet that hindered him not to make a Covenant with us Thirdly To shew the Grace of this Covenant consider the great Blessings that he is content to promise and engage for in the Covenant far greater Blessings than in the Covenant of Works nothing contributes more to evidence it to be a Covenant of Grace than the consideration of the Blessings promised in the Covenant I suppose a man should take a Beggar or a Prince should take a Rebel and promise him his Life and make him his Kitchin-Boy and give him liberty of scour the Vessel and to turn the Rost it were much but if he Indenture with him that he shall feed him with Wine and Milk and Honey and Spices and give him Gold in his Purse and Eve-salve nay more if he Indenture with him to give him his Son in marriage nay to give him himself considering there is neither merit nor alluring motive for this the person is a Rebel a base and unworthy man in the Covenant of Grace the Lord hath taken this way to evidence the Grace of it to speak with reverence it 's impossible for him to promise greater things He is at the outmost of what he can do and Men and Angels admire of what He can do however He be infinite in Power yet it 's impossible to speak with reverence for the eternal God to promise greater things than Himself and his Son for all Eternity and that in such a way as the creature can be capable to enjoy so that considering the great Blessings of the Covenant not to speak of Pardon Peace and Communion and Joy but to promise Himself and his Son In the Covenant He promises to give His Son to suffer to be a curse and subject him to the lowest things except Sin that He could be capable of It is a great controversie betwixt us and Papists if He descended locally into Hell we deny it but we maintain that He had the equivalent of the Pains of Hell on his Spirit and that Article of our Bellef is to be understood of horrour of Spirit now to advance us to the greatest priviledges we can be capable of which are the enjoyment of Himself and his Son for all Eternity in the perfectest measure we can be capable of what a deal of Grace is in it Fourthly To evidence that it 's thus a Covenant of Grace consider on what Terms in the Covenant these great things are and indeed here especially lies the Grace of the Covenant any would think the Terms behoved to be very high considering the Glory of the Merchant and the greatness of the Marriage here is the matchless Grace of the Covenant the Terms on which all these are offered makes it indeed of Grace and in reference to the Terms I will offer these five remarkable Considerations that evidence it a Covenant of Grace 1. He that offers these Commodities offers them with a free Discharge of all bygone Debt If for the future the Covenant will be embraced this is a remarkable Article to evidence the freedom of the Terms there is no blasphemous person like Paul none that hath had seven Devils like Mary Magdalen there is no persecutor like Manasseh it 's supposed he was one of the most terrible persecutors of whom the Apostle Heb. 11. speaks of sawing asunder he sawed Isaiah asunder with a Saw no Publican like Matthew no denyer of Christ like Peter no murderer and adulterer like David no person of whatsoever guilt except one Sin He hath excepted the Sin against His Spirit but he is content in the Covenant if any embrace and take hold of the offers He will pass all bygones if there be accurat walking for the time to come 2dly It 's remarkable in the Terms that He requires no other condition but allanerly Faith and its Concomitants this is in effect as much as a free Discharge and ye shall not pay for it only humbly and thankfully accept of it Faith is altogether consistent with Grace suppose there were a great man would offer a Begger a Talent is it not an Alms and an Act of Grace if there be no more required of the Beggar but to take the Alms The Covenant of Grace runs in this Channel only believe accept of the Offer of my self and of my Son for all eternity and this is all that is required 3dly The least degree of this acceptance providing it be sincere and not counterfit the Covenant accepts of it if your Faith be as the Grain of Mustard-seed suppose it be never so small if it be not counterfit the Covenant accepts of it And lastly the Covenant accepts of it though it be mixed with much Corruption that poor man in the Gospel that came crying to Christ hath a kindly answer Help me Lord I believe help my unbelief Mark 9.23 My Faith hath a great deal of dross among it it is as large unbelief as Faith but Lord help my unbelief Now the Covenant that runs on these Terms is not this a Covenant absolutely of Grace But lastly to add no more it 's evident to be a Covenant of Grace if ye consider the way how this Covenant is followed it 's not only without merit and alluring motives it's not only made with fallen Man and not only with at innocent Man not only holds it out the greatest things God can give and on the freest Terms But lastly it 's evident to be a Covenant of Grace if we consider how He follows it I will name but three or four things how He follows it and they will evidence it yet further to be a Covenant of Grace 1. He is the first seeker and offerer of a Covenant any body would think that we should begin the motion for we were the men that had the toom hand and He had the full but yet He is the beginner and He may say of any when they are effectually called and brought under the Bond of the Covenant I am found of them that sought me not and sought them that asked not for me 2dly It 's remarkable in the way of following it that the persons whom He follows they are not only in all things equal with others but several times they are worse than others if ye take a view of them in their natural priviledges was not Esau Jacobs brother and the elder brother and had the Birth-right Yet Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Ordinarily these that he follows to bring under the Covenant are alike in all things two lying in one Womb two grinding at the Miln two on the house top yet He makes a Covenant with the one and passes by the other but often they are worse than others often-times ye will find them simpler than others they are the foolishest things things that are not yea sometimes they are very ignorant and that in the great things of
of the Covenant the order of the Covenant is we must first repent and then have pardon we must first have pardon and then have peace thou that presses the Covenant out of the order of it thou art not praying in Faith thou art tempting God and bidding him overturn the Covenant that is well ordered in reference to thy particular case and if thou hast never had the Promises of the first Graces thou wilt not get the promises of the second thou wilt never have peace until thou get a new heart and repent 2ly I will give you this Direction know that though there be not a proportional sorrow to your guilt nay though possibly ye can hardly discern it Evangelically yet plead the Covenant Some all their terrors or the great flood of them are in the beginning of their Conversion others get them in the progress of Sanctification many have their praying believing and reading mingled in with terrors if thou has a sound work the day thou art baptized it 's well or if he give thee thy terrors by drops after thou hast closed the Covenant it 's well 3. I exhort thee in pleading the Covenant if thou has been humbled enough and relyed on it and hast gotten any clearing of thy Interest in it make not a dayly dispute of thy Interest to it it were good when we have gotten any clearing of our Interest to lay down principles that we would walk by in the whole course of our life it 's sad to have God ay renewing our Evidences every day or then we will not only dispute them but deny them SERMON XL. 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow THE latter Words of this Verse I will now handle Although he make it not to grow The scope of them is to answer an Objection against Gods making a Covenant with David there were many Providences trysting David seemingly inconsistent with the Covenant as he had guilt in his house so he had Crosses and grounds of fears for the future all these are summed up in these Words Although he make it not to grow the word in the Hebrew is from a Root that signifies to sprout or bud some take it as borrowed from a Bird being with Egg Junius renders it non facit pulullare Montanus renders it non germinare facit both these Translations confirm our Translation that he doeth not yet make it to grow but like a flower in the bud or a bird in the egg in due time it will grow The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and though Providences answerable to the Covenant do not yet appear they will appear he will make them to grow although he make it not yet to grow Without insisting more to clear the words I will take two or three brief Observations and shall only name the two first and speak a little to the third and with it close the whole verse First Ye may remember it is implyed in this part of the verse that sometimes when we would lay claim to the Covenant Providences stand up to hinder us Doctrine It 's a most difficult pâ—t to believe the promises against the stream of providence remember the word Gideon answered the Angel any would have thought considering Gideon as a Believer and he is recorded 〈…〉 that spoke it The Lord is with thee thou valiant man when he was threshing his Wheat for fear of the Midianites if the Lord be with us says Gideon how is all this come upon us The providence that Israel and Gideon was trysted with made him doubt the Promise even out of the mouth of an Angel And here I would have you notice three things remarkable 1. Several times the Promise it seems to point a very direct cross way to the Providence of God the Providence will seem to be walking toward the east as it were when the Promise is walking to the Airt direct contrary so ye will find if ye take the strain of the Bible who would think but the godly should have prosperity should have answers of Prayer have many days of communion and fellowship that they want who would think but that the wicked should be broken having all the Plagues written in the Bible coming on them yet take this Bible both in the Promissory or Threatning Part of it and ye shall find the Promises as it were quite contrary to the Providence Asaph is corrected every morning and the wicked their eyes stand out with fatness Psal 73. 2. Notice this that it is a very ordinary thing for Satan in his Temptations to bring Providences against the Promise the Lord will give him a Commission sometimes as he did to Job take his cattel take his sheep and then take his Children and then he put his body in his power excepting only his Life and when he hath done all this he brings in his friends to call him an Hypocrite and brings his Wife to bid him curse God and die never gets the Adversary more advantage than when our back is at the wall under the cross and then he puts us to doubt of the Promlse Temptations never have such a back as when they are backed with Affliction so that as the Providence and the Promise seem contrary the Politick Adversary will take advantage of the Providence and put the Soul to doubt of the Promise 3. Note this that a Believer though he be called to live a life of Faith and to be endeavouring it yet he is strongly inclined to live a life of Sense there is nothing more natural to us than this of all the difflcult things that Luther found he professed it to be one of the greatest to trust in a correcting God and believe in a withdrawing God men have such an inclination to live by sense that the generality of the world for a long time were enemies to Christians on this ground O! say they they call us to believe in a crucified Lord and he that was not able to save himself is he able to save his People so since Providences go contrair to the Promise and since Satan will argue from providences against the promise and find his advantage in our nature to be inclining us so strongly to live by Sense and not by Faith no wonder it be a considerable Objection against the Covenant that he makes it not to grow This Truth if it were beat out might be singularly useful I believe many has found it that God's Providence and his Dealings with the Church hath inclined you to the opinion of Ranters that they are half Fools that will credit one Promise when they find all Providences rolling against that Promise and how many times are ye put to it in your particular case like Rebecca ye have the Twins struggling within you why
his Justice which of all his Artributes doeth most terrifie a sinner under accusations of guilt it will make it refreshing He who is Just is my God and his Justice requires not a double ransom being satisfied in my Cautioner Christ Jesus 1 John 1.9 If we confess our Sins He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness I shall close with an excellent Sentence of Reverend Mr. Dods to this purpose and it is this a person who can satisfactorily answer two Questions needs never be discomposed in what ever exigency and the Questions are Quest. 1. Whose art thou I am Gods by a Covenant-Relation Quest 2. Where art thou I am about my Duty These two were refreshing to Paul when near to be shipwracked Acts 27.23 The Angel of the Lord whose I am There his Covenant-Relation and whom I serve there he is at his duty That He who alone carrieth that title The God of all Consolation may make these Sermons refreshing to thee is the prayer of Thy well-wisher more willing than able to promove thy Comfort W. T. SERMON I. 2 Samuel 23. verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow I Purposed this Summer if the Lord give time to have handled some of Chr'ists select Names but have now resolved before I come at them to handle the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25. I shal in the entry of it beg of God that he may be with us in going thorow the handling of it and I obtest you as ye would not have his Covenant a Witness against you seriously to ponder and to feed by what ye shal hear spoken about it I could not find one verse in all the Bible wherein the nature properties and effects of the Covenant were more briefly summed up than in this verse Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure c. For understanding the meaning of the words the first verse of the Chapter tells us that they were the last words of David the Son of Jesse imitating Jacob Gen. 49. and Moses Deut. 32. making their Testaments and shewing what were their greatest encouragements when they were dying he remembers some old experience of God toward him that he was the man whom God had anointed and lifted up and made the sweet singer of Israel and v. 2. The spirit of the Lord spake by me he likewise encourages himself in Christ whom he describes in the fourth v. I confess there are some Interpreters apply the words in the fourth v. to Rulers because of a word in the third v. but the current of Interpreters understand them of Christ And he shall be as the light of the morning when the Sun riseth even a morning without clouds as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain a notable similitude expressing the sweetness brightness and fruitfulness of Christ so that after he has mentioned these two great encouragements in the verses that we have read he pitches on that which secures all his other encouragements David had a very sinful house there was murthers in it and incest in it of Amnon and Tamar there was adultery in it and lying and a number of evils and when he was a dying he reflects on what had been in his house and the result is my house has not been so with God Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant c. Which words though some refer them to Christ who yet was not sprung out of the root of Jesse but was to be exhibit in the fulness of time yet I rather take them as relating to David's personal case as ye shal hear when I come at it This being briefly the scope of the words I will not be able in the work of this day to enter on them or to take them up in particulars I will only take one general Observation from the scope of the words and I look on it as a notable Porch and Introduction to all the Sermons that are to follow on the Covenant and of the order and sureness of it and all the rest of the ingredients mentioned in the Text. The Observation is this That one of the greatest of encouragements at death and when a man is about his last words is to have an interest in the everlasting Covenant These are the last words of the Son of Jesse and there is his greatest encouragement My house is not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant c. Whether we understand by house the house of his Body or of his Family or of his Kingdom as some do or whether we take it in all the Three he had grounds of fear from them all but the great encouragement when he is speaking his last words is taken from his Interest in the everlasting Covenant This Observation is the very scope of the words when all things are bidding us adieu and when we are quiting all our Charters and Lands and leaving them to others to possess an interest in the everlasting Covenant is a great encouragement then it 's remarkable Heb. 11. and two last verses of the chapter All these having obtained a good report through faith received not the promises God having provided some better thing for us Mark here now what was the encouragement of all these Cloud of Witnesses when they came to die it was their Faith in the Covenant they died in Faith and obtained a good report through Faith not ha-obtained the Promises but believing it For clearing of this I will Premise two things to make way to the confirming of it 1. An interest in the everlasting Covenant is of absolute necessity through the whole course of our Life there are four or five things will evince this 1. The Covenant is the Light and guide of a Believers Life Isai 42.6 and 7. v. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thy hand and keep thee and will give thee for a Covenant to the people for a light to the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house Mark how the two go together he is given for a Covenant and a Light for if it were not upon the account of the Covenant we would not know how to set down one step in our way to God 2. The Covenant and an interest in it is the door by which we come to know that we are translated out of nature into a state of grace therefore Isaiah 56. Every one that
keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer and their burnt-offerings and sacrifices shall be accepted on mine Altar And Ps 50.5 Gather my Saints together to me that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice In effect the closing with the Covenant is our effectual calling 3. The Covenant is the Foundation of all the Relations and Consequences of all the familiarity grounded on these Relations betwixt God and his People The ground why we call him my God and my hope my rock my husband my Lord the ground of all these Relations and Familiarity founded on them is the Covenant 4. The Answer of all Challenges nay of all Temptations comes also from the Covenant Ordinarily Challenges proceed from the Law and the Threatnings and Curses of the Law The best answer to them is we are not under the Law but under Grace which is in effect to say we are under a Covenant of Grace Lastly 〈…〉 great help to perform Duty is the Covenant if we be commanded to repent to pray to believe to suffer we must always run to some Promise of the Covenant for strength and it is remarkable there is no Command in all the Law but in the Covenant there is some Promise relating to that Duty and strength for performing of it is holden out in the Promise for in effect if we look after Light or clearing in our effectual calling or if we would lay a sure Foundation of either an interest in or familiarity with God or hold off Temptations or Challenges or have strength to perform Duties it 's necessary in the whole course of our Life that we know our interest in the Covenant but this is especially necessary at death which before I yet confirm I will add one Caution which is this That it may fall out that a person with whom God hath made an everlasting Covenant ye◠they may be unclear about their interest in the Covenant when they come to die they cannot say among their last words the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant among many things there may be these Three that may have influence in the darkning of ones interest in the Covenant at Death and when they are about their last words 1. When one has been given much to doubting in the whole course of their Life readily God may give them though not a Hell for it yet he may give them a flood of it at their Death he loves to write their sin on the chastisement therefore often as Adonibezek said when they caused to cut off his Thumbs and his great Toes threescore and ten Kings having their Thumbs and great Toes cut off gathered their meat under my Table as I have done says he so hath the Lord required me Judges 1.7 Frequently the sin of folks Life he loves to write it on their end so he does with Pharaoh when he desired to be honoured by him he hath this sin among many he would have all the Males of the Children of Israel drowned and Moses also was laid out to be drowned until Pharaoh's daughter found him and what is his end he is drowned in the red-sea the great predominant sin of his Life is written on his end when the life is full of doubtings readily like Pharaoh he loves to write their sin on their chaslisement 2. One may be darkned about their interest in the Covenant at death because of some un-repented guilt and however that guilt shake their interest in the Covenant it may shake their clearing about it often at death it comes to be as it was with Joseph's Brethren when he is giving order to bind them and they looked for nothing but death all that is come on us us say they because we heard not the cry of our Brother It 's observed that we never read a word since the day that he was let down into the pit that any of them was challenged for it and when they are in Egypt they cannot discern Joseph to be their Brother nor can they have any hope from him the reason is they had not repented for letting him down into the Pit readily un-repented guilt has great influence on the doubting of ones interest in the Covenant at death however David was guilty of Murther and Adultery yet he penned the 51 Psalm and had his bones broken for it therefore at death he can say the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant c. 3. One comes to be darkned in their interest in the Covenant when either by Gods providence or their apprehension there seems to be an inconsistency with the Promises of the Covenant take for instance Josiah there is a special Promise made to him by Huldah the Prophetess when he sends to her after the reading of the Law thou shalt go to thy grave in peace before the captivity come on who would have thought that Josiah would die in Battel and be killed by Pharaoh-Necho in the valley of Megiddo after he had such a Promise Take again for instance the fifth Command Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And yet many are taken away in the strength and vigour of their youth they can hardly reconcile the Providence and the Promise or then it is so in their apprehension our discouraged Spirits at Death are like these that look through black spectacles we misconstrue Providence every thing appears black through these Spectacles while it 's white Now readily one of these three either some un-repented guilt or some Providence at Death that seems not to agree with the Promise or the absolute Soveraignity of God may produce a great cloud about ones interest in the Covenant when they are at their last words yet notwithstanding of both these Cautions the point holds firm that it 's a great encouragement at death especially to be able to assert an interest in the everlasting Covenant To confirm this in general I will speak a word to these three 1. I desire ye may take notice of the Tenor of the Covenant 2. Take a view of the knowledge of an interest in this Covenant and 3. I shal consider both the Covenant and an interest in it as trysting with death and a Believers last words and these three will discover what a priviledge an interest in that Covenant is when it 's discerned at death First Take a view briefly of the Tenor of the Covenant 1. The Covenant is a Transaction betwixt God and man about mans greatest concernments it concerns his Soul and that is the choicest part of him it concerns his Eternity nay the Covenant as ye will hear it concerns two Worlds this present World and that which is to come for godliness has the promise of this Life and that which is to come the Covenant concerns the Soul and the greatest interests
1. There must be consent to all the Articles by both parties And 2. There must be Obligations to secure the consent for the future otherways variable Creatures like us if there were not a penalty and a curse put into the Covenant what would our consent signifie Now both the two are necessar in Transacting of all these four sorts of Covenants in all the Head and Articles of it First There must be consent of parties to make up the Covenant Secondly An Obligation trom the hazard or curse in case that insent be past from and here I will speak a little of the Consent that is necessary to make up this Covenant I need not speak of the Consent on Gods part I will evidence to you the most hearty consent that ever waâ— given to a Contract on His part by these three things First He committed the drawing of the Govenant to the Mediator It 's true the Prophets were the Pen-men and Secretaries but the Mediator was the Inspirer of all the Articles now it was an evidence of His hearty consent that He committed the drawing of the Covenant to the Mediator and t is Glory is a thousand times more advanced by the Covenant of Grace than it was by the Covenant of Works all the payment He would have gotten from Adam was nothing to the payment he hath gotten from His Son if all the Angels if all the Sons of Adam had met together to do Him service they would not all make up such a piece of service as he got from His Son the Man that was His Fellow 2. His consenti's all along declared in the Scripture why has He penned this Bible and appointed his Ministers to Preach and press it on people if He were not serious in his designs Why makes he such protestations As I live I delight not in the death of sinners Why weeps he when his offers are refused as he did over Jerusalem if he had not given his consent in the Covenant 3. The Mediator that drew the Covenant and sealed it by a Testament with His Blood of all the persons that ever were received into Glory He received Him in the greatest Triumph when he welcomed His first-born Son to Glroy He set Him down on His right hand and bade all the angels worship him If He had not done Him the greatest Service would He have used Him so And would He had so great pleasure to have them singing Worthy worthy is the Lamb But all the matter in making up the Covenant is about our Consent to the Covenant now a Christian gives his consent to the Covenant and thereby in all the four Heads makes it to be a sure and fast Bargain First We give our consent to the Covenant in the second Adam as we gave an implicite consent to the Covenant of Works in the first Adam so we gave a consent to the Covenant of Grace in the second Adam Here you would take notice that though the Covenant of Grace be made with all Believers and every particular Believer may make use of it as if it were only intended for him yet the principal Parties Treating the Covenant are the Father and the Mediator the Covenant of Grace is especially made with the Mediator now when the Messiah giveth His consent and accepts of the Covenant as a Publick Person standing in the room and supplying the place of all the Elect we gave our consent in Him and the truth is there is never a Christian that comes to be backward to imbrace the Covenant or that after they had imbraced the Covenant breaks it but in a manner they say that Christ consented to more than they will stand to for as the Father in Baptism binds the Son to the Covenant so the Mediator as a Publick Person standing in the room of all the Elect the Father had given His consent and the Mediator had given His consent to the Covenant in all our Names and has engaged to get our consent as a Husband may consent for the Wife or the Parent may consent for the Child that is a Minor so doeth Christ as a publick Person consent in our Name and who ever break the Covenant they as it were flee away from our consent of the Covenant Transacted betwixt the Father and the Mediator Secondly We give our consent to all the Articles of the Covenant in our Baptism A Christian before he can be engaged to other Lovers the Lord keeps him as it were from the Womb he will give him his Name the Seal of the Covenant it 's true the Parent binds for the Children as men may make Bonds binding their Heirs so they have a warrant to bind for their Children to God There are two consents we give and both of them are implicite our Parents binds us to be Christ Friends in Baptism to buy of him gold fine linen and to accept of him for our Lord to marry him and to have nearest Union with him and the sweetest Communion that may be enjoyed But there is a two-fold explicite consent that we give to the Covenant First It 's an explicite consent when we accept of the external Priviledges of the Church the Word and Sacraments when we accept of these and state our selves Members of the Church the very accepting of the Priviledges is a consent to all the Articles of the Covenant a person that is not resolved to be serious in taking the Covenant on all these four Heads had done better not to have accepted the Priviledge of the Church the very accepting of the priviledge to go to the Church to get your Children Baptized to come to the Table of the Lord is as much as to say I will stand to what the Mediator Treated and what my Parents did engage to when I was Baptized 2. We give this explicite consent either in the Sacrament of the Supper or at any time that a Christian comes under a personal Vow both of these are express consents so that though it may be as ye will hear the consent be not cordial for there are many kinds of consents to the Covenant though I say the consent be not cordial yet it 's enough to bring thee under the curses of the Covenant though it bring thee not under the blessings of the Covenant thou has neither a Covenant of Friendship nor a Covenant of Traffique the Mediator gave his consent and thy Parents gave their consent and in they accepting of the Priviledges of the Church and the Sacrament of the Supper thou gave thine and though they bring thee not to to be married to the Mediator yet they may bring thee under the Curse of the Covenant for when it may be thou replyes thou did not give thy consent to the Covenant but thy consent was given in thy accepting of the priviledges of the Church or when thou came to the Sacrament of the Supper or came under a personal Vow and in this consent either we accept and cordially imbrace the
me a Covenant These four ly all in the Text. The first particular holds out the Author of the Covenant the Lord is the Maker of it as he is the maker of Heaven and of Earth so it is he that made the Covenant the word is Emphatick in the Hebrew it 's true it 's not the proper word that signifies to creat yet some Criticks think it 's sometimes used for creation The Lord hath created with me a Covenant yet I take it as it 's rendred in our Translation and in this Sermon I will speak a little to this Doctrine Though the benefit of the Covenant redound to us yet we were not the makers of it but God made it it has the smell of his Hand in it and the making of it is frequently in Scripture ascribed to him Isai 55.3 Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Jer. 31.31 It shall come to pass in these days saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their Fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt but this shall be the covenant after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people Constantly throughout the Scripture the making of the Covenant he takes it to himself as the Author of it and the efficient cause of it this Branch of the Verse is considerable for the truth is we had no hand in the making of the Covenant of Grace it was allanerly himself the Lord made it with me That I may clear this Branch a little to you I will dwell on these three things First I shall enquire into what respects the Covenant may be said to be made by the Lord. 2. I shall give you some Grounds to evince that in all these respects that it was made and only could be made by him And 3. shall apply it Quest First In what respects the Covenant may be said to be made by the Lord I shall desire that ye may notice these four or five particulars here Answ 1. The contrivement of the Covenant in all the Heads Clauses and Articles of it was allanerly from him it was he that contrived it in all the Clauses and Articles of it the truth is it contains a design very suitable to his Wisdom if ye will take a view of three mysteries into it ye will find it proceed from the depth of infinit Wisdom 1. If ye will take a view of the Truths in it O! such strange Truths one Person to be both God and Man How difficult was that to reconcile He was Maries Son yet Maries Maker that he was David's Son yet David's Lord What a strange Mystery is that in the Covenant that Christ should be altogether free of sin and yet justly suffer for sin The great Mysteries in the Covenant in reference to the Truths holden out in it evidence that the contrivement of it could only proceed from God 2. If ye will take a view not of the Truths only but of the Duties required in the Covenant What a number of strange Duties are contained in it that would never have entred into the heart of Man Numa Pompilius that gave Laws to the Romans Lycurgus that gave Laws to the Lacedemonians Solon that gave Laws to the Athenians their Laws never dreamed of Believing and being saved by anothers Righteousness such Duties as taking up of the Cross denying our selves walking by anothers strength and doing all that we do by a Spirit of Promise Would ever Natures Light have reached these Duties of the Covenant So take a view of these and ye will find that the contrivement of it could only come from God 3. Take a view of the Persons admitted to the Covenant if we had a secret to communicat readily we would chuse not the simple or the foolish or babes to communicat it to we would pitch on the Learned on the wise on the prudent but the Covenant is so contrived that the Truths of it are the greatest Mysteries one Person to be both God and Man and that Person to be both the Son and the Maker of his Mother that the Duties of it are strange one to Live by anothers Righteousness and that all these things should be revealed to babes and things that are not and that the learned and wise and prudent should be passed by such a contrivement had it proceeded from any man or angel it had justly been accounted the most ridiculous and strange fancy in the World as a famous Antient said of Christianity that if he were not perswaded it immediatly proceeded from God it would be the Religion of any that ever he heard that he would be furthest from Believing therefore the Covenant is from God for the contrivement of it in all the mystical Truths of it in all the Duties it requires and the persons to whom these Duties and Truths are communicat evidences it to be from God Secordly As the contrivement of the Covenant is from God so the Terms of the Covenant are made by him he not only hath made his own but our Terms before we were the Covenant was and in some respect it was from Eternity from Everlasting and before ever we were capable to give our consent he ordered both his own Terms and ours Quest Readily ye will say Was not this an injury to us that he should make the Covenant so as to make our Terms as well as his own Answ For Answering this ye may remember some Sabbaths ago I opened to you That it was a Despotick Covenant such as is made betwixt Prince and Subject Master and Servant Land-lord and Tennents that he is absolute Lord and hath power to give Laws 2. Take notice that Christ the Mediator hath represented us in the Covenant and so we had him like a Commissioner in a Shire having a Commission to go to Parliament and giving his Vote for the Shire he represents that Shire from whom he hath the Commission So we had a representative in the person of a Mediator in the Covenant 3. The Terms are made so as it was impossible to imagine them to be more to our advantage could there be an easier Clause put in than that we should accept This is is all that is required on our part that we shall consent now since the coutrivement of the Covenant and the Terms on which it runs proceeds both from God it may justly be said that he hath made the Covenant Thirdly He is said to have made the Covenant in regard the furniture for doing our part of the Covenant proceeds also from him whatever is necessary on his part or our part and the truth is he stands on both sides of
the Well all that we can do adds nothing to his Essential Glory now it 's strange that he should make such a Covenant and that all the advantage should redound to us and not to him except what is Declarative 2. The damned Angels they had many grounds to have pleaded a Covenant with him rather than we they were more noble Creatures and whatever was their sin it is generally thought to be pride though it be difficult for us to determine for they aspired to be as God so we are guilty of the same sin the Serpent tempted Eve to eat the Apple and be like God and so we were guilty of the same sin the Angels were guilty of Now that he should make a Covenant with thee and not with them is strange 3. The foundation of this Covenant and there was no other possibility of making it in the strain it runs on it was to be laid in the Blood of his Son O! how many ways would man have taken to have shifted the bargain if the bargain could have stood no other way but on the Blood of their Children yea though the advantage was all to be ours and we were as ill deserving as the Devils and that he saw there could not be such a bargain driven for our pardon our peace and our Heaven but it behoved to be laid on the Blood of his Son yet he drew the Covenant contrived it as it is this day O! ye should pray that ye may be able to comprehend the height the length the breadth and depth of such a Covenant SERMON X. 2 Samuel 23.5 Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow WE were neither the Contrivers nor the Treaters of the Covenant of Grace the Lord made it The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant I shall say no more of his making of it since it is so evident that neither Men nor Angels had no hand in it and since it savours of infinit Wisdom we may very rationally ascribe it to the Lord The word Jehovah is one of the greatest Names he hath which fitly comes in here when David is to speak of the Covenant The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant To say no more then of his being the Author Contriver and Orderer of the Covenant I come to speak of the Parties that enter in this Covenant The Lord hath made with me In the handling of this I shall consider the persons first something more generally and then I shall consider them more particularly and personally readily I will dwell some Sermons on this branch of the Verse First The general consideration of this I will not dwell on it I have spoken several things when I entred on the Verse of the Lords condescendency to make a Covenant with the Elect only I would have you notice four things about it 1. The Name Lord it is here not to be taken Personally but Essentially as including all the three Persons of the Trinity so that in effect in making the everlasting Covenant all the Persons in the Trinity became our Covenanted Parties each of them have their distinct Work in fulfilling the Covenant the Father hath his Work the Son hath his and the Spirit hath his work and the truth is when we Covenant with God so far as we can reach there ought to be a distinct eye had to each Person of the Trinity who though they be One in Essence yet there are three distinct Persons M. Durham in his Treatise on the Revelation makes a question which I will not determine Whether in Prayer a Christian be obliged to eye distinctly every Person of the Trinity But sure I am in Covenanting with God since we find distinct actings ascribed to the Father Son and Spirit in the Covenant there is great need to eye the several Blessed Persons of the Blessed Trinity the Name Jehovah is common to them all so that in effect David's party with whom he Covenanted when this everlasting Covenant was made it was not the Father or the Son Personally considered but all the Persons of the Blessed Trinity each of them in the Covenant as they have their distinct works and operations in bringing the Elect to Glory so they all become Debtors to their own Faithfulness for accomplishing the things of the Covenant which they made with David 2. Take notice that this taking up of God essentially the Lord or Jehovah there is implyed as ordinarly the Name is used by the word Jah as Psal 68.4 Extol him that rides on the Heavens by his name Jah which is a Compend of the name Jehovah and is retained in our English Translation the taking him up under this name Jehovah holds him out as not only Faithful and True to his Promise in the Covenant but as abundantly able to accomplish his Promise in the Covenant It 's very pleasant to consider the Parties that made the Covenant all the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity holden out under the Name Jehovah thou that hangs by the Promise in the Covenant why goest thou with thy hands on thy loins constantly moving discouraging Questions and saying One day or another I shall fall by the hand of Saul Is not the Party Covenanting Jehovah Is he not known to thee by the name Jehovah He was not so known by the Tribes of Israel It 's remarkable in the beginning of the Belief the first Article of it I believe in God the Father Almighty He is not like a Father If his child ask bread of him he will give him a stone for he is a Father that will not beguile you but many Fathers are not willing nor able though they be willing but he is both able and willing to help he is Almighty It 's a remarkable beginning of the Commands I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage I am the Lord God I am Jehovah the taking him up thus as Jehovah is a necessary consideration David made many Covenants with Princes that were about him and he made many Covenants with his Subjects but he never made one like this the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant But 2. The taking of him up under this name the Lord and considering this Covenant in the general it is indeed astonishing that he should have made a Covenant with men take but a view of these three or four things and ye will find that the Lord and me to come under a Covenant together is exceeding strange First Consider that he is the God that gave Man who was lately nothing a Beeing O! they are words of wonder that he comforts his Church in a sad case with by the Prophet Isaiah Thy Maker is thy Husband Ye heard it was a mystery in the Covenant
Maries Son yet Maries Maker It is no less a mystery a Husband and yet our Maker to make us and then to marry us is it not wonderful And that is imported in The Lord hath made with me 2. If ye consider that by vertue of his creating he had a Right of Dominion he needed no more but Command and Threaten for he being our Maker and Preserver he needed no more he had a right to Command and Threaten he needed say no more but do not eat of the tree for is the day thou eats thou shalt die as he did with the first Adam but that he should lay by his Dominion and come as we were equals and treat a Covenant nay when it was treated the Person that represented us was his equal he was the Man that was his Fellow and thought it to robbery to be equal with God Philip. 2. Now that he should treat a Covenant with us as Abraham did with Abimelech how strange was this since the Parties were not equal 3. Had it been a Covenant of Works he had treated it had suited some way to a Command and Threatning but to treat such a Covenant the Lord Jehovah with us is wonderful Who of us would take a Dog or a Worm and Indenture with it to give it our own Bed and in a manner prefer it to our own Children The truth is he seemed to do this when that we might be healed he laid the stripes on him he was made a curse that we might be made righteous he was made sin that we might be holy But Lastly This Covenant was made with lapsed Man he could not promise to himself from us the thing he could promise from Adam for however Adam was under a possibility of falling yet that was all it seemed very improbable that so light a Temptation would make him break the Covenant that he had made with God but the imaginations of our hearts are evil continually it is since he made that Covenant frequently the complaint is I am pressed under with their iniquities as a cart is pressed under with sheaves And I am broken with their whorish heart So consider his being our Master and consider the Dominion he had on that account and consider that the Covenant is made with lapsed Man and that it is a Covenant of Grace it is in effect one of the greatest wonders in the Bible The Lord hath made with me c. O! learn to admire the condescendency of Grace it is a wonder that we are not oftner telling it to others and that we spend not more time when we meet in discoursing of it but this general I will not insist upon I will consider this transaction of the Covenant personally more particularly it 's remarkable David doeth not say he made with the Elect whereof I am one or he made with the Church whereof I am a member but the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant he takes it and applyes it personally to himself I had long time a design to speak to this Head of personal Covenanting with God I judge it one of the great duties of the Gospel and that which will contribute as much to lay a restraint on sin and to excite to duties as any mean that a Christian can follow therefore I intend to dwell some Sermons on it I shall make some entry on it now and shall take this Proposition to be handled Doctrine 1. That though the Covenant of Grace be generally made with the Mediator and with the Elect yet every believer should make it personally they should be at the Lord made with me It 's remarkable when God first entred in this everlasting Covenant he indeed published it generally to all the seed of the Woman that is to all the Elect who were comprehended under the Mediator who was the seed of the Woman and not of the Man yet afterward ye find it is personally made with Abraham Psal 105. it 's sworn to Abraham and confirmed to Isaac with an oath and afterward it 's particularly confirmed to Jacob and here it 's renewed to David it 's indeed a general Covenant made with the Mediator for all his Members yet often ye find God treating it with Abraham and again it is not enough it be made with Abraham but he must treat it with Isaac and confirm it with an Oath and over again he must treat it with Jacob importing he must not only make it with the Fathers but with their Children there are many that he hath made a Covenant with their Father and Mother but they are not in it themselves they can say the Lord hath made an everlasting Covenant but they cannot say the Lord hath made it with me therefore the Lord will manage this Covenant first with Abraham and afterward he will treat it personally with Isaac and confirm it with an Oath and renew it again with Jacob. But to follow this Head of Personal Covenanting with God I would have you notice this Caution in the beginning of it Caution That the Covenant of Grace is but one Covenant the same Covenant for substance that God made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob We must not think there are as many distinct Covenants as there are distinct persons that enters in that Covenant there is but one Sun and every one may have enough of light from that one Sun and a Ray of that Sun comes in at his own Window if he cast open a Broad of his Window though it be the common Sun that serves all the Kingdoms of the earth So it 's the same general Covenant made with the Mediator every particular person is to open his Window-broad and let in a suitable Ray of that Covenant to his case and particularly and personally apply it to himself We are not to think as Arminians say that God hath made a general Covenant with all the Elect but for particular persons he hath left a blank to be filled up when they believe and repent they say this same of Redemption they make general acts of Grace to be conditionally accomplished especially if they believe the Lord when he indented the everlasting Covenant he set down not only Abraham Isaac and Jacob's name but thy name if thou wilt consent Nay what do I say if thou consent he filled up thy name being an Elect and engaged to effectuat thy consent so we are not to think that there are as many Covenants as there are distinct persons it 's one general Covenant like as it is one Sun that affords light to all the World yet every Believer and Elect is personally to Indent for himself and to apply the Covenant and to apply the promises on the Fathers part but he hath bound himself to the duties of the Covenant on his part And in the general this personal Covenanting takes in three things I confess the third of them is not a proper act of Covenanting yet it is necessary to the making of it up 1
many to enter in this Covenant personally they are exceedingly afraid that their guilt be greater if they break I consfess it 's justly to be feared but that same Argument should hinder thee from being Baptized and from going to the Sacrament of the Supper wherein thou renews a Covenant with him the same Argument that hinders thee from covenanting with God hinders thee from these two but would ye think it a good arguing if a man were like to drown in a Well and one let down a Rope to him and bid him take hold of the Rope and it will bring him up if he should argue I dare not take hold of the Rope for fear when I near up the Rope break and my fall be the greater But I say unless thou enter in a personal Covenant with God and accept of the Covenant of Grace and apply it to thy case thou art arguing as the man in the Well that will not take hold of the Rope for fear when I am near up 〈◊〉 get the worse fall 3. It hinders some from covenanting with God they would have some Arles in their hand before they trust him saith one I would Covenant with him personally if he would give me a fill of Sense and would take me to the Banqueting-house and cast his Banner over me and give me that soul-delight that he gives to some but they do not remember it 's a reflection on him not to trust him without something in hand Take heed to this Covenant and hang upon his promise and if thou should never be able to sing the Lord hath filled my hand with sende all my life thou has a nobler song to sing The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant 4. It hinders some from making a personal Covenant they are afraid to lay bonds and tyes on them and take away their mirth O! it were a mercy if some of our profane young ones that are filling the Town with profanity and their Parents taking no notice of them the most part of them begging the one half of the day and profaning the Name of God the other if they could be brought thus to Covenant with God But many think that a great tye and a burden that they should be more in speaking of Christ when they were in company and may be thou can be in many companies and never a word of him or thou can mock at Prayer and Godlienss and may be it not challenge thee but thou art afraid that personal covenanting bring a burden on thee I will Answer all these when I go thorow the point I will say this of it thou must either accept personally of the Covenant on the terms that it 's offered and engage personally to the terms on which it 's made or then thou shalt never have any benefit by it O? what a mercy were it if when we come under some strait some sickness or when we get any loosing of heart at a Communion nay when we come under desertion the renewing of a Covenant may be the way to an out-gate It 's remarkable when Christ was hanging on the Cross and the great cloud of his Fathers wrath hanging over his head in a manner he renews the Covenant with him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If thou fall in any gross sin go and renew the Covenant if he command some signal stroke to attend thee renew the Covenant The great Objection is it 's a sore matter to be ay binding and ay breaking and this is thy case readily I confess it 's a dreadful case to be ay binding and ay breaking yet notwithstanding of all thy breaches if thou wilt yet go and say and subscribe with thy hand to be the Lords and to be more to his praise if thou be a neglecter of Christian fellowship that thou shall speir it out speir where thou shall get some to pray with and put in that in the personal Covenant if thou be negligent in Prayer to lift up thy hand to be so no more all former breaks will be all past if thou can say with full purpose of heart the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant SERMON XI 2 Samuel 23.5 Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow HAving spoken of the nature of David's security I came the last Sabbath to speak of the Parties transacting in this Covenant The Lord and me I proposed four things to be noticed First The Author of the Covenant Secondly the Parties with whom the Covenant is made and told you that that the word Jehovah is to be taken essentially as including all the Persons of the Trinity who are all Partiesin the Covenant and each of them has their particular work in the accomplishing of the Covenant But passing what was spoken I come to that which I proposed to dwell on this day the particular Application of the Covenant individually and personally to David It 's no the Lord hath made with Abraham nor with the Elect but The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant That which I shall dwell on this day shall be this Proposition which natively arises from this Scripture Doctrine That however the Covenant externally and visibly be made with the whole visible Church and really with the Mediator and through him with all the Elect yet every Believer ought personally and particularly to Indenture in this Covenant and apply it It is true the Covenant is offered to be Transacted with all the Members of the visible Church and really with all the Elect yet every Believer who would secure his interest in the contents and clauses of the Covenant is to indenture personally and particularly apply the Covenant to himself as if it were made with them This Truth hath a great deal of opposition in the world Arminians and Antinomians who though they unite not in many things they unite in opposition of this Truth they deny personal and particular Covenanting with God the generality of Atheists and profane mockers look on it as a fancy personally to Covenant with God and the most part of hypocrites in the visible Church satisfie themselves with their Transactions in Baptism and some external kind of Transacting at the Sacrament of the Supper but personally and really to indenture with God on the Terms of the Covenant they utterly neglect therefore to follow this Truth since it comes so directly in my way I will insist on these three things in following this head 1. I shall labour to prove by some reasons that it is not only a warrantable but a most necessary Duty for Christians to make personal and particular Covenants with God 2. I shall open wherein this personal and particular Covenanting with him doeth consist And 3. shall apply it First That it is not only warrantable but necessary
made are necessary to be eyed and readily we make but a very superficial bargain that will make a fashion of accepting the offer and slight the Terms on which it 's made but he principal act in Covenanting is to credit deliberatly seriously and effectually the Grace that makes the offer of Christ in the Gospel and to rely and cast our selves absolutely over on him I deny not but we are to give our selves to the Lord and resign our selves to be disposed of by him and to be engaged to Duties according to our station but this is not the princinal part the principal part is to go to him and say This day Lord I accept of Christ I accept of this Righteousness that he hath purchased I will rely on it and cast my soul and hope of my salvation it But I will not insist in teaching you a form of words that may be used in accepting of the offer but as this accepting is a difficult thing there being no principle in man for it but all against it so the great condition in personal Covenanting is this act of accepting The other thing required in making up this personal Covenant with God it 's engaging to the Terms on which the offer is made we cannot go personally to Covenant with God but first we sust accept of the offer and then indenture to the Terms There are two or there things here I thought to have spoken a little unto 1. To hold out to you that ye may be the better directed in it something of the Terms on which the offer is made of their reasonableness and their excellency 2. That though it be not the principal act in personal Covenanting it 's indispensably necessary and in effect there can be no personal Covenant except we indenture to the Terms and accept of the offer on the Terms SERMON XII 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my hose be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow HOW excellent soever the Covenant of Grace be and excellent it is yet the Lord hath left a liberty in the visible Church for every man to come and put in his name into it Ho every one and whosoever will let him come and take the waters of life freely Without a curious inquiry into the many things pre-required or subsequent unto it I resolved the Answer in two Heads First The accepting of the offer of the Covenant 2. The indenturing to the Terms of the Covenant the accepting of the offer is the first and principal part though the Covenant require other Duties yet they are not the proper conditions of the Covenant and for less the first and prineipal condition I shall say no more of that Branch of the act of Covenanting the accepting of the offere The other thing wherein it consists is the submitting and indenturing for the Terms on which the offer is made and here there are two things that I would do 1. I shall inquire a little in helping to this act of persomal Covenanting with God into what the Terms are 2. What encouragement the Soul hath to indenture for these Terms notwithstanding of their number and greatness First What these Terms are Antinomians will not admit of any conditions in the Covenant I will net deny but if ye examine that word Condition properly but they may have something to say but that there are Terms on which the offer is made and which in the Souls Covenanting with God must be indentured for is beyond all controversie what these Terms are is then worthy of inquiry to run through them at large would take a large time I will only mention two things 1. In personal Covenanting with God there is something we must give 2ly There is someting we must do and we must indenture for both what we are to give and what we are to do First There are somethings we must give and what is this what have we to give Had we the cattel on a thousand mountains and give we them what would they signifie to Him Shall we give the fruit of our body for the sin of our soul no we are to give Him our self indeed the indenturing on our part is mainly lying in this to make an absolute resignation of our selves to Him as the Macedonians Paul bare them this testimony and he thought it not strange that they were charitable for they had given themselves to the Lord the Lord in the Covenant He gives Himself and it 's the least we can do to give our selves back again it 's a marriage Covenant and it is not enough for the bride that she give suit and presence but that she give her self to her husband It 's reported in the life of Socrates That one day whenhe was at Athens several of his Schollars brought presents to him some rich presents some smaller there was one poor Schollar that had nothing to give but said he I will give him myself and Socrates esteemed of that Gift more than of all that had been offered to him It 's not only our duty but our priviledge sometime a Beliver may go with that argument in his mouth when he hath any compt to make to God I am thine save thou me so when we make a personal covenant with Him as we accept of the offer of Himself of His Son His Peace His Pardon the Land of Canaan so we engage to resign our selves to Him and to give our selves to Him which imports two things into it 1. We give our selves to be disposed of as to our work 2ly We give our selves to be disposed of as to our station in performing that work First We give our selves to be disposed of as to our work though it be a marriage Covenant yet it partakes of a Covenant betwixt King and Subjects Master and Servant it 's a Despotick Covenant every Servant is not called to the same work some of His commands as some observe well they both please HIm and us they will please our flesh He bids us eat and drink and cloath our selves they are commands of the Covenant and they please both Him and us but there are many other commands they please Him as to take up the Cross to deny our selves they please Him but they are often unpleasant to us He may call one to preach and another to suffer In the personal Covenant with Him we resign and give over our selves to be disposed of as to our work 2ly We give over our selves to be disposed of as to our station every vessel in the house is not of gold there are some of silver and some of clay and he that indentures in this personal Covenant providing he be a vessel for the master use it 's all one wheither he be gold silver or clay the presonal Covenant makes a gift of our selves to the Lord with an
called to Personal Covenanting with God And the truth is the work of effectual Calling the Term of it that which perfytes it and makes it effectual Calling it s not Challenges and Convictions of Sin it s the closing with Christ and entering in a Personal Covenant with Him for suppose we should be able to tell of never so many Challenges for Sin and fears of Hell they have had they are not able to instruct from all these their Effectual Calling if they have not come under a Personal Covenant with Christ so any of you that are under the pangs of the New-Birth Birth as there are some travelling among you under fears and griefs and guiltiness and fears of Hell the way of coming to a delivery and an outgate from all these is to enter in this Personal Covenant to accept of the offer and the Terms on which the offer is made 2ly It 's a very suitable time to enter in this Personal Covenanting with God when there comes to be any special impression of the Spirit made on the Soul we ought to take the stot of our hearts readily it may be long before ye get that occasion again it 's not your each days dinner when ye get any Elevation of Spirit any delight or any peace or joy in believing any striking of the Irons in Prayer that the heart will affect the eye when ye go to God that is a special time of Personal Covenanting with Him in this case we are to do as Psal 27.8 Thou saidst seek ye my face that is the Spirit working within him it was even like a command and my heart Answered Thy face Lord I will seek hide not thy face from me So at your first Effectual Calling it may be in some corner ye may have some liberty to vent your heart to God and ye may have some gale on your Spirit ye cannot improve that time better as a cord to knit to the duny better than to say I accept of the Offer and I accept of the Terms on which it 's Offered and I shall watch against the Failings wherein I have been weakest 3ly It 's a suitable time to enter in a Personal Covenant with God after we have fallen in some great Sin against God after we have been left to some Sin against God that hath made a breach on the former Personal Covenant's that we have made with Him It may be some wide breach then that come to be a call to thee from God to go and renew a Covenant with Him It 's remarkable in Thomas's case when Christ came in among the Disciples when Thomas was absent and they told him that Christ was risen and that they had seen him O saith he I will not believe exccept I put my hand in his side and in the print of the nails Christ comes and convinces him of this Sin and challenges him for it and bids him not to be unbelieving but faithful and when he had seen him and heard him and had been convinced thou art my Lord and my God sayes he it 's as much as if he had said I will Indenture of new with Christ and renew a Personal covenant with him thou art my Lord and my God so that when there comes to be any breach betwixt God and us that readily hath made a great slap in our former vows when ye are not to go and run away and give over hope but even after Thomas would not believe that Christ was risen trom the dead and was living yet when he is throughly convinced of all he saith thou art my Lord and my God 4ly It 's a fit time in entering in a Personal Covenant with God when a Christian comes under desertion and when there is a great Cloud betwixt him and God It 's remarkable upon the case Christ complains nore of Desertion than of the nails that was thurst in Him it was no wonder if he Had taken ill with the Cross for He was daily with the Father as one brought up with Him and He was daily his delight before the Mountains were brought forth and a desertion was heavy to Him and what is His way he takes for outgate He takes him to the Covenant My God my God why hast thou forsaken me In this casting a coppy to us that there is no such promising way under Desertion as the renewing of a Covenant with Him Lastly It 's a fit time to enter in a personal Covenant with Him at a Sealing Ordinance the Sacrament of the Supper it 's a Seal of the New Testament in His Blood and it may lay a great Obligation on a loose careless heart that if it get leave will be thy death as a poor man complained Alas my heart will be my death thou that hast such a heart thou art to enter in a personal Covenant with him and take this Bread and this Wine and say I accept of this deemer as the Father offers Him I Indenture to the terms of the Gospel without exception of any of them but especially to the great things wherein I have been most negligent there is a fit time to enter this personal Covenant when there is a Seal of the New Testament Passing as it were out of his hand into thine and that is a great part of the Souls Communion with him in that Sacrament Vse I will only exhort to two things and with them close this Sermon 1. Christian wilt thou go and take a view of this Covenant that thou may be encouraged to engadge in it many are ignorant of the Covenant I complain of your ignorance of the Scriptures and of your unacquaintedness with them and for all the sweetness of the Promises that ye know nothing of them that ye cannot say as an Antient was wont to say this is my Promise a Believer ought to have several Promises in the Covenant these which they have gotten most reviving quickning and consolation from what an excellent thing is it if one were going through the Bible and through the Covenant and doing as Apothecaries use to do they go to a Garden and they get a Flower here and there and puts them up in Boxes that when sick folk comes they may go rightly to the Box sO ought we to do with the Promises we ought to gather the Promises in classes so that when we have to do with any Promise we may go to them and take out a Promise suitable to our case 2ly I exhort you to take a view of the Duties and Terms of the Covenant ye need not be discouraged at them there is a kind of Heaven in holiness and the scope of them all is to make us holy it 's true the generality but breaks the shell and gets not the kernel there is nothing more sweet and satisfying than the kernel it 's like Honey all that taste of it cry more more but of all the wershest things in the world is the shell SERMON XIII 2 Samuel 23.5 Although my
in all the Books that I have read o're all the Sermons that I have heard I know not a possible way how to escape hell but by taking hold of this Covenant desperat necessity helps to boldness ye remember the Lepers at the Gates of Samaria who were to hazard on the Camp of the Syrians all the men of War durst hardly hazard on them but their motive was good if we stay here we shall die and they hazarded on the Camp of the Syrians if thou be without this Covenant thou art eternally ruined Now to go and accept of the Covenant take hold of it and personally to Indenture with God in it may be a great help and motive to confidence thou may reason with thy self I am eternally ruined without it there is no other way to escape the fire that burns in the bottom of Hell but by taking hold of it 3ly This may be a ground of confidence in going about it in that there is nothing promised in it but Christ hath purchased it it 's true all this is of free Grace in regard the giving of the Purchaser was an act of free Grace If we confess our sins he is just to forgive any would think it would suit better to say He is merciful and gracious to forgive but He is just to forgive to speak it with reverence it were in consistent with Justice not to pardon Sin and ransome the Elect for whom He hath received a Price the Price is payed and we may say how sweet soever the pardon of Sin be and peace of Conscience and communion with God yet there is something given for it beyond the value of them for they are all purchased by the Blood of God 4ly We should do it confidently in regard when we go to Indenture with God the want of confidence fills us with doubting which is very near of kin to unbelief often if we be to Indenture with God the smell of Corruptions and Temptations and a discouraged Spirit striking in with it makes it like the Meteors that ascend upward they may go to and fro but at length they resolve in Clouds and fall down upon the earth again So when we go to personal covenanting with God doubtings and fears the smell of guiltiness and a multitude of Temptations produces a wavering in the Spirit which is the next door to unbelief now to be free of this we should covenant with confidence and boldness There are many that Indenture with him in a personal Covenant and the next day a very small Temptation makes them doubt that it was a personal Covenant Why They had so much fear and so many doubtings in the menagement of it thererefore we are to loup over all our difficulties and cut them all with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and this is the right way of managing a personal Covenant with God The sixth Property of it as this Act should be confidently so it should be done with full purpose of heart as Barnabas Acts. 11.23 exhorts them all at Antioch to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart this Act os personal covenanting on our part the first beginning of it lyes meerly in Purposes and Resolutions on which we cast on the knot of a Vow in personal covenanting with God therefore I will speak a little to these Purposes and Resolutions that in the first act of the souls personal covenanting with God are that in a manner wherein the Act of covenanting with Him consists and two things I will speak to it 1. I shall shew what weight is to be laid on these Purposes and Resolutions of the heart when it 's about to covenant with God 2ly I shall shew you what are the reasons why many of these Purposes and Resolutions prove so evanishing First What weight is to be laid on these purposes and resolutions of heart I desire ye may take notice that when we come with full purpose of heart to enter in a personal Covenant with God there is a considerable weight to be laid on these purposes if ye notice these things 1. The rational way of the Spirits working is first to convince the Understanding and then to determine the Will to purpose and choose I confess Philosophers call the purposes of the Will Velleities they deny it to be that elicit Act of the Will which they call Velle but yet they suppose a complacency of the Object and ye will find these three or four things about them in Scritpre First When there is no more but a purpose the Lord will commend it even when one is but purposing and resolving It 's a remarkable word 2 Sam. 7. The Lord sends the Prophet Nathan to David to tell him Because it was in thy heart to build me a house I will build thee a sure house he says not because thou hast builded me a house David had no more but a purpose of building a house he could not endure to dwell in houses of Cedar and the Ark of God in Curtains any would have thought that the Lord would have stayed until David had builded him an house but he had no more but a purpose because it was in thine heart to build me an house I will build thee a sure house And it 's remarkable that the Prodigal Luke 15. When he was in a far Countrey he came only to resolutions he is only saying I will arise and go to my father and say I have sinned against heaven and before thee and when he was yet far off his father saw him and ran and kissed him and embraced him 2ly These purposes several times they contribute to determine the Will the Will is an unstayed thing in us it 's like running water ye will not find it one hour where it was another it goes like a Wheels the Spaik that is up now is presently donw and we are willing the things to day that we are loathing the morn it 's rouch to get the Will determined and if any thing do it it will be a purpose with the cord of a Vow and the cord of God fastning it 3ly These purposes have something good in them they are like the flourish of an Apple-Tree though it may be it be nto compleatly an Apple yea many of them falls off and is never an Apple yet they have something of the Apple in them there is something of God in these purposes it 's true it 's a great agrravation of ones guiltiness is God hath convinced them and brought them to purposes and resolutions if they fall away from them it 's hard to renew them again by repentance the Lord by his Spirit is doing with them as a man taking a Key to open a Lock if he throw about the Key and open not the Door he readily spills the Lock where there are purposes and resolutions and falling away from them it 's one to ten thousand but the Lock is spilt and readily will never be opened by that Key yet
these things First We are to be express in the things we are to do it 's true we are not to make new duties nor to put in terms that are not in the Covenant already yet there are three particulars wherein a person Covenanting with God ought to study to be very express First There are the great things in the Covenant that we should believe mourn for sin and pray these things are indispensibly required in the Covenant therefore when we enter in a personal Covenant with God and would be explicite and express about it we are expresly to mention the great Articles of the Covenant on our part whatever we bind our selves to do If we bind our selves in the Covenant to build the Church and give our goods to the poor and our bodies to the fire except these great Articles of the Covenant be performed it 's not a Gospel-Covenant therefore we ought to be express in binding our selves to these great things indispensibly required by God in the Covenant 2ly in a time of tryal a Christian should be express in binding himself in a personal Covenant to the owning of these truths and interest that come to be a case of confession it 's an easie thing to owne uncontroverted truths but these things that in our generation come to be a case of confession these interests and people that are most born down we are particularly to Indenture in a personal Covenant with God especially for the owning of these Interests though we are to have respect to all his commands yet especially to these that make against the errors of the time It 's remarkable ye find the most part of the Prophets writings runing against Idolatry and the most part of Christs Sermons runing against hypocrisie the great reason of this Is in Isaiah's and Jeremiah's time Israel was prone to Idolatry and in Christ's time they were overwhelmed with Hypocrisie 3ly A Christian ought especially to bind himself to these duties at which his careless heart is most sloathful and against these corruptions he is most prone to every man is weakest at something as Samson had his particular wherein his strength lay so every man hath something wherein his weakness lyes and when we personally Covenant with God we ought to be express in it if one be negligent in Prayer a wanderer in hearing if one have a gading light heart in conversing with God they are not only to purpose and resolve but to cast over the cord of a Covenant on that levity of spirit so when we Covenant personally and particularly with God in these three above all other things the soul ought to be express and particular into it But secondly we ought to be express and particular in the conditions on which we bind to these things otherways after our Covenanting with God which affords a great deal of peace and sweetness to the soul and many of late have gone sweetly down to the grave when they have brought out their old personal Covenanting with God and renewed them and we ought to be express in the conditions especially in these three 1. It 's a promise of the covenant that God shall give strength for performing our part of the covenant he hath often promised this The feeble among you shall be as David and David as the Angel of God they shall renew their strength and mount up as an Eagle they shall walk and not to be weary run and not faint now when we bind to the great duties of the Covenant to the owning the truths and interests of the Gospel we are to put in that condition wherein it 's promised that he will do these duties viz. that all our strength must flow from him as a River and that on these terms and conditions we bind providing he give strength this is the way to make our part of the Covenant both pleasant and easie when we can go to Christ as our Treasurer to bring our strength from him to do what we have Covenanted 2ly We are to put in this condition expresly that he will accept of the will and endeavour in place of perfection if we were to make a Covenant of Works as Adam did we were obliged to bind that we should be perfect in love and perfect in faith but in the Covenant of Grace we are to bind according to the terming of the Covenant of Grace the grace of the Covenant hath trade the proposals of it run in this Channel he it is alone that works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure and he will accept of the will in place of perfection 3ly We are to Indenture in this Covenant on these terms that all our failings shall be covered with the righteousness of a Cautioner when we have any challenge for guiltiness being in Covenant with him our only recourse like Manoah's Wife the second time that the Angel came to her she was not accustomed to speak to Angels stay till I call my Husband the Covenant holds him out as the only fit person to deal with Serpents whose heads he bruised So we are to be express in our Covenanting that our failings shall be covered with the righteousnes of a Cautioner so ye see this personal Covenanting with God is not so dreadful and scarring a thing as many take it up to be but it is easie and pleasant if it be gone about according to the method of the Gospel The second property of this Covenanting with God shall be this that as it ought to be gone about expresly explicitly and distinctly so it ought to be gone about according to the method of the Gospel no person goes about it rightly that doth not keep in it the method of the Gospel Quest Ye will readily ask What is it to keep a Gospel-method in Covenanting with Christ Ans For clearing of this I desire you may take notice of these three things that make up this Gospel method in a souls personal Covenanting with God 1 The Gospel-method is kept when the Law makes way for the Gospel I do not deny but one may enter in a personal Covenant with God that hath not had the Law work to such a hight as others have had we read of some in the Gospel that were cut to the heart before they were brought to believe so here are some of them we read of there is no more but the Lord opened their heart as the Lord opened the heart of Lydia there is no such acount of their Law-work as of others yet this ordinary Gospel-method of the Laws making way for the Gospel was typified by the stinging of the fiery Serpents before they could look for healing on the brasen Serpent and readily they will never make a sincere personal Covenant with God that have not had the challenges and threatnings of the Law like an Ax laid to the root of the Tree It 's ordinary for any when they take up a profession and readily sewes a new profession
believing and closing with Christ in the Covenant we are not to proceed on this ground I am an Elect and I will close with Christ in the Covenant and make a personal Covenant with him but rather our closing with him is a Medium or Argument to prove our Election we are not to proceed on this method I will first be clear of my Charter Election and of the purpose of God before I build on this ground no we are first to build on this foundation and then to be clear of Election for though Election be first in the order of Christs working Calling is first in the order of our knowledge and we must first know that we are called before we know that we are Elected 2. Consider this where will ye find in Scripture that ever God secluded man from any promise in the Covenant merely because the were not Elect He hath indeed secluded many because they were not Believers and because they were scandalous and hypocrites but in all the Bible ye will never find him seclude any merely because they were reprobats why should we go to put in an exception where he makes none It 's not our Election or Reprobation that is made an impediment in all the Bible against our being bettered by Christ our unbelief may be one but our Election is none 3. Ye would notice this that the debate about our Election and Reprobation is very impertinent before our Effectual Calling and closing with Christ in a personal Covenant It 's observed by School-men that there are only three ways possible for a man to know his Election there is the reading of the Book of Gods Decrees the Revelation of the Spirit and thirdly the fruits of Election appearing in the progress of Sanctification now the first two are impossible for us we cannot read the Books of Gods Decrees we cannot tell who are Elect or who are Reprobate out of the Book of his Decrees we cannot tell the Revelations of the Spirit because our Effectual Calling it may convince and challenge but it cannot reveal therefore it remains that it must be the third which cannot be until we personally Covenant with Christ So to dispute our Election before we Indenture with him and to say I will not Covenant with him for I am not an Elect thou must have understanding to read the Book of Gods Decrees and to have the Revelation of the Spirit 4. Consider that our Election is not our duty it 's our priviledge but not our duty we cannot elect our selves a servant in an house is not bound to be most taken up about his masters secret thoughts the thing he is most to be taken up about is his masters command and that what he hath bidden him do we cannot elect our selves God hath not commanded it Now when we are personally Covenanting with Christ it 's not our duty to enquire about things that are not our duty God hath commanded us to accept of his Son on the Terms offered and for us to refuse for a thing that he hath never commanded to be our duty we cannot be sure of Election until we personally and particularly Covenant with him we may like a Husband-man know that it is the Spring time by the springing of the grass he knows it not by the position of the Heaven but by the springing of the Grass and Herbs so we would be clear of Election and I would warn Christians of this when Satan hath a mind to bring a person under the neglect of some duty he will readily puzzle them with Questions of Election or Reprobation as a Robber that will ride with a man in a fair high way and not wrong him but will wait until he get him in some Wood or some Den and then he will assault him Now the Question of Election and Reprobation is like a Wood or a Den and the Tempter hath a great advantage when he assaults about these Therefore since Election is not our duty but our priviledge and since we cannot know it before we personally Covenant it ought to be no exception to thee suppose thou be in the dark about thy Election and not be able to tell thine own heart and thy neighbours I know not if I be an Elect and if I personally Covenant with him I am but like a man that is going to build upon another mans ground that hath neither Bond nor Charter but thou follows not the Gospel-method which is first to Covenant with him and then to be clear about thy Election A second Objection that I suppose will ly in the way in hearkning to the Sermons that ye have heard I am exceeding guilty and shall I owne God to be my God Doth not the 50 Psalm say What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth seing thou hates to he reformed Shall I take this Covenant in my mouth when I have such a heart and such a way Readily all the aggravations of guilt and all the threatnings against it they come never to be more multiplied than when we are called to some special duty the challenges about guilt will let us alone at one time that will follow us at a Sacrament or some solemn Ordinance and when we should personally covenant with him For removing of this impediment I would have thee first in the general notice that to stand at personal covenanting with God because thou art guilty is very like Peters Argument Depart from me for I am a sinful man and Peters Argument is like as a Patient should say to a Physician depart from me for I am sick Why said he to him who was called Jesus because He should save His people from their sins Depart from me for I am a sinful man But more particularly to this thy guilt can be no rational impediment in the way of thy entering in this personal Covenant on these considerations 1. Know that never any entered in this Covenant but guilty persons Adam that was an innocent man came not under the Covenant of Grace until he became guilty and it had been unsuitable for Adam so long as he was innocent never any came under this Covenant but guilty persons and sometime they that came under it were among the most guilty the like of David of Paul of Manasseh of Mary Magdalen so that thou mistakes the nature of this Covenant that will stand at Indenturing and subscribing to the Lord because thou art guilty for it 's a Covenant made for the guilty and it would not have agreed to Adam when innocent 2ly Thou would notice that the Covenant expresly mentions the pardon of all guilt except one it 's a large word it 's true it 's a dreadful word but it is exceeding comfortable All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost there is neither Adultery Murther Swearing Lying nor Drunkenness excepted but only this sin against the Holy Ghost why should thou put in exceptions
sets it down a part of the Bible and when he was a Dying it was not time then to dissemble Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant How doth the Spirit bring the Elect to this ground of Assurance to be able to affirm that God hath made the Covenant with them I confess it 's great priviledge and they have a great Charter that can say it 's their priviledge they have the promises of this life and that which is to come they have no less in one Article in one line of the Bible He shall make them Ruler over all that be hath a little time will try this to be no fancy but it 's furer than the Covenant with the Sun and the Moon how brings the Spirit them up to this Assurance 1. Ordinarily before he brings them up to be Assured that the Lord hath made with me a Covenant he takes down the natural assurance like one that hath to build upon an old Foundation and he finds it rotten and thinks it best to take it down to the bottom before he build a new Foundation so that readily in the beginning of the Spirits working a person can give no account of the Spirits working neither what he hath done in the old Foundation nor the new ask you your case you can readily give no account yet dare not build on the old Foundation and ye dare not say ye have a new Work this is very frequenly in the way of the Spirits bringing the Soul to The Lord hath made with me a Covenant they can neither build on the old ground nor dare they say they have a new ground this hath ordinarily a tendency to the clearing of an interest wherever ye find a person like Rebecca having Twins strugling within her they know not what to say they are so confused the Spirit hath taken away the old ground and for any thing that is known the Spirit hath not laid the new Foundation That case looks like to be the beginning to come to that day in the week that thou wilt say The Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant That is the first Part whereby the Spirit leads to the clearning an interest in a personal Covenant 2ly Where the Spirit is leading to the clearing an interest in a personal Covenant with God ordinarily the Spirit prompts to Duty and assists all diligence we are not to expect it with raptures of Joy and Consolation and delight in God many a time like the Syrian leper that was sent to the King of Israel I thought he would have come out and called on his God and laid his hand on the place We think except we get such elevation of peace and joy in prayer we can never have peace no we must not limit the Lord if he take that way it 's well but the ordinar way is he will help at prayer and excite to delight in him at another time he withdraws himself and makes the Desertion thy burden the complaint of his absence may be as sweet a mark as his presence the heart that will complain of his Absence may prove an interest as well as his Presence Now when he hath pulled down the old rotten Wall and not possibly brought the new above ground but he assists in Prayer in believing in Repentance in mortification of lusts then he is about to bring thee to say the Lord hath made with me a Covenant it 's near the break of the day it 's not far from the dawning he that hath helped thee to Diligence is not far from bringing thy Consolation even tho' it seem to be the darkest time of the night yet if the Spirit be helping at Duty and taking a lift of thy Case the day is near the breaking with thee But Thirdly the Spirit guides to this assurance by giving true Marks that God hath made a Covenant with him And here I shall enquire what are the sure Marks by which one may try if God hath made the Covenant particularly with them I have made the Covenant with him and have Vowed and Promised and Subscribed with my hand and have lifted up my hand but how shall I know if he hath made a Covenant with me The business is not so difficult to know if thou be diligent and be not an Hypocrite and playing the cheat in thy Religion but conforming thy heart to this Gospel and wrestling with all the Non-Conformities of thy heart I have searched the Judgement of many how to come to reciprocal Marks how to know if he hath made a Covenant with us Antinomians have disput the Question so exactly and Objected so strongly about our wanting these Marks that they put Divines to so many Restrictions and Limitations that it 's difficult to give a reciprocal Mark on which a Christian may rest if he hath made a Covenant with him I will offer you three things on which I lay the greatest weight my self 1. That Mark that Mr. Baxter hath often come over a habitual preferring of Christs Interests to the interests of the Flesh that is indeed a great Mark that God hath made a Covenant with thee when Christs Interests are habitually preferred to all the Interests of the flesh To clear this Mark ye would notice three things 1. When God enters in a Covenant with a person they take up Sin as an Enemy they hate it as an Enemy they have entered in a League with the contrary Party they take up Sin especially presumptuous sin as an Enemy and accordingly they deal with it they hate it they eschew the company that may bring Temptations to it for they have entered in a League with its greatest Enemy even with Christ shortly after Paul is a Convert he is at O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death He was angry at the very being of sin and could not suffer the smell of it what ever the Sin be not only presumptuous and gross Sins and neglects of Duty if thou has entered in a Covenant with God thou has broken the Covenant with death and hell and if thou has no kindness looking to that Art thou has great ground to say the Lord has made a Covenant with me they take up sin as an Enemy and deal with it so 2ly In reference to this the Soul goes unitedly against it as an Enemy the understanding is at I should leave such a Sin the Conscience is at I will leave such a Sin the Will and Affections are at Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity for I have keeped the Commandments of my God they turn it out of doors if there be a taking it up as an Enemy and dealing with it so and the Understanding Will Conscience and affections uniting against it as an Enemy thou may be sure to say the Lord hath made with me a Covenant the Bargain must be driven by both Parties but if thou be
Member that is taken in Covenant is an everlasting Party in this Covenant it may be some of them thirty years or thirty two years will open their Grave and they must ly down in it but even there they cease not to be Parties in the Covenant it 's remarkable Mat. 22. I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living from which he proves the Resurrection the meaning of that place is Abraham Isaac and Jacob are living or else the Covenant could not be everlasting Abraham is living in regard of his Soul his Body is living in regard of the Resurrection at the great day for the Covenant is made with his Dust however it were hard to find his Dust yet he is considered as a living Party in the Covenant yea even his Flesh is an everlasting Party in the Covenant although it be dispersed into Dust and the Fowls and wild Beasts carry it away yet says Job with these eyes and no other for me shall I see God This proves the Party to be everlasting every Believer is an everlasting Party in the Covenant so that taking either the Grounds on which the Covenant stands the Decree of Election and Love and the covenant of Redemption or considering the constantness of the Covenant amidst all the changes of Providence and the case of Believers like the Sun that is the same Winter and Summer or considering the fundamental priviledges of the Covenant all of wich are everlasting it 's everlasting Election on which it 's founded and everlasting Calling everlasting Pardon and an everlasting Heaven but the Parties are also everlasting not only in regard of their Head but Abraham is a Party in the Covenant and God is his God which is the Sum of the covenant after Abrahams dust can scarce be found in the Grave I will speak a word to the second thing that I proposed the grounds why the Lord would have this covenant to be an everlasting covenant 1. In the contrivement and drawing up of the covenant of Grace the Lord designs the exaltation of his Grace and that was to the praise of the glory of his Grace as the Apostle words it in the Ephesians now if there be never so great things promised he hath promised I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh but had the ease been the next day that he had said I will take away the heart of flesh and give you an heart of stone what would that have signified for the exalting of his grace Had he been one day giving an heart of flesh and another day taken it away wherein would his Grace have been exalted by sinners unless it had been by I will give you an heart of flesh and I will never take away your effectual calling Had there been no more to debase Grace but the changeableness of it it had been enough therefore God would have his Covenant everlasting and herein he would have a distinction betwixt the Covenant that was made of Grace and that which stood on the free will of man the principal ground on which the Covenant of Works tood was Free will and in that state he had Free Grace yet it depended on his Will but herein is Grace exalted in that he cannot alter his Covenant no therein lyes the exaltation of Grace and the difference betwixt the Covenant standing on the Free will of man though perfect and the Covenant founded on Grace and Christ that the one is everlasting and the other endured but for a few hours so that it is to the praise and glory of his Grace and the exalting it above all his other Attributes that he hath made this Covenant an everlasting Covenant it 's not that he is payed for it on these Terms it 's not from merit nor purchase that he hath fulfilled this Covenant but meerly to the praise of the glory of his grace in Christ Jesus that the Covenant is made so everlasting that though God to speak with reverence and man encline to alter it they cannot after it 2ly The Lord made it thus everlasting that Believers might have strong consolation it 's remarkable the allowance of joy in the Covnenant it 's full joy These things have I spoken unto you that your joy may be fuil they are bidden rejoyce evermore and rejoyce always and no wonder we be bidden rejoyce when there is full joy allowed in the Covenant nay there is not only consolation but strong consolation Heb. 6.18 God hath confirmed it by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye that they might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to the hope set before us and the truth is it 's a Principle of Arminians they tell a Believer may have Grace to day and they may have the Devil to morrow they may be effectually called to day and a Child of the Devil to morrew it houghs all consolation if they were in never so sweet a temper to day they cannot tell but they may be a Child of the Devil to morrow and what peace and comfort would there be if the Covenant were not everlasting So when we have searched all the grounds why God would have this Covenant everlasting they are summed up in this in exalting the Grace of his Son and affording strong consolation to them that have taken themselves to the Covenant So ye see the Covenant is everlasting not by way of Tack for so many years but it is an absolute Gift and the Father hath not only not put in reserves into it but he hath absolutely bound up his hand and confirmed it by two immutable things wherein it is impossible for him to alter which is his Oath and the blood of his Son so that now it stands on such Terms as to speak with reverence of the Majesty of God it 's impossible for him to alter it SERMON XXIV 2 Samuel 23. Vers 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow IT is a sweet Observation that some have made on that word Everlasting as it 's applyed to the Covenant taking everlasting for a proper Eternity it 's a peculiar Attribute of God agreeable neither to Angels nor Men and yet God hath given this Attribute to the Covenant it 's an eternal Covenant God puts in a Letter of his own Name in Abrahams name He puts in the Letter Jehovah he was first called Abram and then puts in this Letter and calls him Abraham He puts in a Letter of his own Name Elohi in Jacobs name he was first called Jacob and then he calls him Israel but in the Covenant He puts in one of his own essential Attributes and that is Eternal and this could neither be said of Angels nor of
Flourishes nor Apples 2. This Doctrine tends not to security nor prophanity in regard all that are in this Everlasting Covenant they receive Influences that keeps them from security and prophanity I will not say but they may have their Winters David had it for a year it was a year after he went in to Bathsheba and murthered Vriah before the Prophet comes to him The Spouse is made to sing The winter is over and past the Summer is come the time of the springing of herbs is come the Spring must come if thou be in Covenant with him therefore it opens no door for Security or Prophanity for they that are in Covenant with him it 's impossible for them to continue in Security I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me 3ly This Doctrine hath no tendency to Security for ordinarily these that are in Covenant if they will not be awakened by the Word the Lord will awaken them by the Rod I have told you that Christ hath three Posts he sends after Believers there is his Word and his Rod and if none of these two will prevail he will send his Spirit and that will prevail they that are in Covenant cannot get leave to live in Security and Prophanity if the Word will not waken them the Rod shall do it and if neither of these two do it the Spirit shall do it so if any shall say I am secure and am living in Security thou may go and dash thy head against a stone but this Covenant is Everlasting and it cannot be altered we shall be judged by it in the day of our appearing SERMON XXV 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow IN the right up-taking of the Covenant we must not only search into the Nature of it but into the Properties of it three whereof are expressed in this verse it 's everlasting it 's ordered in all things and it 's sure The first of these I spoke to the last day that it was Everlasting and have shewed you many things about it Doctrinally and Practically I come to the second Property Ordered in all things this though ye do not at first see through it yet ye may see it afterward having a great deal of Marrow into it and it 's a very material Property of the Covenant the Word in the Hebrew Vehalma Mentanus renders it dispositum in omnibus Junius renders it ordinatum in omnibus The Septuagints or the seventy Interpreters Translate it by a Word borrowed from a General Marshal in an Army putting all his Forces in a Military Order it 's well ordered as a well Marshalled Army wherein every one is in their proper posture and so is the Covenant ordered the meaning is every thing in the Covenant is fitly disposed or appointed or ordered And for clearing of it ye must take notice that the intention of the Spirit of God in speaking by David that it 's fitly ordered is not only to shew that there is an excellent method and sorting of all the parts of the Covenant but that it is excellently sorted and ordered in order to the great end for which the Covenant was made to advance the Glory of God and the Salvation of the Elect which are the two great ends for which it 's made and herein it differs from the Covenant of Works for though it 's not denyed but it be well ordered and fitted yet it neither contributes so much nor was it so conducible to exalt God and bring the Elect to Glory as the Covenant of Grace is which I might let you see in many particulars it was well ordered in a way suitable to that Dispensation but not in all things in a way tending to exalt God and the salvation of the Elect as the Covenant of Grace is to be brief this is a very special property of the Covenant of Grace and a distinguishing one from the Covenant of Works that it 's ordered in all things not abstractly but in order and in reference to the end which is to exalt God and to promote the salvation of the Elect. So this property of the Covenant is considerable as it 's an everlasting Covenant so it 's Marshelled and Ordered and disposed as an Army in an excellent posture for a Victory This being the meaning of it I will make two Observations and follow them in several following Sermons the first of them I will but name but shall God willing dwell on the second The first is this that such as would have consolation from the Covenant must observe the order and method and disposal of the contents of the Covenant 2ly I will take this that the Covenant is excellently and singularly ordered in all things relating to the exalting of the Father and the Mediator and the salvation of the Elect. Doctrine first Such as would have peace as David had at his death from the Covenant are to consider the order of the Covenant so doth David here when he is rejoycing among his last acts from the Covenant that God had made with him he considered it as a Covenant ordered in all things these that take not up the right order of the Covenant and the method of it can never have sweetness nor peace nor consolation from the Covenant For confirming and clearing this to you I desire ye may take notice of these three things 1. God who is the God of Order and not of confusion for so the Scripture calls Him he is very exact in observing of Order Observe him in natural Things in the Work of Creation what an excellent Order he keeped first to make Light then to make other things and then bring in Man when all things were Ordered for him There is an excellent Order in his Providences the Ordinance of the Sun and Moon and all the Stars have an Order by a Decree appointed them it 's true there will appear confusion in his Providences but they are but like the black and white Threeds in a Web or like the discordant Strings of an Instrument of Musick they all move to make the Instrument play or like the Wheels of a Knock though some of them move against other yet they all tend to make the Knock strike when the hour comes so all his Providences tend to the end he hath Decreed he hath appointed Order in his Church Let all things be done decently and in Order they that are for confusion are not for God for God he is the God of Order and not of confusion it 's true Papists and Prelats would build on this a multitude of humane Inventions but Order is best keeped in the Church when it 's according to the Scriptures God is the God of Order and Parity among Church-officers hath no tendency to
to folk but I exbort thee who hath gotten a Promise according to the order of the Covenant not to doubt your Peace stands on as sure a ground as Heaven and earth but we do exhort you that ye do not lightly lay hold on a Promise otherwise into your coming by it ye have taken an Apple off a Tree that is not yours and hath but stollen a Promise try if ye have submitteel to the Covenant if ye have a right to the Covenant and if the Spirit hath made out the absolute Promises and if your life and conversation hath looked like the order of the Covenant if ye first believe and then pray and come to the Church if these be not I exhort thee to suspect thy self and rather to quite a Promise than to entertain a deluding peace So ye see the necessity of looking to the order of the Covenant and the rules and marks whereby ye may try if any Promise ye have gotten hath come in by the way of the Covenant and if it hath not come in so it will be vomite up again and of all the ill smell'd things in the world that will be one to swallow down a Promise and vomit it up again Vse 2. The second use of the point is there such an excellent Order in the Covenant then I would have thee to submit to this Order in the Covenant and I will offer you four cases wherein I would press you to submit to the Order of the Covenant I believe there are many and I wonder often that both my self and other Ministers that we are not more in preaching so necessary a truth that it s not more ordinar to tell people that they have gotten a Promise and they observe not the Order of the Promise 1. I exhort you to submit to this Order of the Covenant in your desires when we go to God with our prayers the thing we pray for is never prayed for right except we submit our desires in two things 1. I desire you may submit your desires in trying the things ye make request for submit to it according to the tenor of the Covenant do not say give me pardon when he hath not given Repentance do not say Justifie me when he hath not effectually called you for ye bid him in that case overturn the Order of the Covenaut 2ly I would have you submit to it in the answer of your desires many a time we go to him and of all the fruitless works we go about throughout the week is Prayer we never know our selves a strae-broad better at the Weeks end than at the beginning of it when we have been in secret morning and evening and sometime at midtime of the day the reason is ye go not to him according to the Order of the Covenant it 's an unreasonable desire to bid him overturn the thing that his Son hath treated and sealed with his own Blood and payed for we go to him and desires him not according to the Order of the Covenant we cry give me Peace and give me Pardon and it may be he hath not given Repentance therefore learn from this Sermon to submit your desires and the answers of them to the ordering of the Covenant and I am confident there are many that use to go to God if ye would cast up your reckoning what ye desired and the way of your desires whatever it was it was something inconsistent with the Order of the Covenant that the Mediator treated In the second place I would have you to submit your practice to the Order of the Covenant ye were hearing that believing is the first and principal thing and other Duties must be influenced by faith many when they go to pray observe not this and when they come to hear they hear not in faith what ever they ask they ask not in faith they would have Prayer Hearing Repentance without Faith which is not according to the Order of the Covenant Submit thy practice to the Order of the Covenant when thou goes to God examine if it be according to the Order of the Covenant 3ly I would have thee submitting thy Enjoyments to the order of the Covenant I mean even thy greatest Spiritual Enjoyments the Lord hath ordered the Covenant so as he hath the timing of the Peace and deliverance of his Ghurch and the communications of his Spirit to his people many a time we would limit God in asking peace and delivering the Church we bid him do this the day or to morrow the Covenant is so ordered as he hath left the timing of these to him who is a Lord of his Liberty thou that will quarrel I was at this Sermon and that Sermon and I saw him not and I go to him in corners and I scarce find him ye would take notice that the ordering of the Covenant it secures the mercy yet it allows him the timing of it in the ordering of the Covenant And lastly I would have you to submit to this order in the Covenant not only your desires your practices and your enjoyments but also subrnit to it in every thing whatever be more comprehended under any of these three O! If this were more observed readily there would be more peace Vse 3. But to close all because of the time I would close all with a word to three sorts of persons and shall say no more The first shall be a word of Reproof to them that observe not this order and they are the generality among us and the truth is it makes up a frothy Profession these that perform duties without Faith these that have gotten a promise without a right from the Govenant they observe not the order of the Commands and Promises they hear they pray they wait on Ordinances they confer and have spiritual fellowship and in the mean time they do it without the spirit of faith I tell thee and I close with this part of these four Sermons that thou boserves not the order of the Covenant and thou shall never be the better of the Covenant It was a well contrived and a wisely ordered Covenant and ye that think to take Heaven in another order and way and will not first believe and then do and thou wilt take a Promise without observing the order of the Covenant thou shall have the Lord meeting thee in the valley of decision with what hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth And thou shalt have a real curse for taking a Promise that thou hast no right to and stealing an Apple off a Tree that is not thine 2ly I exhort all of you to observe the order of the Covenant better it 's a business of a Heaven and of a Hell if ye would feed on the consolations of the Covenant the blessed Jesus who was the Wisdom of the Father he drew it treated it contrived it in such an order in Commands and Promises and the sweet harmony of Commands and Promises I exhort you
afflictions or death so grievous but where a person hath gotten the hope of salvation he looks on the world as Abraham looked on Canaan he looked on it as a strange Land and looked for a City that had foundations c. 5. The hope of salvation proves a great encouragement in regard of Hope especially when the Soul comes to the full affurance of Hope it hath assurance of these three things 1. It assures the salva ion to be certain for hope grounding it self on Faith hath apprehended its object for Faith and Hope have the same object but diversly considered Hope brings in Assurance of the certainty of the object so where the Soul comes to a lively hope of salvation it 's sure 2. Hope brings Assurance that the object is transcendent that the salvation looked for will counter-ballance all the afflictions of time The light afflictions of this present world saith Paul are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed and what a special Cordial is this in affliction and at death 3. Hope discovers the subserviency of afficton to Glory through much affliction we must enter into Glory It may be said of every Christian as Christ said to the two Disciples going to Emmaus Ought not he to suffer these things Now when one comes to be lively in the hope of salvation it not only assures this is a rock a resting place but it assures that all our afflictions will be swallowed up in that Now lay all these together the influence that the hope of salvation hath on patience and joy and groaning after glory and contempt of the world and that it hath in it the assurance both of the glory to come and the transcendency of the glory and the subserviency of affliction to that glory I say lay them all together and I hope ye are convinced that the hope of salvation is a special Cordial though ye were under the greatest affliction and even at your last words Quest 2. The second Question I shall clear what is this hope of salvation that is so great a Cordial in affliction and at death It 's true we have no express definition of Hope in our Catechism many think it 's included in the description of Faith it being an act whereby we rely on God for the good promised and not yet accomplished differing only from Faith in that that the object of Faith is present and the object of Hope is future but that ye may know what this hope of salvation is I will describe it thus It 's a supernatural grace wrought by God in the heart of a believer whereby he expects and wairs for from God the good of the promise not yet accomplished It 's a supernatural grace grace cannot be the hope of salvation in a natural heart there cannot be a lively hope in a natural heart nay Heathens cannot have this lively hope they have had some hope of resemblance since the Fall their hope is like an old Tower that is all fallen and ruinous ye find some pieces of the Wall standing which tells there was once a stately House there but now there is nothing but a bit of an old Wall so the hope of the natural heart that remains since the Fall is but a bit of a decayed Tower it 's not an house wherein a man can shelter himself from challenges from rain storm and terrors it 's a supernatural grace and Heathens they can have no hope of salvation but some relicts of the old Wall that says once there was a House there Next it is a supernatural grace wrought by God all the Angels and Ministers could not work this grace of hope therefore if ye find a person tending to despair all the Ministers ye can bring to them cannot bring them to his hope of salvation till God work it 3. It 's a supernatural grace wrought in the heart of a Believer the person must be first a Believer before he can have the hope of salvation 4. The object of it is some good not yet accomplished for hope that is seen is no hope so if ye would see what this hope of salvation is that is so great encouragement in affliction and at death it 's a supernatural grace wrought by God in the heart of a believer Quest 3. There is only one practical Question to make way for the application that I shall clear and it 's this Have all believers this hope of salvation in their end to encourage them with David had it indeed but have all believers and all that are in Covenant with God have they this hope of salvation The rather this difficulty is to be noticed in regard 1. The Lord sometimes will bring some to their last words very despondent full of fears there are many their first assurance hath been the setting their foot on the Shore and many have gone in to glory and the tear in their eye with the fear of the pit have they all then this hope of salvation to be their encouragement at their last words Answ I will Answer this in these three or four particulars 1. All believers have grounds of the hope of Salvation they are all within the Covenant they have the purpose of God the promise of God and the purchase of Christ it 's true their Evidences may be out of sight and so dark that they cannot read them in the night and readily the tear may be in their eye and they cannot see to read their Evidences yet generally all the Elect and Believedrs they have as leamed men observe this hope of Salvation either in promisso in decreto or in semine they have a ground to hope for Salvation and ye must distinguish betwixt these two the actual hope and the ground of hope it 's true the very unbelievers and ungodly men have a possibility of hope which is a great mercy there is hope for a living man the Devils and Apostat Angels would buy this possibility of hope at a dear rate but they are excluded from a possibility of hope but the Elect they have a possibility of hope either in promisso in decreto or in semine they have the actual ground of hope though readily the exercise of their hope be slow 2. Though God deny to some the assurance of hope yet ordinarily he gives the full assurance of it then it 's a Question among Divinges what is the reason that many that have gone doubting all their days that when they have come to die have had more peace more joy more clearness than before They Answer that God who is the Steward of our peace and of our joy keeps it till then and then he letteth it out And 2. They whom God denyes the full assurance of hope they will be content of bare marks at death and under affliction they would not be content of it another time and the marks they rejected when they were well they are forced to take them then And 3.
and I have heard that God cannot make greater Promises and to speak with reverence It 's impossible for him to make greater and shall the like of me a poor ignorant polluted thing make a Covenant with him I confess thou had reasoned well if thou had been under a Covenant of Works but since thou art under a Covenant of Grace I will say but these three things to thee 1. If thou will go home this night and give him thy hand and Indenture with him to be true and faithful to him though thou hast no money all these things shall be given thee without money and without price 2. I will say more to thee though thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again to me Nay 3. I will say yet more to thee whatever thy guiltiness hath been and though thou has been a transgressor from the womb yet if thou wilt yet go and seriously indenture with him and enter in a personal Covenant for the time to come all former by-gones shall be by-gones and thy want of money and want of price to give for all these things shall be no hinderance to thee and the great reason I give for this it is a Covenant of Grace therefore go and indenture with him and take the tide 〈◊〉 it it may be the Master rise and close the door on you and if ye be found without and go down to the Grave on◠of these days ye may meet with Depart from me I know you not therefore take the tide so long as the Mercat last◠and go and engage in this Covenant of Grace A second sort it speaks to if it be a Covenant of Grace it speaks a word of reproof to you that do not notice and take it up as a Covenant of Grace and there are three sorts that take it not up so 1. There are some that would take up the Covenant of Grace for a Covenant of Liberty and Licentiousness indeed it 's a Covenant of Grace but not of Liberty and thou that wilt go and neglect Prayer and be a stranger to all the acts of fellowship with God and of Grace and will go follow thy Lusts and will talk of a Covenant of Grace thou calls it a Covenant of Liberty and of all Creatures he will be angry with and be avenged of it will be thou 2. It reproves these that never will deal with God by way of a Covenant of Grace but by way of a Covenant of Works ay when they come to him they would ay have money in their hand to give for the wine milk and honey proud man cannot endure to hold of free Grace of all the Doctrines of the World it hath been most opposed in the Church Papists Socinians Arminians Lutherians they become generally enemies to it 3. It reproves these that though they acknowledge it to be a Covenant of Grace and without merit and alluring motive yet they would have it a Covenant of a mixed nature they would have some mixtures of some things of their own in with the Grace of God therefore they go constantly trembling alas I have such a heart and such a way I have no love to God nor delight in him therefore they will cast away hope as if the Covenant were a Covenant partly of Grace and partly of Works no it 's a Covenant of pure and unmixed Grace it 's a Covenant of perfect and full Grace it 's a Covenant of persevering and continuing Grace now go not to turn it into a Covenant of another nature But since the Father hath resolved to exalt Christ and his Grace subscribe to the Tenor of the Covenant Thirdly It serves to press Believers to make use of it as a Covenant of Grace I will tell you three or four things wherein I will especially press you to make use of it as a Covenant of Grace 1. If ye have any great thing to seek from God may be some have a Temporal thing to seek from him they have a strait to come thorow may be some have a Spiritual thing to seek they have committed a sin and would have pardon for it and they can scarcely expect that God will hear them take up this Covenant as a Covenant of Grace it is the nature of this Covenant to give Pardon freely without money and without price and if ye go to him and say Lord bring me out of such a strait Lord forgive me such a sin and ye think ye will not be heard why I have no money to give for it but let the Papists give their Pardons it 's not so in this Covenant 2. Make use of it in answering all challenges I will have occasion when I come to that Although my house be not so with God To let you see how the Covenant answers challenges I believe it 's the thing that makes many Christians spend the most part of their Religion in complaints they are either ignorant or forgetful of the Covenant 3. Improve it in all external difficulties In a word there is no case no incident case no challenge no difficulty no petition we carry to God but the consideration of the Covenant and of all the Promises of it as an Act of free favour and Grace may be eminently useful to them Learn all of you to take it up as a Covenant of Grace and take heed when God hath given you a Covenant of Grace and the Mediator hath purchased it that ye deal not ordinarly with your self as if ye were under a Covenant of Works SERMON IX 2 Samuel 23.5 Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow I Proposed in this Verse five particulars to be handled First The nature of David's security it 's a Covenant I have spoken to this in some preceeding Sermons and I purposed to dwell no more on it Therefore I come to the second Branch of the Words The Parties among whom this Covenant is Transacted The Lord hath made with me a Covenant That I may the better reach what is comprehended in this Branch of the Verse I desire may take notice of four particulars in it 1. Ye have the Author and efficient cause of this Covenant The Lord hath made He doeth not say I have made with the Lord but the Lord hath made with me a Covenant 2. Ye have the Parties concerned in this Covenant the Lord and me 3. I shall take notice of the particulars and personal way of Covenanting or expressing these Parties he says not the Lord and Christ and the Lord and all the Elect have made a Covenant but the Lord hath made with me personally Lastly I shall take notice of the Assurance which his confident asserting of it imports he can affirm it with a deal of confidence as a thing he is perswaded of The Lord hath made with