and applyed in the following Treatise their fears and doubts c. would quickly vanish and they would have their triumphant songs their mourning would soon be turned into rejoycing their complaints into Hallelujahs Neither do I know any thing in all this world that would contribute more to seriousness spiritualness heavenlyness humbleness holyness and fruitfulness then a right understanding of these two Covenants and a Divine improvement of them There are many choice Christians who have alwayes either tears in their eyes complaints in their mouths or sighs in their breasts and O that these above all others would make these two Covenants their daily Companions Let these few kinds suffice concerning the following Treatise Now Sir John I shall crave leave to put you and your Lady a little in mind of your deceased and glorified Father He is a true Friend saith the Smyrnean Poet of Ponder upon that Deut. 13. 6. Thy friend which is as thine own soul old who continueth the memory of his deceased Friend When a Friend of Austin's dyed he professed he was put into a great streight whether he himself should be willing to live or willing to dye he was unwilling to live because one half of himself was dead yet he was not willing to dye because his Friend did partly live in him though he was dead Let you and I make the application as we see cause your glorified Fathers Name and Memory remains to this day as fresh and fragant as the Rose of Sharon among all those that fear the Lord and Cant. 2. â— had the happiness of inward acquaintance with him The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall not In the Original it is The memory of the just Prov. 10. 7. Mâ—moria just 〈◊〉 So Bat◠〈◊〉 benam 〈◊〉 servasso 〈◊〉 Plant. If I may but keep a good Name I have wealth e 〈…〉 saith the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in benedictionem shall be for a blessing the very remembring of them shall bring a blessing to such as do remember them The Moralists say of Fame or of a mans good Name Omnia si perdas famam servare memento Quâ semel amissâ postea nullus eris i. e. Whatsoever commodity you lose be sure yet to preserve that Heb. 11. 1â— 39. A good renown is better than a golden Girdle saith the French Proverb jewel of a good Name This jewel among others your honoured Father carried with him to the Grave yea to Heaven There is nothing raises a mans Name Fame in the World like holyness The seven Deacons that the Church chose were holy men Act. 6. 5. and they were men of good report V. 3. They were men well witnessed unto well testified off as the Greek word imports The Persians seldom write their Kings Name but in characters of gold throughout the Old and New Testament God has written the Names of just men in golden characters as I may speak Cornelius was a holy man Act. 10. 1 2 3 4. and he was a man of good report among all the Nation of the Jews V. 22. Ananias was a holy man Act. 9. 10 20. and he was a man of a good report Act. 22. 12. Gajus and Demetrius were both holy men and of a good report witness that third Epistle of John The Patriarchs and Prophets were holy men and they were men of a good report Heb. 11. 1 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good report their holyness did eternalize their Names The Apostles were holy men 1 Thes 2. 10. and they were men of good report 2 Cor. 6. 8. Now certainly it is none of the least of mercies to be well reputed and reported of next to a good God and a good conscience a good report a good name is the noblest blessing It is no great matter if a man be great and rich in the world to obtain a great report but without holyness you can never obtain a good report Holyness uprightness righteousness will imbalm your names it will make them immortal Psalm 112. 6 The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance Wicked men many times out live their names but the names of the righteous out live them Holy Abel hath been dead above this five thousand years yet his name is as fresh fragrant as it 1 John 3. 12. was the first day he was made a Martyr When a sincere Christian dyes he leaves his name as a sweet and as a lasting scent behind him his Fame shall live when he is dead This is verified in your precious Father who is now a sleep in Jesus 1 Thess 4. 14. Now you both very well know that there was no Christian Friend that had so great a room in his heart in his affections as I had and you can easily guess at the reasons of it neither can you forget how frequently both in his health sickness and before his death he would be prâ—ssing of me to be a Soul-friend to you and to improve all the interest I had in Heaven for your internal Mat. 25. 33. and eternal good that he might meet you both in that upper world and that you might both be found with him at the right hand of Christ in the great day of the Lord. I know that your glorified Father whil'st he was on earth did lay up many a prayer for you in Heaven My desire and prayer is that those prayers of his may return in mighty power upon both your hearts and having a fair opportunity now before me I shall endeavour to improve it for the everlasting advantage of both your souls and therefore let my following counsel be not only accepted but carefully faithfully and diligently followed by you that so you may be happy here and blessed hereafter The first word of counsel is this Let it be the principal care of both of you to look after the welfare of your precious and immortal souls If your souls are safe all is safe if they are well all is well but if they are lost all Mat. 16. 26. The Soul is a greater mirâ—cle in man than all the miracles wrought amongst men saith Augustine is lost and you lost and undone in both worlds Christ that only went to the price of souls hath told us That one Soul is more worth than all the world Chrysostom well observeth That whereas God hath given us many other things double viz. two eyes to see with two ears to hear with two hands to work with and two feet to walk with to the intent that the failing of the one might be supplyed with the other he hath given us but one soul if that be lost hast thou saith he another soul to give in recompense for it Ah Friends Christ left his Fathers bosom and all the glory of Heaven for the good of souls he assumed the nature of men for the happyness of the soul of man he trod the wine-press
immaterial doth not depend upon the body in its working the rich and rare endowments and the noble operations of the soul speak out the excellency of the soul The soul saith one hath Aristotle a nature distinct from the body it moves and operates of it self though the body be dead and hath no dependence upon or coexistence with the body The soul hath an intrinsecal principle of life and motion though it be separate from the body And doth not the immortality of the soul speak out the excellency of the soul against that dangerous notion of the souls mortality Consult the Scriptures in the margin and seriously and Luke 23. 43. 1 Thess 4. ult Phil. 1. 23. Acts 7. 59. frequently think of this one argument among a multitude of arguments that might be produced to prove the immortality of the soul That which is not capable of killing is not capable of dying but the soul is not capable of killing ergo Our Lord Jesus proves the minor proposition that it is not capable of killing Fear not Luke 12. 4. them them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do Therefore the soul not being capable of killing is not in a possibility of dying the essence of the soul is Metaphysical it hath a beginning but no end it is Eternal à parte post it runs parallel with Eternity the soul doth not wax old it lives for ever which we cannot affirm of any sublunary created glory To conclude this first word of counsel what Job saith of wisdom I may fitly apply to the soul Man knows not the price thereof Job 28. 13 16 17. it cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphir the Gold and Chrystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of sine Gold O my Friends it is the greatest wisdom policy equity and Justice to provide for your precious souls to secure your precious souls for they are Jewels of more worth than ten thousand worlds all the honours riches greatness and glory of this world are but chips toyes and pibbles to these glorious pearls But The second word of counsel is this as you would be safe here and saved in the great day of the Lord as Actâ— 2. 20. â—â— 22. 21. ◠〈…〉 poth 1. 15. Joâ— 13. 15. 2 Cor. 2. 11. you would be happy here and blessed hereafter take up in nothing below a gracious acquaintance with Christ a choice acceptation of Christ a holy relyance upon Christ a full resignation of your selves to Christ and a real and glorious union with Christ If you do you are lost and undone in both worlds First Some take up in a name to live when they are dead dead in trespasses and sins dead God-wards and Revel 3 1. Ephes 2. 1. dead Christ-wards and dead Heaven-wards and dead holyness-wards The Sadducees derive their name from Zeduchim or Zadducaeus a just man But the worst Men saith the Historian got the best names The Alcoran of the Turks hath its name from brightness Al in the Arabick being as much as Kazan in the Hebrew to shine or cast forth in brightness when it is full of darkness and fraught with falshoods It will be but a poor comfort to any for the world to commend them as gracious if God condemn them as graceless for the world to commend them as pious if God condemn them as impious for the world to commend them as sincere if God condemn them as hypocrites But Secondly Some take up in a form Godliness when 2 Timoth. 3. 5. they are strangers to the power when they deny yea when they oppose and persecute the power such Monsters this Age has abounded with but their seeming Acts 13. 45 50 goodness is but a Religious cheat Thirdly There are some that take up in their Religious Matth. 9. 22. Luke 18. 12. Cap. 13. 26. Matth. 6. cap. 23. Luke 36. 15. Ezeck 33. 31 32. duties and services in their praying fasting prophesying hearing receiving they make a God a Christ a Saviour of their own duties services this was the undoing and damning sin of the Scribes and Pharisees and is the undoing and damning sin of many thousands in our dayes Fourthly There are many that take up in their common gifts and parts in a gift of knowledge and in a gift Math. â— 22. Rom. 2. 17. 21. 1 Cor. 12. â—eb 6. 4â—5 of teaching and in a gift of knowledge and in a gift of teaching and in a gift of utterance and in a gift of memory and in a gift of prayer and this proves ruinous and destructive to them Fifthly There are many that take up in their riches Prov. 10. 15. Psalm 73. 19. Matth. 20. 26. Diviâ—â—bus i 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rich mens wealth proves an hinderance to their happiness Eccles 5. 13. James 5. 1 2. prosperity and worldly grandure and glory Prov. 18. 11. The rich mans wealth is his strong City it is hard to have wealth and not trust to it Mat. 19. 24. Wealth was never true to those that trusted it There is an utter uncertainty in riches 1 Timoth. 6. 17. A non entity Prov. 23. 5 6. An impotency to help in an evil day Zephan 1. 18. An impossibility to stretch to Eternity unless it be to destroy the owner for ever There is nothing more clear in Scripture and History than that riches prosperity and worldy glory hath been commonly their portion who never have had a God for their portion Luke 16. 25. Ricâ—es are called thiâ—k clay Hal. 2. 6. which will sooner break the back than lighten the heart It was an excellent saying of Lewis of Bavaria Emperour of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Such goods are worth getting and owning as will not sink or wash away if a ship-wrack happen Solus sapiens dives Only the Wise man is the rich man saith the Philosopher Another saith Divitiae Austin corporales paupertatis plenae sunt That earthly riches are full of poverty they cannot enrich the soul for oftentimes under silken Apparel there is a thred-bare soul He that is rich in conscience sleeps more soundly than he that is richly clothed in purple No man is rich which cannot carry hence that which Ambros lib. 8. Ep. 10. he hath that which we must leave behind us is not ours but some others The shortest cut to riches is by their contempt it is Seneca great riches not to desire riches and he hath most that covets least If there were any happiness in riches the Gods would not want them saith the same Author When one was a commending the riches and wealth of Merchants I do not love that wealth said a poor Heathen which hangs upon ropes for if they break the ship miscarrieth and then where is the Merchants riches If I had an
gathered them And in the New Testament Christ sends his hearers to the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred search signifies a strict narrow curious diligent search we must search the Scripture as we would search for Gold or for some Precious Stones which we would fâ—in find we must search the Scriptures as Hunters seek and search out their Game The Scripture is so perfect a Rule that the most specious observances the most glorious performances the most exact worship is no way acceptable unto God if not directed in his word They may have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colos 2. 23. A shew of Wisdom in Will-worship to the pleasing of men not to the honour of God God gave Moses a pattern for Exod. 25. 9. the making of the Tabernacle and David for the Temple and all Heb. 8 5. things were to be ordered and regulated according to this pattern God hath set us a perfect Rule of Worship in his Word and no Service pleaseth him but what is according to this Rule As our Joh. 4. 20 21. 22. Saviour told the woman of Samaria concerning the Samaritan Worship at Mount Gerazim and the Jewish Worship at Jerusalem That the Samaritans worshipped they know not what the Jews knew what they worshipped for Salvation was of the Jews Why so because the Jews had God's special direction and appointment of God's Word for their Worship and Service which the Samaritans had not All our Worship must be regulated by God's Will not our own Non ex arbitrio Deo serviâ—ndum sed ex imperio Not according to our own fancy but God's Command and Prescription I say of all humane invented Will-worship of God as Tertullian of the Heathen Worship Ex religione super sâ—itio compingitur eo irreligiosior quanto Ethnicus paratior Men in this are no better than laboriously superstitious taking pains to be irreligious And so the Apostle sends his hearers to the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 â—â— as to a surer word than that of the Revelation all which speaks out the sufficiency of the Scripture to direct us in all matters of Divine Worship and in what ever else may help on the internal and eternal welfare of our precious and immortal souls That which bred the Popish Religion Superstition Idolatry and Pompous Worship was men's departing from the word and not cleaving to the word as a sufficient rule to direct them in all matters of worship and what woful mischiefs and miseries have been brought upon the people of the Lord in this Land and else where by men that make not the word the rule of their worship but cry up an outward pompous worship I have no mind to enumerate at this time But how will these vain men that accuse the holy Scriptures of insufficiency blush be ashamed and confounded when in the great day the Lord shall plead the excellency and vindicate the Sufficiency and Authority of his blessed Book in opposition to all the mixtures of men's Traditions with Divine Institutions Now they that suffer for asserting the holy Scriptures to be a sufficient rule to order guide and direct them in all matters of worship they have a good Cause and they suffer as Christians for well doing But They that are Assertors of the true God in opposition to the Idols of the Nations have a good Cause and they that suffer upon this account suffer as Christians for well doing Upon this foot the Christians under the Heathen Emperours in the primitive times suffered great things and are there none that suffer this day upon this account by the Romish Powers But Fifthly They who assert that God will not bear with mixtures in his worship and service but revenge himself upon the corrupters of his worship they have a good cause and they that suffer upon that account suffer as Christians for well doing All mixtures Isa 29. 13 14. Mat. 15. 3 6 8 9. debase the worship and service of God and makes the worship a vain worship as the mixing of water with wine is the debasing of the wine and the mixing of Tin with Silver or Brass with Gold is debasing of the Silver and Gold so for men to mix and mingle their Traditions and Inventions with God's Institutions is to debase the worship and service of God and to detract from the excellency and glory of it You know that the Kings and Princes of the world have most severely punished such who by their base mixtures have imbased their Coyn. And assuredly there is a day a coming when the King of Kings will most severely punish all such who have imbased his worship and service by mixing Humane Inventions and Romish Traditions with his holy Institutions Rev. 22. 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophecie of this book if any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in There will come a day when Jews Turks Papists shall pay dear for adding to the Scriptures this book And no wonder for what horrible pride presumption stoutness and baseness is it in foolish man to be so bold with the great God as to dare to mix any thing of his own with his worship and service which according to Divine Institution is so perfect and compleat God will never bear it to see men lay their Dirt upon his Gold and to put their Rags upon his Royal Robes Ah Christians 't is best to stand up for holy Ordinances and pure worship in opposition to all mixtures whatsoever Oh do not touch a polluted worship do not plead and contend for a polluted worship but let Baal plead for Baal and though all 1 King 18. 21. Rev. 13. 3 4. 6 17. cap. 14 9 11. the world should wander after the Beast yet do not you wander after the Beast and though every forehead should have the mark of the Beast upon it yet do you abhor his mark and whatever else it be that does but smell and savour of the Beast 'T is a very dangerous thing for any Mortals to be adding to God's worship and word there is a horrible curse that hangs over the heads of all such that add or detract from the blessed Scriptures If falsifiers of Coin are liable unto the Civil Curse of the Law how much more shall the Anathema of Eternal Damnation be inflicted upon the corrupters of God's word and worship To them that add thereto God will add all the Plagues of this book to wit the seven last Plagues and cast them into the lake of sire and brimsionâ— Rev. 19. with the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet Now they that suffer for asserting that God will not bear with mixtures in his Worship and Service but revenge himself upon
the work of our Redemption Christ's being called the surety of the better Covenant shews that there was Heb. 7. 22. a Covenant between God the father and him as there is between a creditour and a sutety Christ gave bonds as it were to God the father and payed down the debt upon the nail that breaches might be made up between God and us and we restored to divine favour for ever But for the further clearing up of the Covenant of Redemption I shall in the second place lay down these propositions And The first is this That the Covenant of Redemption The First Proposition differs from the Covenant of Grace 'T is true the Covenant of Redemption is a Covenant of Grace but 't is not properly that Covenant of Grace which the Scripture holds out in opposition to the Covenant of works which I shall thus evidence 1. The Covenant of Redemption differs from the Covenant of Grace in regard of the Federates in the Covenant of Redemption 't is God the father and Jesus Christ that mutually covenant but in the Covenant of Grace the confederates are God and believers 2. In the Covenant of Redemption God the father requires of Jesus Christ that he should suffer shâ—d his blood die and make himself an offering for our sins In the Covenant of Grace God requires of us that we should believe and embrace the Lord Jesus 3. In the Covenant of Redemption God the father has made many great precious and glorious promises to Jesus Christ As sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool Heâ— 1. 13. Isa 53. 10. And he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands And Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal 2. 8. and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Heb. 1. 5. Psal 84. 11. Ezek. 36. 26 27. And I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son But in the Covenant of Grace God promises to us Grace and glory holiness and happiness both the upper and the lower springs 4. The Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ secures the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and believers for what God promises to us he did Tit. 1. 2. before the foundation of the world promise to Jesus Christ and therefore if God the father should not make good his promises to his Saints he would not make good his promises to his dearest son which for any to imagine would be high Blasphemy God will be sure to keep touch with Jesus Christ and therefore we may rest fully assured that he will not fail to keep touch with us 5. The Covenant of Redemption is the very basis or bottom of the Covenant of Grace God made a Covenant with Christ the spiritual David that he might make a Covenant Psal 89. 3 4. Râ—â— 11. 26 27. with all his Elect in him he made this agreement with Christ as the head and on this is reared up the whole frame of precious promises comprised in the Covenant of Grace as a goodly building upon a sure foundation But The second Proposition is this God the father in order The Second Proposition to man's Redemption and Salvation stands stiffly and peremptorily upon compleat satisfaction without full satisfaction no remission no salvation Satisfaction God will have to the utmost though it cost Christ his life and blood Man is fallen from his primitive purity glory Rom. 8. 32. and excellency and by his fall he hath provoked divine justice transgressed God's righteous Law and cast a deep dishonour upon his name the case standing thus God is resolved to have ample satisfaction in the reparation of this honour in the manifestation of his truth and in the vindication of his holiness and justice All the attributes of God are alike dear to him and he stands as much upon the advance of his justice as he does upon the glory of his Grace and therefore he will not remit one sin yea not the least sin without entire satisfaction In this God the father is fixt that he will have an offering for Isa 53. 10. 1 â—â—m 2. 6. sin in an expiatory and propitiatory way a price and a ransom he will have paid down upon the nail or else the captive sinner shall-never be released pardoned saved Now lost man being wholly uncapable of giving such a satisfaction to Divine Justice Christ must give it or fallen man must perish for ever Sin and sorrow iniquity and misery always go hand in hand The wages of sin is Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 1. 32. death Every sinner is worthy of death They which commit such things are worthy of death If God be a just and righteous God then sin cannot absolutely escape unpunished for it is but a just and righteous thing with God to punish the sinner who is worthy of punishment It is a righteous thing with God saith the Apostle to recompence 2 Thes 1. 6. tribulation to them that trouble you And as God cannot but be just so he cannot but be true and if he cannot but be true then he cannot but make good his threatnings against sin and sinners The word is gone out of his mouth In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely Gen. 2. 17. die And the soul which sins shall die Look as there Eâ—â—k 18. 4. is not a promise of God but shall take place in time so there is not a threatning of God but shall take place in time The faithfulness of God and the honour of God is as much concerned in making good of terrible threatnings 2 Pet. 1. 4. as they are concerned in making good of precious promises God has given it under his own hand That he will by no means clear the guilty And that the soul that Exod. 34. 7. Ezek. 18. 20. Rom. 2. 6. sinneth shall surely die And that the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him And that he will render to every man according to his deeds And will God abrogate his own laws or will he dare men to sport and play with his threatnings Will not every wise and prudent Prince look to the execution of their own Laws and shall not Isa 40. 28. Isal 147. 5. that God who is wonderful in wisdom and whose understanding is infinite see all his Laws put in execution against offenders surely yes Thus you see that God stands upon full satisfaction and will admit of no treaty of peace with fallen man without it Now sorry man is never able either by doing or suffering to compensate and make God amends for the wrong and injury that he has done to God by his sin and therefore one that is able by doing and suffering to give compleat satisfaction must undertake it or else we are lost cast and undone in both worlds Concerning that full and
to the last But Fourthly God the father promiseth to Jesus Christ that he shall not labour in vain and that the work of Redemption shall prosper in his hand and that he will give a blessed success to all his undertakings and crown all his endeavours He shall see his seed and he shall see the travail of his soul Another promise of the father 〈◊〉 â—â— 1. 53. 10. 〈◊〉 49. 6 7 â— 9 10 11 12. 〈◊〉 4. 3. to the son you have in that Isa 55. 5. Nations that know thee not shall run unto thee The Gentiles that never heard of Christ nor ever were acquainted with Christ nor ever had any notice of Christ when Christ calls they shall readily and speedily repair unto him and submit unto him Christ shall one day see and reap the sweet and happy fruit of his blood sufferings and undertakings the pleasure of the Lord shall certainly prosper in his hand Christ's sufferings were as a woman's travail sharp though short Now though a woman suffers many grievous pains and pangs yet when she sees a man child brought into the world she joys and is satisfied So when nations shall run to Christ he shall see his seed and be satisfied God the father promiseth that Jesus Christ shall have a numerous spiritual postâ—rity begetting and bringing many thousands to the obedience of his father Nations shall run unto thee And this shall fill the heart of Jesus Christ with abundance of joy and comfort contentment and satisfaction when he shall see the fruit of his bitter sufferings when he shall see abundance of poor filthy guilty condemned sinners pardoned justified and accepted with his Psal 63. 5. father His soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness The numerous body of believers past present and to come that God the father had promised to Jesus Christ was the life of his life That 's a sweet promise Psal 110. 2. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies they that will not bend must break those that will not stoop to his government shall feel his power Thy people the people Joh. 17. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Luk. 1. 57. 1 Cor. 3. ult of God are Christ's five ways 1. By donation 2. By purchase 3. By conquest 4. By covenant 5. By communication shall be willing in the day of thy power Heb. willingnesses in the abstract and in the plural number as if the Holy Ghost could not sufficiently set forth their exceeding great willingness to submit to all the Royal commands of the Lord. All Christ's Subjects are Volunteers free hearted like those Isles that wait for God's Law Isa 42. 4. cap. 56. 6. Zach. 8. 21. And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another saying let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts I will go also From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Here 's the success of Christ's office promised both in the victorious subduing of his enemies and in the chearful willingness of his subjects and in the wonderful numerousness of his people brought over to him even like the innumerable drops of the morning dew Another promise of that great and compleat success that God the father hath made for Jesus Christ in his Mediatory office you have in that Isa 49. from the 6. verse to the 14. verse Christ shall have a people gathered to him and a seed to serve him Because he hath made his soul an offering for their sins The multitude of sinners brought over to Jesus Christ is the product of the satisfaction which he hath made for them and the trophies of the victory that he hath got by dying the death of thâ— Cross Thus you see that God the father hath not only engaged himself by compact to preserve Jesus Christ in his work but he hath also made to him several precious promises of preservation protection and success so that the work of Redemption shall be sure to prosper in his hand And to make these glorious promises the more valid and binding God confirms them solemnly by an oath Heb. 7. 21. This Priest Christ was made with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a priest for ever God the father foresaw from everlasting that Jesus Christ would so infinitely satisfie him and please him by his incarnation obedience and death that thereupon he swears But Fifthly God the father promiseth to Jesus Christ Rule Dominion and Sovereignty This Sovereignty and Rule Psal 2. 8 9. is promised to Jesus Christ in Isa 40. 10. His arm shall rule for him He shall sit in judgment in the earth and the Isles shall wait for his law Isa 42. 4. not the Jews only but the Gentiles also the people of divers countries and nations shall willingly and readily receive and embrace his doctrine and submit to his Laws and give up themselves to his rule Mic. 4. 3. He shall judge among many nations that is rule order command and direct as a Judge and and Ruler among many nations The Conquests that Christ shall gain over the Nations shall not be by swords and arms but he shall bring them to a voluntary obedience and spiritual subjection by his Spirit and Gospel Joh. 3. 35. The father loveth the son and hath given all things into his hand that is God the father hath given the rule and power over all things in heaven and earth to Jesus Christ In carrying on the Redemption of sinners as the matter is accorded betwixt the father and the son so the redeemed are not left to themselves but are put under Christ's charge and custody who has purchased them with his blood God the father having given him dominion over all that may contribute to help or hinder his peoples happiness that he may order them so as may be for their good And this power he hath as God with the father and as man and Mediatour by donation Mat. â—8 18. câ—p 2. 3. and gift from the father and thus every believer's happiness is most firm and sure all things being wisely and faithfully transacted between the father and the son Colâ—s 1. 19. cap. 2. 1. As long as Jesus Christ has all power to defend his people and all wisdom and knowledg to guide and govern his people and all dominion to curb the enemies of his people and a commission and charge to be answerable for them we may roundly conclude of their eternal safety security and felicity But Sixthly God the father promiseth to accept of Jesus Isa 49. 5. Christ in his Mediatory office according to that of Isaiah Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord that is as if he had said notwithstanding the infidelity obstinacy and impenitency of the greatest part of the Jews yet my faithful labour and diligence in the execution of my Mediatory office is and shall
But what amazing love what matchless love is this for a man to engage his person and life for his friend when as skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and yet according to the Covenant of Redemption Jesus Christ has done all this and much more for us as is evident if you will but cast your eye back upon the Articles of the Covenant or consult the Scriptures in the Margin If a friend to free a Jâ—â— 2. 4. Joâ— 1â— 11 15 17 18 28 Râ—m 5. 6 〈◊〉 Eph. 1. 5 6 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 13 14 15 Heb. 2. 13 1â— 15. captive or one condemned to death should put himself into the state and condition of him whom he freeth that would be an evidence of love beyond all comparison But now if the dignity of Christ's person and our unworthiness if the greatness of the debt and kind of payment and if the benefit which we reap thereby be duly weighed we shall find these evidences of love to come as much behind the love of Christ as the light of a candle cometh short of the light of the Sun Christ's Suretiship according to the Covenant of Redemption is and ought to be a prop of props to our faith It is as sure a ground of confidence that all is well and shall be for ever well between God and us as any the Scriptures does afford by vertue hereof we have a right to appeal to God's Justice for this Surety hath made ful satisfaction and to exact a debt which is fully satisfied is a point of injustice Christ knew very well what the Redemption of fallen man would cost him he knew that his life and blood must go for it he knew that he must lay by his Robes of Majesty and be cloathed with flesh he knew that he must encounter Sâ—lus Amoâ— nesâ—it difficultates men and Devils he knew that he must tread the Wine-press of his Father's wrath bear the Curse and make himself an offering for our sins for our sakes for our salvation yet for all this he is very ready and willing to bind himself by Covenant that he will redeem us whatever it cost him Oh what tongue can express what heart Eph. 3. 18 19. Look where thou wilt thou art surrounded with flames of his love and it were strange if thou shouldest not be set on fire if not sure thou must needs be a Diabolical Salamander sayâ— Cuâ—anus can conceive what soul can comprehend the heights depths bredths and lengths of this love Oh blessed Jesus what manner of love is this that thou shouldest wash away my scarlet sins in thine own blood that thou shouldest die that I may live that thou shouldest be cursed that I might be blessed that thou shouldest undergo the pains of hell that I might enjoy the joys of heaven that the face of God should be clouded from thee that his everlasting favour might rest upon me that thou shouldest be an everlasting Skreen betwixt the wrath of God and my immortal soul that thou shouldest do for me beyond all expression and suffer for me beyond all conception and gloriously provide for me beyond all expectation and all this according to the Covenant of Redemption what shall I say what can I say to all this but fall down before thy grace and spend my days in wondering at that matchless bottomless love that can never be fathomed by Angels or men Oh Lord Jesus saith one plusquam Bâ—rnard mea plusquam meas plusquam me I love thee more than all my goods and I love thee more than all my friends yea I love thee more than my very self 'T is good to write after this copy But The Eleventh and last Plea that a Believer may form up as to the ten Scriptures that are in the Margin that Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. â—â—at 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account may be drawn up from the consideration of the Book of Life out of which all the Saints shall be judged in the great day of our Lord Rev. 20. 11. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them Vers 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God And the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Vers 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them And they were judged every man according to their works Vers 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire In the 11. verse John describes the Judge with his preparation in the 12. verse he describes the persons that should be judged and then he describes the process and sentence and lastly he describes the execution of the sentence viz. the casting of the reprobates into the Lake of fire and the placing and fixing of the Elect in the heavenly Jerusalem vers 13 14 15. In the five last verses cited you have a clear and full description of the last General Judgment as is evident by the native Context and Series of this Chapter For having Rev. 2â— 1 2 3. Jude vers 6. spoken of the Devil's last Judgment which by Jude is called The judgment of the great day It is consentaneous therefore to understand this of such a Judgment whereby he is judged And indeed the expressions are so full and the matter and circumstances so satisfying and convincing that they leave no place for fears doubts or disputes This Scripture that is under our present consideration runs parallel with that Dan. 12. 1 2 3. and several other places of Scripture where the day of Judgment is spoken of and let him that can shew me at what other Judgment all the dead are raised and judged and all Reprobates sent to hell and all the Elect brought to heaven and death and hell cast into the Lake all which are plainly expressed here He shall be an Apollo to me that can make these things that are hero spoken of to agree with any other Judgment than the last Judgment Let me give a little light into this Scripture before I improve it to that purpose for which I have cited it And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it a lively description of the last Judgment A Great Throne Great because it is set up for the General Judgment of all for the universal judgment of the whole world Before
all the creatures for their good for their service and benefit Sixthly and lastly In this Book they might run and read what a most excellent what a most admirable what a most transcendent workman God was What are the Heavens the Earth the Sea but a sheet of Royal Paper written all over with the Wisdom and Power of God Now in the great day of account this Book shall be produced to witness against the Heathen World because they did not live up to the light that was held forth to them in this Book but crucified that light and knowledge by false ways of worship and by their wicked manners whereof the Apostle gives you a Bead-roll or Catalogue from vers 21. to the end of that 1. of the Romans But Secondly there is the Book of Providence wherein â— all particulars are registred even such as Atheists may count trivial and inconsiderable Mat. 10. 30. But the very hairs of your head are all numbred And where is their number summed up even in the Book of Providence The three Worthies were taken out of the fiery furnace Dan. 3. 27 with their hairs in full number not one of them singed Paul encouraging the Passengers to eat who were in fear and danger of death tells them that there should not an Act. 27. 34. hair fall from the head of any of them And when Saul 1 Sam. 14. 45. would have put Jonathan to death the people told him That there should not a hair of his head fall to the ground Christ doth not say that the hairs of your eye lids are numbred but the hairs of your head where there is the greatest plenty and the least use Though hair is but an excrement and the most contemptible part of man yet every hair of an Elect person is observed and registred down in God's Books and not one of them shall be lost Nor the Holy Ghost doth not say the hairs of your heads shall be numbred but the hairs of your head are all numbred God has already booked them all down and all to shew us that special that singular care that God takes of the smallest and least concernments of his chosen ones This Book of Providence God will produce in the great day to confute and condemn the Atheists of the World who have denied a Divine Providence and whose hearts have swelled against his Government of the world according to the counsels of his own heart But Thirdly There is the Book of men's afflictions this some account an entire Book of it self Psal 56. 8. Thou tellest my wandrings put thou my tears into thy bottle are The Septuagint for my wandrings or flitâ—ings have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Lâ—fe to teach us saith one that our life is but a flitting they not in thy book God told all those weary steps that David took in passing over those two great Forrests when he fled from Saul or thou cypherest up my flittings as the words may be read whilst David was hunted up and down like a Partridge and hushed out of every bush and had no certain dwelling place but driven from post to pillar from one Countrey to another God was all this while a noting down and a numbering of his flittings and a bottleing up his tears and a booking down his sighs Put thou my tears into thy bottle Heb. my tear that is every tear of mine let not one of them be lost but kept safe with thee as so much sweet water God is said in Scripture to have a Bag and a Bottle a Bag for our sins and a Bottle for our tears and Oh that we would all labour to fill his bottle with our tears as we have filled his bag with our sins and certainly if the white tears of his servants be bottled up the red tears of their blood shall not be cast away if God keep the tears of the Saints in store much more will he remember their blood to avenge it and though Tyrants burn the bones of the Saints yet they cannot blot out their tears and blood out of God's Register Are they not in thy book are they not in thy Register or Book of Accounts where they cannot be blotted out by any time or Tyrants i. e. yes certainly they are thou dost assuredly book them down and wilt never forget one of them according to the usual Interrogatory that was used among the Hebrews when they affirmed a thing past all doubt Let the great Nimrods and oppressors of the Saints look to themselves for God books down all the afflictions sufferings and persecutions of his servants and in the great day he will bring in this Book this Register to witness against them Ah sinners sinners look to your selves in the great day of account the Lord will reckon with you for every rod that he hath spent upon you he will reckon with you not only for all your mercies but also for all your crosses not only for all your sweets but also for all your bitters not only for all your cordials but also for all your corrasives In this Book of Afflictions there is not only Item for this mercy and that but Item also for this affliction and that this sickness and that this cross and that this loss and that And will not the opening of this Book of the Saints afflictions and sufferings and of sinners afflictions and sufferings be as the hand-writing upon Dan. 5. 5 6. the wall to all the wicked of the earth in the great day of account surely yes for as they cannot answer for one mercy of ten thousand that they have enjoyed so they cannot answer for one affliction of ten thousand that they have been exercised with But Fourthly There is the Book of Conscience Conscience saith Philo is the little Consistory of the soul Conscience Râ—m 2. 14 15. is Mille Testes A thousand Witnesses for or against a man Conscience is God's Preacher in the bosom Conscience hath a good memory saith one The chief Gen. 41. 9. Butler forgot the promise that he had made to Joseph but Conscience told him of it Fama propter homines conscientia propter Deum saith Augustine A good name will carry it amongst men but it is a good conscience only that can acquit us before God In this great day the Book of every man's Conscience shall be opened for their conviction The Conscience is a Domestick and true Tribunal saith Nazianzenâ—â— wherein they shall read their guilt in legible Characters for that is a Book of Record wherein men's actions are entred and although now it be shut up close and sinners will by no means be brought to look into it â—and though many things that are written in this Book seem to be so greatly obliterated and blotted that they can hardly be read Yet in that great day of Accounts God will refresh and recover the lustre of those Ancient Writings and sinners in that day shall find that
Conscience hath an Iron Memory In the last day God will bring the Book of Conscience out of the Rubbish as they did the Book of the Law in Josiah's time and the very laying open of this Book before sinners will even put them besides their wâ—ts and fill them with unspeakable horrour and terrour and be a hell on this side hell unto them In this Book they shall find an exact account of every vain thought they have had and of every idle word they have spoke and of every evil action they have done and Oh what amazement and astonishment will this fill them with By the Books in this Rev. 20. 12. Origen does Comm. ad Rom. 14. understand the Books of Conscience which now are hid not from God but from most men for the hidden things of the heart are not now known but then they shall be opened and manifested to the Consciences of every sinner so as there shall be no place no room left for any Ambr. in Psâ—l 1. excuse or Plea Ambrose saith that the Books that are here said to be opened are the Books of men's Consciences and God's Omniscience Oh what dreadful challenges and accusations will every sinner be forced to read out of this Book of Conscience in the great day Oh how in that great day will all wicked men wish that they had followed the counsel of the Heathen Orator when he said A recta conscientia ne latum quidem unguem discedendum Ciâ— â—â— Ossic A man may not depart an hairs breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good Conscience The Book of God's Omniscience takes in all things past present and to come as if he had kept a Diary of every man's thoughts words and actions But Fifthly There is the Book of Scripture and of all Books this Book is the most precious Book The Book of the Creature is but as the Inventory of the Goods the Book of the Scripture is the evidence and conveyance and assurance of all good to us The Book of Scripture is the Book of the Statutes and Ordinances of the King of Heaven which must be opened and consulted and by which all must be judged in the great day Jam. 2. 12. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged Jam. 23 25. by the law of liberty i. e. by the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the whole Word of God registred in the blessed Scriptures Now the whole Word of God is called the Law of Liberty because thereby we are born again to a new spiritual life and so freed from the Bondage and Slavery of sin and Satan Our Lord Jesus Christ in his proceedings Let the Word be President in all Assemblies and Judgments saith Beza In the Nicene Council Censtâ—nâ—â—e caused the Bible to be set upon a Desk aâ— Judge of all controversies the Word shall be the Judge of all men's Estates at last every man shall stand or fall according as he holds weight in the Ballance of the Sanctuary in the great day of Account will judge us by the Scriptures and pass everlasting sentence upon us according to the tenour of the Scriptures At the great and general Assizes Christ will try all causes by the Word of God and pass Judgment upon all sorts of persons according to the Word Joh. 12. 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The persons that are to be judged in the great day are not believers in Christ they are not receivers of Christ but such as reject his person and receive not his Doctrine He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him c. However the rejecters of Christ may escape Judgment for a time yet they shall never be able to escape the Judgment of the last day they shall assuredly they shall unavoidably be judged in the last day Though the rejecters of Christ had none to witness against them yet the Word of the Lord shall be more than a thousand witnesses against them in the great day The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The Word of the Lord is so sure and infallible a word that Christ's Sentence in the great day when heaven 2 Pet. 3. 7 10 11 12. and earth shall pass away shall proceed according to the Verdict and Testimony thereof For the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day Christ will pronounce then according to what it saith now and that as well in favour of Believers as against unbelievers Ad. 17. 31. Look as Christ himself is ordained to be the Judge of quick and dead so the Word the Doctrines which he hath delivered will be the rule of all his Judicial proceedings both in acquitting the righteous and condemning the wicked By the Books in this Rev. 20. 12. Augustine Lib. 20. De C. Dei c. 14. and Beda saith the same with Austin understands the Books of the Old and New Testament which shall then be opened because according to them the Judge will pronounce sentence Rom. 2. 16. When God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel which promiseth heaven and happiness to all believers The Sentence of the last day shall be but a more manifest declaration of that Judgment that the Lord in this life most an end hath passed upon men Heathens shall be judged by the Law of Nature profligate Professors by the written Law and the Word Mar. 16. 16. preached Believers by the Gospel which saith He that believeth shall be saved He that believes shall not Joh. 3. 15 16. 36. cap. 5. 24. Paâ—eus 2 Cor. 8. 12. perish but have eternal life He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life He that believeth shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Christ shall in the great day give Sentence according to the Doctrine of the Gospel which saith If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not The Jesuits report of a Student at Paris who coming to Confession and not being able for tears and sobbings to speak was willed by his Confessor to write down his sins which he did and when the Confessor received it the writing vanished and there remained nothing but the white and clean paper this say they was by a miracle because of his great contrition Let the credit of this story be upon the reporter but upon the credit of the Word of God if we believe really savingly and repent unfeignedly all our sins shall be blotted out and a Book of clean paper in respect of sin shall be presented to the God neither needeth nor useth Books to judge by but this is spoken after the manner of men
is set upon saving of it when Christ calls upon him to lay it down for his sake or the Gospels sake No fool to him that thinks to avoid a less danger by running himself into a greater danger who thinks to save his body by losing his soul and to save his temporal life by losing eternal life There is no loser to him who by sinful attempts to save his life shall lose a better life than ever he can save But Fifthly Consider That of old there hath been a very great willingness readiness forwardness and resoluteness in the people of God chearfully to suffer for Christ his Truth his Gospel his Worship his Ways his Ordinances his interest his honour Consult the Scriptures in the margin and many others of the like import which all knowing Christians can turn to at Dan. 2. 16 17. Rom. 8. 36. Psal 44. Phil. 2. 17. Act. 20. â—2 23 24 cap. 21. 13 c. Dan. 6. 1 Pet. â— 16. Act. 5 41. Act. 7. 55 56. 2 Cor 1. 3 4. 5. Acts and Mâ—n Fol. 857. Medestus Lieâ—tenant to Julian the Emperour told him that when the Christians suffered they did but deride them and the torments said he with which Christians are tormented are more terrible to the tormentors than they are to the tormented pleasure To these I shall add a few examples amongst a multitude of those blessed souls who willingly readily chearfully resolutely hazarded all for Christ while they were on earth and are now a receiving their reward with him in heaven Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpâ—t the Martyr that I am so near the apprehension of eternal life I with my fellows were carried to the Cole-house where we do rouse together in the straw as chearfully we thank God as others do in their beds of Downe Mr. Glover the Martyr wept for joy of his imprisonment And Mr. Bradford put off his cap and thanked the Lord when his Keeper's Wife brought him word that he was to be burnt the next day and Mr. Taylor fetched a pleasant delightful frisk when he was come near to the place where he was to suffer Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Mary's days did sing in the flames Vincentius laughing at â—his tormentors said that death and tortures were to Christians socularia ludiera matters of sport and pastime and he joyed and gloried when he went upon hot burning Coals as if he had trod upon Roses Fire Sword Death Prison Famine are all pleasures they are all delightful to me saith Bazil and in his Oration for Barlaam that famous Martyr saith that he delighted in the close prison as in a pleasant green Meadow and he took pleasure in the several inventions of tortures as in several sweet flowers William Tim. Martyr in a letter to a friend of his a little before his death writeth thus Now I take my leave of you till we meet in heaven and hic you after I have tarried a great while for you and seeing you are so long in making ready I will tarry no longer for you you shall find me merrily singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath at my journey's end c. And when they kindled the fire at the feet of James Bainham me thinks said he you strew Roses before me when the Preâ—â—ct urged Basil to comply with the Emperour Socrat. Eccles Hist l. 4. c. 26. Gr. and threatned him with death if he denied he gave him thâ—s resolute and sâ—out answer Thou threatnest me with death saith he and I would that it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carcase of mine in the Quarrel of Christ and in deâ—ence of the truth who is my Head and Captain And when the Preâ—â—ct presâ—ed him to remember himself and obey the Emperour he rejecting all told him what I am to day the same thou shalt find me to morrow When Chrysostom was greatly threatned by the cruel Empress and others he made this answer If they keep me poor I know Christ had not a house to put his head in If they silence me and put me out of the Synagogue so was that poor man that confessed Joh. 9. 22 24. Act. 5. 40. cap. 12. Eph. 6. 20. Rev. 1. Christ and the Apostles enjoyned not to speak in the name of Jesus If they cast me into prison so was Jeremy St. Peter and St Paul and many more If I am forced to flee my Countrey I have that beloved Jâ—hn and that Atlas-like Athanasius for Precedents of the like nature Or whatsoever else should be done unto me I have the holy Martyrs for my fellow-sufferers and I will never count my life dear unto me so I may finish my course with joy but I will by God's help be ever ready with all my heart to suffer any thing for the name of Jesus Christ and for the least jot of his truth Neither were they only a few choice persons who willingly readily cheerfully and resolutely endured Martyrdom in Christ's Cause but such multitudes year after year month after month Hier. id Helic â— week after week and day after day as that one of the Ancients testifieth That there was never a day in the year except the first of January whereunto the number of five hundred Martyrs at least might not be ascribed So many one after another in one Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 8. c. 9. day suffered as the Executioner blunted his sword and with the pains he took fainted That which many of them endured though to flesh and blood it seemed intolerable yet with much patience excellent chearfulness and divine courage they endured it They were not like bears halled to the stake but while Persecutors were sitting on their Judgment-seats and condemning some Christians others leaped in and professed themselves Christians and suffered the uttermost that could be inflicted with Euseb l. c. citat joyfulness and a kind of pleasantness singing Psalms as long as their breath lasted Bucer in an Epistle to Calvin tells him that there were some that would willingly redeem to the Commonwealth the ancient liberty of worshipping Christ with their very lives True Grace makes a Christian of a very heroick nature Holy Zeal will make a Christian very ready to endure any thing or to suffer any thing for Christ his Worship his Ways his Truth It is a high vanity for any man to think of getting to heaven without suffering in all the Ages of the world the Saints have found the way to happiness paved with troubles and we must not think of finding it strewed with Rose-buds When Paul and Silas were in prison their hearts were so full Act. 16. 25. Paul 〈◊〉 his chain whâ—â—h he did bear for the Gospel sake and was as proud of it as a woman of her Ornaments saith Chrysostom of joy that they could not hold but at midnight when others were sleeping they must fall a singing out the Praises of
houses c. shall receive a hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life But ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel A Christian will never repent of all the hard things that he has suffered for Christ or his Truth when as every one of his sufferings shall be a sparkling Jewel to give a lustre to his Crown of Glory Suffering for Christ and Religion is the most gainful kind of Merchandize Christ is so well pleased with the sufferings of his Saints that he has engaged himself to make up whatever they lose upon his account yea to repay all with Interest upon Interest to a hundred times over Oh who would not then turn Spiritual Purchaser Christ is a noble a liberal Pay-master and no small things can fall from so great a hand as his is Mat. 5. 10 11 12. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Luk. 6. 22 23. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your Reward is in heaven for in the like manner did their fathers unto the Prophets They that are now Excommunicated and Anathematized as notorious shameful and abominable offenders they that are now opposed and persecuted by men shall at last be owned and crowned by God yea and the more Afflictions and Persecutions are multiplied upon them in this world the greater shall be their recompence in another world The Original words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matthew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Luke signifie exceeding great joy such as men usually express by skipping and dancing Let your hearts leap and let your bodies leap for joy for great is your reward in heaven Act. and Mon. Fol. 613. A Dutch Martyr feeling the flame to come to his beard said he what a small pain is this to be compared to the Glory to come Hellin Stirk a Scotch woman when her Husband was Ibid. 1154. at the place of Execution she said to him Husband rejoyce for we have lived together many joyful days but this day in which we must die ought to be most joyful to us both because we must bave joy for ever therefore I will not bid you good night for we shall suddenly meet within the Kingdom of Heaven The subscription of Mrs. Anne Askew to her Confession was this Ibid. 1130. written by me Anne Askew that neither wisheth for death nor feareth his Might and as merry as one that is bound toward â—â—â—ven Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpot that I Ibid. 1670. am so near the apprehension of eternal life God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great Glory I have so much joy of the reward prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in a place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyful as though under no Cross at all yea in all the days of my life I was never so merry the name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever The same Author in a Letter to the Congregation saith Ibid. 1663. Though I tell you that I am in Hell in the judgment of this world yet assuredly I feel in the same the Consolation of Heaven and this loathsome and horrible Prison is as pleasant to me as the Walks in the Garden in the King 's Bench. Thus you see that 1 Pet. 1. 8. suffering Saints have had a Heaven before hand they have had an exuberancy of joy such as no good could match nor no evil over-match Bernard speaking of Persecutors saith that they are Bernard but his Father's Gold-smiths who are working to add Pearls to the Saints Crown It is to my loss saith Gordius the Martyr if Gordius you abate me any thing of my present Sufferings Sufferings for Christ are the Saints greatest Glory crudelitas vestra gloria nostra your cruelty is our glory say they in Tertullian and the harder we are put to it the greater shall be our reward in heaven Chrysostom hit the nail when he said if one man should suffer all Chrysostom the sorrows of all the Saints in the world yet are they not worth one hours glory in heaven By the consent of the School-men The School-men all the Martyrs shall appear in the Church-triumphant bearing the signs of their Christian wounds about them as so many speaking testimonies of their holy courage that what here they endured in the behalf of their Saviour may be there an addition to their glory O Christians all your Sufferings will certainly encrease your future Glory every affliction every Persecution will be a grain put into the scale of your heavenly Glory to make it more weighty in that day wherein he will richly reward you for 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18 every tear for every sigh for every groan for every hazard and for every hardship that you have met in the way of your duty For light Afflictions you shall have a weight of Glory and for a few Afflictions you shall have as many joys pleasures de lights and contents as there be Stars in Heaven or Sands on the Sea shore and for Momentary Afflictions you shall have an eternal Crown of Glory If you have suffering for suffering with Christ on earth you shall have Glory for Glory with Christ in heaven Ah Christians your present sufferings are but the seeds of your future Glory and the more plentiful you sow in tears Psal 126. 5 6. the more abundant will be your Harvest of Glory Christ our General the Captain of our Salvation promises a Crown Rev 2. 10 and a Throne cap. 3. 21. to all his afflicted and persecuted ones which are the greatest rewards that a God can give or that man can crave It troubled one of the Martyrs when he was at the sâ—ake that he was going to a place where he should be for ever a receiving of Wages for a little work But Thirteenthly and Lastly Afflictions Sufferings Persecutions will discover what mettal men are made of All is not Gold that Mat. 13. 2 Tim. 1. 15 16. 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 2 Tim. 4. 10 14 15 16. Mat. 13. 20 21. glisters Many there be that glister and look like Golden Christians but when they come to the fire they prove but dross he is a Christian more worth than the Gold of Ophyr who remains Gold when under fiery Tryals The stony ground did glister and shine very gloriously for
dispose things by ones last Will and Testament Now to compose and set things in order is to uphold the Creation to walk by orders and Laws made and appointed is to walk by rule and to live to deal plainly and faithfully without deceipt To pacifie and make satisfaction includes sacrifices and sin-offerings To dispose by will and Testament implies choice of persons and gifts for men do commonly by will give their best and most choice things to their most dear and most choice friends Thus the Greek which the Apostles use in the New Testament to signifie a Covenant to express the Hebrew word Berith which is used in the Law and the Prophets doth confirm our derivation of it from all the words before-named And this Derivation of the Hebrew and Greek names of a Covenant being thus laid down and confirmed by the reasons formerly cited is of great use The various acceptation and use of these two names in the Old and New Testament is very considerable for the opening of the Covenant First to shew unto us the full signification of the word Covenant and what the nature of a Covenant is in general 2. To justifie the divers acceptations of the word and to shew the nature of every word in particular and so to make way for the knowledg of the agreement and difference between the Old and New Covenant here as in a Christal glass you may see that this word Berith and this word Diatheke signifie all Covenants in general whether they are religious or civil for there is nothing in any true Covenant which is not comprized in the signification of these words being expounded according to the former derivations Here also we may see what is the nature of a Covenant in general and what things are thereunto required As first every true covenant presupposeth a division or separation Secondly it comprehends in it a mutual promising and binding between two distinct parties Thirdly there must be faithful dealing without fraud or dissembling on both sides Fourthly this must be between choice persons Fifthly it must be about choice matters and upon choice conditions agreed upon by both Sixthly and lastly it must tend to the well ordering and composing of things between them Now all these are manifest by the several significations of the words from which Berith and Diatheke are derived And thus much for the word Covenant according to the Originals of the Old and New Testament Fifthly premise this with me That there was a Covenant of works or reciprocal Covenant betwixt God and Adam together with all his posterity Before Adam fell from his primitive holiness beauty glory and excellency God made a Covenant with Adam as a publick person which represented all Mankind The Covenant of works was made with all men in Adam who was made and stood as a publick person head and root in a common and comprehensive capacity I say it was made with him as such and we all in him he and all stood and fell together 1. Witness the imputation of Adam's sin to all mankind Rom. 5. 12. In whom or for as much as all have sinned they sinned nor all in themselves therefore in Adam see vers 14 In him all died 2. Witness 1 Cor. 15. 47. Deut. 29. 21. Rom. 8. 20 â—1 Gal. 3. 10 13. the curse of the Covenant that all mankind are directly under consult the Scriptures in the margent Those on whom the curse of the Covenant comes those are under the bond and precept of the Covenant But all mankind are under the curse of the Covenant and therefore all mankind are under the bond and precept of the Covenant Adam did understand the terms of the Covenant and did consent to the terms of the Covenant for God dealt with him in a rational way and expected from him a reasonable service The end of this Covenant was the upholding of the Creation and of all the creatures in their pure natural estate for the comfort of man continually and for the special manifestation of God's free grace And that he might put the greater obligation upon Adam to obey his Creator and to sweeten his authority to man and that he might draw out Adam to an exercise of his faith love and hope in his Creator and that he might leave Adam the more inexcusable in case he should sin and that so a clear way might be made for God's justification and man's conviction Upon these grounds God dealt with Adam not only in a way of sovereignty but in a way of Covenant But how may it be evidenced that God entred into a Quest Covenant of works with the first Adam before his fall there being no mention of such a Covenant in the Scripture that we read of Though the name be not in the Scripture yet the thing Answ is in the Scripture as will evidently appear by compareing Socinians call for the word satisfaction others call for the word sacrament others call for the word Trinity and others call for the word Sabbath for Lords day c. and thence conclude against Satisfaction Sacraments Trinity Sabbath for want of express words when the things themselves are plainly and liâ—ely set down in other words in the blessed Scriptures so it is in this case of God's Covenant with Adam The vanity and folly of such ways of reasoning is sufficiently demonstrated by all writers upon those Subjects that are â—ound in the faith c. Scripture with Scripture though it be not positively and plainly said in the blessed Scripture that God made a Covenant of works with Adam before his fall Yet upon sundry Scripture grounds and considerations it may be sufficiently evinced that God did make such a Covenant with Adam before his fall and therefore it is a nice cavil and a foolish vanity for any to make such a noise about the word Covenant and for want of the word Covenant boldly to conclude that there was no such Covenant made with Adam when the thing is lively set down in other words though the word Covenant be not expressed and this I shall make evident by an induction of particulars thus First God to declare his sovereignty and man's subjection gave Adam though innocent a Law God's express prescription of a positive Law unto Adam in his innocent state is clearly and fully laid down in that Gen. 2. 16 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou maist freely eat But of the tree of the knowledg of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Hebrew Dying thou shalt die Mark how God bounds man's obedience with a double fence First he fenced him with a free indulgence to eat of every tree in the Garden but one the less cause he had to be liquorish after forbidden fruit but stolen waters are sweet Secondly by an exploratory prohibition upon pain of death by the first the Lord
long as they continued in obedience to God The seal of the first Covenant was the Tree of life which if Adam had received by taking and eating of it whilst he stood in the state of Innocency before his fall he had certainly been established in that estate for ever and the Covenant being sealed and confirmed between God and him on both parts he could not have been seduced and supplanted by Satan as some learned men do think and as God's own words seem to imply Gen. 3. 22. And now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever The tree of knowledg of good and evil was spoken from the sad event and experience they had of it as Sampson had of God's departing from him when he lost his Nazaritish hair by Dalilah The tree of life was a Sacrament of life The tree of knowledg a Sacrament of death The tree of life was for confirmation of man's obedience and The tree of knowledg was for caution against disobedience Now if these two Trees were two Sacraments the one assuring of lite in case of obedience the other assuring of death in case of disobedience then hence we may collect That God not only entred into a Covenant of works with the first Adam but also gave him this Covenant under Sacramental signs and scals But Fourthly Seriously consider that a Covenant of works lay clear in that Commandment Gen. 2. 16 17. which may thus be made evident 1. Because that was the condition of man's standing and life as it was expresly declared 2. Because in the breach of that Commandment given him he lost all and we in him God made the Covenant of works primarily with Adam and with us in him as our head inclusively so that when he did fall we did fall when he lost all we lost all There are five things we lost in our fall 1. Our holy Image and so became vile 2. Our sonship and so became slaves 3. Our friendship and so became enemies 4. Our communion with God and so became strangers 5. Our glory and so became miserable Sin and death came into the world by Adam's fall In Adam's sinning we all sinned 1 Câ—r 15. 22. Rom. 5. 12. to the end c. and in Adam's dying we all died as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together In Adam's first sin we all became sinners by imputation Adam being an universal person and all mankind one in him by God's Covenant of works with him Omnes ille unus homo fuerunt August All were that one man viz. by federal consociation God covenanted with Adam and in him with all his posterity and therefore Adam's breach of Covenant fell not only upon him but upon all his posterity But Fifthly and lastly we read of a Second Covenant Heb. 10. 9. Rom. 9. 4. Gal. 4. 24. Eph. 2. 12. And we read of a New Covenant Jer. 31. 31. Behold the days come saith Heb. 8. 6 7. the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah So Heb. 8. 8. I will make a new covenant c. vers 13. In that he saith a new covenant he hath made the first old c. Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant c. Now if there be a Second Covenant then we may safely conclude there was a First and if there be a New Covenant then we may boldly conclude that there was an Old Covenant A Covenant of Grace always supposeth a Covenant of Works I know there is a repetition of the Covenant of Works with Adam in the Law of Moses as in that of Heb. 8. 7 8 9. the Apostle to the Galatians The Law is not of faith but the man that doth these things shall live in them The Law requires works and promiseth no life to those that will be justified by faith In the first Covenant three Gal. 3. 10 11 12. things are observable 1. The precept That continueth not in all things the precept requires perfect personal and perpetual obedience 2. The promise Live the man that doth them shall live live happily blessedly chearfully everlastingly 3. The curse in case of transgression Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them One sin and that but in thought broke the Angel's Covenant Jude 6. and hath brought them into everlasting chains So the same Apostle to the Romans further tells us that Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law that the man that doth those things shall live by them Thus it was Rom. 10. 5. with Adam principally and properly therefore he was under a Covenant of works when God gave him that command Gen. 2. 16 17. This first Covenant is called a Covenant of works because this Covenant required working on our part as the condition of it for justification and happiness The man that doth these things shall live Under this Covenant God left man to stand upon his own bottom and to live upon his own stock and by his own industry God made him perfect and upright and gave him power and ability to stand and laid no necessity at all upon him to fall In this first Covenant of works man had no need of a Mediator God did then stipulate with Adam immediately for seeing he had not made God his enemy by sin he needed no days-man to Job 9. 33. Make friendly intercession for him Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate with righteousness that he might carry it fairly justly evenly and righteously towards man and with holiness that he Eph. 4. 22 23 24. In this Scripture the Apostle speaks plainly of the Renovation of that Knowledg Holiness and Righteousness that Adam sometimes had but lost it by his fall might carry it wisely lovingly reverentially and holily towards God and that he might take up in God as his chiefest good as in his great ALL. I shall not now stand upon the discovery of Adam's Beauty Authority Dominion Dignity Honour and Glory with which he was adorned invested and crowned in innocency Let this satisfie that Adam's first estate was a state of perfect Psal 8. 4 5 6. Gen. 2. 20. knowledg wisdom and understanding it was a perfect state of holiness righteousness and happiness there was nothing within him but what was desirable and delectable there was nothing without him but what was amiable and commendable nor nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable Adam in his innocent estate was the wonder of all understanding the mirrour of wisdom and knowledg the image of God the delight of heaven the glory of the Creation the world 's great Lord and the Lord 's great darling Upon all these accounts he had no need of a Mediator And let thus much
suffice to have spoken concerning the first Covenant of works that was between God and Adam in innocency But Sixthly Premise this with me viz. That there is a new Covenant a second Covenant or a Covenant of grace betwixt God and his people express Scriptures Hâ—â— 8. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. prove this Deut. 7. 9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although See this 2 Sâ—m 23. 5. opened in my box of precious Ointments paâ— 369 370 371 372 373 374. 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 Nehem. 1. 5. I beseech thee O Lord God of heaven the great and â—errible God that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and keep his commandments Isa 54. 10. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Jer. 32. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 20. 37. And I will cause you to pass under the rod and I will bring you into Dâ—ut 4. 23. Isâ— 55. 1 2 3. Jer. 24. 7. cap. 30. 22. cap. 31. 31 33. cap. 32. 38. Heb. 8. 8 9 10. the bond of the Covenant Deut. 29. 12. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee to day Consult the Scriptures in the margent also for they cannot be applyed to Christ but to us But for the further evidencing of that Covenant that is between the Lord and his people Now that there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people may be further evinced by unanswerable arguments let me point at some among many First Christ is said to be the mediator of this Covenant Heb. 9. 15. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Certainly that Covenant of which Christ is the Testator must needs be a Covenant made with us for else if the Covenant were made only with Christ as some would have it then it will roundly follow that Jesus Christ is both Testator and the party to whom the Testaments and Legacies are bequeathed which sounds harsh yea which to assert is very absurd Since the creation of the world was it ever known that ever any man did bequeath a Testament and Legacies to himself Surely no Christ is the Testator of the New Covenant and therefore we may safely conclude that the New Covenant is made with us The office of Mediator you know is to stand betwixt two at variance The two at variance were God and man Man had offended and incensed God against him God's wrath was an insupportable burrhen and a consuming fire no creature was able to stand under it or before it Therefore Christ to rescue and redeem man becomes a Mediator Christ undertaking to be a Mediator both procured a Covenant to pass betwixt God and man and also engaged himself for the performance thereof on both parts and to assure man of partaking of the benefit of God's Covenant Christ turns the Covenant into a Testament that the conditions of the Covenant on God's part might be as so many Legacies which being confirmed by the death of the Testator none might disannul Heb. 8. 6. He is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises The promises of the new Covenant are said to be better in these six respects 1. All the promises of the Law were conditional Do this and thou shalt live the promises of the new Covenant are absolute of grace as well as to grace 2. In this better Covenant God promiseth higher things here God promiseth himself his son his spirit a higher righteousness and a higher sonship 3. Because of their stability those of the old Covenant were swallowed up in the curse Rom. 4. 13 16. Gal. 3. 16. 17. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Cant. 5 16. Col. 1. 19. cap. 2. 3. Isa 44. 3. Joâ— 2. 28. Act. 2. 16 17. Gal. 3. 2. these are the sure mercies of David 4. They are all bottomed upon faith they all depend upon faith 5. They are all promised upon our interest in Christ this makes the promises sweet because they lead us to Christ the fountain of them whose mouth is most sweet and in whose person all the sweets of all created beings do center 6. Because God hath promised to pour out a greater measure of his spirit under the New Covenant than he did under the old Covenant Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant Thus you see that Christ is called the mediator ef the covenant three several times Now he could not be the Mediator of that Covenant that is betwixt God and himself of which more shortly but of that Covenant that is betwixt God and his people But Secondly The people of God have pleaded the Covenant that is betwixt God and them Remember thy Covenant Jer. 14. 21. Luk. 1. 72. Psal 25. 6. Now how could they plead the Covenant betwixt God and them if there were no such Covenant see the Scriptures in the margent But Thirdly God is often said to remember his Covenant Pondeâ— upon these Scriptures Psal 105. 8. Psal 106. 45. Psal 111. â— Gen. 9. 15. I 'l remember my covenant which is between you and me Exod. 6. 5. I have remembred my covenant Lev. 26. 42. I remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my covenant with thee and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant Now how can God be said to remember his Covenant with his people if there were no Covenant betwixt God and them But Fourthly the temporal and spiritual deliverances that you have by the Covenant do clearly evidence that there Gen. 9. 11. Isa 54. 9. Psal 111. 9. Isa 59. 21. is a Covenant betwixt God and you Zach. 9. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there was no water These words include both temporal and spiritual deliverances So that now if there be not a Covenant betwixt God and you what deliverances can you expect seeing they all flow in upon the
them So Psal 89. 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth As if he should have said Though they break my Statutes yet will I not break my Covenant for this seems to have reference to the 31 vers If they break my statutes c. Though they had prophaned God's Statutes yet God would not prophane his Covenant as the Hebrew runs My covenant will I not break that is I will stand stedfastly to the performance of it and to every part and branch of it I will never be inconstant I will never be off and on with my people I will never change my purpose nor eat my words nor unsay what I have said So Jer. 33. 20. Thus saith the That is the order that I have set upon the courses and the Revolutions of day and night Lord if you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night and that there shall not be day and night in their season vers 21. Then may also my covenant be broken with my servant David c. It is impossible for any created power to break off the intercourse of night and day so it is impossible for me to break the Covenant that I have made with David my servant the day and night shall as soon fail as my Covenant shall fail So Isa 54. 10. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Though great and huge mountains should remove yea though heaven and earth Psal 46. 2. should meet yet the Covenant of God with his people shall stand unmoveable The Covenant of God the mercy of God and the loving kindness of God to his people shall last for ever and remain constant and immutable though all things in the world should be turned upside down So Psal 111. 4. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion vers 5. He will ever be mindful of his covenant God looks not at his peoples sins but at his own promise he will pass by their infirmities and supply all their necessities God will never break his Covenant he will never alter his Covenant he will still keep it he will for ever be mindful of it The Covenant of God with his people shall be as inviolable as the course and revolution of day and night and more immoveable than the very hills and mountains From what has been said we may thus argue If God hath by many choice precious and pathetical promises engaged himself to make good that blessed Covenant that he has made with his people then certainly there is a Covenant between God and his people But God hath by many choice precious and pathetical promises engaged himself to make good his Covenant to his people Ergo. I might have laid down several other unanswerable arguments to have evinced this blessed truth That there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people but let these eight suffice for the present Seventhly and lastly premise this with me viz. That it is a matter of high importance and of great concernment 2 Sam. 23. 3 4. for all mortals to have a clear and a right understanding of that Covenant under which they are God deals with all men according to the Covenant under Psal 105. 8. â—sal 111. 5. 1 â—â—r 11. 28. Gal. 4. 23 24 25. which they stand we shall never come to understand our spiritual estate and condition till we come to know under what Covenant we are If we are under a Covenant of works our state is miserable If we are under a Covenant of grace â—ur state is happy If we die under a Covâ—nant of works we shall be certâ—inly damned If we die under â— Coveâ—ant â—f grace we shall be certainly savâ—d 'Till we come to understand under what Covenant we are we shall never be able to put a right construction a right interpretation upon any of God's actions dealings or dispensations towards us When we come to understand that we are under the Covenant of grace then we shall be able to put a sweet a loving and a favourable Rev. 3. 19. Jâ—b 1. 21. Jer. 24. 4 5. Rom. 8. 28. Heb. 12. 10 11. 2 Cor. 4. 15 16 17 18. construction upon the most sharp smart severe and terrible dispensations of God knowing that all flows from love and shall work for our external internal and eternal good and for the advancement of God's honour and glory in the world When we come to understand that we are under a Covenant of works then we shall know that there is wrath and curses and woes wrapped up in the most favourable dispensations and in the greatest Prev 1. 32. Mal. 2. 2. Deut. 28. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Levit. 26. 14 to the 24. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Heb. 12. 1. outward mercies and blessings that Christ confers upon us If a man be under a Covenant of grace and doth not know it how can he rejoyce in the Lord how can he sing out the high praises of God how can he delight himself in the Almighty how can he triumph in Christ Jesus how can he chearfully run the race that is before him how can he bear up bravely and resolutely in his sufferings for the cause of Christ how can he besiege the throne of grace with boldness how can he be temptation proof how can he be dead to this world how can he long to be with Christ in that other world And if a man be under a Covenant of works and doth not know it how can he lament and bewail his sad condition how can he be earnest with God to bring him under the bond of the New Covenant how can he make out after Christ how can he chuse the things that please God how can he cease from doing evil and learn to do well how can he lay hold on eternal life how can he be saved from wrath to come c. If we are under a Covenant of grace and do not know it how can we manage our duties and services with that life love seriousness holiness spiritualness Psal 16. 4. Ames 8. 5. Mal 1. 13. Hâ—s 6. 4. cap. 4. 10. Psal 36. 3. and uprightness as becomes us c. If we are under a Covenant of works and do not know it how rare shall we be in religious duties how weary shall we be of religious duties and how ready shall we be to cast off religious duties By these few things I have been hinting at you may easily discern how greatly it concerns all sorts of persons to know what Covenant they are under whether they are under the first or second Covenant whether they are under a Covenant of works or a Covenant of grace Now having premised these seven things my way is clear to that I would be at which is this viz. That there are
expressed an imprecation or curse wishing the like dissection and destruction to the parties covenanting as most deserved if they should break the Covenant or deal falsely therein To this custom God alludes when he saith I will cut with them a covenant of peace And this he did by making Christ a sacrifice by shedding his blood and dividing his soul and body who is said to be given Isâ— 42 6. for a Covenant of the people that is to be the medâ—â—tor of the Covenant between God and his people So Ezek. 37. 26. Moreover I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them c. The word for peace is Shalom by which the Heb◠〈◊〉 derstand not only outward quietness but all kind of outward happiness Others by the Covenant of peace here do understand the Gospel wherein we see Christ hath pacified all things by the blood of his cross And Lavater Col. 1. 20. saith it 's called a Covenant of peace Quia Christi merito pax inter Deum nos constituta est Not only outward but inward peace between God and us is merited by our Lord Jesus Christ But Fifthly This Covenant of Grace under which the Saints stand is sometimes stiled a New Covenant Jer. Heb. 8. 8 13. Heb. 9. 15. 31. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the Mediatour of the new covenant c. Now the Covenant of grace is stiled a New Covenant in several respects First in opposition to the former Covenant that was old and being old vanished away Heb. 8. 13. It is called a New Covenant in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam in the state of innocency and in opposition to the Covenant that was made with the Jews in the time of the Old Testament 2. To shew the excellency of the Covenant of Grace new things are rare and excellent things In the blessed Scriptures excellent things are frequently called new As a New Testament a New Jerusalem New Heavens and New Earth A new name that is an excellent name A new Commandment that is an excellent commandment a new way that is an excellent way a new heart iâ— an excellent heart a new spirit is an excellent spirit and a new sâ—ng is an excellent song 3. In reâ—â—rd of the succession of it in â—he room of the former 4. 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 ation and enlargement of it iâ— being in the days of old confiâ—ed to the Jewish Nation and Sâ—â—te and some â—ew Prosâ—lytes that adjoyned themselves thereunto whereas now it iâ— propounded and extended without respect of persons or places unto all indifferently of all people and nations that shall embrace the saith â—â— Christ 5. Sometimes that is stiled new which is 〈◊〉 from what it was before 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature A new creature has a new light a new judgment a new will new a 〈…〉 tions new t 〈…〉 ghtâ— new 〈…〉 pany new choice new Lâ—â—d â—ew law new way new work 〈◊〉 A new creature is a chaâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—t 1 〈◊〉 5. 23. that is he is not such a man as he was before a man must be either a new man or no man in Christ The substance of the soul is not changed but the qualities and operations of it are altered in regeneration our natures are changed not destroyed This word New in Scripture signifieth as much as another not that it is essentially new but new only in regard of qualities a new creature is a changed creature 2 Cor. 3. 17. But we all with open face behâ—lding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the sâ—me image from glory to glory that is from grace to grace In this respect also is the Covenant stiled new not only because it is divers from the Covenant of works but also because it is divers from it self in respect of the administration of it after that Christ was manifested in the flesh and died and rose again from the different administration it is called old and new This New Covenant hath not those seals of Circumcision and the Passover nor those manifold sacrifices ceremonies types and shadows c. to the observation whereof the Jews were strictly obliged but now all these things are taken away upon the coming of Christ and a service of God much more spiritual substituted in the room of them Upon which accounts the Covenant of Grace is called a New Covenant 6. It is stiled new because it is fresh and green and flourishing it is like unto Aaron's Rod which continued new fresh and flourishing All the choice blessings all the great blessings all the internal and all the eternal blessings of the New Covenant are as new fresh and flourishing as they were when God brought your souls first under the bond of the New Covenant But Seventhly Such things are sometimes â—â—iled new which are strange rare wonderful marvellâ—us and unusual the like not heard of before So Jer. 31. 22. The Lord hath created a new thing in the â—arth a woman shall compass a man As the nâ—t encloseth the 〈◊〉 not receiving ought from without but conceiving and breeding of her sâ—lf by the power of the Almighty from within That a virgin should conceive and bring forth a man-child this was indeed a new thing a strange thing a wonderful thing a thing that was never thought of never heard of never read of from the creation of the world to that very day So Isa 43. 19. Behold I will do The word new doth intimate some more excellent mercies than God had formerly conferred upon his people a new thing I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert This was a new work that is a wonderful and unusual work for God to make a plain or free way in the wilderness where the ways are wont to be uneven with hills and dales and obstructed with thickets and overgrown with brambles and briars is a strange and marvelous work indeed In this respect also the Covenant of grace is stiled new that is it is a wonderful Covenant O sirs what a wonder is this that the great God who was so transcendently dishonoured despised provoked incensed and injured by poor base sinners should yet so freely so readily so graciously condescend to vile forlorn sinners as to treat with them as to own them as to love them and as to enter into a Covenant of grace and mercy with them this may well be the wonder of Angels and the astonishment of men Eighthly and lastly it is called a New Covenant because it is never to be antiquated as the Apostle explains himself Heb. 8. 13. But Sixthly This Covenant of Grace under which the Saints stand is sometimes stiled a Covenant of Salt Lev.
the foundation of the Covenant of Grace with poor sinners Now let us seriously mind how this Covenant of Grace or this new Covenant runs both in the Old and in the New Testament Jer. 31. 31. Behold Though the Covenant of Redemption made to the fathers this which was given after seem divers yet they are all one and grounded on Jesus Christ save that this is called new because of the manifestations of Christ and the abundant graces of the Holy Ghost given to his Church under the Gospel 2 Cor. 3. 1 2 3. the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah vers 32. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord. vers 33. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people vers 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord For I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sin no more Now let us see how Paul doth exegetically explain this New Covenant in that Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises vers 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second but finding fault with them he saith vers 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah vers 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they continued not in my covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. Vers 10 But this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people vers 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest vers 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more vers 13. In that he saith a new covenant he hath made the first old Now Where then is the fire of purgatory and that Popish distinction of the fault and the punishment as for the fiction of Purgatory it deserves rather to be hissed at than by arguments refuted And to punish sin in Purgatory as Popish Doctors teach what is this but to call sin tomind and memory to view and sight to reckoning and account which is contrary to the Doctrine of the New Covenant that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away This is the substance of the New Covenant and thus the Lord did fore-promise it by Jeremiah and afterwards expounded it by Paul some small difference there is in their words but the sence is one and the same Now this Covenant is stiled the New Covenant because it is to continue new and never to wax old or wear away so long as this world shall continue Neither doth the holy Scriptures any where reveal another Covenant which shall succeed this Covenant If any Covenant should succeed this it must be either a Covenant of works or a Covenant of Grace not a Covenant of works for that would bring us all under a curse and make our condition utterly desperate not a Covenant of Grace because more grace cannot be shewn in any other Covenant than in this here is all grace and all mercy here is Jesus Christ with all his righteousness mediatorship merits purchase This Covenant is so full so ample so large so perfect so compleat and is every way so accommodated to the condition of lost sinners that nothing can be altered nor added nor mended and therefore it must needs be the last Covenant that ever God will make with man So Heb. 10. vers 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them vers 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Rom. 11. 26. There shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. The person delivering is Christ described here by his office and by his original his office The deliverer the original word Ruomenos which Paul useth signifies delivering by a strong hand to rescue by force as David delivered the Lamb out of the Lyon's paw vers 27. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sin This Covenant concerning the pardon of believer's sins and their deliverance by Christ God will certainly make good to his people Now from the Covenant of Grace or the new Covenant Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Maâ— 12. 14. cap 18. 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. that God has made with sincere Christians a believer may form up this Eighth Plea to the Ten Scriptures cited in the margin that refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account viz. Oh blessed God thou hast in the Covenant of Grace by which I must be tryed freely and fully engaged thy self That thou wilt pardon mine iniquities and remember my sins no more so runs the New Covenant Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more So again Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more So Heb 10. 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Ezek. 18. 22. All his transgressions that be hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Jer. 50. 20. In thâ—se days saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them The New Covenaâ—t can neâ—er be broken 2 Câ—â—â—n 13. 5. Psal 89. 34. Is 1. 50.
almighty power and unsearchable wisdom and other divine excellencies of his be duly weighed we cannot but acknowledg that as his sacrifice is perfect in it self so it is sufficient to make us perfect also Christ's body was given up as a price and ransom and offered up as a sacrifice for our sins and that we might be sanctified and made holy Christ by the offering of his body once for all has purchased of his father grace and holiness for all his redeemed ones Christ agrees with his father that he will lay down an incomparable price for his chosen ones and then he further agrees with his father that all those shall be sanctified for whom he has laid down an invaluable price The will of God the father was that Jesus Christ should have a body and that that body of his should be offered up that his Elect might be sanctified and saved Now to this Christ readily answers Loe I come to do thy will From what hath been said from Psal 40. compared with Heb. 10. we may very safely and roundly conclude that it is most clear and evident that there was a Covenant compact or agreement between God the father and Jesus Christ concerning the Redemption of fallen man This I shall more abundantly clear up before I have said all I have to say about the Covenant of Redemption that is under our present consideration But The Ninth Scripture is that Psal 89. 28. My mercy The 9. Proof will I keep for him for evermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him with whom why with our dear Lord Jesus of whom David was a singular type There are many passages in this Psalm which do clearly evidence that it s to be interpreted of Christ yea there are many things in this Psalm that can never be clearly pertinently and appositely applied to any but Jesus Christ for a taste see vers 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty mighty to pardon to reconcile to justifie to save to bring to glory suitable to that of the Apostle Heb. 7. 2 5. He is able to save unto the uttermost that is to all ends and purposes perfectly compleatly fully continually perpetually Christ is a thorow Saviour a mighty Saviour Isa 63. 1. Mighty to save there needs none to come after him to finish the work which he hath begun vers 19. I have exalted one chosen out of the people which is the very Ad plenum E 〈…〉 mus ad pâ—se â—um Stâ—pulensis title given to our Lord Jesus Isa 42 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect or chosen one in whom my soul delighteth vers 20. I have found David my servant Christ is very frequently called by that name as being most dearly beloved of God and most highly esteemed and valued by God and as being typified by him both as King and Prophet of his Church vers 10. With my holy Seâ— Jer. 3â— 9. Hos â— 5. Exâ—â— 34. 23. oyl have I anointed him suitable to that of Christ Luk. 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor and therefore we need not doubt of the excellency authority certainty and sufficiency of the Gospel vers 27. I will make him my first born higher than the kings of the earth Christ is the first born of every creature and in all things hath the preheminence vers 29. His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven This is Câ—los 1. 18. It cannot be understood of David's seed for Solomon's Throne was overthrown chiefly spoken of Christ and his Kingdom The aspectible heaven is corruptible but the Kingdom of heaven is eternal and such shall be Christ's seed throne and kingdom vers 36. his seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me Christ shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands And his throne as the sun before me that is Isa 53. 10. perpetual and glorious as the Chaldee explaineth it shall shine as the sun Other Kingdoms and Thrones have their times and their turns their rise and their ruines but so hath not the Kingdom and Throne of Jesus Christ Christ's dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall Dan. 7. 13 14. not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed I might give further instances out of this Psalm but enough is as good as a feast Now saith God I have made a Covenant with him so then there is a Covenant that God the Father hath made with Christ the Mediatour which Covenant the father engages to the son shall stand fast there shall be no cancelling or disanulling of it God the father hath not only made a Covenant of Grace with the Saints in Christ of which before but he has also made a Covenant of Redemption as we call it for distinction sake with Jesus Christ himself My Covenant shall stand fast with him that is with Christ as we have fully and clearly demonstrated But The Tenth Scripture is that Zach. 9. 11. As for thee And thou also died with the blood of thy Covenant when I â—ave sent out thy prisoners out of the Cistern in which there are no waters Trem. also by the blood of thy Covenant or whose Covenant is by blood I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Here God the father speaks to Christ with relation to some Covenant between them both and what Covenant can that be but the Covenant of Redemption All the temporal spiritual and eternal deliverances which we enjoy they swim to us through the blood of that Covenant that is passed between the father and the son by vertue of the same blood of the Covenant wherewith we are reconciled justified and saved were the Jews delivered from their Babilonish captivity The Babilonish Captivity thraldom and dispersion was that waterless pit that dirty dungeon that uncomfortable and forlorn condition out of which they were delivered by vertue of the blood of the Covenant that is by vertue of the blood of Christ figured by the blood Exod. 24. 8. â—saâ— 7â— 20. Heb. 13. 20. that was sprinkled upon the people and by vertue of the Covenant confirmed thereby Look as all the choice mercies the high favours the noble blessings that the Saints enjoy are purchased by the blood of Christ so they are made sure to the Saints by the same blood by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners Whatever desperate distresses and deadly dangers the people of God may fall into yet they are prisoners of hope and may look for deliverance by the blood of the Covenant By these ten Scriptures it is most cleare and evident that there was a Covenant a compact and agreement between God the father and our Lord Jesus Christ concerning
Justice be satisfied and divine wrath pacified yet the Devil will not let his captives go therefore Christ by a strong hand wrests us out of Satan's power and destroys him that had the power of death Heb. 2. 24 25. that is the devil The Ransom which Christ paid was the ground of man's full and eternal Redemption for by satisfaction of justice way was made to pacifie wrath both which being accomplished the Devil lost his right and power over such as he held in bondage This Redemption is a full freedom from all misery and compriseth under it reconciliation justification sanctification and salvation By this Redemption divine justice is satisfied wrath pacified grace procured and all spiritual enemies vanquished The perfection of this Redemption is hinted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this word eternal the eternity here meant hath a special respect to the continual duration thereof without end yet also it respecteth the time past so as it looks backward and forward It implieth a vertue and efficacy from the beginning of the world for Christ was a lamb slain from the foundation of the world Christ himself Rev. 13. 8. Rev. 1. 8. is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and which was and which is to come Now that which is spoken of the person of Christ may very well be applied to our Redemption by Christ This Epithete Eternal is here added to Redemption in opposition to the legal purifications which were momentary and temporary They had a day and endured no longer than the time of reformation On this ground by just and necessary consequence it followeth that the Redemption wrought by Christ is absolutely perfect and that there is no need of any other This being eternal all that have been all that shall be redeemed have been and shall be redeemed by it and they who are redeemed by it need no other means The liberty whereinto Christ Jesus brings the Elect is permanent and lasting it abides irremoveable and unchangeable to all Eternity The Jews which had sold themselves to be servants were to be set free at the Jubilee yet the Jubilee lasted but for one year Levit. 25. therefore the same persons might afterwards become bondmen again But this acceptable year of the Lord 's Isa 61. 2. cap. 63. 4. redeemed is an everlasting year it shall never end therefore they shall never be subject to bondage any more It is observable that when the Lord would comfort the Jews with hopes of a return from Babilon he usually annexed Evangelical promises respecting the deliverance of poor sinners from the slavery of Satan whereof that captivity was a Type some of which promises do plainly express the perpetuity of that spiritual freedom which they shall enjoy Take a taste Isa 35. 10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs See also Jer. 32. 39. Ezek. 37. 25 26 27 28. cap. 39. 29. and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isa 51. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoak and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner but my salvation shall be for ever and my righteousness shall not be abolished Isa 60. 19 20. The sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended Jer. 31. 11 12. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion and their soul shall be as a watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all But The Fifth excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ is this viz. It is an enriching Redemption it is a Redemption that makes men rich in spiritual blessings in heavenly places There are many choice Eph. 1. 3. and rare spiritual benefits that wait and attend on Redemption that go hand in hand with Redemption As Rom. 5. 1. cap. 3. 24 25. reconciliation remission of our sins justification of our persons adoption sanctification full glorification we have some fore-tastes of it in this life here we have the first fruits of the spirit but in the morning of the Resurrection Rom. 8. 23 30. we shall reap the whole harvest of glory It 's called by way of eminency the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1. 9. Redemption and the noble benefits attending on it are Salvation begun but in heaven this shall be salvation consummate Redemption is a rich Mine containing a Mass of Treasure that cannot be valued could we dig into it could we pry into it we might find variety of the choicest Jewels and Pearls in comparison whereof all the riches of the Indies all the Gold of Ophir and all the precious Jewels and most orient Pearls that are in the world are no better than dross I have read of Tiberius the Emperour that passing by a place where he saw a cross lying in the ground upon a Marble stone and causing the stone to be digged up he found a great treasure under the Cross But what was this treasure but a great nothing to that treasure that is wrap'd up in our Redemption by Christ What the Lord said once to his anointed Cyrus a temporal deliverer of his people the same he hath spoken and much more to his Anointed Jesus the greater Saviour and Redeemer of his Church I will give thee the treasures of darkness the hidden riches of secret Isa 43. 3. See my Treatise called The Vnsearchable Ruâ—es of Christ places There are unsearchable riches in Jesus Christ in him are riches of Grace of all Grace in him are riches of justification and riches of sanctification and riches of consolation and riches of glorification Would you share in the best of riches would you share in the most durable riches would you share in soul riches would you share in heavenly riches O! then secure your interest in the Redemption that is by Jesus Christ But The sixth and last excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ is this viz. It is a Redemption sweetning Redemption it is such a Redemption as sweetens all other Redemptions 't is Redemption by Christ that sweetens our Redemption out of this trouble and that out of this affliction and that out of this danger and that out of this sickness and that out of this bondage and that Redemption by Christ is like that tree which Moses cast into the bitter Exed
Mordecai's name was Registred in the Chronicles of Persia Ejih 6. 1 2 3. And Iamerlane had always by him a Catalogue of his best Servants and their good deserts which he daily perused Judge But Sixthly and lastly There is a Book of Life Rev. 20. 12. And another book was opened which is the book of life the Book of Life is the Book of all those that were elected and redeemed to life through Christ Jesus This Book of Life containeth a Register of such particular persons in whose Salvation God from all Eternity determined to have his mercy glorified and for whom Christ merited Faith Repentance and perseverance that they should repent believe and be finally saved The book of life shall be opened that is to say the Decrees of God will be then published and made known which now are sealed up in his breast and locked up in his Archives Then it will be seen who are appointed to life for the glorifying of God's free rich and Soveraign Grace and whom he purposed to leave in their sins and to perish for ever for the exaltation of his Justice 'T is called A Book of Life not that God hath need of a Book but to note the certainty of Predestination viz. that God knows all and every of the Elect even as men know a thing which for memory's sake they set down in writing This Book of Life shall be opened in the great day because then it shall appear who were Elect who Reprobates who truly believed in Christ who not who worshipped God in spirit and in truth and who not who walked with God as Noah and who not who set up God as the object of their fear who not who followed the Lamb whither ever he went and who not who were sincere and who not who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds and who preferred Barrabas before Jesus and their Farms and their Oxen and their Mat. 25. 32. Swine yea their very Lusts before a Saviour a Redeemer Ezek. 9. 4 6. who are Sheep and who are Goats who are Sons and who are Slaves who have mourned for their own sins and the sins of the time and who they are that have made a sport of sin c. Of this Book of Life you read often in Scripture Phil. 4. 3. And I intreat thee also true yoke-fellow help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of life Vorstius thinks it a speech taken from the custome of souldiers or Cities in which the chosen Souldiers or Citizens are by name written in a certain Book or Roll. This Book or Roll is called here The Book of Life because therein are written all the Elect who are ordained to Eternal Life Rev. 3. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be cloathed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life In this Book of Life all the just that live by faith are written The Elect are certain of Joh. 10. 28 29 30 31. eternal life they shall never perish nor none can ever pluck them out of the Father's hand nor out of Christ's hand God is said to have Books Metaphorically The Holy God by an Ambrâ—pepatheria speaketh to our capacity for he doth all things without the help of Books he needs no Books to help his Memory he does all things by his infinite Wisdom Eternal Foreknowledge Counsel Government and Judgment but thus men cannot do for whatsoever is done in their Councils Cities Families Contracts c. for memory's sake is set down in writing that so as there is occasion they may look it over and call to mind such things as they desire Mark not to have our names blotted out of the Book of Life is to have them always remain therein that is to enjoy Eternal Glory and what can the soul desire more The names of the Elect are written in the Book of Life they do not obtain Salvation by chance but were elected of God to life and happiness before the Foundation of the World Now their names being once written in the Book of Life they shall never never be blotted out of that Book In the Book of Predestination there is not one blot to be found the Salvation of the Elect is most sure and certain Rev. 13. 8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world The names of the Elect are said to be written in the Book of Life by an usual Metaphor for we commonly write down the names of such as are dear unto us that we may continually remember them So God having in his Eternal Council elected some to Salvation hath written their names in the Book of Life as our Saviour tells us Rejoyce because your Luk. 10. 20. names are written in heaven Some understand the Metaphor of the Sonship of the Elect so that to be written in the Book of Life shews that they are heirs of Glory for we know that such are to inherit whose names are written in the last Will and Testament of men Of this Book of Life you may further read Rev. 17. 8. Rev. 20. 15. Rev. 21. 27. Rev. 22. 19. Now from this Book of Life that shall be opened in the great day when the other Books shall be opened as hath been shewed every sincere Christian may form up this Eleventh Plea as to the Ten Scriptures that are in the Margin that refer to the great Eccles 9. 11. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. â— 5. Dan. 9. 24. Coles 2. 14. day of account or t 〈…〉 man's particular account Most Holy and Blessed Lord cast thine eye upon the Book of Election and there thou wilt find my name written Now my name being written in that Book I am exempt from all condemnation and interested in the great Salvation my name being written in the Book of Life I am secured from coming into the Judgment of Reprobation or Condemnation Joh. 5. 14. Revel 21. 27. Jesus Christ who hath written my name in the Book of Life hath made up my acounts for me he hath satisfied thy Justice and pacified thy Wrath and born the Curse and purchased my Pardon and put upon me an everlasting Righteousness and given me my Quietus est he has crost out the black lines of my sins with the red lines of his blood he has cancelled all the Bonds wherein I stood obliged to Divine Justice I further plead O Blessed Lord That there is an immutable Connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and the obtaining of Eternal Life and if the Connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and the obtaining of Eternal Life were not peremptory what reason could there be of opening this Book in the day of Judgment The Book of Life is a Book of Sovereign Grace upon which lies the weight of my Salvation my happiness my all and therefore by that Book I desire to stand or fall Well saith the Lord I cannot but accept of this Plea as holy honourable just and righteous and therefore enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord inherit the Kingdom prepared for thee Mat. 25. 21 34. Thus by Divine Aslistance and by a special and a gracious hand of Providence upon me I have finished those select and important Cases of Conscience which I designed to speak to Soli Deo Gloria in Aeternum